The latest Alban resources

Just in: from the Alban Institute - "Leading Through the Water" in the Vital Worship, Healthy Congregations series. Written by Paul Galbreath, with a Foreword by Craig Satterlee, it is excellent reading for looking at how important our baptism is in our lives of faith.

"Open Source Church - making room for the wisdom of all." The author, Landon Whitsitt, gives some insights into a new way of thinking, acting, doing church. The Foreword is written by Carol Howard Merritt.

The last one is "Becoming the Pastor You Hope to Be - Four Practices for Improving Ministry." This one is written by Barbara J. Blodgett with a Foreword by Bruce G. Epperly. This book, as the title indicates, is focused on you, as a pastor, and trying to make a difference in your life and other people's lives.

All three books are great for putting forth some new ways of thinking about the old ways of doing ministry. Well worth your time spent in reading them.

Come and see them or call and they can be sent to you. The number is: 715-833-1153. We are located in First Lutheran Church, 1005 Oxford Avenue, Eau Claire, WI 54703 on the second floor.

New resources are here!

The new resources about re:form Traditions - Methodist, Lutheran, Reformed - are here. If you would like to stop by and preview them, please feel free to do so. They are so "teachable" that your young folks or, for that matter, adults who are looking to know more about our neighbor's faith, will really respond to this style of teaching. Be sure to stop soon!

We have "The Greatest Story" with all the Lutheran Study Bible references removed. It also has the Sand Art dvd with it that has been so popular.

These are a few of the new things just in at Your Synod Resource Center. Do stop by or call and see what is here for you!

New resources coming soon!

There are new resources from Augsburg Fortress coming soon to your
Synod Resource Center. The new hard cover, Spark Study Bible for grades
3 and up, is here. We have a shipment coming which is a second
printing. The first printing sold out almost immediately so our
shipment may be delayed. It is a great publication, complete with the
ever-popular stickers.
If you are enjoying the re:form resource, you will like re:form
Traditions. A Lutheran, Methodist, and Reformed team have worked
together to create re:form Traditions that teach these three branches
of the Christian faith. AND, make it fun for the students to learn
about them.
The new Greatest Story is an ecumenical publication that does not have
references to the Lutheran Study Bible. Some who wanted to use the
study, didn't have the LSB, so all references to it were taken out. Any
Bible can be used in this new version.
There will be another study with The Greatest Story format, called The
Greatest Story: The Church - Walk Through the Gospels and will have a
new sand art DVD to go along with the lessons. This will be a wonderful addition to your adult studies.
If you would like to preview any of these items, call your Resource
Center. Some materials may not be published for a few weeks. Call ahead
to find out for sure: 715-833-1153.

New resources just in!

A new resource that is sure to help you spend your "extra" time reading it, is "The Art of Curating Worship: Reshaping the Role of Worship Leader" by Mark Pierson from Sparkhouse in the new Clayfire emphasis. From the review by Leonard Sweet: "Mark Pierson believes that all of us are artists, born with a box of materials and supplies - words, images, song, dance, food, smells, dreams. Read this book to find out why we should open our box, reach in, and pull out our instruments for creating and curating. Few books provide such a quiver full of creative artistry as (this book)."

From the Book of Faith series, we now have studies on the book of Luke and on I Peter, and Making Sense of the Christian Faith by David Lose.

More will be coming from Augsburg Fortress soon. Stay tuned for the latest in wonderful, helpful resources!

You've got to try this Bible study!

The Ruth Circle at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Eau Claire, Wisconsin have been using The Greatest Story monthly since November and are completely excited with what it has to offer. Previously, we had used No Experience Necessary, which they thoroughly enjoyed, too. So, we kept the check-in feature from that series and incorporated it into The Greatest Story. Otherwise, we follow the lesson plan which brings out great discussion with the questions at the end, as well as the reading assignments. The dvd with the sand art never fails to regale the fifteen to twenty participants!

Thank you to Augsburg Fortress and all the contributors for creating this marvelous study.

A new publication

Another new release from Alban Institute: "Welcome to Theological Field Education!" by a number of contributors, is designed to revitalize your ministry, whether you are new at your calling or a seasoned veteran. From the Foreword: "What we are treated to is nothing less than each author's copy of the music with its 'penciled annotations, the edges of the sheets rolled and frayed.' The reader gets to watch each of the authors play the piece. In field education, whichever of the roles - teacher, student, supervisor - they inhabit, they will try out their own interaction with its text. With these authors at their side they will discover and redisover the great joy of 'pressing the keys' and 'remembering the composition, creating sound, and evoking interpretation,' that is, they will discover and rediscover the great joy at the heart of their work." Written by Dudley C. Rose, Associate Dean, Ministry Studies, Harvard Divinity School.

Check this book out and revel in its help and teaching!

New book about leadership

A new release from Alban Institute is "Pursuing Pastoral Excellence: Pathways to Fruitful Leadership." From the Foreword: "How do clergy find ways to sustain the passion and effectiveness of their call, season upon season, crisis upon crisis, pastoral call upon pastoral call, sermon upon sermon? .... At the heart of this book is the gospel metaphor that weaves through the text: 'You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last' from John 15:16. The author, Paul Hopkins asks the question: How can a pastoral leader bear fruit that lasts? How can a ministry make a lasting difference?.... For opportunities to renew and strengthen our call to God's ministry, we are grateful for this book, its stories of witness, and the wise listener who heard and wrote about fruit that lasts." by Nancy Gieseler Devor, M.Div., Ph.D Vice President, The Samaritan Institute Director, Samaritan Institute Clergy and Congregation Care project.

This is a publication designed to give you and your ministry a "shot in the arm." Check it out soon!