UK church attendance hemorrhaging and one course is hailed as the most effective tool for "turning back the tide." From small beginnings in the early 1970s, Alpha has grown to become a global success. Churches from across the denominational spectrum have enthusiastically seized upon the course, seeing it as the remedy for declining church attendance. Inside Alpha explores such claims through richly grounded qualitative research on six Alpha courses. It assesses Alpha's primary aim of converting non-churchgoers and its longer-term goal of spiritual maturity (Colossians 1:28-29). It questions whether the Alpha program is as successful as it claims at uniting evangelism and discipleship, mission and spiritual formation. This is an invaluable study for those--in the academy and the church--who have an interest in ecclesiology and mission. How exactly is one to understand conversion? What is it to "be Christian"? How does ambiguity and doubt fit within one's journey of faith? The importance of this work is in discovering--through an engagement with Alpha--how people might appropriately be initiated into and discipled within the Christian faith in contemporary culture.
In this brilliantly received memoir, former senator James Webb has outdone himself. It is rare in America that one individual is recognized for the highest levels of combat valor, as a respected member of the literary and journalistic world, and as a blunt-spoken leader in national politics. In this extraordinary memoir, Webb writes vividly about the early years that shaped such a remarkable personal journey. Webb’s mother grew up in the poverty-stricken cotton fields of East Arkansas. His father and lifetime hero was the first in many generations of Webbs, whose roots are in Appalachia, to finish high school. He flew bombers in World War II and cargo planes in the Berlin Airlift, graduated from college in middle age, and became an expert in the nation’s most advanced weaponry. Webb’s account of his childhood is a tremendous American saga as the family endures the constant moves and challenges of the rarely examined post–World War II military, with a stern but emotionally invested father, a loving mother who had borne four children by the age of twenty-four, a granite-like grandmother who held the family together during his father’s frequent deployments, and a rich assortment of aunts, siblings, and cousins. Webb tells of his four years at Annapolis in a voice that is painfully honest but in the end triumphant. His description of Vietnam’s most brutal battlefields breaks new literary ground. One of the most highly decorated combat Marines of that war, he is a respected expert on the history and conduct of the war. Webb’s novelist’s eyes and ears invest this work with remarkable power, whether he is describing the resiliency that grew from constant relocations during his childhood, the longing for his absent father, his poignant good-bye to his parents as he leaves for Vietnam, his role as a twenty-three-year-old lieutenant through months of constant combat, or his election to the Senate, where he was a leader on national defense, foreign policy, and economic fairness. This is a life that could happen only in America.
Journalists James Bawden and Ron Miller spent their careers interviewing the greatest stars of Hollywood's golden age. They visited Lee Marvin at home and politely admired his fishing trophies, chatted with Janet Leigh while a young Jamie Lee Curtis played, and even made Elizabeth Taylor laugh out loud. In You Ain't Heard Nothin' Yet, Bawden and Miller return with a new collection of rare interviews with iconic film stars including Henry Fonda, Esther Williams, Buster Keaton, Maureen O'Sullivan, Walter Pidgeon, and many more. The book is filled with humorous anecdotes and incredible behind-the-scenes stories. For instance, Bette Davis reflects that she and Katharine Hepburn were both considered for the role of Scarlett O'Hara but neither was "gorgeous enough" for the part; Janet Leigh analyzes the famous shower scene in Psycho (1960), which was shot in seven days and gave the actress nightmares for years; and Jimmy Stewart describes Alfred Hitchcock as a "strange, roly-poly man, interested only in blondes and murder." Popular horror film stars from Lon Chaney Jr. to Boris Karloff and Vincent Price are also featured in a special "movie monsters" section. With first-person accounts of Hollywood life from some of the most distinguished luminaries in the history of American cinema, this entertaining book will delight classic movie fans.
Monet's revolutionary approach to painting allowed a new understanding of light, composition, and form. By exploring how his paintings were conceived, constructed, and executed, aspiring artists can broaden their technical knowledge and vastly expand their creative horizons. The first in a new series of instructional books, Paint Like Monet takes the reader on a guided journey through the artist's methods, tools, materials, and techniques. Step-by-step exercises and detailed explanations of composition and context are complemented by ideas on developing a personal style and tips on how to check and improve a painting in progress. This hands-on encounter with Impressionist theory is rich with insight and inspiration for anyone interested in art-offering a master class with one of history's greatest artists.
Recovers the lost messages of Mark, Matthew, Luke-Acts, and John for people today The words of the gospels were meant to be heard. While we can still appreciate the construction and grasp some understanding when we read, we miss much of the message because we’re working in the wrong medium. In Written to Be Heard Paul Borgman and Kelly James Clark offer the keys to recovering the radical, relevant messages of each gospel as they were first heard. The shaping of the gospels for oral performances, which would have been obvious to ancient (mostly preliterate) listeners, is lost on even the best contemporary reader. With careful analysis of the gospel writers’ particular voices within their own ancient literary context, Borgman and Clark equip readers to read as if hearing, focusing on overlapping patterns of hearing cues that shape each text and embed theological perspective.
Are We Treating Mental Patients with Dignity? Finally Being Heard is an extraordinary compelling story of one man's journey through mental illness and his ultimate triumph. The reader will be moved to tears.
If you listen closely in the school lunchroom, you will hear many stories just like these! After 7 years of telling his tales to thousands of children and adults, Jim Flanagan has put several in a book. Many of the stories came from a journal he kept as a principal, teacher, counselor and coach. The original tales are about kids of all ages dealing with the adventures of life. The book contains many character education stories that can be used for classroom discussion. The tales are a combination of humorous and thoughtful moments. The stories are never preachy. The reader will take away from the story what they want with a smile on their face. Many children have comment that the stories really make you think. Jim says, " you may not remember of the stories but you will remember how the stories made you feel. Students of all ages easily relate to the stories, characters and plots. The stories are from real life and kids will automatically think the tale happened in their school or neighborhood or in their own luchroom. NAPPA 2004: Books for Ages 9 & Up By Helen Foster James, Ed.D., Kathleen Krull and Peter Neumeyer, Ph.D. Honors Award Winners Stories Heard Around the Lunchroom, by Jim Flanagan, illustrated by Dale Herron; 1st Books, 2004; $9. Funny, sad, thought-provoking - these true stories are told with verve by a real-life principal who took notes during his 30 years on the job.
This book is simply a written Sunday school lesson rather than the oral variety. The primary topic is war and the relationship of a Christian to it. While someday war shall be studied no more, that day has not yet arrived. This book chronicles with specific examples how a few Christians like Rev. J. J. Taylor, Alvin York, Vernon Grounds, Franz Jägerstätter, and the author himself have approached the topic. Dietrich Bonhoeffer also makes a guest appearance, as do Tolstoy, Gandhi, and MLK. The book does not advocate a pure pacifism. The author has not solved all the problems associated with that viewpoint and does not know anyone who has. But it does argue for peacemaking, the likes of which is addressed by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount and by St. Paul, who urges us to wrestle with principalities and powers, i.e., ideas, and not to wrestle with flesh and blood. This the author has tried to do within these peacemaking pages and the comparative safety of his laptop and life in bucolic and pastoral Jamestown, North Carolina.
Jim Symington has a rare addiction for Washington: he listens. Right-hand man for Bobby Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and Ambassador Jock Whitney, he was present-often a participant-as national and world events unfolded. Witnessing history from the New Deal to President Obama's Cuban initiative, Symington is a willing recorder of eavesdrops, "ranging in propriety from blasphemy to prayer." Heard and Overheard is presented in a prefatory sampler and three parts involving "politicians, statesmen, and real people." To read it is to relive pivotal moments of modern history, to meet the giants (and villains) of our time, and to savor a narrative that is epic in scope, gem-like in faceted brilliance, and laugh-out-loud hilarious. "Jimmy Symington...is one of the best story-tellers in the world, a distinction he shares with his fellow Missourian, Mr. Mark Twain... [He] is a WASP Forrest Gump... You name it, he was there. The man has had more lives than a cat; more phases than Madonna." -from the foreword by Christopher Buckley.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
When life is hard, really hard, we often spend all our time pleading, begging, yelling, refusing, and questioning. While none of these things are necessarily unusual, they are missing the ultimate point. When life is hard, when things get ugly, when all hope seems to be lost… that is when we are able to display the superiority of the life lived in God. It is in those moments of despair, when we question what is happening, when we don’t know what to do, when some trials never seem to end, that we can lean most heavily on God’s promises and truths. Working his way through five questions we've all had run through our heads, trusted pastor James MacDonald helps us understand what we should do now. We begin the journey by looking at different types of "trials", figuring out exactly what we're dealing with, and recognizing that God certainly knows. Second, the obvious question: "Why?" God sees us going through trials and we long for two things: for them to be over and to know why they happened in the first place. Next, we need to know what to do with these trials when they come (and they will most certainly come). Fourth, we have all wondered it, can trials be refused? Are God's purposes really being fulfilled in the midst of this trying time? And lastly, God reveals Himself to us through these trials. . . and sometimes, they just don't ever end. Why doesn't this trial go away? God told us to expect trials—don’t be surprised when they come. Grow when they come. Find hope when they come.
Washington Square is perhaps the only novel in which a man has successfully invaded the feminine field and produced work comparable to Jane Austen's," said Graham Greene. Inspired by a story Henry James heard at a dinner party, Washington Square tells how the rakish but idle Morris Townsend tries to win the heart of heiress Catherine Sloper against the objections of her father. Precise and understated, the book endures as a matchless social study of New York in the mid-nineteenth century. The Modern Library has played a significant role in American cultural life for the better part of a century. The series was founded in 1917 by the publishers Boni and Liveright and eight years later acquired by Bennett Cerf and Donald Klopfer. It provided the foundation for their next publishing venture, Random House. The Modern Library has been a staple of the American book trade, providing readers with afford- able hardbound editions of impor- tant works of literature and thought. For the Modern Library's seventy- fifth anniversary, Random House redesigned the series, restoring as its emblem the running torch- bearer created by Lucian Bernhard in 1925 and refurbishing jackets, bindings, and type, as well as inau- gurating a new program of selecting titles. The Modern Library continues to provide the world's best books, at the best prices.
Change your attitude, change your life. We’re very good at explaining why we’re unhappy: bad job, bad relationships, bad luck. But there’s probably a better reason: bad attitudes. In Lord, Change My Attitude, James MacDonald shows us just how much our attitudes affect our lives. One of his bestsellers, this book is classic James: It’s clear, it’s inspiring, and it packs a punch. Drawing from the experience of the Israelites who grumbled through the wilderness, MacDonald shows how bad attitudes rob us of joy. Coveting, complaining, and being critical are not what our hearts were made for. They were made for thankfulness, contentment, and love. Is your heart straining under the weight of a bad attitude? Don’t read this book if you’re looking for a quick fix. Don’t read this book if you’re unwilling to change. Read it if you’re ready for a serious, inside-out attitude adjustment.
Has hypocrisy crept into your life? It doesn’t just happen overnight. Drifting into hypocrisy is a long, drawn-out journey away from God’s will for your life and toward a two-faced existence. How do you know when your inner self has deteriorated, when you've become an expert at presenting a faithful-looking facade? Hold up the mirror of God's Word and take a good look. Acting like a Christian and saying all the right words sometimes leads to nothing more than empty piety. If you want to live that vibrant life, if you want to be truly blessed, you must get after the disciplines of genuine faith. Follow along with Pastor James MacDonald on the road toward Truth and explore the disciplines of personal Bible study, personal prayer, fasting, fellowship, and service for Christ. Become the real deal. Be authentic.
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