Engagement  21: A Wake-up Call to the 21st Century Church in Mission. Richard Randerson. 134 pp large format. Matai House. $22.00.

Randerson challenges the Church to radically review its mission strategy if it hopes to gain traction today. A mission-focused theology, a deeper understanding of modern society and more effective skills in ministry are central to the task. Based on a survey of 96 clergy and laity in NZ & Aust, with details of 126 creative, inspiring ministry projects. For individual or group reading, the book is priced to facilitate local study and mission planning.

Also by Randerson:

·         Word in Season: Reflections on Spirituality, Faith & Ethics. Richard Randerson. 2nd ed. Matai House (2008). $19.50.

Also on this topic:

·         The Externally Focused Quest: Becoming the Best Church for the Community. Eric Swanson, Rick Rusaw. 272pp Hbk. Jossey-Bass. $49.00.

“Eric Swanson and Rick Rusaw continue to challenge the church to look outward—to join Jesus on his mission in a hurting world, and to show and share the love of Christ. If you are serious about being the church for your community, this book will help provide the insight and tools you need to make it happen.” Ed Stetzer, president, LifeWay Research

Gifts of the Small Church. Jason Byassee. 114pp. Abingdon.  $31.00.

“This enchanted little memoir is packed with the wisdom of an old soul. Without nostalgia and with verve and wit, Byassee shows us why God continues to inhabit that forgotten place which is the small church. Despite the ‘bigger is better’ mentality of America's polished Christianity, he convinces us that God thinks small.” James Smith, Calvin College.

Also on this topic:

·         Preaching in the Small Membership Church. Lewis Parks. Abingdon (2009) $27.99.

·         Worshiping in the Small Membership Church. Robin Knowles Wallace. Abingdon (2008) $27.99.

Baptism, Confirmation and Liturgies for the Journey: Creative Ideas for Pastoral Liturgy series. (With CD ROM). Jan Brind &Tessa Wilkinson. 236pp. Canterbury. $56.99.

Great ideas for making baptism, confirmation and infant thanksgiving services extra special. It also suggests effective ways of engaging with families with no connection with the church and for involving the whole congregation in welcoming new members in baptism and confirmation. Provides service outlines for many other occasions along the Christian journey.

Also in the Creative Ideas series from Canterbury Press:

·         Creative Ideas for Evening Prayer - with CD-Rom. Jan Brind. $49.99.

·         Creative Ideas for Pastoral Liturgy: Funerals, Memorials and Thanksgiving Services

With CD ROM. Jan Brind. $49.99.

·         Creative Ideas for Pastoral Liturgy: Marriage Services & Wedding Blessings - with CD Rom. Jan Brind. $56.99.

·         Creative Ideas for Quiet Days: With CD-Rom. Sue Pickering. $49.99.

Belief: Readings on the Reason for Faith. Francis Collins. 328pp. Hbk HarperOne. $36.99.

“Is there a God?” is the most central and profound question that humans ask. Doctor and geneticist, Collins defends the reason for faith in this provocative collection. He guides us through the writings of many of the world’s greatest thinkers - philosophers, preachers, poets, scientists - past and present. This essential companion proves once and for all the rationality of faith.

Also by Collins:

·          Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief. Francis Collins. Simon & Schuster (2007). $32.99.

·          Real Scientists Real Faith. 18 contributors including Francis Collins. Monarch (2009). $24.99.

Also on this topic:

·         God According to God: A Physicist Proves We've Been Wrong About God All Along. Gerald Schroeder. HarperOne (2009). $27.99

In this groundbreaking exploration, a biblical scholar and M.I.T.-trained physicist combines decades of research to change the debate between religion and science, presenting a new paradigm of how to understand God. Schroeder presents a compelling case for the true God, a dynamic God who is still learning how to relate to creation. The key to God's action in the world, according to Schroeder, can be found in a well-known verse in Exodus that is typically translated "I am that which I am." Schroeder's correction that it should be translated "I will be that which I will be" reveals a God that changes to fit the ever-changing world.

How God Changes Your Brain: Breakthrough Findings from a Leading Neuroscientist. Andrew Newberg & Mark Robert Waldman. 348pp Ballantine. $35.00.

Based on new evidence from their brain-scan studies on memory loss patients and meditators, their web-based survey of people's religious and spiritual experiences, and their analyses of adult drawings of God, the authors conclude that active and positive spiritual belief changes the human brain for the better. A first-of-a-kind book about faith that is as credible as it is inspiring.

Saints: Lives & Illuminations. Ruth Sanderson (author & illustrator) 159pp. Hbk Colour throughout. Eerdmans.  $35.00.

Stories of 75 remarkable men and women who have provided spiritual examples to Christians from the very beginning of the church up to the present day. Biographical sketches and beautiful, detailed portraits.

Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible. Bart Ehrman. 304pp. HarperOne. $29.99.

Bible expert Ehrman provides a clear and compelling account of the central challenges we face when attempting to reconstruct the life and message of Jesus. A must-read, provocative and stimulating book for pastors, educators, and anyone interested in the Bible.

Also by Ehrman – (Allow 2-3 weeks):

·         God's Problem: How the Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important Question - Why We Suffer? HarperOne (2009). $36.00.

·         Lost Christianities: Battles For Scripture & Faiths We Never Knew. Oxford University Press (2005). $42.00.

·         Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why. HarperSanFrancisco (2007). $33.00.

The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ. Philip Pullman. 245pp Hbk. Text Publishing. $39.00.

Pullman retells the Gospel accounts of Jesus with a radical innovation. He splits the character of Jesus of Nazareth into twin brothers, one named Jesus, the other Christ. By challenging the events of the gospels, Pullman puts forward his own compelling and plausible version of the life of Jesus, and in so doing, does what all great books do: makes the reader ask questions.

Scripting Jesus: The Gospels in Rewrite. Michael White. 516pp Hbk. HarperOne. $49.99.

White challenges us to read the gospels as they were originally intended - as performed stories of faith rather than factual histories. He demonstrates that each of the four gospel writers had a specific audience in mind and a specific theological agenda to push, and consequently wrote and rewrote their lives of Jesus accordingly. White helps us read the gospels with fresh eyes, giving us a clearer idea of what the gospel stories meant to people in ancient times, and offering insight for how we can understand Jesus’ story today.

Also on this topic:

·          Understanding the Bible: An Introduction for Skeptics, Seekers, and Religious Liberals. John Buehrens. 216pp. Beacon Press (2004). $33.00

“Spiritual seekers of a liberal persuasion have too often dismissed the Bible, perhaps because of unhappy childhood experiences with literal interpretations. The Bible is neither history nor science, but rather stories of human struggle and divine presence throughout that struggle. John Buehrens engages us in the powerful stories of the Judeo Christian scripture, returning to us a rich heritage without which we would be both culturally and spiritually impoverished.” Marilyn Sewell, editor of Cries of the Spirit

Talking with God in Old Age:  Meditations for Older Adults. Missy Buchanan. 96pp. Large Print. Upper Room. $28.00.

A collection of 42 moving prayer-meditations, each paired with a short Psalm passage. All express the myriad ways older adults ask themselves and ask God, "What's the purpose of my life now that I'm so old?" These prayers flow out of real-life experience, particularly of the frail elderly.

Also on this topic:

•       Living With Purpose in a Worn-Out Body. Upper Room. (2008). $25.00.

·         Large Print Prayer Book. Kevin Mayhew (. $32.99

  The Spirit Level: Why Equality is Better for Everyone. Richard Wilkinson & Kate Pickett. 368pp Penguin. $30.00.

Almost every modern social and environmental problem is more likely to occur in a less equal society. The authors suggest  a major new approach to improving the real quality of life, not just for the poor but for everyone. An optimistic book, which aims to revitalise politics and provide a new way of thinking about how we organise human communities.

Also on this topic:

·         The Justice Project. Brian McLaren, Elisa Padilla, Ashley Bunting Seeber eds. Foreword by Jim Wallis. Baker Books (2009). $44.99.

·         Spirit of Service: Your Daily Stimulus for Making a Difference. Nancy Hancock. HarperCollins (2009). $48.00

The Story Blanket. Ferida Wolff & Harriet May Savitz. 32pp large format colour throughout. Anderson. $19.99.

Babba Zarrah has a beautiful woollen blanket which the children sit on to listen to her stories. When she realises that the villagers need new clothes, Babba Zarrah begins to unravel her blanket to make them. Soon there is no blanket left, but the villagers have a solution for that… A heart-warming story about generosity rewarded.

Old Hu-Hu. Kyle Mewburn. Illustrated by Rachel Driscoll. 32pp Large format Colour. Scholastic. $18.99

Winner New Zealand Post Children’s Book of the Year Award 2010.

Old Hu-Hu is a thoughtful tale of young Hu-Hu-Tu’s search for understanding of what has happened to his beloved Old Hu-Hu, who flew all the way to the moon (or so they said), then fell down dead. Sensitively written, this is a beautiful story of death and the celebration of life. Powerful, evocative illustrations.

Putting Away Childish Things: A Tale of Modern Faith. 338pp Hbk. Marcus Borg. HarperOne. $51.00

Borg weaves his insightful teachings on Christianity into a new form - fiction. In this compelling tale, we meet Kate, a popular religion professor at a liberal arts college in a small mid-western town who thinks her life is right on track, when it all starts to go wrong. In the classroom, students ask for her views on Jesus, the Bible, and homosexuality, controversial topics that Kate candidly addresses until outraged parents start campaigning for the school to get rid of her. Through it all, Kate faces the toughest challenge yet, a crisis of faith that leaves her questioning what she believed so strongly before.

Putting Away Childish Things is an engaging way for readers to learn about the important issues dividing Christians today. Along the way, we join with the characters to ask the hard questions such as what does the Bible really teach? Who is Jesus? What is the nature of faith today?

Claiming Earth as Common Ground: The Ecological Crisis through the Lens of Faith. Andrea Cohen-Kiener. 176pp. Skylight Paths. $36.00.

Our planet is in trouble, and it will take an amazingly large and powerful force to shift into a more sustainable way of living. Spiritual leader and environmental activist Cohen-Kiener tells us that people of faith have the numbers, the passion, and the mandate to do it - and that nothing else is strong enough to counterbalance “business as usual.” In this urgent call to action, she gathers insights from ecology coalitions, emerging theologies, and spiritual and environmental activists to rally and inspire us to work across denominational lines in order to fulfil our sacred imperative to care for God’s creation.

Gathering: 2010 Summer Autumn. $20 + $1.60 p&p single issue. Or $55 incl. p&p annual subscription for 3 issues.

A4 copied sheets, 92pp. United Church of Canada. Resources for worship planners. Includes service outlines, prayers, plays, music and seasonal ideas.

Matariki Titles

Matariki Calendar: June 2010 to May 2011. Te Papa Press. 300 x 300mm. $19.99. (Arriving soon)

Packed full of lovely colour photos, korero and proverbs to celebrate the Maori year. Large format. 

Other Matariki related titles available: 

·         Matariki: The Maori New Year (2nd edition). Libby Hakaraia. 52pp, Reed, NZ (2008). $19.99

·         Matariki. Melanie Drewery. 32pp, colour. Children's storybook. Reed, NZ (2003). $16.99 

·         Seven Stars of Matariki. Toni Rolleston-Cummins. 28pp colour. Huia, NZ $18.00

·         Celebrating the Southern Seasons: Rituals for Aotearoa. Revised edition. Juliet Batten. 272pp. Random House, NZ (2005). $24.99

·         Te Kahui O Matariki: Contemporary Maori Art of Matariki. Libby Hakaraia. 114pp. Hbk. Penguin, NZ (2008) $65.00. (3 – 4 weeks to supply)

·         Scoop and Scribe Search For The Seven Stars Of Matariki. Tommy Kapai Wilson. 78pp. Random House, NZ (2009) $18.99.

Scoop & Scribe are two young reporters who search for the secret of Matariki. This search takes them around the country as a mystical kaumatua takes them to find the seven stars of Matariki. A lively, modern take on an ancient legend. Excellent Maori vocabulary is woven throughout the story. (Age 8 – 10)

·         Stories from Our Night Sky. Melanie Drewery. 64pp colour throughout. Penguin. $25.00.

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