BOOK REVIEW BLOG
This blog offers reviews of resources by Elizabeth Christie and others of PRC. You can also sign up to receive emails of Elizabeth's monthly review of faith formation resources, Just One More Page, and other information about PRC's resources and programs by emailing info@prcli.org. For more information contact Elizabeth at Elizabeth@prcli.org.
We Shall Be Changed
In March 2020, as the country shut down due to the pandemic, church leaders were asking questions. How could they continue to worship without meeting in person? Could sacraments like Holy Communion and Baptism be…
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On Earth as It Is in Heaven
On Earth as It Is in Heaven by Eric Atcheson, published by Church Publishing, equips clergy and laypeople with a faith-based toolkit for economic justice and offers a resource to examine the economic disparities in…
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Finding Home
Julie K. Aageson, author of Finding Home, drew me in right from the introduction: “When my children were growing up, we often talked with them about how important it is to be ‘at home’ in…
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We Gather at This Table
“For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and…
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Blessed to Bless
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,…
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Today Is a Baptism Day
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…
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The Very Best Day
n 2018, the Episcopal Church invited its people to practice the Way of Love. Reminiscent of one of the names which referred to the first century Church (the Way), the Way of Love is a…
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Sacred Dying Journal
As a chaplain who works at a local hospital and works with congregations, I have sat with many people as they and family members have gone through transitioning from this life to the next, however…
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Tales of the Inner City
If you like the idea of exploring a fantasy world with interesting characters and unique places, then you should enjoy Tales of the Inner City by Scott Bryte. As the title suggests, all the stories take…
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Drawing God
One of my favorite responses to certain theological questions was from someone who said, “How can anyone know that?” If religious people are honest, they accept that there are many unanswered questions about God and…
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Family Faith Formation Resources from Faith Alive
When I do in-person Sunday school teacher training (becoming rarer and rarer these days), I like to share a white rope of 168 inches which has one inch colored in black. I ask people if…
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Building Faith Brick by Brick II
If you’re looking for something different for Sunday school, other church programs, or even family faith formation at home, consider Legos. The book Building Faith Brick by Brick II written by Emily Slichter Given provides all…
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I Am God’s Storyteller
I was immediately drawn to the title of a children’s picture book recently published by Paraclete Press: I Am God’s Storyteller written by Lisa M. Hendey with colorful and cheerful illustrations by Eric Carlson. In…
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Beating Guns
Beating Guns: Hope for People Who Are Weary of Violence is not just a book; it’s a movement. Authors Shane Claiborne and Michael Martin recently conducted a thirty-seven-city Beating Guns Tour, literally hammering guns into…
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The Dog in the Dentist Chair
Let’s face it – kids and animals have a special affinity and watching them interact brings smiles to adult faces. While pets, usually dogs and cats, provide love and companionship, there is a special class…
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Retreats to Go
A well planned retreat is a great gift to give your congregation or other spiritual friends. Anyone who has taken the opportunity offered by a retreat to get away and spend some time with God…
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Candle Walk: A Bedtime Prayer to God
Children love repetition and ritual and at no time is that more important than at bedtime. Little ones need a calming routine to help them transition from the excitement of the day to a time…
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Paul and His Friends
I love the children’s book The Day When God Made Church which tells the story of Pentecost, so when a review copy of another book by author Rebekah McLeod Hutto came across my desk, I…
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Coloring Women of the Bible
Until a few years ago, coloring was for kids. Then adults discovered that it was a wonderful, meditative spiritual practice which required little preparation or equipment. Now there has been a profusion of adult coloring…
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Loving and Leaving a Church
Let’s face it – for many pastors the perception they have of their ministry when they set off to their first pastorate and the reality of that ministry are two very different things. Barbara Melosh’s…
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My Favorite Color Is Blue. Sometimes
Life is hard. Sometimes, children find that out sooner rather than later. For a child the loss of a loved one may be difficult to process. Children lack the vocabulary to express their feelings as…
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Crafting Gratitude
Most of us know that practicing gratitude has many benefits including greater happiness, better health, and increased productivity. Gratitude journals, where you might list five things each day which you are thankful for, are one…
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The Lifesaving Church
From the title, you might think this book is a how-to for churches and other faith communities on how to prevent suicides. It is that, but also much more. It is the story of the…
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The Pope’s Cat
Children are drawn to animals and find them fascinating, so it’s no surprise that a number of children’s books focus on animals. The Pope’s Cat written by Jon M. Sweeney and illustrated by Roy DeLeon…
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Bruised & Wounded: Struggling to Understand Suicide
I must have been around eight or nine years old when Aunt Mill died; she was my mother’s aunt (my great-aunt) and my mother was close to Aunt Mill, who called the night she died.…
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Piggyback Psalms for Fun and Easy Singing
There’s something about setting words to music which impresses them into our memories. I remember once my husband and I went to visit our two children who were attending the same college. We decided to…
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