Resources Books

This is my first Beth Moore book. A friend recommended it to me and I am indebted to her for this suggestion. It truly is a wonderful book. The only reason I am giving it four stars could be why so many are giving it five. I really wish I could swap the journal pages for more lessons. There are seventy in total, I wish there were 140 instead. Maybe a supplemental journal would have been a better idea? Additionally, I REALLY don't like the idea of writing in books. Especially with a $20 price tag, I plan on passing it to someone else once I am done. I still journal my prayers in a separate notebook.

Now, as far as contents go, I would give it 5 stars all the way. While I am not new in my faith, prayer is something I have always struggled with. Beth uses the acronym P.R.A.I.S.E. to show you an effective method of prayer:

P- PRAISE the Lord. Tell Him how great He is!
R- REPENTANCE. Confess and seek forgiveness
A- ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. Submit to the Lord and acknowledge his authority in your life.
I- INTERCESSION. Pray for others.
S- SUPPLICATION for SELF. Pray for yourself.
E- EQUIPPING. Ask the Lord to give you the tools you need to get through the day.

What really amazes me is her ability to draw you into each "lesson". The Lord has blessed her with INCREDIBLE insight and a way to get the message across to the reader. This book could easily replace any devotional. In essence that's what this book is, just with a guide to prayer. If I were to offer any more criticism however, it would be this: After a week, I found that my prayers were feeling a bit "forced". Perhaps this is just a personal thing, but I found myself trying too hard to fit my prayer into the P.R.A.I.S.E. format. I found it to be more of a hinderance, my prayers did not flow freely from the heart as I thought they should. Not to say people will not benefit from this book, in fact quite the opposite. It's still a thrill to get up every morning and read the lessons. I am very glad I bought it.

I've had trouble with my prayer life on and off like a roller coaster. I thought it would be that way forever, until I was given this book as a gift. The way Beth breaks down prayer and her explanation on what prayer could-should be, has helped me to focus and stay on track with my prayers. It's truly remarkable and the best prayer aid I've read. The only slightly negative part is that I usually run out of room when writing my prayers.

There are some excellent gems packed in there. The photography alone is breathtaking.

This is a wonderful book for all of you who would really like to have a dynamic prayer life, but don't know what to do or how to start. Beth Moore is an inspired teacher and will guide you in developing a deep and passionate prayer life with God. Highly recommend.

Beth Moore is one of the most down to earth, God-seeking woman I have had the pleasure to learn from through devotionals and bible studies. Whispers of Hope is a great daily reminder of how to connect with the Savior- reminding us to always start with praise. Her daily thought-provoking devotionals are really good and make you want to dig deeper into the Word. I am really enjoying this.

With solid insight, Pat Sikora will show you how to solve some of the key difficulties of a small group. Leaders need help to steer through the landmines of small groups. Each of these 18 problems can derail your discussion unless the leader knows about them and prepares for them ahead of time. Whether you are looking to solve a problem like gossip or simply doing preventative maintenance, this book will be a huge help to any small group leader.

Pat Sikora has facilitated and participated in numerous small groups over the years. Now she's written a book in order to share some of this expertise. The primary focus of Why Didn't You Warn Me is to coach group leaders on how to deal with specific group members' hang ups, using hypothetical character sketches to pose problems they may present.

Sikora believes there are seven key principles for group leaders and they are as follows:

1) The purpose of any small group should be to grow its members to maturity in Christ

2) People grow when they interact with God's Word

3) People grow and heal best in community

4) A small group must be small

5) Minister to the Spirit rather than the soul

6) The group is more important than the individual

7) Love covers a multitude of challenges

Sikora looks at each of these principles in depth while providing leaders tips for interacting with members. If you've ever been caught in the situation of dealing with difficult group members, this book will prove invaluable. You'll definitely want to include it in your arsenal of resources for training group leaders.

Teena Stewart, Author, Successful Small Groups: From Concept to Practice

Over the past thirty years, I've become convinced that effective small groups are essential to healthy churches and organizations, no matter what their size. Effective small groups depend on effective leaders. And effective small group leaders are continually learning how to treat relational and interpersonal problems in ways that foster healthy groups and individuals

This is a practical, helpful book from an experienced small group leader. After describing several principles that form the foundation for small group ministry, the author introduces a host of relational and interpersonal challenges that can emerge in any small group. Especially important is her challenge for leaders to deal with "unhealed areas in our lives or habits that are unpleasing to God, ourselves, and others" (19). As we do that, we are able to objectively and redemptively handle the discussion and character challenges we face. Those challenges include chronic talkers, quiet individuals and groups, those who use overly religious jargon, those who are dogmatic or overly argumentative, and those with significant emotional difficulties.

If you're a small group leader, you will find this short book full of practical wisdom. If you train small group leaders, you will discover a well-written book that you can use for leadership training.

Gossip, rabbit trails, discussion domination, control freaks, mental and emotional problems, people who don't want to pray...who wants to lead a small group?

Small group leadership is extremely messy, but there is absolutely no way to adequately prepare a person for the surprises of leadership; we can only coach them through it. Why Didn't You Warn Me? is a great resource for that type of coaching.

Why Didn't You Warn Me? is a short but information-packed, practical book. In fewer than 90 pages, Pat introduces us to 18 challenging personalities that are sometimes encountered in small group ministry, and she gives step-by-step ideas and advice on how to pray for, approach, and tackle each one. From the ubiquitous discussion challenges like Mona Monopoly and Rhonda Rabbitrail to more difficult character challenges like Griselda Gossip and Travis Troubled, Pat succinctly outlines both the proper approach and-- perhaps more importantly-- the Biblically appropriate attitude for dealing with each.

Here are some of the strengths I found in the book:

Starts with Self-Examination. I really liked the fact that the book started out with self-examination. All good leadership begins by being a leader worth following, and you can't surgically remove sawdust from the eyes of others until you deal with the log in your own. Pat devotes the first two chapters of the book to helping leaders "deal with their own stuff" and become leaders worth following.

Prioritizes Prayer. Pat also does a fantastic job of establishing the priority of prayer in the process of working through difficult people and situations. Sometimes, we can get so caught up with trying to clean up, work around, hide, or ignore the mess that we forget about the power of prayer.

Emerges from Experience. The book obviously emerges from a place of experience. Pat has been involved in small group ministry for more than 30 years, and it is evident from her writing. This is not just theory, it's coming from the place of a practitioner. As you read about each challenging personality, you know that Pat actually knows these people by name and face. She has walked through these messes and emerged on the other side with hope and Biblical principles for leading through them.

The only criticism I would offer is related to the layout. I loved the pull quotes and statistic boxes, but the book looked extremely busy to me. It was distracting. Some of the pictures of people tossed randomly throughout the pages were just odd or goofy looking. It felt like it was trying too hard to be cool, hip, and relevant. But that is a publishing problem and not a content problem.

For future editions of the book, I would offer a new personality: Robbie Relativist or Polly Pluralist. One of the new challenges in groups, especially among younger Christians, is the postmodern approach to Scripture: "this is what it means to me; what does it mean to you?," "this is what is true for me," "I don't think that's what God would want for us," etc. Rhetoric that exposes our pluralistic, relative, or non-absolute truth tendencies. I think it would be helpful to have a chapter on how to keep groups and discussion rooted Biblically and under the authority of Scripture when people are more likely to drift into "this is what it means for me" kinda discussion.

This book could be a great supplement to a small group training program or for use in a coaching environment. It is extremely practical. Be sure to check out Pat's blog- http://whydidntyouwarnme.com/blog/- to continue the discussion or to find ongoing training and discussion about the adventures of small group leadership.

In the interest of full disclosure I will admit to having had Pat in several of my training sessions when we had an Equipping Center in San Mateo, CA. She was an alert and lively learner who eagerly soaked up everything I taught about Christian growth and healing. Pat has taken her insights to a deeper level of practice.

When I was consulting with the Cell group Movement in Singapore church leaders would say, "Small Groups are Powerful! indicating that small groups were effective places to evangelize unbelievers, disciple believers and heal broken believers.

Pat Sikora also believes and states those things nicely but she adds another part to the mantra: "Small groups are powerfully good or powerfully bad". Pat wisely trains her readers how to minister to the "good, the bad and the ugly" in groups.

Many churches start groups with great excitement but close them prematurely because they do not deal well with "Challenging Group Members" who show up. One or two unchallenged member can destroy the group, turning group dynamics on its head. Instead of growth, healing and evangelistic outreach the group chokes on its members' dysfunctions.

As you read Pat's neat little book, you will find that she humorously describes many of the "Characters" who are attracted to our groups and lays out the various ways a lay leader can successfully deal with them in truth and love. Pat is caring but she is also realistic about how much a group leader can do. She shows unusual candor and courage by lovingly addressing chronic problems without stooping to co-dependency.

Pat wisely includes specific hints, proven over the centuries to be growth producing, that leaders can use to calm and motivate members. She shows how one's voice and non-verbals can cover a multitude of sins and problems. If you ever work with Sunday school classes, committees, task forces or Bible studies, get her book and enjoy its useful insights.

This book was by far the best book I've read in the past ten years. I read a lot of books and some make a difference in my life and some don't. No other book has had as much impact on my life as WINNING HABITS. It reminded me to get back to some very basic principles I thought I had outgrown, and taught me a few new secrets as well.
In WINNING HABITS Dick Lyles reminds us that there are certain behaviors we should never outgrow and that by making them a permanent part of who we are, we can virtually guarantee success even in the most trying of times. I highly recommend this book to anyone of any age, but I especially recommend it as a graduation gift. It may prove to have more compounded value over the years than any other gift you can give. You'll be giving the gift of timeless wisdom.

Although this book is categorized in the business sections of bookstores, I found it extremely valuable as a junior high school teacher. Teachers must interact with all kinds of people. As I continue to deveop relationships with parents, faculty and students, I will now be able to use this worthwhile advice and continue to develop winning habits! This book was fun, easy to read and easy to understand! Now, after identifying with Albert and Jennifer, I can apply their lessons to my own life!

Winning Habits wraps the 4 habits it talks about in a parable. The good news is the parable is easy to follow and helps to gets the habits across. Better yet the author provides suggestions in the parable for introducing these habits into you daily routie so they stick and take root.

Here are the 4 winning habits. They seem to be very common sense, but in reality how many really do these things on a regular basis with discipline?

1. Be first on, last off and add extra value

2. Never trade results for excuses

3. Solve problems in advance (good problem solving approach in this section)

4. Always make those around you look good.

There are some really good templates that are highly leveragible from this book. In fact the templates are really the value of the book, since they are tools to allow you use the template to reach life change. The problem solving template in the Solve problems in advance section is excellent and the format for recording what was done well and what could be improved makes a lot of sense.

It never ceases to amaze me how the best teachers and philosophers can take a tremendous amount of wisdom and distill it into a compact sentence or two so it is easily remembered. In "Winning Habits" author Dick Lyles has done an excellent job of doing exactly that. A whole philosophy of life is distilled down into just four sentences which, when they become habits, will propel you forward in life no matter what your goals.

The book doesn't read like a typical self-help book but like a fictional work. The reader sees life through the eyes of Albert and Jennifer as she gets regular promotions at work and he is left wondering why he does not. Albert works hard and does his job well but he keeps getting passed over for promotions. His emotional despair over the situation leads him on a search for answers. The end result is a journey into discovering how to be a success at anything you want in life. Through the storyline Mr. Lyles clearly shows the reader not only the secrets to success but also exactly how to use them to change your life. No complex philosophy or convoluted ideas here, just plain simple truths of life. "Winning Habits: 4 Secrets that Will Change the Rest of Your Life" is a highly recommended read.

This amazing self help book seems to answer Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson and Kenneth H. Blanchard being Dr. Covey of Seven Habits fame. Dick Lyles uses fictional characters to bring across his messages that will remind readers of a cross between the two books above. The characters Albert and Jennifer make it much simpler for readers to follow, apply and adhere to Mr. Lyles four not so secret guidelines through their trials and tribulations that will enable the user to improve his or her group dynamics. The secret foursome is obvious yet often ignored whether it is on the job, with family, or with a social religious group. Mr. Lyles suggests the "winning habits" that successful people foster are

- "Be first on, last off, and add extra value" - If you fail to add worth why does the group need you. My spouse always talks about negative man-hours and vampire employees sucking the energy and time of teammates. Don't be one.
- "Never trade results for excuses" - Don't rationalize failure, go out and get the job done.
- "Solve problems in advance" - Be active not reactive.
- "Always make those around you look good" - People will want you on their team if you help make the group look good and not just hog the glory.

WINNING HABITS: 4 SECRETS THAT WILL CHANGE THE REST OF YOUR LIFE is fun to read due to the parable writings that are easy to use in business, in the community and at home. Now if I can find myself a team, I can double my review production.

Harriet Klausner

The future of work for many of us will be in our home--and we need to prepare for it. This book is the Bible for what it will be like, what we need to think about, and how work at home may be a part of our future.

It's not easy trying to stay focused and motivated while working at home. Sandy Anderson's book provides the necessary tools to not only stay focused and motivated, but to maintain your sanity too.

This book should be the foundation of everyone's work-at-home resource library. My wife bought it for me so that I could understand the true "ins and outs" of what's involved in working from home with kids under foot. (My wife has been telecommuting from home on a part-time basis for about two years, and I must admit, I've been less than supportive.) Recently, I decided to make the plunge to start a home business and take on a good portion of the child care responsibilities. We searched high and low for resources that could help. "The Work at Home Balancing Act" was the *only* book we found that addresses ALL the issues and challenges of working at home from both a MALE and FEMALE perspective. It's been our lifesaver because we can both relate to it, and it teaches us how to communicate about complicated issues that arise when you work from home. It's written in a reader-friendly style with great quotes and stories from men and women--very realistic and motivational. Lots of nuts and bolts strategies--everything you need to know to set up and run a successful home business or telecommuting arrangement, and then some!

Dr. Anderson's extensive research interviewing work-at-home parents is a must for anyone with children and the desire to work from home. You get tried and true, both common sense and creative, ideas from the many parents who have "been there, done that" and know what works for dealing with children of all ages. It also has an excellent chapter on issues for couples. You will find yourself among kindred spirits. Easy to read, encouraging and engaging, this book is excellent! Barrie Jaeger, Ph.D.

Sandy Anderson addresses the key issues facing people who want to work at home or are currently engaged in enterprise at home. For those looking for a home career, Anderson's chapter on choosing the right business is very informative and guides people through the most difficult part of starting a business-"choosing the right one for yourself." Plus, her insights on managing a household along with a home business are worth re-reading several times. Finally, Anderson's interviews with many different types of homeworkers gives the reader a great insight into the TRUE benefits and challenges of working at home. Tina Egge Family@Work Editor, Work@Home Magazine

Energized training strategies respectful of the multiple intelligences and learning styles flow throughout the book. Content features key strategies for instructors from building the course, to igniting anticipation from learners, to understanding why a variety of well-placed and appropriate activities--including the use of music-- build retention of the training content. Practice segments invite the reader into interaction with the ideas suggested in each chapter. From instructor self-reflection, to comprehensive planning and delivering the course, Russell builds elements of Instructional Design into an Accelerated Learning process with the learner, retention and performance at the center.

and didn't know who to ask!

As a seasoned practitioner of brain-based learning techniques, NLP, and accelerated learning, I was intrigued by this book - it was the book I always thought I'd write!

I'd recommend it to my friends who've decided they want a cool job like mine.

It covers the A-to-Z of learning - business reasons, contract for learning, learning styles, memory, you as trainer, environment, music, development of learning events and marketing. It even provides usable examples and activities.

The best thing - Lou models what she's writing with the use of illustrations, tables, etc. If you want to be a trainer who does more than lecture, this book is a must for your briefcase...it may never make its way to your bookshelf!

This is the most useful training book I have ever read. The format is easy to read and it is easy to learn the concepts. I have been doing training and psychotherapy for twenty-two years and I am an NLP practitioner. I learned many valuable new things. Especially the importance of teaching all the types of intelligence's. I now realize that when I get all excellent evaluations except for one or two I may not be hitting that persons intelligence. The marketing ideas are a very welcomed addition. This book has helped my training and business immensely.

Outstanding presentation on the theory and practical tools to enahnce any learning experience. I found that the book answered many questions I had, and solved many dilemmas I face facilitating behvior change in organizaitons. Lour orgainied the material very well, and ends each chapter with a personal plan place. Her work exemplifies the methods she illuminates.

I have adoped the field book for use in the Corporate Trainer Certification program being offered here at San Antonio College Continuing Education. The text is up to date. It combines a very well written text with review exercises, case studies, and personal actions through out. The students love it! But, what I like best about the book is my instructors' USE IT! They use the music CD as well. Their coments to me are that "it's user friendly." Thank you very much for this great teaching tool.

Looking for a soup-to-nuts primer on small group ministry? For most churches, Activate: An Entirely New Approach to Small Groups by Nelson Searcy and Kerrick Thomas will neatly fill that need. Unless yours is a large church (average adult attendance of more than 1,000), this will be a resource that will fill in a lot of blanks.

Covering the Journey Church methodology very thoroughly in 223 pages, Activate guides you from philosophy to implementation in a semester based approach. Is it an "entirely new approach to small groups?" No. Does that make it any less valuable? No again. Incorporating concepts from a variety of sources, the Journey approach is a neatly designed system that will work in most churches.

If you've attempted to construct a small group system the way you'd select food at a buffet, the wisdom of implementing a system will be immediately obvious. As the authors challenge in the introduction, "Read and digest this book. Grab a highlighter and work your way through the following pages. Make notes in the margin. Disagree with us, laugh at us or raise your eyebrows. We don't mind. Over the next 200 pages, we are going to show you a small group system that can consistently accomplish the goals we mention above."

I like the concrete, step-by-step approach of this book. If you're looking for a systematic approach, this is a good one.

I like the concepts in this book - semester based small group experiences, definite start and finish date, clear timelines for recruitment, leader development, content planning and promotion/sign-up months. They certainly make you think if you've only read a handful of Small-group books, and take on some assumptions that are incorrect about the how-to and why of small groups.
The only things I didn't like were the sometimes infomercial style of writing, a couple of places where they seemed to explain things that didn't need explaining but left off things that needed more expansion, and the belief that the concepts were an "entirely new approach" to small group ministry - unique would perhaps be a better word(agian infomercial wording).
All-in-all, I highly recommend this book to anyone thinking about small group ministry.

This is by far the best book I have ever read on building authentic and meaningful community in the church (and as a Pastor of 11 years - I have read a lot). After reading this book I bought four more copies for other people in my church to read.

This semester based system that Searcy and his staff has come up with makes complete sense and is something that any church no matter what the size could implement. Also what I like about this system is that it looks to take care of both the "attendees" and the leaders. Also, the focus on spiritual depth and being missional, makes the small group system very healthy.

I got the opportunity to spend a week at this church with Nelson Searcy for a Masters class and he is the real deal. If you are looking for something fresh in the area of small groups and a system that is simple and not overly complex, you need to check this book out.

This book is awesome. The first chapter alone is worth it's weight in gold. I found myself having a continual "A-Ha" moment. It has been a complete paradigm sift for me and my staff. It's so obvious and yet almost exactly opposite of anything I had been taught before on Small Groups.
Our entire staff had been through Nelson's small group seminar and we totally revamped our small group ministry. We immediately went from dozens in small groups to Hundreds literally. The book goes into so much more detail and explanation than the seminar.
I would strongly encourage anyone who is serious about Small Groups to get this book. You will be glad you did

Searcy and Thomas have written an outstanding book on starting or developing a small groups program within the local church. The material presented demonstrates a depth of insight that only comes from experience - it's easy to see how Journey Church in New York City went from a handful of people to over 1100 in worship attendance and over 1200 people in almost 100 small groups in just a few years. The book is easy to read, very well organized, very practical, yet gives the important `why' behind each of the main ideas presented. (I would characterize his other book Fusion: Turning First-Time Guests into Fully-Engaged Members of Your Church in the same way.) The material is covered in several sections within two parts: the Activate Mindset, and the Activate System. The first half talks about several novel principles and shares some solid insight in sidebars and examples. The second half is really nuts-and-bolts on how to apply this approach not just as a set of disconnected ideas, but as a complete system that can be put in place. It doesn't tell the reader what needs to be covered or try to set an agenda for the groups, so there is still a lot of freedom for application and customization of the system to best match the needs of the church.

Part One: The Activate Mindset
* Rethinking Small Group Methodology
- Think Inside Out... Not Outside In
- Think Larger... Not Smaller
- Think Friendship... Not Intimacy
* Rethinking Small Group Structure
- Think Short-Term... Not Long-Term
- Think Promotion Months... Not Ongoing Sign-ups
- Think Church of small groups... Not with small groups
* Rethinking Small Group Strategy
- Think Easy... Not Hard
- Think Ahead... Not Behind
- Think Full Staff Participation... Not Staff Specialist
* Rethinking Small-Group Leadership
- Think Apprentice... Not Expert
- Think Decentralization... Not Staff Control
- Think Leader Multiplication... Not Group Multiplication

Part Two: The Activate System
* Focusing Your Groups (with 5 Focus steps)
* Forming Your Groups (with 3 Forming steps)
* Filling Your Groups (with 11 Fill factors)
* Facilitating Your Groups (with 5 Principles)

Some may be put off by the subtitle `An Entirely New Approach to Small Groups'. That type of marketing line seems to be best left for readers and reviewers to decide, but the material in the book is not as self-promotional as the title. I had previously read several books by Donahue and others stressing being a Church of Small Groups (not with). What I particularly liked about Activate was that several foundational principles were in common with these other books, while several aspects of the approach were quite different - and Searcy and Thomas discuss the reasons why. (For example, the approach to sign-ups and promotion is different in the Activate system, but with a good rationale.)

I would strongly recommend that pastors and/or those responsible for starting or growing a small groups ministry read `Activate' in addition to the excellent books from other successful practitioners in small group ministry (e.g. Bill Donahue and Andy Stanley, including Building a Church of Small Groups: A Place Where Nobody Stands Alone and Creating Community: Five Keys to Building a Small Group Culture).

I really like the content. I like the photos, I like the way it's written and most of all, I like the fact that I can understand it. I would say that this book belongs on every horse owner's bookshelf as a reference guide.

Dr. Loving has done it again with this comprehensive horse owner's "survival' guide. There is nothing left untouched and every horse owner needs to have this book in their library. I read it cover to cover and have dragged it out on many occasions for answers to questions. Dr. Loving converts equine science into lay terms with outstanding photographs illustrating the topic of discussion. I can't thank her enough for her concern for the horse and the years spent compiling this amazing book. I just wish I lived closer to her clinic in Colorado to utilize her vet skills 'hands-on'.

This book I have found to be very valuable as a reference book particularly for people who take their horse sport seriously. I myself am into endurance, and have found absolutely everything I needed to know about what can possibly go wrong with an endurance horse, whether it be training techniques, nutrition, lameness, etc etc. The detail is immnense, and I have not found any veterinary condition not written about, and yet it is easy to understand, and very readable. There are photos and diagrams on almost every page, and the book is 565 pages long, plus has a huge appendix, and bibliography section at the end. I would strongly recommend this book to any competitive horse owner.

This is an exceptionally good reference book, a must-have for horse owners. The photographs are extremely well done. Many are by Dr. Loving herself, and illustrate exactly the points made in the text. I gave this book only 4 of 5 stars because the information on infectious diseases and vaccines is not up to par.

Every horse owner should have a copy of this book. And with the price being less than a vet's farm call, it will pay for itself many times over. What I really appreciated about the book was that it isn't so technical that you need a medical degree to understand it, yet at the same time it is very thorough and the pictures, wow the pictures! For example not only are you told how to care for a deep wound, but how it should look at various staging of healing. How many times have you treated a wound and called the vet daily wondering if it's healing o.k. or getting worse?

The only thing that I was a tad disappointed in was most of the hoof shots showed shod horses and I am practicing natural hoof care and barefoot trimmning. But if you want a book on Barefoot Hoof Care, you should order a book specific to that topic. This book, it covers everything else you will ever wonder about with your horse and health related problems.

I don't call many of my 1000 books a "bible" of whatever subject, but this is my "bible" of horse health.

Finally a book out there that is easy to follow about getting online. It is well-written and clearly organized. I was already able to email friends, but "Wired in a Week" taught me how to do even more -- like checking my stocks, instant messaging and so much more. Buy it--it's worth it!

This book is a must have next to your computer. It tells you how to get started online and how to use AOL for checking stocks, sports scores, email and getting pictures online. I refer to it all the time.

This book was the answer to my prayers.....I have felt "left out" on the new internet wave and Regina Lewis's book brought me "in"!!.I had no idea how helpful the internet can be!.....Thank you ...Thank you!.......Now I can "really" join in all the conversations with my adult children. It feels great to be "connected" !!

This book was really helpful. I learned a lot about AOL that I didn't already know. Illustrations were very helpful too.

Finally a book out there that is easy to follow about getting online. It is well-written and clearly organized. I was already able to email friends, but "Wired in a Week" taught me how to do even more -- like checking my stocks, instant messaging and so much more. Buy it--it's worth it!

excellent insights into the difficult tasks of being a pastor of a church

This is a book that I have used, loaned, lost, bought and loaned again. Now I just give it as a gift to any friend in pastoral ministry that seems to be giving too much. It is a book that will quiet the noise of constantly trying to be more than God calls one to be.
I highly recommend it to anyone beginning their ministry.

I have used this book for personal as well as community meditation ever since its first publication by CTS several years ago. As many others, I sincerely wish it were required reading in seminary and by corporate-type lay leadership who want a pastor to be a CEO rather than a pastor. I must disagree with the reviewer who faulted the book (modestly) for its lack of stress on the prophetic aspects of ministry. After all, wasn't Thomas Merton a contemplative who had a great deal to write concerning the prophetic issues of peace and justice, let alone racism? This book has been formative in enabling my continuation in ministry.

This simple book has been an important tool in helping me recover a sense of peace and serenity in parish ministry. The challenges and struggles of ministry are intense. The answer for me has been found in returning to a place of quiet, listening, and trust. The Art of Pastoring is a MUST READ for anyone in full-time parish work.

After 30 years in parish ministry, I wish I could have read this book slowly each year. I would have been more relaxed and focused. Martin takes the best from Eastern (Taoist) thought and puts it into a Christian framework. It's soothing. It's therapeutic. Especially for Type 'A' pastors like myself. We need these grace-filled thoughts to reflect on. My only caveat is a theological one. A few of Martin's reflections seem to blunt the edge of prophetic ministry--the concern for justice and equality in the world. It's that "everything is already perfect" Eastern notion. I realize the paradox involved in accepting "what is" in order to change or be changed. I wonder what Amos or Jeremiah would think about "everything is already perfect." That being said, I recommend this little volume for its peace-evoking words. I have used it in daily prayer to help me "let go." These words on page 24 keep ringing in my ears: "If you want to be a wise and true minister of the Word, work a modest number of hours each week, then go home." Amen.

This is probably the best book ever written on the subject of waterbaptism. Thorough, complete, liberating.
A minor comment one could make is the confusion with baptism with the Spirit at some points, but the writer's monumental explanation of the sacramental value of believer's baptism makes up for it for sure.
In short the writer is saying that baptism is a expression of saving faith that perfects that same saving faith - with all the wonderful blessings of salvation! (James 2:22)

I came to this book needing questions answered about biblical baptism. I got that and so much more. The author not only deals with the issue in a comprehensive way, but in the wider context of the church and the Holy Spirit, and in doing so deals with many other issues aound confirmation, laying on of hands, and the work of the Holy Spirit in the church. Essential reading for anyone pondering the complexities of such matters.

G. R. Beasely-Murray (B-M) set out to write a book on his full understadning of baptism, and the results are amazing. I would warn you that this book is not easy reading, but is necissary reading for those who are truely interested in God's word. It seems like B-M did not leave any stones unturned in his quest to understand baptism. He brings anthropology, history, literature, theology and many years of knowledge out in this book.

B-M starts with a pre-christian history of baptism and cerimonial washing, including the Baptisms of the essenes, John, and the baptism of Jesus. He then looks at the formation of Christians baptism in the bible (broken down into each book starting with acts). Then he does a topical look at what Christian baptism means and theology about baptism: icluding grace, repentence, and faith which are almost always overlooked in modern discussion of baptism. The book ends with a look at infant baptism.

B-M is thorough in his quest to figure out baptism. He rest his arguments on facts and logical conclussions instead of assumptions (normally a problem with modern theologins). Instead of writing a book to support his denominations theology, he has the courage to challenge it (and other denominations as well).

Although this in not meant to be an "easy reading" book on the vast subject of baptism, "Baptism in the New Testament" is well worth a careful read by the serious Bible student. This scholarly book is written by a Baptist, but as the back cover says (and I agree), "his discussion transcends denominational lines." Baptism is a vital part of the Christian experience, yet it is so often misunderstood, especially when it comes to any possible role baptism has with salvation (specifically, justification). Beasley-Murray concentrates much attention on the historical aspect of the doctrine and shows how baptism has been practiced and believed in the last 20 centuries. I would heartily recommend this book to the person who is serious about his/her study.

I found the author while trying to research Baptist views on baptism, and found Beasley-Murray far different from the faith-only Calvinism I was expecting. Later in a seminar, he spoke of undertaking a project to address the Eschatological Discourse of Mark 13, saying that scholars had for too long "played ducks and drakes" with the passage. Surely the same applies to this subject!

I found many of my own views supported (baptism has a salvific role) and had other views thoroughly changed and elevated by this important book. His understanding of the "baptism of the Holy Spirit" was enlightening and convincing, causing me to depart from the dominant view in my fellowship.

Other reviewers have, however, noted the author's inconsistency on some points. Most disturbing was the treatment of infant baptism which was upheld in spite of earlier insistence on the sole suitability for believer's baptism as an application of Scripture on the subject of baptism. In his seminar, the author also attributed salvation to non-baptized, wrongly-baptized among the denominations on the visible activity of the Holy Spirit among them. Could not a similarly false argument be made for non-Christian religions?

In the seminar he also addressed the puzzling matter of why many evangelicals dodge the plain meaning of Scriptures relevant to baptism. He suprised me again by declaring that Baptists of Europe differ from their American counterparts by upholding baptism's role in salvation. Why not in America? He suggests the current standoff goes back to debates with Alexander Campbell and others from the 18th century on who were intent on throwing off denominational entanglements and restoring the NT church. Many evangelical scholars are now acknowledging the error and accepting the truth, even if filtering this down into their churches remains problematic.

Baptism's salvific role should cause no affront to Reformed believers. We see nothing meritorious, and have no pretentions of saving ourselves or adding to the finished cross-work of Jesus. Baptism is salvific along with other required "works" (believing, repentance, confession of Jesus's Lordship, calling on the Name, etc.) only because they are the means of ushering people into relationship with Him. Salvation is found in Jesus, and in the relationship with Him.