John 1:14 The Word became flesh . . . full of grace and truth." The Gospel of John begins like the first notes of some grand symphony, or perhaps the first brushstrokes of a masterpiece on canvas, or the first words whispered to you when you were cradled in your mother's arms. "In the beginning was the Word. . . . And the Word became flesh . . . full of grace and truth." Who was Jesus? Was he born to Mary in Bethlehem? Had he always been? John 1 unlocks a mystery. The Word always was God. Somehow, the fellowship that is God, the intimate relationships of love that are God's heart, have always been, and will always be." --from chapter 1.

This wonderful devotional book will stimulate both mind and heart. Howell provides contexts for the selected verses and draws from a wide range of sources to illuminate their meaning for Christian faith and life today. His insights are richly rewarding. He encourages, inspires, and motivates us to understand the biblical verses in relation to faithful Christian discipleship. Howell's pastoral sensitivities combined with his studies and seasoned wisdom make this book an outstanding companion to Scripture reading and a gift to all Bible readers.

This book-containing contributions from scholars who are well-known for their research on gangs, and selected as experts on the assigned topics-examines youth gangs from a developmental/life-course perspective, exploring a myriad of issues related to gang membership, its causes, its consequences, and various intervention efforts to both prevent gang membership and reduce the problematic impact of gangs. Beginning with research exploring the intergenerational continuity in gang membership and examining the causal processes leading to gang membership, the structure of the book reflects the developmental sequence of gang membership. The consequences of gang membership for youth are examined, as are intervention strategies. The book also presents the first conceptual framework on female gang involvement, taking into account the differences in the paths and roles that women and girls may take into the gang. The book concludes by exploring how gang membership affects job possibilities for young adults. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Crime and Justice.

This book-containing contributions from scholars who are well-known for their research on gangs, and selected as experts on the assigned topics-examines youth gangs from a developmental/life-course perspective, exploring a myriad of issues related to gang membership, its causes, its consequences, and various intervention efforts to both prevent gang membership and reduce the problematic impact of gangs. Beginning with research exploring the intergenerational continuity in gang membership and examining the causal processes leading to gang membership, the structure of the book reflects the developmental sequence of gang membership. The consequences of gang membership for youth are examined, as are intervention strategies. The book also presents the first conceptual framework on female gang involvement, taking into account the differences in the paths and roles that women and girls may take into the gang. The book concludes by exploring how gang membership affects job possibilities for young adults. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Crime and Justice.

This volume explores the connections between our own birth, the experience of having children, and the new birth of the Christian life. Seasoned pastor James Howell offers theological perspectives on a variety of themes associated with birth, such as who we are in light of having once lived in utero, why people might have children, infertility, adoption, baptism, and how to make sense of it all in light of God coming to us first in Mary's womb and then as an infant. The book includes paintings, photos, and drawings. About the Series Pastors are called to help people navigate the profound mysteries of being human, from birth to death and everything in between. This series, edited by leading pastoral theologian Jason Byassee, provides pastors and pastors-in-training with rich theological reflection on the various seasons that make up a human life, helping them minister with greater wisdom and joy.

Description: Struck from Behind is a memoir--but not the usual narrative of events. James Howell tells intriguing stories from childhood, romantic life, travel, friendships, tragedies, and wonders, and how God was there, although unnoticed or uninvited at the time. By sharing in retrospect how he now understands God's presence in seemingly mundane moments, we begin to sense something of God's way in the world, and in our own lives. Howell has been a successful pastor and published theologian. In Struck from Behind he opens up his own private life as a window into God's hidden activity. When he remembers, then we too remember God, and begin to notice, and become grateful. Endorsements: ""A wordsmith with a purpose, James Howell bares just enough of his romantic pastor's soul to allow us to better understand our own. His earthy reminiscences are a beautiful invitation to unearth the transcendent in our own messy lives."" --Lillian Daniel, Senior Minister, First Congregational Church, UCC ""James Howell is simply incapable of thinking of his life without thinking of the uproarious and creative grace of God. That's why this book is such a treasure. That God still sends us such preachers is a sign we've not been abandoned."" --Jason Byassee, Senior Pastor, Boone United Methodist Church About the Contributor(s): James Howell is Senior Pastor of Myers Park United Methodist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Adjunct Professor of Preaching at Duke Divinity School. The author of fifteen books, he is a columnist and blogger who has preached all around the world.

Veteran pastor James C. Howell skillfully unpacks one of the most powerful verses in the Old Testament, Micah 6:8: "What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" Howell illuminates the original context in which this verse was written, while demonstrating how it can still guide us in our lives today.A Leader's Guide is also included in this book, making it a wonderful resource for both group and individual use.

"[Gangs in America's Communities] is one of the most comprehensive treatments of gangs in the marketplace. . . . I highly recommend its adoption as you will not be disappointed and, most importantly, neither will your students." -Elvira White-Lewis, Texas A&M University-Commerce Gangs in America's Communities, Third Edition blends theory with current research to help readers identify essential features associated with youth violence and gangs, as well as apply strategies for gang control and prevention. Authors Dr. James C. Howell and Dr. Elizabeth Griffiths introduce readers to theories of gang formation, illustrate various ways of defining and classifying gangs, and discuss national trends in gang presence and gang-related violence across American cities. They also offer evidence-based strategies for positioning communities to prevent, intervene, and address gang activity. New to the Third Edition: A series of new case studies document the evolution of numerous gangs in large cities, including the community aspect, evolutionary nature, and how cities influence levels of violence. New discussions highlighting the role of social media, insights into how gangs use it to recruit members, and the response from law enforcement. Current nationwide gang trends are discussed to encourage readers to analyze and interpret the most recent statistics for which representative data is available. Updated macro and micro gang theories enable readers to explore a recent encapsulation of leading developmental models. New discussions around female gang members offer readers potentially effective programs for discouraging females from joining gangs-along with highly regarded delinquency prevention and reduction programs that have the potency to be effective in reducing gang crimes among young women. A comprehensive gang prevention, intervention, and suppression program in Multnomah County, Oregon shows how theory was successfully applied to reduce gang activity in a local community. New research on "gang structures" and their rates of crime illustrate the connections between violent crimes and the amount of violent offenders within a gang. Additional discussion of distinguishing features (e.g., typologies) of major gangs, and numerous examples of gang symbols, tattoos, and graffiti has been added to help readers identify and differentiate various types of gangs.

This introductory-level book on Christianity looks clearly at what the church believed and taught throughout its history. Hard questions about the Bible, theology, and the Christian life are dealt with. As author, veteran scholar, and pastor James Howell puts it, "Great hope rests in thinking through these questions." In doing so, he explores what it means to live as a Christian, as part of the church community, and also what it means to live with the hope Christian faith provides, even for those who "previously believed there was no hope. Study questions for discussion are included.

How are we to know the will of God? In this honest discussion, veteran pastor and theologian James C. Howell considers a number of issues relating to God's will, how it is known, how it is done, and how we respond when bad things happen and we feel God is absent or has turned away from us. In this sensitive presentation, Howell explores these questions and provides ways of recognizing the true things to which we can hold in the midst of hard times. Howell proceeds simply and practically to consider personal understandings of God, God's will for our lives, and ways in which God's will is lived. He reflects on what to do and believe when bad things happen, "why" they happen, and the quest for God in the midst of it all, recognizing that God's will is for good.

If you were able to talk to St. Francis of Assisi, what would you ask him? Perhaps, says James Howell, the first question I d want to ask Francis would be something like this: How did you do it? Were you real? How much of your story really happened? And I m asking because I am wondering how I might do it: could I somehow grab a share of the life you had? The marvel in Francis s story is that all he did seems entirely doable but then, at the same time, ridiculously impossible. As I survey the bare facts of his life, it all seems so manageably simple, and yet unquestionably what happened was nothing short of miraculous.

In this spiritually apt look at the life, message, and meaning of St. Francis, Howell invites all of us to pose our most difficult spiritual questions to the saint and to listen for the questions he asks of us in response."

In this volume of the For Today series, author and pastor James Howell takes us on an engaging exploration of the Beatitudes. Howell considers each of the well-known phrases in these passages from Matthew and creatively applies Jesus' teachings to our contemporary world and Christian lives.

The For Today series was designed to provide reliable and accessible resources for the study and real life application of important biblical texts, theological documents, and Christian practices. The emphasis of the series is not only on the realization and appreciation of what these subjects have meant in the past, but also on their value in the present--"for today." Thought-provoking questions are included at the end of each chapter, making the books ideal for personal study and group use.

Using the "Apostles' Creed" as the "primary text", this book explores what we believe as Christians and how those beliefs are relevant today. The author's goal is to help pastors educate and transform members of their congregations. He examines the "Creed" phrase by phrase in brief sections suitable for congregational study or for emailing to the congregation. For each phrase in the "Creed", a "deeper reflection" provides material for preaching a 13-sermon series or for further congregational study. A detailed appendix includes recommendations of hymns and songs related to each phrase in the "Creed"; the suggestions are keyed to several hymnals and songbooks.

This revised edition features updated research, new developments in technology, and recent policy on juvenile delinquency and youth violence. The authors underscore the enormous payoff in targeting potential serious, violent, and chronic juvenile offenders at the earliest opportunity and provide a framework for evidence-informed state juvenile justice systems: the Comprehensive Strategy for Serious, Violent, and Chronic Juvenile Offenders. This strategy recognizes, first, that a relatively small proportion of those who enter the juvenile justice system will prove to be serious, violent, or chronic offenders, but that group accounts for a large proportion of overall delinquency. Second, this strategy builds on the fact that serious, violent, or chronic delinquency emerges along developmental pathways, allowing earlier identification of juveniles most at risk for later serious offending. A third component of this approach is effective intervention capable of reducing the recidivism of those juveniles most at risk for further delinquency. This framework emphasizes an evidence-based approach to reducing the recidivism of those juveniles most likely to reoffend from intake onward to probation, community programs, confinement, and reentry.

This book is an historical account of the emergence of youth gangs and the transformation of these into street gangs in the United States. The author traces the emergence of these gangs in the four major geographical regions over the span of two centuries, from the early 1800s to 2012. The author's authoritative analysis explains gang emergence and expansion from play groups to heavily armed street gangs responsible for a large proportion of urban crimes, including drive-by shootings that often kill innocent bystanders. Nationwide, street gangs now account for 1 in 6 homicides each year, and for 1 in 4 in very large cities. In recent years, the number of gangs, gang members, and gang homicides increased, even though the U.S. has seen a sharp drop in violent and property crimes over the past decade. The author's historical analysis reveals the key contributing factors to transformation of youth gangs, including social disorganization that occurred following large-scale immigration early in American history and urban policies that pushed minorities to inner city areas and public housing projects. This analysis includes the influence of prison gangs on street gangs. The first generation of prison gangs emerged spontaneously in response to dangers inside prisons. The second generation was for many years extensions of street gangs that grew enormously during the 1980s and 1990s, particularly in large urban areas in which public housing projects have served as incubators for street gangs. The third generation of prison gangs is extremely active in street-level criminal enterprises in varied forms, often highly structured and well managed organizations that are actively involved in drug trafficking. In recent years, returning inmates are a predominant influence on local gang violence. Now, prison gangs and street gangs often work together in street-level criminal enterprises. This book identifies the most promising ways that gang violence can be reduced. The best long-term approach is a combination of gang prevention, intervention, and suppression strategies and programs. Targeted suppression of gang violence is imperative. Street-workers that serve as violence interrupters can break the cycle of contagious gang violence.

This handbook promotes a comprehensive strategy founded on evidence-based programming for juvenile justice systems to adopt or enhance their current system. The comprehensive strategy is supported strongly by the broad research base that is now available. This strategy recognizes, first, that a relatively small proportion of the juveniles who initially enter the juvenile justice system will prove to be serious, violent, or chronic offenders, but that group accounts for a large proportion of the overall amount of delinquency. An important component of a comprehensive evidence-based juvenile justice system, therefore, is distinguishing these offenders from others and focusing attention and resources on that smaller group. Second, a comprehensive strategy recognizes that serious, violent, or chronic delinquency emerges along developmental pathways that progress from less to more serious profiles of offending. Priority must be given to interrupting these offender careers by calibrating the level of supervision and control of the juveniles' behavior to their level of risk. The third major component of a comprehensive strategy, therefore, is effective intervention programs that are capable of reducing the recidivism of those juveniles at risk for further delinquency. The Comprehensive Strategy for Serious, Violent, and Chronic Juvenile Offenders is an administrative framework that supports a continuum of services that parallel the development of offender careers. This framework emphasizes evidence-based programming specifically on recidivism reduction, and supports protocols for developing comprehensive treatment plans that match effective services with offender treatment needs along the life-course of delinquent careers, as they move from intake onward, to probation, community programs, confinement, and reentry. Juvenile justice systems will benefit from incorporation of a comprehensive strategy as provided in the handbook.