Books

A One-Volume Commentary Written by 70 African Scholars
Published by: Zondervan

The Africa Bible Commentary is the first one-volume Bible commentary produced in Africa by African theologians to meet the needs of African pastors, students, and lay leaders. Interpreting and applying the Bible in the light of African culture and realities, it furnishes powerful and relevant insights into the biblical text that transcend Africa in their significance.

Also available in French, entitled Commentaire Biblique Contemporain.  [more...]

Helps for Developing Indigenous Hymns
Authors: Brian Schrag, Paul Neely (eds.)
Published by: EthnoDoxology/ACT Publications

This “tool chest” of materials brings together a compilation of documents and research tools, each describing an idea, activity or concept to enable the missionary or Christian worker to encourage some aspect of indigenous hymnody.

Book & CD-ROM, available from Ethnodoxology at $29.00.  [more...]

Preparing and presenting Bible stories for evangelism, discipleship, training and ministry
Author: J. O. Terry
Published by: Church Starting Network, 2008

Bible Storying is the intentional and uninterrupted sharing of God's Word primarily as stories. These stories are usually supplemented with culturally appropriate learning exercises that are listener sensitive. The stories may be told as part of a strategy of telling many stories leading to an invitation to believe, or may be only a few stories during an evangelistic encounter or a ministry opportunity.

This book is a manual for those wanting to get into Bible storying, including chapters on topics like: rationale for Bible storying, considering worldview, choosing Bible stories, crafting Bible stories for telling, pre-story dialog time, post-story dialog time.

The author describes the many options for presenting a Bible story and describes a model storying session.  [more...]

Authors: Daniel Sanchez, J. O. Terry, LaNette Thompson
Published by: Church Starting Network, 2008

Adaptability on the part of the Bible storyer is absolutely essential if such efforts are to result in church starting. This adaptability must address the presentation of the stories, the number of stories that are utilized, the story sets that are employed, the place in which people meet, and the methodology that is employed.

This book is full of practical advice for those wanting to use Bible Storying as part of a church planting strategy. It focusses on topics such as: equipping the storyer, understanding the setting, developing the strategies, and selecting the stories for effective church planting.

It is written by authors with extensive experience in church planting and training in Bible Storying.  [more...]

Leader's Manual and Child's Book
Authors: Margaret Hill, Debbie Braaksma, Lyn Westman
Published by: Paulines Publications Africa

"Even though Joseph had the opportunity and the power to get revenge on his brothers, he chose to forgive them. He even provided for their future rather than return evil for evil. Though it may be very difficult to forgive, in the long run it brings healing for those who have harmed us and for ourselves."

Church leaders, youth leaders, teachers and other concerned adults often find it difficult to help children recover after a trauma. The Leader's Manual is a guide for these caring adults and is accompanied by a Child's Book. Through stories, group exercises and games, and a Bible story, children are assisted in working through their trauma.

The Bible stories are from the book of Genesis: Creation, the Fall, and the life of Joseph.  [more...]

Como tornar a Bíblia relevante para todas as línguas e culturas
Authors: Harriet Hill, Margaret Hill
Published by: Vida Nova (2010)

This is the Brazilian Portuguese version of the book Translating the Bible into Action by Harriet Hill and Margaret Hill.

A tried and tested resource that encourages meaningful Bible use in multi-lingual contexts through both written and oral media. Includes activities, assignments, further reading resources and links to useful websites.

This version has two extra chapters in addition to those found in the English version - "Addressing human concerns: Alcohol abuse", and "Sharing your faith with animists".  [more...]

The Art of Spiritual Reading
Author: Eugene Peterson
Published by: Eerdmans (US) and Hodder & Stoughton (UK)

"I want to pull the Christian Scriptures back from the margins of the contemporary imagination where they have been so rudely elbowed by their glamorous competitors, and reestablish them at the center as the text for living the Christian life deeply and well."

Eugene Peterson encourages readers to feed on and live the Scriptures. He wants us to see the Bible as more than a book telling us how to think or behave. We must "eat this book"!

"Holy Scripture nurtures the holy community as food nurtures the human body. Christians don't simply learn or study or use Scripture; we assimilate it, take it into our lives in such a way that it gets metabolized into acts of love, cups of cold water, missions into all the world, healing and evangelism and justice in Jesus' name, hands raised in adoration of the Father, feet washed in company with the Son."

  [more...]
Illustrated information books exploring the life and history of Bible times.
Authors: Tim Dowley, Robert Backhouse, Mary Evans, Stephen Motyer, Robert Bewley
Published by: Lion Hudson Plc

Lion Hudson has republished their set of 12 illustrated Bible information books. The series includes: People of the Bible, Life in Bible Times, Bible Facts and Figures, The Life of Jesus, The World of the Bible, Bible Atlas, The Jerusalem Temple, The Tabernacle, Old Testament Introduction, New Testament Introduction.

These books are really popular with translation teams. They would also be good in Bible schools and for those working with children and youth.

Special Offer: For those working with Bible agencies, get the complete set of 12 books for only £12 (British pounds), if you can arrange to collect them from the Wycliffe Bible Translators UK headquarters (Horsleys Green). Send your order to lionpublishing_ukatsil [dot] org with information on how you will pay and how you will get the books from Horsleys Green.  [more...]

Preaching the Old Testament today
Authors: Grenville J R Kent, Paul J Kissling, Laurence A Turner (Editors)
Published by: IVP UK (2010)

"Contemporary people too can find their hearts burning as they hear God speak through the Old Testament texts. However, preaching from this part of the Christian Bible brings significant challenges and raises a number of issues, and hence can be neglected."

This volume offers guidance for expository preaching from the Old Testament, and practical suggestions for how to understand the message of its diverse literature and to apply it today. The chapters cover narrative, plot and characters, along with the main Old Testament genres and two special topics: preaching from 'difficult' texts, and preaching Christ.

"The aim is to encourage use of all the Bible's rich resources, in the power of the Holy Spirit, in preaching the good news of the kingdom of God worldwide."  [more...]

How the church can help
Authors: Harriet Hill, Margaret Hill, Richard Bagge, Pat Miersma

This book was conceived and developed during a series of workshops for church leaders from countries with conflicts. All four authors work with Wycliffe Bible Translators. Dr. Richard Bagge is a psychiatrist, and Pat Miersma is a professional counselor. Dr. Harriet Hill and Margaret Hill are coordinators with SIL in Africa.  [more...]