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The Resource Center

Many people have asked about the availability of the Resources catalog online...We are working on the re-cataloging process now, and plan to have the catalog available online as soon as possible! In the meantime, the Resource Center is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 am to 4 pm. If you have any questions or need resources please contact Rev. Michelle Denney Grunseich, Director of Resources and Communications, at resources@presbyphl.org or call 215-732-1842, ext. 333

New Resources: June 2010

Better Together: The Future of Presbyterian Mission (Sherron George)

Preaching the Incarnation (Peter Stevenson)
Preaching the Incarnation, a follow-up to Peter Stevenson and Stephen Wright's enlightening volume, Preaching the Atonement, offers a theological discussion of twelve significant Bible passages dealing with the doctrine of incarnation, bringing historical and literary questions about the text into dialogue with Christian tradition and drawing out the implications of the passages for preaching to contemporary Christians. The format is ideal for today's church leaders. In each chapter a sermon is presented, followed by a commentary that sets the sermon in context and highlights the rhetorical strategy of the preacher.

Noted preachers Anna Carter Florence, Thomas Long, Michael Quicke, Calvin Samuel, Rowan Williams, and William Willimon each contribute sermons to the book, as do the authors.

The Life of Paul for Today (Lyle Vander Broeck)
In this captivating addition to the ever-popular For Today series, the author presents the life and work of the New Testament's premier missionary, the apostle Paul. He surveys Paul's pre-Christian life, his dramatic conversion and call, and his missionary activities, noting the pivotal events that marked his relationships with the congregations he founded and his relationship with the Jerusalem church.

While Vander Broek offers an enlightening and educational focus on Paul's life and labors, he also shines a spotlight on the many ways in which the life of Paul continues to speak to Christian faith today. Discussion questions for group and individual study further enhance this work's relevance to the modern church.

To Be Reformed (Joseph Small)
To Be Reformed responds to these questions by exploring the ongoing relevance of Reformed perspectives on Christian faith and life. Move beyond the European, male origins of the tradition to survey the relations of tradition and modernity, theology and culture, faith and secularity. Joseph D. Small brings to believers - pastors, elders, deacons, and church members - a distinctive appreciation of what it means to confess the faith in the contemporary world, and the role of confession in reforming the church.

Let Us Reason Together (Joseph Small and Gilbert Rosenthal)
Since 2005, representatives of the PC(USA) and the National Council of Synagogues have engaged in a series of consultations focused on understandings of the relationship between Christians and Jews. Invited pastors and rabbis, scholars, and theologians from each faith community met to share their wisdom and experiences in hope of dicerning more clearly the issues that unite us and those that cause tension between us.

Let Us Reason Together: Christians and Jews in Conversation is a result of these discussions. It addresses the theological concepts of the relationship that God intends for these two faith communities. This book is an invitation to widen the circle of conversation and understanding between Jews and Presbyterians as well as other Christians.

Genesis for Everyone: Part One (John Goldingay)
Genesis is a lively book featuring familiar biblical tales of Adam and Eve and the forbidden fruit, Noah and the flood, the Tower of Babel, and the introduction of the stories of Abraham and Sarah. Yet while readers may know the facts of these stories, Goldingay's work will instill in them a deeper understanding of the spiritual and theological significance of the events portrayed in Genesis.

As always, Goldingay writes in a thoroughly accessible and engaging style. With chapter titles such as "Friday Lunchtime", "Babylon Becomes Babble-On" and "Stuff Happens", it's clear that readers are in for a refreshing foray into the familiar tales of Genesis.

Genesis for Everyone: Part Two (John Goldingay)
Genesis is a lively book featuring familiar tales of Abraham and Sarah, Lot and the pillar of salt, Sodom and Gomorrah, Isaac and Ishmael, and Rebekah and Leah. Yet while many readers may know the facts of these stories, Goldingay's work will instill in them a deeper understanding of the spiritual and theological significance of the events portrayed in Genesis.

True to the For Everyone series' goal, Goldingay writes in a thoroughly accessible and engaging style. With chapter titles such as "Two Guys Who Need Their Heads Banged Together" and "The Divisiveness of Stuff", it's clear that readers are in for a refreshing foray into the familiar tales of Genesis.

Proclaiming the Great Ends of the Church (Joseph Small, editor)
For decades the Great Ends of the Church, a historic listing of ways Presbyterians have understood the role of the church, has helped to establish church directions in mission and ministry. This thoughtfully selected collection of sermons focuses the church's understandings of its purpose and inspires us to dedicate ourselves anew to the church's work in the world.

Making Sense of Evolution: Darwin, God, and the Drama of Life (John Haught)
John Haught, a leading voice in evolution theology, offers a provocative take on how reconciliation between evolution and Christian theology might begin.

Evolution makes good scientific sense. The question is whether it makes good theological sense as well. In this groundbreaking volume, Haught argues for a focus on evolution as an ongoing drama - a drama within which divinity plays a purposeful and transformative role.

A Field Guide to U.S. Congregations (Cynthia Woolever)
Who's going where? And why? These questions are at the heart of many of the challenges faced by today's church. This updated and expanded edition of the 2001 edition of A Field Guide to U.S. Congregations, featuring the results of the largest congregational survey ever conducted, offers a wealth of insights into significant changes in congregational life between 2001 and 2008 and draws new and illuminating conclusions about the contemporary church.

Based on the results of the 2008 U.S. Congregational Life Survey, the authors have updated this invaluable reference. This latest volume has been revised to reflect new findings and includes new statistics, tables, and cartoons (!) along with an added chapter on leadership and a new chapter describing significant changes in congregational life between the 2001 and 2008 surveys. It also features helpful chapter summaries focusing on the implications of the 2008 survey's findings.

BEING REFORMED: FAITH SEEKING UNDERSTANDING SMALL GROUP STUDIES

John Calvin: Founder of the Reformed Tradition (Steve Shussett): Small Group Study
Reformed and Presbyterian Christians are people of faith who are seeking understanding. From the beginnings of our Reformed tradition, Presbyterians have realized God calls us to explore ways the Christian faith can be more fully known and expressed. This vision has driven concerns for the education of people of all ages. Presbyterians have been big on providing resources to help us delve more deeply into Christian faith and the theology that gives our living tradition its distinctive heritage.

This Being Reformed curriculum for adults is one expression of the desire to open up what it means to be Presbyterian Christians in the world today. Our purpose is to enhance, enrich, and expand our insights. We want Presbyterians to grow in understanding of elements that are foundational and significant for their faith. Encounters with theology, church, worship, spirituality/discipleship, and social righteousness will guide our ways.

These studies engage our whole selves. We will find our minds moved by new ideas, our emotions stirred with responses of gratitude, and God's calls for action leading us in different life directions. Heads, hearts, and hands will be drawn into the joys of discovering what new things God is calling us toward.

We invite you to join this journey of faith seeking understanding. Celebrate the blessings of our Reformed and Presbyterian tradition of faith. Be stimulated and challenged by fresh insights that will deepen your understanding. Find a stronger commitment to the God who has loved us in Jesus Christ.

In the church, Calvin's thought is still a significant resource. His wide-ranging theological views have provided directions for churches through the centuries. His interpretations of Scripture continue to be relevant because he dealt with Scripture's theological message, which can speak to us in any age. Calvin's organization of the Geneva church with emphases on church discipline, and the care of the poor continue to inform church practices today.

Like those who have gone before us in the last five centuries, we will find that Calvin's guidance for our Christian beliefs, Christian devotion, and Christian action can strengthen our faith and lead us to further understanding.

Theology for Presbyterians (Linda LeBron)
Reformed and Presbyterian Christians are people of faith who are seeking understanding. From the beginnings of our Reformed tradition, Presbyterians have realized God calls us to explore ways the Christian faith can be more fully known and expressed. This vision has driven concerns for the education of people of all ages. Presbyterians have been big on providing resources to help us delve more deeply into Christian faith and the theology that gives our living tradition its distinctive heritage.

The PC(USA) is the largest Presbyterian church body in the United States. The following study introduces us to main Presbyterian beliefs about major Christian doctrines and opens the door to further study and reflection that can enhance our faith by providing a wider understanding of our rich theological heritage as Reformed Christians.

Worship as Evangelism (Linda LeBron)
Reformed and Presbyterian Christians are people of faith who are seeking understanding. From the beginnings of our Reformed tradition, Presbyterians have realized God calls us to explore ways the Christian faith can be more fully known and expressed. This vision has driven concerns for the education of people of all ages. Presbyterians have been big on providing resources to help us delve more deeply into Christian faith and the theology that gives our living tradition its distinctive heritage.

Reflection on the nature of worship, what happens in worship, and what the key elements in worship are is very important. In this study, LindaJo McKim explores these issues and provides helpful perspectives. She considers worship as evangelism in which the company of God's people gives God praise and adoration. They rehearse the salvation history God has established. They celebrate God's calling the church to deliver God's message of salvation to the world. All this is done in the contemporary context of people who are "seeking" God while the church maintains a focus on the central features of worship. This worship needs to be biblically and theologically responsible.

Discipleship: The Way of Jesus (Mark Hinds)
Reformed and Presbyterian Christians are people of faith who are seeking understanding. From the beginnings of our Reformed tradition, Presbyterians have realized God calls us to explore ways the Christian faith can be more fully known and expressed. This vision has driven concerns for the education of people of all ages. Presbyterians have been big on providing resources to help us delve more deeply into Christian faith and the theology that gives our living tradition its distinctive heritage.

This study on "Discipleship" helps us understand ways our faith is lived as following the way of Jesus Christ. The invitation to "Follow Me" (Mark 2:14) came from Jesus to his first disciples and comes to all persons today as well. When we contemplate what this means in the church and our own lives, we recognize that discipleship has many dimensions. So our study on discipleship considers basic issues: the call to discipleship, the problem of discipleship, discipleship as identity in Christ, pathways of discipleship, and the fruits of discipleship. These different ways of looking at what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ challenge us as well as comfort us. We find out who we are in Christ, what this means for the church, and what Jesus Christ calls us to do and be in the world as faithful disciples.

Our faith and understanding can be strengthened when we explore basic biblical and theological images of the Christian life. As we learn and live out our discipleship, may we find the challenges and joys of living in the way of Jesus Christ.

Islam and Christianity (Jay Rock)
Reformed and Presbyterian Christians are people of faith who are seeking understanding. From the beginnings of our Reformed tradition, Presbyterians have realized God calls us to explore ways the Christian faith can be more fully known and expressed. This vision has driven concerns for the education of people of all ages. Presbyterians have been big on providing resources to help us delve more deeply into Christian faith and the theology that gives our living tradition its distinctive heritage.

Christians want to learn and interact with people of other faiths, yet simultaneously maintain the uniqueness of Christ. If we want to enter into genuine friendships with Muslims and in the process articulate what we believe, then we need to understand the important conenctions and distinctions between Christiantiy and Islam.

Lost in the Middle:MidLife and the Grace of God (Paul Tripp)

The Spiritual Leader's Guide to Self Care (Rochelle Melander)

The Spiritual Leader's Guide to Self-Care is an ideal companion for clergy, lay leaders, and others who would like guidance about how to make changes in their personal life and ministry but do not want to read a text-heavy book about self-care. The guide addresses six themes: Creating a Life Vision, Caring for Yourself at Work, Nurturing Your Relationships, Caring for Your Physical and Material Needs, Caring for Your Spiritual and Intellectual Needs, and Sustaining a Life Vision.

Readers may work through one of the 52 sections each week or adopt a more leisurely pace. The guide includes journal-writing suggestions, personal reflection questions and activities, guidance for sharing the discovery process with another person, an activity for the coming week, and suggested further resources, such as novels, videos, and Web sites.

A Lifelong Call to Learn (Robert Reber, editor)
This revised and expanded version of A Lifelong Call to Learn features essays by eighteen of the most innovative thinkers in the field of continuing education for religious leaders. Professors, psychologists, sociologists, coaches, consultants, pastors, rabbis, seminary deans, and directors of continuing education, these writers share their expertise and insigths, research findings, and vision for the future of continuing education for clergy.

Born of Water, Born of Spirit (Sheryl Kujawa-Holbrook)

The Pastoral Search Journey: A Guide to Finding Your Next Pastor (John Vonhof)

The Scholarship Fund for Church Leaders

The Presbytery of Philadelphia has assistance available to help church leaders of a local congregation attend a short term education event such as a seminar, workshop, or conference. The application form must be received three weeks in advance of the event and include a brochure, descriptive literature, or detailed description of the event. The session of a local church must also indicate how this training/experience will be used and indicate on sources of funding the church maybe providing to the applicant. Each church may have up to four members receive assistance per calendar year. Applicants must be at least 15 years old and an active member of a local church. All applicants must be minister members of the Presbytery of Philadelphia or active participants of Presbytery of Philadelphia congregations.

· Funds are for assistance only: maximum amount awarded to any one person in one year shall be equal to fifty percent of the total published cost of tuition, plus reasonable cost for travel, food, and lodging for the event. All other sources of funding must be declared on application before application will be considered.

· A person is eligible for assistance for only one event each year.

· A church may only receive assistance for four members per year.

· Courses for academic credits will not be considered for scholarship award.

For more information contact Cinthia Andujar @ candujar@presbyphl.org or call 215-732-1842.

Click here to download a Scholarship Fund Application

Audio Visual Equipment

The Resource Center has a Audio Visual Equipment - LCD projector, screen and video camera -that is available to be loaned to congregations for a minimal fee. Click here for information the equipment.

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