Headlines in The United Methodist church today include words like “division,” “death tsunami,” and “Affinity Group X vs. Affinity Group Y.” So, where does one find hope in The United Methodist Church today? The Marks of Hope, written by three UMC parish pastors, demonstrates that the church can be a hopeful model in a world affected by changes in understanding and expectations related to gender, technology, justice, mission, social entrepreneurship, etc. Each chapter concludes with a “communion” section jointly written by the authors to present ideas for working together as leaders, lay people and congregations to be a model of hope. The authors outline practical steps to hold each other close with mutual love and accountability. From the Introduction written by Matt Rawle: "So what does it mean to find hope in The United Methodist Church today? To be honest, I don’t have much of an answer to what the future global structure of The UMC needs to be. What I do know is that every day I’m charged with loving, serving, challenging, and leading the folks who have found a home in my local church and those who don’t yet know God’s amazing grace in Jesus Christ… We can say with great conviction that conflict takes advantage of the space between us. The further apart we are, the easier conflict can find room to cause havoc. Our culture has grown accustomed to smearing our neighbor with our computer keys, but it is much more difficult to slander the person sharing a cup of coffee with us. The Marks of Hope is our offering of six ways we might hold one another close with mutual love and accountability. Hope is our destination, faith is trusting in that destination, and love is how we get there." The Marks of Hope is part of the Faultlines collection, resources intended to inform conversations around human sexuality and the church.
The church can be a hopeful model for the world in emerging areas of culture and ministry. Topics in this book include gender, technology, justice, mission, story, and social entrepreneurship. Each chapter is written by one of the three authors. Each chapter concludes with a jointly written "communion" section that has ideas for working together as leaders, lay people and congregations with practical steps to pave the way. From the Faultlines collection, resources intended to inform conversations around human sexuality and the church.
Headlines in The United Methodist church today include words like “division,” “death tsunami,” and “Affinity Group X vs. Affinity Group Y.” So, where does one find hope in The United Methodist Church today? The Marks of Hope, written by three UMC parish pastors, demonstrates that the church can be a hopeful model in a world affected by changes in understanding and expectations related to gender, technology, justice, mission, social entrepreneurship, etc. Each chapter concludes with a “communion” section jointly written by the authors to present ideas for working together as leaders, lay people and congregations to be a model of hope. The authors outline practical steps to hold each other close with mutual love and accountability. From the Introduction written by Matt Rawle: "So what does it mean to find hope in The United Methodist Church today? To be honest, I don’t have much of an answer to what the future global structure of The UMC needs to be. What I do know is that every day I’m charged with loving, serving, challenging, and leading the folks who have found a home in my local church and those who don’t yet know God’s amazing grace in Jesus Christ… We can say with great conviction that conflict takes advantage of the space between us. The further apart we are, the easier conflict can find room to cause havoc. Our culture has grown accustomed to smearing our neighbor with our computer keys, but it is much more difficult to slander the person sharing a cup of coffee with us. The Marks of Hope is our offering of six ways we might hold one another close with mutual love and accountability. Hope is our destination, faith is trusting in that destination, and love is how we get there." The Marks of Hope is part of the Faultlines collection, resources intended to inform conversations around human sexuality and the church.
Words are weapons. Facts can be manipulated. And nothing is absolute—especially right and wrong. Tanner McKay is at Bannerman Prep for one reason: to win. The elite school recruited him after he argued his public school's debate team to victory last year, and now Bannerman wants that championship trophy. Debate is Tanner's life—his ticket out of scrimping and saving and family drama, straight to a scholarship to Stanford and a new, better future. When he's paired with the prep school playboy everyone calls the Duke, Tanner's straightforward plans seem as if they're going off the rails. The Duke is Bannerman royalty, beloved for his laissez-faire attitude, crazy parties, and the strings he so easily pulls. And a total no-show when it comes to putting in the work to win. As Tanner gets sucked into the Duke’s flashy world, the thrill of the high life and the adrenaline of the edge becomes addictive. A small favor here and there seems like nothing in exchange for getting everything he ever dreamed of. But the Duke’s castle is built on shady, shaky secrets, and the walls are about to topple. A contemporary retelling of The Great Gatsby, Katie A. Nelson’s taut debut is perfect for anyone who's struggled to survive the cutthroat world of competitive high school.
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