No one said pursuing justice would be easy. How do you stay committed to the journey when God's kingdom can seem so slow in coming? Kent Annan understands the struggle of working for justice over the long haul. In this book, he shares practices he has learned that will guide and strengthen you as you love mercy, do justice and walk humbly in the world.

In today's fast-food world, Christianity can seem outdated or archaic. The temptation becomes to pick up the pace and play the game. But Chris Smith and John Pattison invites us to leave franchise faith behind and enter the kingdom of God, where people know each other well and love one another as Christ loves the church.

Pictures a boy's life at a blue grass college before the Civil War.

Enter a simpler way of living by unhurrying your heart, embracing the relaxed rhythms of nature, and discovering the meaningful gift of growing slow. We long to make a break from the fast pace of life, but if we're honest, we're afraid of what we'll miss if we do. Yet when going big and hustling hard leaves us stressed, empty, and out of sorts, perhaps this can be our cue to step into a far more satisfying, sustainable pace. In this crafted, inspiring read, beloved author Jennifer Dukes Lee offers a path to unhurried living by returning to the rhythm of the land and learning the ancient art of Growing Slow. Jennifer was once at breaking point herself, and tells her story of rude awakening to the ways her chosen lifestyle of running hard, scaling fast, and the neverending chase for results was taking a toll on her body, heart, and soul. But when she finally gave herself permission to believe it takes time to grow good things, she found a new kind of freedom. With eloquent truths and vivid storytelling, Jennifer reflects on the lessons she learned from living on her fifth-generation family farm and the insights she gathered from the purposeful yet never rushed life of Christ. Growing Slow charts a path out of the pressures of bigger, harder, faster, and into a more rooted way of living where the growth of good things is deep and lasting. Following the rhythms of the natural growing season, Growing Slow will help you: Find the true relief that comes when you stop running and start resting in Jesus Learn practices for unhurrying your heart and mind every day Let go of the pressure and embrace the small, good things already bearing fruit in your life And engage slow growth through reflection prompts and simple application steps

If you’ve ever browsed the self-help sections of any bookshop, you’d be forgiven for thinking that all we need to do in order to have a better life is to work hard, take exercise and get thin. Yet Christian activism calls us to a bigger vision of what life is for. It dares to suggest that Christians change the world for the better. In 12 Rules for Christian Activists, Ellen Louden and a host of contributors present 12 accessible and practical principles to encourage a new generation to create a movement for positive social change. Each chapter combines clear theological insight with inspiring stories told by activists and practitioners, including Naomi Maynard (activist researcher), Richard Peers (spiritual director), Angus Ritchie (Director, Centre for Theology and Community), and Nadine Daniel (Church of England National Refugee Coordinator).

This book hails from decades of challenging trial-and-error work, abundant reading, and an enduring obligation to ministers, activists, and unsung lay heroes whose legacies matter. As there is little that actually addresses the elusive meanings, if not the dangers inherent in pursuing alleged spoils of "success," it is kairos time. Seemingly scarce resources and competition to make and maintain ministries in the city challenge those of us in the field, or on the sidelines, to speak, write, and communicate clearly, and convincingly--not only for ourselves and our "people," past and present, but for those who come along soon to receive the baton or wear the mantle. Concretely narrated, with unique case studies, a cast of dozens contribute their earthy, earnest testimonies and are, at long last, energetically affirmed. Specifically, this work proffers constructive attention to the critical cautions concerning subtle temptations to "succeed," including: commodification, cooptation, communalism, clientelism, and cowardice--and, not bailing on fierce charity-justice tensions (with benevolence protectively dominant). Narrative analysis and biography-as-theology, social ethics, biblical theology, and recent church history give apt attention to how a compelling case is possible for success, if justice is practiced, given a hopeful realism and perspective of prophetic eschatology.