We want to talk this week about resources for personal, congregational and spiritual foundation.
When it comes to resources it is probably best to refer to Charles Dickens’s comment in A Tale of Two Cities; “It was the best of times and it was the worst of time.” It is the best of times because there is a seeming abundance of good quality, culturally relevant, biblical material that is available. It is the worst of times in the sense that much of the material is very expensive, written by people we don’t have a working trust with and frankly, for many of us in this sprawling territory called Western Canada, material that is hard to access. (I tried to access a nationally reviewed book this week only to be told no one had it and its’ Winnipeg publisher might not ever re-print it regardless of demand!)
We are about to launch a resource centre in the Baptist Union with a twist. Well, there are several twists. Firstly, books, DVD’s and other resources will be available to order through our website. Secondly, after visiting the web, surveying the material you will have the material sent to you within that working week. If you order on Monday-Thursday for instance it will find its way to you on or before the following Friday. Thirdly, the package you receive will contain a stamped and addressed return envelope to return your resource material back to the Union Office when you are finished. This service will be available by mid-November, in time for many excellent Advent and Christmas resources.
The selections below are being used for a pilot project in a sample group for September through October. We’re working out the ordering, responding and retrieval systems to offer clean, effective encouragement and ministry to one another. Future listings will include everything from Gumbel to Blacaby, Stott to St. John of the Cross, the Alpha Marriage Course to our outstanding array of authors like Bruce Milne, Mark Buchanan and Stan Grenz amongst others.
1. Gordon Fee, How to Read the Bible and Get the Most Out of It
2. C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
3. Brian Maclaren, A Generous Orthodoxy
4. Gary Haugen, The Good News About Injustice
5. 2 workshop CD’s from Holy Trinity Brompton in London
6. The Celtic Book of Prayer from the Northumbria County (a book I use for my daily devotions)
We are providing these resources for three simple reasons. We want good resources within the reach of every leader and church in the denomination. “Easy Reach” can mean overcoming economic, geographic or cultural barriers. We want people to feel they can freely sample and “test drive” material to discern whether “fit” for self or church. Lastly, we want to encourage the inter-pollination and sharing of ideas, learning, good reading, and good listening so that we will encourage one another and deepen in our walk together in Christ.
We want to make resources accessible with the testing out material to be straightforward. We want to see the Baptist Union weave one of its many strands of community by sharing resources together; resources where you live, whatever you can afford, and however the Lord is leading you.
Thanks be to God.
Warmly in Christ,
Jeremy Bell
P.S. Remember we will test drive the resource centre September through October, and put it on-line on November 8.