In recent years, new music and worship styles have enriched the worship styles have enriched the worship experience, from contemporary worship and praise music to world music. New hymnody offers modern images and refreshing tunes that tell the old, old story. Now churches can continue to sing the hymns they treasure and add newer music to their worship life! All editions come with Cross & Flame emblem on the cover except for the "Cross Only" version of the Pew Edition.

This new collection of essays explores the subject of conversion in the Wesleyan tradition from biblical, historical, theological, and practical points of view. Written by leading Wesleyan scholars, the essays reinvoke the notion of conversion as an identifiable experience in the Christian's life. The contributors, drawn from a diversity of backgrounds, rightly call for a much needed, and inclusive, balance: process and instantaneousness, nurture and regeneration, holy living and vibrant faith. The recovery of conversion as an illuminating paradigm of saving grace promises both renewal and revitalization in the Wesleyan tradition.

For early American Methodists, quarterly meetings were great festivals at the heart of Methodism's liturgical life. The meetings lasted several days and could attract thousands. In this volume, Lester Ruth offers a revisionist description of worship at the quarterly meetings in early American Methodism (ca. 1772-1825). The author describes the quarterly meeting as the setting in which early Methodism most "dramatized" itself for public view as graced fellowship. He explores each of the liturgical dynamics of this experience, including the distinction between public and private worship, the loud exuberance of American Methodists, the vivid proclamation of God's Word, the role of the sacraments and of Wesley's liturgical innovations, the power of fellowship as eschatological manifestation, and the interaction between the personal experience of grace and ecclesial inclusion.

In volume offers insight and guidance regarding this new ministerial order both to those who are called into the diaconate, and those among whom they will minister. The book begins by locating the office of deacon within the larger United Methodist understanding the ministry of all God's people and of ordained ministers. Drawing on the stories of those whom God has called and ordained to the ministry of deacon, the authors portray the crucial link between the worship of the church and service to the world that is central to the office of deacon. The book concludes with answers to common questions asked by deacons and the churches in which their ministry takes place: Who pays for insurance? What about pensions? What responsibilities do deacons have to the congregations that hire them, and what to the conferences of which they are members?

Belief matters This book is written for two purposes. The first is to reminds us that what we believe does matter. The second is to explain the doctrinal standards of The United Methodist Church--matters of our belief. Intended for use by both laypersons and clergy, this book describes and exposits the four official Doctrinal Standards of The United Methodist Church. The standards will be explored in the following order: Explanatory Notes, Sermons, Articles of Religion, Confession of Faith. The book also includes a study guide, a glossary, and suggestions for further reading.

Just as Roots told the story of the African-American experience in the United States, Breaking the Barriers illustrates the experience of African Americans within United Methodism, and the important roles that faith, the church, and family played in molding the character and work of numerous individuals throughout the denomination.

On July 19, 1984, Leontine Current Kelly was elected bishop of The United Methodist Church, making her the first African-American woman to become a bishop within a major American religious denomination. Breaking the Barriers recounts the story of her journey and that historic achievement

How is it that we come to know ourselves as Christians? What were the elements of John Wesley s work that contributed to spiritual formation for a Christian life, and how did these elements interrelate? Focusing on matters of formation and transformation in faith, Sondra Matthaei answers such questions in light of early Methodist practices of formation. Through research and dialogue with Wesleyan scholarship and constructive proposals related to the life of the church, this insightful study encourages faithful and imaginative approaches to spiritual formation in churches today.

The focus of this book is on matters of formation and transformation in faith. The book answers the question "How do we come to know ourselves as Christian?" and analyzes this question in light of early Methodist practices of formation and an ecology of education within the Methodist movement. The reader will come to understand John Wesley's idea of character formation and moral transformation. The reader will understand how Christian and vocation are shaped through spiritual formation and will understand the role of structures and relationships (family, school, church, etc.) in spiritual formation. "

No issue more polarizes American Protestants today than the church s stance on homosexuality. In recent years, a number of denominations have engaged in prolonged and divisive debates on the subject, and it appears that these debates will continue to occupy their attention. The contributors to this volume call for the formation of a loyal opposition that is serious in its commitment to the difficult process of reconciliation and forgiveness. Faithfulness to the gospel, they remind readers, requires nothing less than that Christians will be committed to the full inclusion of all persons in the body of Christ not least of all those who disagree theologically and ethically.

The book offers readers a multifaceted argument that the gospel requires a commitment to the full inclusion of all persons in the body of Christ. It focuses on how members of mainline denominations can respond to official denominational positions with which they disagree. Readers are offered an alternative response besides staying in the denomination and remaining silent or leaving the denomination because one disagrees with its official position on this issue.

Contributors include: J. Philip Wogaman, Roy Sano, Stanley Hauerwas, Jeanne Audrey Powers, Victor Paul Furnish, Dale Dunlap, Gil Caldwell, and Joretta Marshall. Foreword by Leontine Kelly.

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Commissioned by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry for use in United Methodist doctrine/polity/history courses.

From a Sunday school teacher's account of a typical Sunday morning to letters from presidents, from architects' opinions for and against the Akron Plan to impassioned speeches demanding full rights for African Americans, women, homosexuals, and laity in the Church, this riveting collection of documents will interest scholars, clergy, and laity alike. This Sourcebook, part of the two-volume set The Methodist Experience in America, contains documents from between 1760 and 1998 pertaining to the movements constitutive of American United Methodism. The editors identify over two hundred documents by date, primary agent, and central theme or important action. The documents are organized on a strictly chronological basis, by the date of the significant action in the excerpt. Charts, graphs, timelines, and graphics are also included. The Sourcebook has been constructed to be used with the Narrative volume in which the interpretation of individual documents, discussions of context, details about events and individuals, and treatment of the larger developments can be found.

Partners in Ministry is built upon the basic assumption that ministry is the fundamental vocation of all Christians and not simply clergy. Drawing on their extensive experience in leading the Partners in Ministry program, the authors provide direct, practical guidance on how the ministries of laity and clergy can complement and strengthen each other. The basic building block in their approach is the ministry team, in which one s status as clergy or laity does not matter, but one s sense of God s call and gifts for ministry does. Ministry is the fundamental vocation of all Christians, and not simply clergy. Roy and Jackie Trueblood help this truth become an integral practice in a church ministry partnership.

Key Benefits: Readers will find practical guidance on how the ministry of laity and clergy can complement and strengthen one another Helps congregations train and build ministry teams Helps readers understand differences between clergy and laity in terms of ministry functions rather than levels "

Noted author and scholar David McKenna celebrates these simple, yet distinctive foundations and shares with enthusiasm the chalenges facing present-day Wesleyans in his timely new book.

The demands of congregational ministry are many, the rewards sometimes seem few, and burnout becomes a real possibility. Small wonder, then, that churches become stuck in a state of arrested spiritual development. When the pastor is functioning in a survival or maintenance mode, the church's vitality is often the first casualty. Yet Wills's own experience demonstrates that churches can turn around; the wind of the Spirit can be felt anew. This happens when the congregation is infected by the vision of what God is doing in their midst--a vision which the leaders, particularly the pastor, must bring before them.

In Waking to God's Dream, Richard Wills shares the spiritual disciplines and insights which he believes account for the transformation of the congregation he serves from a large church in decline to one that is growing and reaching out to its community in a variety of creative ministries. Detailing the steps and initiatives that led to this turnaround, Wills demonstrates how personal commitment on the part of the congregation's leaders and ministers have been the key to the work they have accomplished.

This volume in the United Methodist Studies series challenges United Methodists to engage in life-transforming practices. The author explains a theme and underscores major emphases within the United Methodist denomination. This adult study is divided into four sections with suggestions for group discussion, and can be completed in 4 to 8 sessions. No leader s guide is needed. The sections are: Living from the Heart - This chapter examines the essence of prayer and devotional life for United Methodists: holiness of heart and life. The chapter is divided into two sections to enable this examination: Communion (heart) and Compassion (life). Read and Pray Daily - Exploring these two central disciplines in Christian formation and the Wesleyan Tradition guides readers into practical expressions of what it means to read devotionally (lection divina) and pray continually (the life of prayer). Get Connected! - The idea of "connectionalism" is a significant part of our tradition. This chapter examines this idea from two vantage points of classic formation principles and the concrete structures Wesley used in early-Methodism, which still contain implications for today. Go On! - The cultivation of prayer and devotional life in United Methodism is not about "attainment" but rather about "journey." This chapter examines the pilgrimage motif through the two lenses of the biblical doctrine of Christian perfection, and the practical development of that message through an action/reflection model of Christian formation. "

In the late 1920s and early 1930s "Bishop Cannon" became a household word in much of America. Methodist bishop James Cannon, Jr., was probably the most influential southern clergyman between the Civil War and World War II and certainly the most controversial. A paradoxical figure, he seemed as comfortable in the world of business and public affairs as in the church, and critics condemned him as an exemplar of the materialistic values of the 1920s.

Plunging into politics in Virginia and the nation to secure and protect prohibition, Cannon dramatically broke the taboo against preachers in politics. Often he bested the professional politicians at their own game. Cannon represented the older America of rural and small-town life, Victorian morality, and Protestant hegemony. Best known for leading the South in revolt against Al Smith in the 1928 presidential election, he symbolized the struggle against an increasingly urban, pluralistic society.

Intense, outspoken, and combative Cannon engendered fierce loyalty and deep enmity. His moment of triumph in 1928 was short-lived. Celebrated by his followers as Protestant America's foremost champion, he was denounced by critics for his anti-Catholicism and nativism. Beginning in 1929, political enemies and disaffected churchmen, notably Virginia senator Carter Glass, accused Cannon of stock-market gambling, adultery, and embezzling campaign funds. For the next five years, Cannon became the center of several scandals that generated sensational headlines across the country.

Prohibition and Politics reexamines Cannon's long, controversial career as a churchman, reformer, and politician. The result is a fresh, comprehensive, and balanced portraitof one of the most fascinating figures in twentieth-century American history.

These sermons are written to be preached. They are inspired, practical, and filled with fascinating illustrations that keep members of a congregation listening for more.
Leonard Mann writes that the ..". purpose of this small book is] to examine some preludes to Pentecost. By these God was anciently leading his people into larger places of spirit and mind, giving them insights for living, incentives for growing, ever making them ready..."
Sermon titles include:
Pentecost: Postscript or Prelude?
The Glory Of Being Human
The Anatomy Of A Journey
Does God Bother About Our Troubles?
Getting A Fix On The Future A Right Use Of Angels
... and more
Leonard Woodson Mann served as pastor of United Methodist churches for 37 years. Now in retirement, he is involved with special occasion preaching, research, and writing. He has written nine books, has been the editor of two volumes, and has been a major contributor to the preaching journal "Emphasis." He received an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Ohio Northern University and serves as a life member of its Board of Trustees. During his active ministry Mann was senior minister of some of Ohio's largest Methodist congregations.

8 sessions. This study helps adults understand better the goals and beliefs of the United Methodist Church. This study book includes leader helps, ideal for classes that prefer shared leadership.

John Wesley: Holiness of Heart and Life is a six-week study on John Wesley, the major themes of his theology, the spread of Wesleyanism to North America, and renewal in the Wesleyan tradition. Chapters include reflection questions. The Study Guide offers step-by-step plans for each session.

The purpose of this book is simple -- to reclaim a vision for church leadership from the great spiritual awakening known as the Wesleyan movement. Yet the way one goes about this work, contends Lovett H. Weems, Jr., is anything but simple. It involves walking a tightrope between continuity and change. The task is neither to repeat the past, nor to ignore it. Rather the need is to locate the genius behind the achievements of the past from which we can learn for our day. It is to choose selectively those themes and emphases of the Wesleyan movement that can best inform the practice of ministry today, and to seek to grow into them. In order to achieve this, Weems identifies such principles of early Wesleyanism as beginning with where people are, focusing on service, and remembering the poor. He then enumerates practices of Wesleyan leadership, such as leading from the center and the edge, living in tension, and making "connection" happen. Finally, he names the core passions of the Wesleyan spirit: knowing God, proclaiming Christ, and seeking justice.

Histories of women and American religion have tended to focus on women's religious activities rather than on women's religious lives. Studies of early American religion and spirituality have usually depended on the journals and sermons of male preachers. In order to understand the religious lives of ordinary Methodist women, Jean Miller Schmidt has looked at their diaries, letters, spiritual autobiographies, and the accounts of their pious lives and holy deaths that appeared as obituaries in publications like the Methodist Magazine. These powerful stories of faith are part of the shared history of Methodist people.

A work that will inspire cross-cultural sensitivity, this practical guide provides a road map to the basic worship practices of the major ethnic and cultural groups in North American Protestantism.

"In Worship Across Cultures, Kathy Black reports information about actual Christian worship practices gathered in collaboration with persons who come from and minister with churches in twenty-one different cultural contexts in the US. This book is a uniquely valuable resource whether for pastors who regularly lead Christian worship in cultural contexts beyond their own, or for persons visiting worship in another context to attend a marriage or a funeral. By approaching the study of worship through description of actual practices, it will inspire cross-cultural sensitivity, as well as providing food for thought and new ideas for worship. I heartily recommend it for laity, pastors, and seminary classes."--Ruth Duck, Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary

In a time when the United Methodist Connectional System is being questioned throughout the denomination, this volume explains the roots of the system, its rationale, and its success. Chapter essays: Connectionalism and Itinerancy; Constitutional Order in United Methodism and American Culture; African American Methodists; Methodist Identities and the Founding of Methodist Universities; Redesigning Methodist Churches: Auditorium Style Sanctuaries; Wesley's Legacy of Social Holiness; United Methodist Campus Ministry; The Effect of Mergers on American Wesleyan Denominations; Determinants of the Denominational Mission Funding Crisis; and others.

These new essays summarize the latest research by highly respected United Methodist scholars, exploring the distinctive doctrines and discipline of the denomination. Essays include An Untapped Inheritance: American Methodism and Wesley's Practical Theology; The Scripture Way of Salvation: Narrative Spirituality and Biblical Praxis in Early Methodism; Theology, Religious Activity, and Structures of the Lives of Ordinary People; The Doors of Opportunity: Methodist Theological Education, 1866-1925; What Makes "United Methodist Theology" Methodist?; The Church as a Community of Moral Discourse; and Exploring Both the Middle and the Margins: Locating Methodism within American Religious History."

A Wesleyan Spiritual Reader provides resources for a 26-week devotional experience. The volume includes Scripture, spiritual readings (primarily quotes from the writings of John Wesley), and an essay by the author. This material is woven into a pattern for daily prayer and reflection. This devotional experience will lead readers to live with Wesley's ideas and spirit as a window or vehicle for reaching God. Among the 26 themes explored are: Scriptural Christianity; Life in Christ; Reaching Out to the Poor; The Means of Grace; Holiness of Life; Justifying Grace; The Ministry of All God's People; Sanctifying Grace; and God's Love and Ours.

While intended for devotional use by both clergy and laity, pastors will also find this a helpful resource for sermon preparation. This wonderful guide to deeper spirituality will become a cherished companion for all who seek to grow in faith and knowledge of God.