Author: Eugene H. Peterson

Publisher: InterVarsity Press (2000)

Binding: Paperback, 212 pages

Review: As a society, we are no less obsessed with the immediate than when Eugene Peterson first wrote this Christian classic. If anything, email and the Internet may have intensified our quest for the quick fix. But Peterson's time-tested prescription for discipleship remains the same--a long obedience in the same direction. Tucked away in the Hebrew Psalter, Peterson discovered "an old dog-eared songbook," the Songs of Ascents that were sung by pilgrims on their way up to worship in Jerusalem. In these songs (Psalms 120-134) Peterson finds encouragement for modern pilgrims as we learn to grow in worship, service, joy, work, happiness, humility, community and blessing. This 20th anniversary edition of A Long Obedience in the Same Direction features these Psalms in Peterson's widely acclaimed paraphrase, The Message. He also includes an epilogue in which he reflects on the themes of this book and his ministry during the twenty years since its original publication. Features & Benefits * encouragement for growing in Christian belief and practice* shuns the quick fix in favor of a long-term commitment to learning, following and growing* highlights discipleship basics like worship, service, work, joy, humility, community, happiness and blessing* revised and expanded edition of a Christian classic* each Psalm rendered in Peterson's fresh paraphrase, The Message

Author: Glenn McDonald

Publisher: FaithWalk Publishing (2007)

Binding: Paperback, 288 pages

Review: In a recent study, pollster George Barna stated that the number one topic of interest for church leaders today is discipleship. Not growth, not pastoral care, not evangelism. Discipleship. According to E. Stanley Ott, President of The Vital Churches Institute, There is no person more qualified to address the greatest need in the church today than Glenn McDonald that of showing how the local church can grow vital disciples. In his easy going writing style, author Glenn McDonald tells the story of how he, as the busy pastor of a large and growing suburban church near Indianapolis was struggling with the ABCs of attendance, building and cash. One evening at the end of another church board meeting one of his elders asked a simple question. How long would it take for someone who visits our church to learn about his or her need for Jesus and to find out what to do about it? From that night forward the entire focus of the church changed. All canned programs for ministry were ended as everything about the church was examined in the light of Christ s charge to go forth and make disciples. The Disciple Making Church is presented in two parts six discipling relationships and six marks of a disciple. McDonald weaves vivid Scriptural insights and the wisdom of scholars with the experiences of his own congregation and others, and distills it all into one helpful, valuable and enjoyable book. If you ve ever wondered if the busyness of many of today s churches isn t what Christ was talking about, this book will have a lasting impact on your church.

Author: Bill Hull

Publisher: NavPress (2006)

Binding: Paperback, 352 pages

Review: Well organized and readily accessible, The Complete Book of Discipleship pulls together into one convenient, comprehensive volume relevant topics to discipleship such as: • spiritual growth • transformation • spiritual disciplines • discipleship in the local church and beyond • Indexed for easy reference

Author: Bill Hull

Publisher: Revell (1998)

Binding: Paperback, 256 pages

Review: All of us, church leaders and laypeople alike, have been called by Christ to reach out to the world with the gospel. In this book, Bill Hull explains why disciple making must be the focus of every believer's life and tells how each of us can do it.

Author: Greg Ogden

Publisher: InterVarsity Press (2003)

Binding: Paperback, 180 pages

Review: Many church leaders, yearning for church growth, look to the latest evangelistic strategies or seeker-targeted worship services. But lack of growth might not be due to lack of concern for new people--it may be because we are not effectively discipling the people we already have. Too often churches have no coherent plan for discipleship, and leaders feel they lack the resources to help people become fully devoted followers of Christ. Greg Ogden addresses the need for discipleship in the local church and recovers Jesus' method of accomplishing life change by investing in just a few people at a time. Ogden sets forth his vision for transforming both the individual disciple and discipleship itself, showing how discipleship can become a self-replicating process with ongoing impact from generation to generation. Biblical, practical and tremendously effective, Ogden's approach to discipleship has already been used with great success in hundreds of churches across the country. Transforming Discipleship holds the potential for transforming how your church transforms the lives of its people.

Author: Lee C. Camp

Publisher: Brazos Press (2003)

Binding: Paperback, 208 pages

Review: What does it mean to be a disciple of Christ today? And are Christians really prepared for the answers? In Mere Discipleship, Lee Camp sets forth his vision of what it means to truly follow Christ, challenging Christians to put obedience to Jesus as Lord ahead of allegiances to all earthly authorities-be they nationalistic, political, economic, or cultural. Camp clearly lays out a sound biblical framework of what disciples believe and therefore what they should do. Employing sophisticated yet accessible theology, this book will interest clergy and laypeople alike as they strive to be disciples.

Author: Richard J. Foster

Publisher: HarperSanFrancisco (1998)

Binding: Hardcover, 248 pages

Review: When Richard Foster began writing Celebration of Discipline more than 20 years ago, an older writer gave him a bit of advice: "Be sure that every chapter forces the reader into the next chapter." Foster took the advice to heart; as a result, his book presents one of the most compelling and readable visions of Christian spirituality published in the past few decades. After beginning with a simple observation--"Superficiality is the curse of our age.... The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people"--Foster's book moves to explain the disciplines people must cultivate in order to achieve spiritual depth. In succinct, urgent, and sometimes humorous chapters, Foster defines a broad range of classic spiritual disciplines in terms that are lucid without being too limiting and offers advice that's practical without being overly prescriptive. For instance, after describing meditation as a combination of "intense intimacy and awful reverence," he settles into such down-to-earth topics as how to choose a place and a posture in which to meditate. Perhaps most interesting and useful is Foster's chapter on the controversial Christian discipline of submission. According to Foster, submission does not demand self-hatred or loss of identity. Instead, it simply means growing secure in the conviction that "our happiness is not dependent on getting what we want" but on the fulfillment that naturally flows from love of one's neighbors. Such wise and encouraging suggestions have helped many readers to discard the idea that discipline is an onerous duty and to move toward a liberating and simpler idea of discipline--whose defining character, as Foster never forgets, is joy. --Michael Joseph Gross

Author: Lavonne Neff, Bill Hybels

Publisher: InterVarsity Press (1998)

Binding: Paperback, 191 pages

Review: Most of us have trouble finding time to pray. There's church and school and neighborhood and job and friends and recreation. And then the crises hit! Time for prayer seems an impossible luxury. As a pastor, Bill Hybels knows hundreds of people with schedules like this. Yet in his own life he has made the hard discovery that prayer doesn't happen on the run. He decided he was too busy not to pray. Hybels's accessible introduction to prayer has already helped over 400,000 readers develop a rich and regular prayer life in the midst of life's busyness. Now, in this revised and expanded 10th anniversary edition, he includes new insights from his years of ministry and his own spiritual journey. He shows how to slow down to pray, listen to God, respond to what we hear, practice the presence of God and overcome prayer barriers. His fun and practical book offers the resources we need for growing, ongoing experiences in prayer.