The Way of Blessedness, the third resource in the Companions in Christ series, is an invitation for small group members to discover and live in the kingdom of God. Each week is an exploration of one of the Beatitudes from Matthew 5. Unlike other books on the Beatitudes, The Way of Blessedness is threaded throughout with spiritual practices that form participants spiritually while informing them about scripture. This 9-week journey helps participants empty themselves of pride so that they can be filled with God's abundant love. As they are transformed by God's love, they may become people who mourn with and for others and our world, who understand and live out Jesus' example of meekness, who hunger and thirst for holiness, who humbly offer and receive mercy, whose hearts are pure and able to see the imprint of God in all things, who seek peace, and who hold strong in our faith through adversity. The Way of Blessedness guides participants along a path that offers clarity to their way of life and the very life of God's kingdom. Small group sessions: Week 1 Exploring the Blessed Life Week 2 Embracing Our Spiritual Poverty Week 3 Tears as Anguish, Tears as Gift Week 4 The Power of a Clear and Gentle Heart Week 5 A Satisfying Hunger and Thirst Week 6 Embracing the Wisdom of Tenderness Week 7 Receiving the Vision of God Week 8 Making Peace: A Fragrant Offering of Love Week 9 The Deep Gladness of Suffering Love

Drawing on the writings and wisdom of Henri J. M. Nouwen's themes of caregiving, Marjorie J. Thompson offers a vulnerable exploration of caregiving intertwined with both her own many years of intimate caregiving of family members and collected stories of caregivers in varied settings and stages of life. While not shying away from the demanding physical, emotional, and spiritual challenges of caregiving, Courage for Caregivers also celebrates the gifts of caregiving grounded in the belovedness both caregiver and care receiver share in God's eyes. Practical leader guides and resources make Courage for Caregivers a tool that moves smoothly from individual encouragement to group and congregational ministry to develop support for the universal experience of caregiving.

In a time when 'family' is being redefined daily, Thompson provides core theology behind the understanding of family--family in all its diversity. She speaks of ways to strengthen the spiritual bonding within the family so the family can enact the social witness to which it is called.

Forgiving others and humbly asking for forgiveness are central disciplines for all Christian believers. Lent, a time to reflect on our Christian journey, is an appropriate time to deepen our understanding and practice of forgiveness. Marjorie J. Thompson, author of the best-selling book Soul Feast, takes a close look at our understanding of forgiveness in this encouraging study. In six brief chapters, Thompson addresses such questions as the following: Is forgiveness a Christian duty under all circumstances? Or are there situations when Christians do not need to forgive? Is forgiveness a matter between individuals, or is it meaningful only in the context of communities? Is forgiving the best route to healing for the injured? How do we get past emotional barriers to real forgiveness? Using biblical examples and real-life situations, Thompson illustrates each chapter's theme in an informative and engaging way. A study guide is also included at the back of the book that is appropriate for either individual reflection or group discussion. With clarity, insight, and sensitivity, this book is the perfect resource for examining both our ability to forgive and our own need for forgiveness.

The sensational small-group series Companions in Christ is now being offered in a new 5-piece Participant's Book set as well as the traditional 1-piece Participant's Book. With the same great daily exercise material and articles, the two different Participant's Book styles allow your group to use the format that best fits your time frame. The new 5-piece Participant's Book set offers groups a convenient way to take breaks between modules. The traditional 1-piece volume is still a great value for groups who will continue their study together for 28 weeks.

The sensational small-group series Companions in Christ is now being offered in a new 5-piece Participant's Book set as well as the traditional 1-piece Participant's Book. With the same great daily exercise material and articles, the two different Participant's Book styles allow your group to use the format that best fits your time frame. The new 5-piece Participant's Book set offers groups a convenient way to take breaks between modules. The traditional 1-piece volume is still a great value for groups who will continue their study together for 28 weeks.

The newest offering from the immensely popular

The Way of Forgiveness is the second release in the Companions in Christ Series. The Way of Forgiveness uses scripture to guide participants through an eight-week exploration of the forgiven and forgiving life. Always keeping God's grace and our blessedness before us, this resource examines shame, guilt, and anger before turning to forgiveness and reconciliation. The weekly themes include:
-- Living in God's Blessing
-- Releasing Shame and Guilt
-- Facing our Anger
-- Transforming Anger
-- Receiving God's Forgiveness
-- Forgiving Others
-- Seeking Reconciliation
-- Becoming the Beloved Community

The Leader's Guide provides complete guidance for each of the weekly meetings, including simple worship experiences for opening and closing times, music suggestions, and lists of items needed for each session. All weekly group gatherings follow the same general outline:
-Opening time of worship and centering (10 minutes)
-Sharing insights from the weekly readings and exercises (45 minutes)
-Break (10 minutes)
-Deeper explorations through a group experience (45 minutes)
-Closing worship (10 minutes)

Now available in enlarged print, Soul Feast has equipped and inspired tens of thousands of readers to lead a spiritual life. Marjorie Thompson offers a framework for understanding the spiritual disciplines and provides instruction for developing and nurturing those practices. Many new additions, including a new chapter on keeping the sabbath, make this newly revised edition of Soul Feast a must-have for individual reflection and group study.