In Mitch Albom's popular novel The Five People You Meet in Heaven (Hyperion 2003), Albom presents a vision of heaven and the afterlife, but the novel is not just about what happens after we die. It also offers some pretty important insights into the lives we lead in the here and now. Using the Wisdom Traditions of the Bible as their backdrop, Gilvin and Godsey bring us into a discussion of what, as Albom suggests in his novel, might truly be important in life. Wisdom Literature, says Gilvin and Godsey, expresses the way individuals experience life. Illustrating biblical concepts with examples from Albom's novel, Wisdom from the Five People You Meet in Heaven parallels each of the characters of The Five People You Meet in Heaven with the themes and insights from a particular selection from Wisdom Literature. For individual reading or group discussion, each of the six chapters offer questions for reflection or as discussion starters.

Joplin. Aurora. New York/New Jersey. Newtown. Whether the disaster is natural or created by humans, churches respond by providing sanctuary, hope, and practical aid. Pulled from accounts of lay persons and "pastors in disasters," Help and Hope provides practical applications for nonprofessionals and volunteers from faith communities who want to help prepare for and respond to disasters. This book is designed with utility in mind, with quick reference tabs, checklists, and space for your own notes. Help and Hope prepares you to be, literally, the shelter from the storm.