Lafayette Square is the most significant historical neighborhood in city of St. Louis. Surrounding Lafayette Park-the city's first park- neighborhood's development began earnest in the 1850s. Due to the exuberance and passion of its residents, the neighborhood has remained largely intact, surviving blight, deterioration, and neglect during the mid-twentieth century. Lafayette Square: St. Louis analyzes the importance of the neighborhood through a variety of essays that document its history, architecture, and revitalization. The book's focus is the printing of Architect John Albury Bryan's historical essay on Lafayette Square. Accompanying the essay is a brief biography of Bryan, as well as a bibliography of his writings. Other highlights include a 1969 architectural survey the neighborhood; National Register of Historic Places Nomination, written by Mary M. Stiritz; and an essay on restoration of Lafayette Square.

This book offers a renewed vision and practical steps for United Methodists to work together in mission and ministry. These bishops of The United Methodist Church urge congregations to stand together, under God’s grace, to lead others to vibrant faith, steadfast hope, and joyful living. The authors call for a new partnership with God to bring God’s reign to fruition for all God’s people. With concrete guidance about how to create and transform disciples, readers are invited to travel the path that leads to the abundant living that Jesus talked about. This book will also inspire and motivate congregations to work together to be a vibrant presence in their neighborhoods and communities. The Seven Pathways were created by the United Methodist bishops and presented at the 2008 General Conference as a vision statement for the Church. Contributors include: Bishops Sharon Brown Christopher, Gregory Vaughn Palmer, G. Lindsey Davis, Robert Schnase, Scott J. Jones, Hee-Soo Jung, E. James Swanson Sr., Minerva G. Carcano, Thomas J. Bickerton, and Bruce R. Ough. The seven pathways are: Planting New Congregations, Transforming Existing Congregations, Teaching the United Methodist Way, Strengthing Clergy and Lay Leadership, Children and Poverty, Expanding Racial/Ethnic Ministries, and Eliminating Poverty by Stamping out Disease.

I began this effort to tell the story of our ministry in order that our grandchildren might know something of our lives before they came along. All of them arrived on the scene after my retirement from the Air Force Chaplaincy. Most of them remember us only later after we had retired from serving Methodist churches and were living at Canyon Lake, Texas. Because of distances most of them have heard only bits and pieces of our (Pat and myself) ministry challenges throughout the world. This is an effort to share with them the exciting and sometimes difficult experiences of those earlier years.