Music is such an important part of Advent and Christmas. Can you imagine Advent without "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"? How about Christmas without carols like "O Little Town of Bethlehem," "Silent Night," and "Joy to the World"? It pleases the Lord Jesus when we sing of his coming with carols we know by heart. It pleases him even more when we think about the words we are singing. In 24 reflections on well-known carols and Christmas songs, James Howell explores the birth of Jesus. He ponders the ...

This small-group study serves as a companion resource for the 2015 Emmy-winning DVD, Reflect, Reclaim, Rejoice: Preserving the Gift of Black Sacred Music. Four centuries ago, Blacks enslaved in America created a music form that gave solace even during the most inhumane conditions. Reflect, Reclaim, Rejoice: Preserving the Gift of Black Sacred Music traces the music's history and invites readers to see and experience the ways it is being kept alive. Purchase the DVD here.

Creative Giving is a perfect book for church leaders who have no expertise in the area of planned or creative giving. It is an excellent resource for helping non-experts think about estate planning and stewardship within the mission and ministry of the church. A comprehensive guide, Creative Giving guides church leaders in understanding the transfer of wealth through planned giving. The authors equip church leaders with the tools to develop a creative giving program within the congregation.

Praise for Sacred Days Tom Steagald knows how to write, which is to say he knows how to use his own true voice instead of one he has borrowed for the occasion. He also knows how to read, finding in the Gospels not just the same old stories we have heard all our lives but glimpses of the astonishing treasure to be found in those stories if we have our hearts open as well as our eyes." —Frederick Buechner, author "Christ takes time and thereby redeems time. This is the testimony of the church....

Life Together in the United Methodist Connection is an advanced course in Lay Servant Ministries that gives participants an overview of the structure and organization of The United Methodist Church. The course is arranged in five two-hour sessions with short devotionals at the beginning of each session intended to ground class instruction and discussion in scripture. Life Together in the United Methodist Connection is required for Lay Servants who wish to become certified Lay Speakers and an ...