Herald Press

There is an answer to white Christian supremacy that is centuries in the making.   For many oppressed and vulnerable people, Western Christianity has been a nightmare. Just centuries after the life of Jesus, the rise of Western Christendom contorted Christianity into an instrument of domination and violence. The church fused with the state, sanctioning empire-expanding crusades, colonization, and chattel slavery. Author Drew G. I. Hart challenges the church to wake up to how this past persists in the present, calling Christians to confront the living legacy of plundered people and lands in the name of Jesus.  Making It Plain offers a novel pathway for Christians to live out a decolonial and antiracist faith in the aftermath of Christendom: the convergence of the radical discipleship of the Anabaptist tradition and the prophetic witness of the Black church. In the witness of Black and Anabaptist Christian communities across time, we find a faith that takes the life and teachings of Jesus seriously. Despite oppression or persecution at the hands of mainstream Christianity, these traditions salvaged a liberating and peacemaking vision of Jesus right under the nose of empire and white supremacy.   Weaving together narrative history, theology, and practical guidance, Hart compells readers to engage the best of these faith streams to forge an Anablacktivist faith where everyone belongs, where everyone can thrive, and where everyone matters, especially the last and the least. The shared wisdom of these faith traditions offers signposts towards a Jesus-shaped, Spirit-filled, community-oriented movement capable of surviving and resisting new mutations of white Christian nationalism, antiblackness, and settler colonialism today.   

“Every church a mission outpost.” Born in Iowa in the 20th century, Joseph D. “J. D.” Graber was both a product of the Mennonite Church of his time and a visionary who helped shape Mennonite identity and engagement with the world. Nearly two decades of work in India reinforced Graber’s commitment to missionary witness and convicted him of the need for new attitudes and approaches for a postcolonial era—including in North America, where Graber cultivated the idea that congregations could be empowered to engage in local missions. Sowing Seeds digs into Graber’s promotion of a “new day” in mission that shed colonial, paternalistic thinking and practice in favor of shared responsibility for missions. For Mennonites with a seclusionist posture, this new vision also offered a way to engage the world without forsaking faith values. Graber’s advocacy planted seeds for churches rooted in diverse ethnic traditions and cultures, nurturing commitments that reverberated through the church’s mission identity and activities even to the present day. For Mennonites and other Christians whose faith motivates their work and community engagement, the story of “Mr. Missions of the Mennonite Church” provides insight into the development of Anabaptist faith and practice. For scholars seeking to understand the 20th-century growth of North America Mennonite engagement with the world, this biography illuminates initiatives that influenced the emerging global Anabaptist movement.

Jesus doesn’t shy away from our complexities or contradictions. Nor should we. We often sense a gap between who we are and who we could be, should be, or feel called to be. “I don’t understand myself,” the apostle Paul writes in the New Testament. “Why do I struggle to do the things I want to do and keep doing the things I don’t want to do?” That might be one of the most relatable passages in the Bible! As Christians, we’re inclined to seek the Scriptures for guidance, but even Jesus’ teachings can be confusing. If Jesus says we are to die to ourselves and deny ourselves, how do we do that while loving and being true to ourselves? How do we accept our need for growth and grace without feeling like hypocrites? How can we become more Christlike while also becoming more like ourselves? In Get a Hold of Yourself, pastor Troy Watson digs into some of Jesus’ puzzling teachings to unearth how we can learn to face contradictions rather than avoid them. Jesus’ perplexing stories and paradoxical sayings are meant to shake people from their social defaults and awaken them to a new reality. When we embrace ourselves as both sinners and saints, hurting and healed, cowardly and courageous, we are empowered to live more authentically in our complicated world.

When a shattered dream breaks your heart, how do you learn to hope again?When April Yamasaki and her husband married, they were young and full of dreams. After almost forty-five years of marriage, those dreams fell apart as Yamasaki found herself grieving the death of her husband. How could life go on without him? Yet even in the depths of her sorrows, she experienced God's goodness and mercy-big enough for her soul's lament, longer and deeper and wider than our laments can ever be.Whether you're grieving the loss of a loved one, a job, a marriage, a church community, or a dream, you too may find yourself wondering, How can I go on? What hope is there for the road ahead? Whatever loss you're living with, you can find comfort in these short, easily digestible readings accompanied by prayers and spiritual practices from a seasoned devotional writer. Grounded in Scripture, personal experience, and a pastoral heart, Hope Beyond Our Sorrows invites readers to journey with grief, find a new way forward, and live with faith and hope beyond their broken dreams.

Rediscover the God who inspires passion in our hearts A grassroots global movement has people rediscovering a Jesus- looking God who is raising up a Jesus-looking people to transform the world in a unique, Jesus kind of way. In this accessible introduction to understanding the character of God, author Gregory A. Boyd, with M. Scott Boren, lays out the radical truth at the heart of this movement: the conviction that God looks like Jesus. In other words, in the life, ministry, and sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, we see the embodiment of God’s very essence—a love that is humble, other-oriented, and self-sacrificial. This truth is the heart of the gospel. If we consider it deeply and live it out consistently, this truth carries the power to transform individuals, the church, and the world. Open these pages to encounter the freedom of a God who looks like Jesus, and join a larger movement of the Spirit to reignite the church with Christ at its center.  

Why is the church so important to God? What's really going on in the Bible? How can I make sense of my life? Finding Ourselves in God's Story addresses the pressing questions and concerns that today's youth bring to their faith. Introducing Christian faith from an Anabaptist perspective, author Michele Hershberger puts readers in touch with two stories that Christians constantly hear and tell. First, there is the Bible's story of God working to restore us, and all of creation, to wholeness. The center of this story is Jesus Christ, who lived, died, rose, and still lives for us. The second story involves our own lives today, asking how we can connect with God's story, where God is working in our lives, and what we will do with Jesus' invitation to follow him. Hershberger invites readers to join a conversation that covers these and other questions about faith. Drawing on direct, honest dialogue with Mennonite teenagers, young adults, and pastors, this guide engages groups in the discussions that matter most as it leads readers deeper into a faith that can become their own as they consider baptism or church membership.

How can we tend to our families in a world filled with distractions and difficulties? Between busy schedules, household tasks, and legacies of oppression, it can be difficult for parents and other caregivers of children to care for their inner selves, much less engage in spiritual contemplation. Then add to that the emotional challenges that can arise in the highs and lows of parenting, including fear, sadness, shame—and even joy and delight. But there is a way to find the energy and grace to tend to our families, along with the world, from a place of spiritual wholeness. In parenting, we are repeatedly invited to discern how to live in right relationship with our kids, our partners or other adult family members, our communities, and ourselves. Parenting is part of living out God’s shalom. Authors and life partners Aizaiah G. Yong and Nereyda Yong contend that social healing and world peace start at home. As the parents of four young children in an interracial and intercultural family, they offer stories and spiritual practices for the inner and communal lives of parents in a beautifully diverse world. Sacred Parenthood invites readers into creative spiritual expression in everyday family life. We can find new ways to hold the vulnerable lives around us with a bit more tenderness. As we do so, we can experience anew the gift and sacredness of parenting.  

A global testimony of faith The 500th anniversary of Anabaptism in 2025 gives the church a unique opportunity to look back and live forward. Throughout its long history, the Anabaptist movement has centered on Scripture, discipleship, and reconciliation-with a strong focus on the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus. But we have also expressed our faith in many different ways across a range of cultural contexts. This 40-day devotional, edited by author and historian John D. Roth, draws on insights from Anabaptist church leaders from around the globe and expands the vision of what it means to follow in the footsteps of Jesus today. Daily readings from Scripture, combined with devotional reflections and inspiring testimonies, challenge readers to deeper forms of discipleship. Hear from this vibrant communion of saints all around the world living the faith and challenging the status quo.

Be transformed by the gospel light that gleams among us. When we refer to the gospel only as the death and resurrection of Jesus and what that assures us for the afterlife, we miss out on the full depth of the gracious good news found in the person of Jesus Christ. As a result, most of our actual lives remain untouched by what the man from Galilee said and did during his life as told in the Gospels. While the gospel is certainly not less than Jesus’ death and resurrection, it is much more than that—and that more is critical for how we imagine ourselves and the world around us. A Strange and Gracious Light cracks open the gospel story as the imaginative and prophetic spark of congregational life, modeling what it looks like to “think Jesus” and “speak Jesus” in our daily lives. Amid the meaninglessness of consumerism, mass entertainment, and political ideologies, the strange and gracious story of Jesus has the power to shatter our settled realities and resurrect our lives. Even now, the gospel light is breaking into our world and illuminating how our lives are already and always drawn into the gracious mystery of God. With vivid imagination and a winsome tone, pastor Andrew Arndt invites readers to engage with what transpires in the life of God’s people and creatively rediscover Jesus. Using the movements of the church calendar from Advent to Pentecost, this book points pastors, preachers, and all invested in the church to how the story of Jesus illumines our life together and changes the way we see everything.  

Every stitch tells a storyStitched Together invites readers to journey with the narrator as she pursues a secret wish—to add a square to her church’s special anniversary quilt. She ponders the faith practices of her church community that are important to her and learns from her grandmother’s quilting circle about the history of their faith. Together with her church community, the young girl discovers the rich tapestry of stories woven into each quilt square and the power of shared stories. Stitched Together is a delightful tale of tradition, friendship, and the joy of making something meaningful together. This book celebrates the 500th anniversary of Anabaptism. A church’s anniversary quilting project allows readers to discover Anabaptists from around the world today. With illustrations by award-winning artist Kate Cosgrove and text by beloved children’s author Aimee Reid, this picture book invites intergenerational reading—with older members of congregations and families sharing their memories with those who are younger. And it makes space for the voices of those who will become the new leaders of the Anabaptist tradition. Suggested reading for ages 5–9.  

Allow the Spirit to stir your soul   Amid busy lives, Drawing Near invites you to slow down, to pause and ponder, and to explore the creative edges of your faith. This unique devotional brings together 40 stunning original artworks that illustrate a particular biblical text or story. Each image is paired with its related scripture text and an original poem by a contemporary Anabaptist writer, along with questions or prompts for further reflection and space for your creative response.  The 40 scripture texts, illustrations, and poems provide a starting point. But the biblical passage will come alive in surprising ways as you gaze at the image and allow the Holy Spirit to disrupt the text through the evocative power of art and the surprising insights of well-crafted poems.   This devotional includes plenty of white space for your own response to the Spirit’s nudging—whether your own reflections, doodles, drawings, or poetry. A perfect gift that will engage people of faith, seekers, and creative souls of every age. Savor the art; reflect on the poetry; allow the Spirit to stir your soul.

We have never been more connected—yet we have never felt more alone. Isolation is the great soul wound of our time. As Christians, we know that the church has a unique gift to offer a hurting world: communal life in Jesus. This gift has the power to heal our loneliness and isolation. It is good news for the lonely, the isolated, the struggling. So why does it often sound like bad news to those who need it most? Perhaps because we have misunderstood what the good news actually is—and how we ought to be sharing it. We have collapsed evangelism into offering a golden ticket to some postmortem destiny. But the goodness of the gospel we are called to share is about so much more: shalom, wholeness, and the peaceable kingdom of Christ breaking into the world. This is the gift of communal life in Jesus. A gift that re-ligaments us back together with God and one another.Never Alone unpacks how we can be spiritual guides who help people heal, love, and unleash imagination to create better lives and communities. We all can be instruments to bring healing and wholeness to people’s lives in today’s epidemic of loneliness and isolation.  

What does it mean to follow Jesus in the way we read Scripture? As Christians, we want to follow Jesus in his teachings and way of life, which were significantly shaped by his reading of the Jewish Scriptures. By exploring how Jesus engaged the Scriptures, we can better understand how we should read our Bibles today—thereby following Jesus in the way we study our foundational text. The Word Fulfilled offers in-depth explorations of how Jesus discussed seven important passages in his life and ministry. Through scholarship, scriptural engagement, and imaginative storytelling, author and pastor Michael W. Pahl illuminates what Scripture looked and sounded like in Jesus’ context. For anyone who desires to follow Jesus more deeply, Pahl helps us step back into the world of early Judaism and into synagogues, family kitchens, and other first-century settings as we encounter afresh the Word of God.

Embrace a faith that makes room for all of us. Where can we go when the world refuses to see us in our fullness? When culture reduces us to categories and stereotypes and even our churches make us feel like we don’t fit in? If we’re blessed to have an Auntie—someone who, like Jesus, welcomes us wholly and calls us beloved—then we have glimpsed the liberation and divine affirmation of sacred belonging. Time and again, Aunties have offered a model for undoing, becoming, and embracing our identities and deepest beliefs. Auntie culture, particularly in Black spaces, is immediately recognizable as an embodied experience where nieces, nephews, and “niblings” feel safe, heard, and seen. Whether we are biological or simply beloved kin, Aunties welcome us in. In Love, Auntie, Shantell Hinton Hill—aka Reverend Auntie—offers tender testimonies to a flock of loved ones who have been led to believe they do not belong. Through modern-day parables, prayers, and prompts for reflection, she invites readers to sit alongside the wisdom-bearing of Black women, lovingly known as Aunties, as they carve out space for doubts, questions, and spiritual expression that honor intersecting identities of race, gender, and class. Because trust and believe, Aunties always know how to turn mess into miracles.

Connect with what truly matters this holiday season   In the hustle and bustle of the season’s endless to-dos, it can be difficult to truly connect with what matters—honoring beloved traditions with family and friends, being present in our communities, and experiencing God in the celebration of Jesus’ birth. In Comfort and Joy, authors Sherah-Leigh Gerber and Gwen Lantz offer a unique blend of thoughtful reflections and inspiring spiritual practices grounded in noticing the sacred amid the ordinary. Two friends who forged a friendship and a blog through a shared love of writing, together they bring fresh insight, warmth, and opportunities for spiritual nurture and growth. In these pages, you’ll find ways to engage more deeply with favorite traditions and cultivate creative space for new ones.   With readings to walk through the Advent and Christmas season, the weekly offerings include a variety of devotional meditations and invitations. Scripture texts drawn from A Women’s Lectionary for the Whole Church by Wilda C. Gafney accompany reflections, journal prompts, and spiritual practices to help us slow down and savor this meaningful and holy Advent journey.  

Christ is present and at work in rural communities. How do we lead from that reality? The temptation to operate from a scarcity mindset is stronger than ever. The tensions unleashed over the past few years—which led to skepticism, breakdowns of trust, declining church attendance, and uncertainty around community ministry—continue to linger in and among our rural churches. Yet God’s loving, redemptive work is happening in all places, no matter how small or far-flung. In Flyover Church, Brad Roth, the author of God’s Country, describes how rural ministry shares soul-deep commonalities with the church in every place. And he speaks a hopeful message into the distinct challenges—and promises—faced by rural communities. Tracing Jesus’ ministry and bountiful work among the small-town people and places in the gospel of Mark, this book offers a vision for ministry tailored to rural settings. Pastors and leaders everywhere will be encouraged to approach ministry from the reality of God’s abundance.  

The future is uncertain. But flourishing doesn’t have to be. We know without a doubt that humans have power to change the earth in lasting ways. Climate change is not a niche issue: it is the unfolding story of our embodied lives. As we join in with the groaning of creation, we wonder how we and coming generations will make our home in a potentially inhospitable future. In the face of environmental and social upheaval, Tending Tomorrow lays out a path for Christians seeking courage and inspiration for the uncertain journey ahead. Drawing on metaphors from the natural world, author Leah Reesor-Keller offers foundational, transformative practices for leaders and communities to foster healthier cultures during a time of ecological devastation. When we dig into the roots of faith and culture, and envision new interactions and patterns, we plant seeds of change. Seeds that ignite courageous imagination. Seeds that repair injustice. Seeds that nurture a tomorrow where possibilities bloom and people and planet flourish.

Gather around the table with an Old Order Amish family. For over two decades, bestselling cookbook author and food columnist Lovina Eicher has welcomed readers into life with her Amish family and community. She returns with this collection of well-loved recipes and heartwarming stories. In the pages of The Cherished Table, learn more about traditions and treasured dishes for gatherings large and small. While you may not be cooking for dozens of dinner guests, you’ll find plenty of inspiration for meals with family and friends. Fans of Eicher’s earlier cookbooks will find over one hundred delectable recipes in chapters devoted to breakfast dishes, baked goods, garden produce, farm-raised meats, desserts, and more. Alongside the recipes, beautiful photographs showcase the comforting, wholesome dishes and life in an Amish home. Enjoy the tastes and traditions of a community that cherishes family, faith, and fellowship around a shared table.A taste of what’s inside: Baked French Toast Berry Cream Cheese Muffins Strawberry Butter Asparagus Potato Soup Barbecue Beef Sandwiches Deep Dish Taco Squares Campfire Potatoes Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

With Bibles and baptism, a movement was born.  From renegade gatherings of Christian believers in the 1500s to a global communion of more than 2.1 million members, the Anabaptist-Mennonite movement has been marked by faithfulness and failure, continuity and conflict, radicalism and reformation. In this engaging history, Radicals and Reformers traces the origins and development of the Anabaptist and Mennonite movements from their beginnings in Europe through their spread across the globe.   In this new authoritative introduction to Anabaptist history, historian Troy Osborne reflects on the ways that Anabaptists have defined their identity in new settings and in response to new theological, intellectual, geographic, and political contexts. Drawing from current scholarship and a range of written and visual sources, this book provides an overview of how Mennonites from Zurich to Zimbabwe have adapted to or resisted the world around them. 

The good news is bigger and better than we imagined. Many Christians, especially young Christians stepping into a world and a church devastated by division, scandal, and abuse, are asking whether the gospel is good news for us today. And many are deciding that faith simply doesn’t have anything to offer. Our gospel has become too small—it looks nothing like the Jesus who embodies good news in the flesh. How do we recover this gospel? When we turn to the parable of the prodigal son—a story of elaborate parties, upside-down kingdoms, and reunited families—we can hear in Jesus’ own words a clear presentation of a truth that is bigger and better than we’ve imagined. In these pages, author and pastor Jonny Morrison invites us on a journey into the welcoming arms of this familiar parable, showing us how it shapes the entire story of Scripture. Along the way, we discover the radically inclusive power of the gospel that upends religions, disrupts empires, heals the wounded, and empowers the marginalized. After all, this is Jesus’ good news to tell. And when we listen to him tell it, we can be found again in the surprising, disarming, challenging gospel that is truly good news.

What constitutes a faithful life? At its most basic level, the New Testament book of Hebrews considers this essential question and pleads with its audience to find in faithful living the rest that Christ offers. Hebrews begins with a poetic reflection on the one who lived the most faithful of lives—Jesus—and concludes with exhortations to go and do likewise. In the 37th volume in the Believers Church Bible Commentary series, scholars Debra J. Bucher and Estella Boggs Horning examine at great length one important aspect of Hebrews: Jesus as the new covenant and the once-for-all, better sacrifice who replaces the daily and yearly temple offerings in Jerusalem. The authors also consider how this idea has been used to minimize other religious traditions and even to legitimize the horrors of the mid-20th century. They carefully unpack the language around sacrifice and covenant based on the saving work of Jesus, drawing out encouragement found in Hebrews to live as individuals and as a community led by Jesus, the pioneer and high priest. Bucher and Horning don’t shy away from the difficult language in Hebrews. Instead, they draw out its historical context and help readers understand how to use the text with love within our own. About the Believers Church Bible Commentary series  This readable commentary series is for all who seek more fully to understand the original message of Scripture and its meaning for today—Sunday school teachers, members of Bible study groups, students, pastors, and other seekers. —From the Series Foreword 

Timeless wisdom for a simpler life Do you feel trapped in a chaotic, relentless, demanding lifestyle? Discover the secrets to the peaceful, compelling life you long for through the skills honed by our grandmothers and lived out by the Amish. Drink from this well of timeless wisdom and gain practical skills with Brenda L. Yoder as your guide—a counselor, career woman, and busy mom who’s raised her family on a farm in the heart of Amish and Mennonite country. In this new book, the author of Fledge: Launching Your Kids without Losing Your Mind equips women with 10 timeless lessons drawn from generations past. Learn to overcome practical obstacles and solve daily challenges with a calm presence, authentic faith, and voice of reason. No matter where you live or your season of life, you can draw inspiration from the simpler life.

What does it look like to be an Anabaptist community in the modern world? And why does it matter? A new incarnation of Anabaptism is emerging, but not where we might expect. In the United Kingdom—a post-Christendom context with little historical Anabaptist presence—Christian communities are embodying fresh expressions of Anabaptist faith and practice. In this companion to The Naked Anabaptist, author Stuart Murray identifies 12 common practices of such churches and communities that are shaped by an Anabaptist vision. Murray explores how these practices—which include encouraging economic radicalism in the face of rampant consumerism, truth-telling in a “post-truth” society, and accountability in an individualistic culture that knows little about the Christian story—might shape emerging Christian communities and inspire those seeking fresh expressions as cultural changes accelerate. The book concludes with three one-the-ground reports from ministry leaders pursuing this Anabaptist vision in their own post-Christendom contexts. The New Anabaptists provides foundational resources for followers of Jesus in many different settings as they rise to the challenge of faithful and radical discipleship in local communities.  

A movement manifesto for a more hopeful and Jesus-centered ChristianityOver five hundred years ago, the Western church underwent a period of massive recalibration that exposed abuses and theological blind spots and revived the historical foundations of Christianity. Today, signs suggest that we have entered another such religious reformation as new technologies, ecclesial scandals, and a crisis of biblical authority leave many Christians adrift or deconstructing the faith they once took for granted. The Christian story the church has been telling has become too small, and we are at a dead end.There is hope. Author and pastor Meghan Larissa Good invites readers into a movement that is finding ways to tell a better Christian story—a movement that is already emerging spontaneously as a work of the Spirit in many different wings of the church. Along the way, readers will encounter core rediscoveries of this authentic, Jesus-centered Christianity: through Christ, God is breathing life among us, restoring creation, and reconciling all divided things. In this better story, isolation, intolerance, polarization, and death have no grip. This story satisfies our deep spiritual hunger, beckoning us to renew the church for the coming centuries and reignite a world-changing global movement. 

Rediscover the essential beginning of the most important story ever told.   Although the Bible contains sixty-six books that usually span over a thousand printed pages, most Christians turn first—and sometimes only—to the New Testament. So often, Christian readers have little idea what to do with the Old Testament, if we read it at all. Sure, we value a few well-known stories and use a few psalms for personal devotions and for worship. Beyond that, many Christians find the Old Testament mostly confusing, troubling, or irrelevant.   But to understand the Bible as the grand story that it is—the story of God’s dealings with humanity and relationship to the whole universe—we must learn to read the first three-quarters of Scripture as Jesus did, and as the New Testament teaches us to do. Walking through the arc and major themes of the Old Testament narrative, author and biblical scholar Timothy J. Geddert guides curious readers of the Word into a fruitful and fulfilling reading of the Bible’s first thirty-nine books, restoring joy in reading and studying the most important story ever told.  

Where do our churches go from here? Church and Christian community look a lot different than they did before the horrors of the coronavirus pandemic, racial trauma, and economic uncertainty revealed difficult truths about the wounds we carry. The damage caused by trauma is deep and affects every part of our lives together. At the same time, the pandemic has upended or called into question many of our traditional ministry models. For those tasked with leading congregations through this disorienting new territory, the challenges are great indeed. Yet God’s people are amazingly resilient. In All Our Griefs to Bear, author Joni S. Sancken builds on her own trauma-aware background and engages leading sociologists and mental health professionals to name some of the largest issues that congregations now face and will face as we process the cascading trauma of our time. Chapters focus on practices such as lament, storytelling, and blessing to help leaders and church members to nurture resilience and compassion. We cannot go back to who we were before. But the church can experience new life and renewal in the wake of trauma as God’s healing and hope move through us into our world.  

Embrace the joy of baking—for yourself and others.Baking has become more than a hobby or a means to a delicious end. Now more than ever, it has also become a source of solace, relief, and relaxation. Comfort Baking focuses on easy-to-follow recipes that make people feel good from the inside out. For anyone who is looking for a moment in the kitchen as a time to create, worship, relax, or prepare a recipe for a friend in need, this is your guidebook.In addition to over 100 recipes that exude comfort from beginning to end, baker Stephanie Wise of Girl vs. Dough includes plenty of helpful tips along the way to make the process as simple and enjoyable as possible. Whether you’re preparing a quiche or whipping up a late-night batch of cookies, the recipes in this book are guaranteed to bring you and the people you share your creations with comfort.Baked-from-scratch recipes include:Peaches & Cream Streusel MuffinsLox Bagel Breakfast CasseroleStrawberry-Pretzel Cheesecake BarsUpside-Down Apricot CakePretzel-Crusted Chocolate-Peanut Butter Caramel TartNo-Knead Tomato FocacciaBiscuit-Topped Chicken Pot PieUltimate Baked Mac & Cheese

Journey through Advent and Christmas with the women of Jesus’ family line.Christmas is about so much more than twinkle lights, sugar cookies, and perfect family photos. It’s about the world-changing, transforming, and sometimes messy reality of “God with us.” As we dive deep into the biblical accounts of Jesus’ female ancestors and reflect on God’s presence in their complicated lives, we can begin to release our expectations of a “perfect Christmas” and instead seek the experience of a holy season.Through invitational spiritual practices and reflections, this daily devotional centers the stories of five women in Jesus’ genealogy—Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary—plus three additional female figures connected to Jesus’ early life in the days leading up to Epiphany. You will also find resources for exploring the lives of these women in worship, small group, and retreat settings. This Advent and Christmas season, step into the true power of the Incarnation as we journey together to the manger and encounter the omnipotent God who has come to us in the vulnerable Christ-child.Original artwork by Michelle Burkholder

On any given night, more than half a million Americans and Canadians find themselves sleeping on the streets, in shelters, cars, and other places not meant for human habitation. Yet as this crisis continues to grow, it remains one of the least talked about—especially in churches. Even where compassion and empathy exist, the complexities around homelessness can make us feel stuck, overwhelmed, or numb to the existence of unhoused people in our cities and neighborhoods. Reporting back from his work in homeless services, minister and advocate Kevin Nye introduces readers to the Christ he’s met in tents, shelters, and drop-in centers. He demystifies homelessness by journeying into complex issues like affordable housing, mental illness, addiction, and more, while reimagining our theological approach to these matters and educating us on how they intersect with homelessness.  This thorough and intimate book shows us that from the margins, Jesus has something to teach us all about grace—something that could change the landscape of homelessness entirely if we’re ready to hear it.  

A peacemaker’s guide to the book of RevelationThe book of Revelation—which deals on a cosmic scale with good and evil, politics and empire, community and eternity—has intrigued and frustrated readers since it was written. How do we make sense of John’s prophetic vision of cosmic war in light the nonviolence Jesus embodies in the gospels? What does it mean to tell us about Jesus, our world, and the future of all things? As End Times conspiracy theories surge, it’s more important than ever that we read the final book of the Bible without distorting the true message of Jesus. In Upside-Down Apocalypse, author Jeremy Duncan draws on biblical scholarship and nonviolent theology to guide readers through the book of Revelation, understanding the vision of John in the light of the Jesus we know through the Gospels—the full revelation of the Divine. Along the way, readers will discover what the writer imagines as he weaves this profound revelation of non-violent triumph and see with fresh eyes how the Prince of Peace turns violence on its head once and for all. 

Step into a journey toward liberation, belonging, and a faith that makes you whole again.We need belonging to survive and thrive, but too often the church is an impediment. For Christians who know the pain, isolation, and loss of identity that comes with the ongoing struggle to be seen in churches and institutions full of barriers to belonging, you are not alone. Sometimes it can feel easier to walk away from faith completely. But there is another way. When it feels as though there’s no place left to belong, Jesus invites us into a love that knows no bounds and a community that truly liberates.In this hope-filled book, author Rohadi Nagassar brings the margins to the center to help readers rediscover a reality of love, belonging, and beauty through the journey of deconstructing, decolonizing, and reclaiming faith. For those on the margins struggling to find belonging, for everyone who wants to join in building radically inclusive communities where all people can live fully in their own skin—now begins a journey to find this freedom. 

Jesus sides with the oppressed. Will you?In a world divided by left and right, red and blue, many Christians have upheld a “third way” approach in pursuit of moderation, harmony, and unity. But if Christians are more concerned with divisiveness than with faithfulness, we have failed to grasp the gospel’s political demands. We do not see Jesus taking a “third way” between oppressor and oppressed. And as followers of Jesus, neither should we.For the sake of our faith, for the sake of the least of these among us, and for Christ’s sake, Christians need to stand firmly for truth, peace, and justice. In Jesus Takes a Side, author Jonny Rashid lays out the political demands of following Jesus and offers strategies for how to engage politics practically and prophetically—even if it means taking a side.