Books from Resurrection

Catch is a comprehensive program for invitational evangelism developed by the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, one of the fastest-growing churches in the U.S. This newly revised and updated resource shows you how to attract visitors to your church, connect them with your faith community, and help them learn to know, love, and serve God. The Catch program has three phases:

This Small-Group DVD contains short, inspiring videos to be used during a four-week small-group study as part of the Catch program. The videos feature Adam Hamilton, Debi Nixon, and other leaders at Church of Resurrection describing their evangelism ministries.

1. Becoming Relentlessly Outward Focused (3:05)
2. Asking Three Important Questions
· Why Do People Need Jesus Christ? (1:51)
· Why Do People Need the Church? (1:34)
· Why Do People Need Your Church? (3:12)
3. Making Visitors Feel Welcome
· A Welcoming Worship Environment (2:57)
· Faithful to Jesus’ Command (1:59)
4. Inviting Others to Grow in Faith (7:31)

The accompanying Leader Guide includes information on:

· Setting up and leading small groups
· Coordinating small-group study with worship and program activities
· Discussion questions
· Activities putting program into action

The Abingdon-Church of the Resurrection Ministry Guides are the first choice for recruiting, motivating, and developing lay leadership for specialized ministries from A to Z--from adult ministries to ushering. Each inexpensive, 64-page Guide brings together Church of the Resurrection's can-do attitude with Abingdon Press's ministry of empowering church leaders. The result is a series that is user-friendly, encouraging, and most important, practical. The passion to help churches experience how many things they can do to encourage participation drives these Ministry Guides. Each Guide is concise, conversational, and current, full of ideas you'll be able to implement immediately, with little or no budget. Recognizing that volunteers are busy people who work hard, the Guides will be the first place to turn when you're new to a topic, to help you feel empowered, prepare quickly, and get up and running with confidence and creativity. You'll find eye-catching icons and features that help you move directly to practical, fun, and effective solutions.

Judy Comstock is the Director of Children's Ministries at the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection.

Chris Folmsbee is an experienced youth worker, an author and speaker, and a dad. He understands that you the parent of a preteen is learning as you go.

Understanding the Common Cry of Preteens is the first piece of a three-part series designed to help you help your teen develop spiritually as he or she develops physically and mentally. The ultimate goal is to prepare you as you lead your child to conform to the image of God through Jesus Christ.

Gladhearted Disciples: Equipping Your Congregation with Generous and Enduring Faith addresses a critical need for church leaders and pastors: How can we guide people to live like Jesus and to draw others into that life? This is a book to study and with your leaders and teams.

I recommend this book for faith communities and all who yearn for a new way of understanding our sacred calling as followers of Jesus.--DJ del Rosario, Sr. Pastor, Bothell UMC, Bothell, WA

If you are seeking to guide others in following Jesus into the mission field that exists right outside your front door, read this book. You’ll encounter vivid stories and a theologically grounded, practical, and missional approach to discipleship in a post-Christian world. --Sara B. Thomas, Chief Strategist for Vital Congregations, Discipleship Ministries, The United Methodist Church

Gladhearted Disciples takes a radically different and welcome approach to evangelism and discipleship. It is a winsome and accessible book with two audaciously important messages. First, Christian discipleship is grounded in grace, characterized by humility, upwardly focused in gratitude, and outwardly-turned in compassion. Second, Christian communities should be marked by the same. Every church would do well to heed this prophetic yet hopeful message.  --Robert K. Martin, Dean and Professor of Christian Formation and Leadership, Wesley Theological Seminary

If you seek a fresh way to understand and share our faith—a way that makes sense in our current reality, I invite you to delve into this book. May you be newly inspired! --Dottie Escobedo-Frank, author of The Jesus Insurgency with Rudy Rasmus, from Abingdon Press

When Jesus taught the disciples, his message was simple and clear. In this illuminating study, Jeff Kirby sweeps aside the clutter of our daily lives and takes us to the heart of Jesus’s message. With Jesus as our teacher and mentor, we explore Christian belief through Christian action, following in the footsteps of our Lord. Jesus’s message is explored in four chapters:
1. The Day I Met Jesus
2. Announcing Good News 
3. The Ministry of Healing 
4. Praying for Self and Others 

This Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the Jesus Apprentice Bible study program. It includes session plans and discussion questions, as well as multiple format options.