Book Review Blog

In my work, I hear about the exodus of the youth, about how churches just cannot get them to come in the doors and stay, and how congregations are stymied when they hear that our youth just do not find church relevant. I have read many resources that discuss how to make faith stick, how…

Tom Sine and Dwight Friesen After two years in pandemic life, I find that I am constantly evaluating and re-evaluating everyday decisions in response to all I have experienced and learned. I have witnessed the beauty of people coming together to take care of each other and I have dealt with the behaviors of those…

Pandemic life has greatly assisted us in distilling what is most important in our lives. In my work in children’s and family ministries and as a parent of 7, I have found that families with children have had to pare down to what matters the most in our days. Families are making time for connection,…

Be The Brave One Rev. Ann Kansfeld Just like everyone in this world, I found myself walking many tightropes through the pandemic, critically discerning what was important and how to make sure those were made the priority. I have always been focused on clarifying what matters in my life and preserving time and energy for…

I have long been a fan of John Roberto’s work and have a shelf full of his resources that I have dog-eared and continue to pull out with great frequency. I had my eye on his new release, Lifelong Faith; Formation for All Ages and Generations and was waiting for when money appeared in our…

I wear several hats in my everyday life; mother of many children, sister of a woman with Down Syndrome, a children’s minister, and a special educator. Creative Ideas for Worship With All Abilities is a resource that I will keep on my closest bookshelf in my office because it provides me with a wide range…

Are you looking for a resource for the adults in your congregation that has flexibility in use throughout Lent into Holy Week? The Silence of Calvary: Meditations on Good Friday should find a way onto your list. Church Publishing Incorporated provided us with this review copy, and I am glad to have it come across…

Sir Drake The Brave is a new children’s book from Moorehouse Publishing. We were provided with an advanced reader copy and it has spurred lots of ideas for use in children’s and family ministries! The story revolves around a young child named Drake, who is wrestling with the treatment of bullies and bedtime fears. He…

Wonder Awaits! is a new release from Chalice Press. We were provided with a review copy and my children and I are all glad it came across my desk! Wonder Awaits! invites families to wonder together. It features photographs of children in their communities, along with prompts that help people discover together how to go…

Frederick Joseph begins his story in The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person sharing his memories of growing up being the only black kid in a white neighborhood. The white kids in his school called him an “oreo” (black on the outside, white on the inside) which was only one of the many…

It’s true that many people own a Bible; it’s also true that many of them have not read it. Blessed to Bless by Tim Sean Youmans, originally written with 5th to 8th graders in mind, is the perfect, reader-friendly guide to what’s in those 66 books of the Bible. Starting with the story of Creation…

Today Is a Baptism Day from Church Publishing Inc. is a perfect gift for families preparing for the day of baptism. The illustrations immediately drew me into the text with large, artistic, colorful pictures depicting a diverse community of faith. The author, Anna V. Ostenso Moore, introduces the meaning of baptism in a vocabulary that…