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Parenting Teens for a Life of Faith

Apr 18, 2023 | 2023 - Summer - Free, Book Reviews

Parenting Teens
for a Life of Faith

Author Rachel Turner
Publisher BRF £9.99
Format pbk
ISBN 9781800391635

There could scarcely be a more important topic for today’s world. This book is written not just for Christian parents with teenage or approaching-teenage children, but for others involved in support of parenthood, too – grandparents, aunts, uncles, teachers and youth leaders. As a grandparent of teens, a life of faith for them is very important to me, so I read this book expectantly. The book suggests an excellent framework for parenting, but it is not a guidebook for navigating issues. It addresses listening, availability, empathy, friendship, church involvement and is strong on prayer; but it doesn’t address bullying, social media, drugs, sexual identity or behaviour. There are lots of stories of parenting – both good and bad – and these kept me engaged, though some of the imagined conversations felt a bit contrived. There’s a lot to get right, and Rachel Turner covers a lot of ground.

Twenty-first century teenagers need good parenting and good support. This book will encourage those who seek to provide it. I recommend it.

Reviewed by HOWARD ROWE

Christian family life

 

Followers of the Way

Apr 18, 2023 | 2023 - Summer - Free, Book Reviews

Followers of the Way

Author Simon Reed
Publisher BRF £9.99
Format pbk
ISBN 9781800391628

In our journey as followers of Jesus Christ, do we know how to integrate and sustain discipleship in all areas of our life? Reed, a Guardian of the Community of Aidan and Hilda, answers by showing us a ‘way of life’ inspired by the ancient wisdom and practice of Celtic Christianity. Like following a map, we need help and direction to know where we are going. In each chapter he explains and discusses different practices to enable us to ‘set out on a lifelong journey to connect more deeply with God and to connect God with the whole of life.’ I particularly liked the chapters on healing and prayer. Thus, by following this way of life, ‘we must become better people, living better lives in a better world.’ What more could we wish to achieve? The book is warmly and personally written, particularly relevant today as we have so few answers to the many seemingly insurmountable problems in our lives. There is a great need to bring healing and wholeness to the whole of creation. I thoroughly recommend this enjoyable book.

Reviewed by JANE SLINGER

Celtic spirituality

 

Living God’s Future Now

Apr 18, 2023 | 2023 - Summer - Free, Book Reviews

Living God’s Future Now

Author Samuel Wells (ed.)
Publisher Canterbury £17.99
Format pbk
ISBN 9781786224156

Subtitled ‘Conversations with contemporary prophets’, this book is, in my view, one of the best things to have been created during the pandemic. With contributions from twenty well-respected twenty-first century Christian thinkers, activists, and preachers, the seventeen chapters give huge opportunities for spiritual growth. The writers encourage us to face the challenges of modern life and they also offer wisdom on many subjects that thoughtful Christians are always interested in: Freedom, Friendship, Dignity, Speech, Redescription, Imagination, Justice, Hope, Community, Evolution, Materiality, Creativity, Faithfulness, Mercy, Identity, Perception, and Transformation. The narrative is full of wisdom and surprises. Sometimes it will put into exactly the right words something the reader knows already. Sometimes it calls out to the reader to stop, think deeply, challenge. Sometimes it inspires us to imagine, to hope, to change the things that need changing. Living God’s Faith Now is recommended for anyone who loves to explore the nature of God and how he works in the world.

Reviewed by VERONICA BRIGHT

Contemporary theology

 

Messy Church Goes Wild

Apr 18, 2023 | 2023 - Summer - Free, Book Reviews

Messy Church Goes Wild

Author Lucy Moore
Publisher BRF £12.99
Format pbk
ISBN 9781800390096

‘Messy’ conjures up many images. This book takes its lead, not from a slipshod approach or a ‘what’s left after a session with children and creativity’ point of view, but from humility which emerges when we recognise the messiness of our lives. The five core values of Messy Church are: Christ-centred, all-age, hospitality, creativity and celebration. They encourage us to look at what happens when, as messy people, we allow ourselves to ‘go wild’, to interact with our complex world unfettered by preconception, when we come as children ourselves. This truly accessible book is peppered with ideas, scriptural references and thought-provoking ideas from dedicated and passionate experts, as well as case studies from around the world and two fully worked up sessions. We know from our time during the pandemic the importance of noticing the beauty of creation, of being in nature. This book is a gift for those who wish to develop that idea into spiritual acts of worship which will draw in the local community and invigorate their congregations. I am really looking forward to putting these ideas into practice.

Reviewed by JOANNA HAYWOOD

Messy Church

 

Being With

Apr 18, 2023 | 2023 - Summer - Free, Book Reviews

Being With
(Leaders’ Guide)

Author Samuel Wells
Publisher Canterbury £12.99
Format pbk
ISBN 9781786 224394

 

 

 

 

Being With
(Participants’ Companion)

Author Sally Hitchener
Publisher Canterbury £6.99
Format pbk
ISBN 9781786 224422

 

 

 

 

This ten-session course can be run on-line or in person. Each ninety-minute session is led by a leader and a storyteller with a standard structure of Welcome (giving participants the opportunity to reflect on their week), Wonderings (using the Godly Play approach developed by Jerome Berryman to enable everyone to enter the conversation at their own level and to be heard), the Talk (5-10 minutes to address the main theme of the session) and Reflection (discussion about the Talk). The leaders’ guide contains the instructions for running the course, the content, commentaries on the talks (for leaders less confident or looking for more background material) and the method for inviting people to take part or to become part of the leadership of the course. There are many examples in the leaders’ guide of how people responded when the course was being trialled and these give insights to its possibilities. As with Alpha, the work of the Holy Spirit is recognised as part of the course. Indeed the point is made that the Holy Spirit is as active in the life of a non-believer, someone of a different faith or the hostile, as in the believer. The material rejects any suggestion of a ‘deficit model.’ Seekers or lapsed believers are not empty vessels to be filled or corrected by the leaders. Rather it adopts an ‘asset model’ because Jesus became what we are. This is summarised in the sentence ‘Grace doesn’t eradicate nature, but perfects.’ Again, this echoes the Godly Play methodology. The participants’ companion is for those who are comfortable with books. There are no pictures and the reading age is slightly above the national average. The course could be run without the accompanying booklet if it created a barrier in some contexts. Other people will find it helpful to remind them of what has been discussed and may use it to record their thoughts. Leaders of any course need to decide what is right in their own context. One advantage of this course is that there is no need for audio-visual technology so it can be run in any comfortable space or via video conferencing – a promising option.

Reviewed by RONA ORME

Exploring Christian Faith

 

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