Come ... See ... Check it Out! Our library is growing! We have doubled our shelf space with new bookcases lining another wall. Thank you, Bud Glenn! Martha Caswell and Sandy Shafer have been busy ordering new selections. In addition to new purchases, four hundred items from the Andover library will appear on our shelves in the next several months. Karen O’Malley works in the library every Thursday to get our new items processed. Thank you to our wonderful library committee! We have moved the youth collection into the adult library, so that our youth will have access to items throughout the week. Books for young children are on the coffee table, so that they can "read" while their parents and grandparents check out books and tapes. There is also a small crate-on-wheels with additional books and a few toys underneath the card catalog. Children’s items are to remain in the library; they are not available for check-out. We have a wonderful children’s library on the second floor with books and tapes that children can check out and take home. We are computerizing our collection--beginning with the new books and tapes. You can find items from our established collection in the card catalog. New items can be found in the computer catalog. Directions to use the computer catalog will be posted in the next several weeks. For those of you who are computer-shy, we have prepared a binder with a print-out of the computerized list. You will find the binder on the computer desk Don’t forget to bring us your Ministry Builder stamps when you shop at Family Book Store! Angie O’Malley, Librarian

 

Library Selections for Youth Here’s the deal--you are about to do things you never thought you could do. You are not going to live on the edge, you will walk up to the edge and step off! You will push yourself further than you ever thought possible--but you will need encouragement. Read Step Off, the Hardest 30 Days of Your Life by Justin Lookadoo, Courage in the Dark Places by Jan Greenough, Burn--live in the compassion of Jesus-- by Brian Shipman, Jesus Freaks--stories of those who stood for Jesus, the ultimate Jesus freaks, d.c.Talk, and there is more... Stop by and see for yourself!

Recent Additions to the 
Library by First Church Authors 
(click on the author link to purchase book from CBD)

John Wesley on Christian Beliefs: The Standard Sermons in Modern English, Volume 1, 1-20 By: Kenneth Cain Kinghorn This is the first volume of The Standard Sermons of John Wesley, transcribed into today's English. The volumes in this series accurately transcribe Wesley's eighteenth-century language into a form suitable for today's readers. Volume 1, 1-20 contains the first twenty sermons, in which Wesley deals with theology. Appropriate for individual and small-group study.

The Jesus Quest, Paperback By: Ben Witherington In recent years, John Dominic Crossan, Marcus Borg, and Burton Mack have sparked controversy with their conclusions on the historical Jesus. Professor Witherington, in this popular critical review, presents the work of E.P. Sanders, N.T. Wright, and other noted scholars to give a clear, balanced understanding of the debate. 320 pages, softcover from InterVarsity.

Encountering the Book of Genesis: A Survey of Its Content and Issues By: Bill Arnold Unlike most standard commentaries, Encountering the Book of Genesis: A Survey of Its Content and Issues is designed as an interactive textbook. Dr. Bill Arnold introduces the major themes of Genesis without commenting on every verse or passage. You'll read Scripture selections listed at the beginning of each chapter, then continue with the chapter itself to gain a deeper understanding of the first book of the Bible. 352 pages, hardcover, Baker.

Readings from the Ancient Near East: Primary Sources for Old Testament Study By: Bill T. Arnold & Bryan Beyer Biblical events did not occur in a vacuum, but amidst the context of a multicultural landscape. Readings from the Ancient Near East opens a window onto the crowded world of the Old Testament. Providing primary source materials such as Sumerian creation accounts, Mesopotamian epics, Egyptian cultic rituals, and Syrian prophetic texts, editors Bill Arnold and Bryan Beyer shed light on the history, politics, and theology of the ancient Hebrews' neighbors. 256 pages, soft cover, Baker.

The Grand Sweep: 365 Days from Genesis Through Revelation By: J. Ellsworth Kalas A Bible Study for individuals and groups which assigns Scripture readings for each day of the year, enabling the user to read the entire Bible in one year. Each daily entry includes the Scripture reference, a brief commentary, and a short prayer for guidance.

Parables of Jesus By: Ellsworth Kalas Written by noted biblical scholar J. Ellsworth Kalas, Parables of Jesus provides new insight to some of your most troubling or most beloved parables: The House on the Rock: Matthew 7:24-27, The Sower: Mark 4:1-20, The Father and His Two Sons: Luke 15:11-32, The Mustard Seed: Matthew 13:31-32, The Good Samaritan: Luke 10:25-37, The Widow and the Unjust Judge: Luke 18:1-8, The Wise and Foolish Bridesmaids: Matthew 25:1-13, The Pharisee and the Tax Collector: Luke 18:9-14, The Nobleman and the Pounds: Luke 19:11-26. Scripture references are based on the New Revised Standard Version. Each session is self-contained and includes study helps and questions for reflection that are all you need to lead a group or pursue the study on your own.

If Experience Is Such Good Tea By: Ellsworth Kalas "From the Publisher:" Important lessons and encouragement from 12 "teachers" in the school of experience.

Through Suffering to Hope: Job (Student) By: J. Ellsworth Kalas This four-session study of JOB focuses on the search for an answer to the question of why suffering in its many forms seems to be an inevitable part of human life. Lessons explore the nature of the testing and trials of life, how to help others in their time of need, the affirmation that God is with us even when we feel God has not treated us fairly, and how the experience of suffering can produce a new revelation of God and a deeper faith.

Seven Words To The Cross By: J. Ellsworth Kalas This is the seventh year for a thematic Lenten study offering. It includes seven sessions, one for each Sunday in Lent, including Easter. Each session features a Scripture reference, a personal reading, questions for reflection or discussion, a brief prayer, and a focus for the coming week.

The Thirteen Apostles By: J. Ellsworth Kalas In this book, an entire chapter is devoted to each of Jesus' apostles, including Matthias, successor to Judas Iscariot. J. Ellsworth Kalas draws from Scripture as well as historical writings and tradition to paint a portrait of each apostle as a servant in ministry, a human being, and an individual. Chapter titles include Andrew, a Brother; Peter: Man of Action; James: Unfulfilled Leader; Philip, the Deliberate; James, the Less; Simon, the Zealot; Thaddaeus, the Questioner; Judas: The Value of a Dollar; John: Love and Thunder; and Matthias: Holy Substitute. Each chapter features a key passage of Scripture. At the end of the book is a 16-page study guide.

Shaped by the Word: The Power of Scripture in Spiritual Formation By: Robert Mulholland This book explores the role that scripture plays in spiritual formation. Mulholland examines obstacles often encountered in spiritual reading and introduces a new approach to reading that will enliven the scriptures. He also compares informational reading (reading to be informed) with formational reading (reading to be spiritually formed). Readers are released to God's initiative, allowing the scripture to form a spiritual life inside themselves.

Invitation to a Journey: A Road Map for Spiritual Formation By: M. Robert Mulholland In Invitation to a Journey, Mulholland carefully unpacks his definition of spiritual formation. He helps Christians new or old to understand that we become like Christ gradually, not instantly. Encouragingly, he shows how different personalities call for different forms of piety.

Jesus the Seer: The Progress of Prophecy By: Ben Witherington Scholars have long acknowledged that prophetic expressions were central to ancient Mediterranean religions, including Judaism. In this intriguing study spanning the time of Christ through the first three centuries of the Christian era, Witherington examines the cross-cultural nature of prophecy, showing how Judaism---and ultimately the prophetic role of Jesus---was influenced by other traditions. 460 pages, hardcover from Hendrickson.

The Christology of Jesus By: Ben Witherington How did Jesus understand himself? Ben Witherington III, is a Professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore, Kentucky, a member of the Society for the Study of New Testament, and author of "Jesus the Sage" and "The Jesus Quest"