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Reading group selections for September 2008 - August 2009

September 2008
  • Mary Pipher’s The Middle of Everywhere: Helping Refugees Enter the American Community (Harvest Books, 2003) opens reader’s eyes through stories to refugees who find their ways into cities across the U.S. This book is an excellent guide for churches facing the challenges of building cross-cultural relationships and helping refugees and other immigrants transition to life in America.
  • Download a copy of the reading group study guide for September.
October 2008

  • Don C. Richter’s Mission Trips That Matter (Upper Room, 2008) will provide insight as your congregation rethinks the role of mission trips as a strategy for engaging the world. This easy read uses imagery of the body to frame what it means to be the presence of Christ in the world. Readers will be challenged to combine their spiritual formation with their missional formation.
  • Download a copy of the reading group study guide for October.

November 2008

  • A Christian’s Guide to Islam by Michael McCullar (Smyth & Helwys, 2008) gives a concise explanation of the key beliefs and practices, as well as the history of Islam. This book is suited for those interested in knowing more about Islam so that they might be better equipped to build relationships with those of another faith. 
  • Download a copy of the reading group study guide for November.
December 2008
  • Silas House's book, Clay's Quilt: A Novel is a novel about lie in the Appalachian culture of eastern Kentucky.  In a world of bluegrass music, Pentecostal religion, and violent abuse, readers follow Clay Sizemore as he searches for life and meaning, and in the process learns the value of place, of family, and of friendship. 
  • Download a copy of the reading group study guide for December.
January 2009
  • In Bless God and Take Courage: The Judson History and Legacy, Rosalie Hunt presents a biography of America's first overseas missionary.  Adoniram Judson and his family set out for Burma in the early 1800s and in the porcess established the foundation for the importance and influence of Baptist missions to all corners of the world.
  • Download a copy of the reading group study guide for January.
February 2009
  • Growing up in a remote village on a Southeast Asian island as the child of missionaries, Sabine Keugler explains in her biography, Child of the Jungle, how she came to feel at home amid the "Stone Age" tribal people.  When she turns 17 and is sent to school in Europe, she struggles with her new life in the modernized society, longing for the simplicity of life "back home."
  • Download a copy of the reading group study guide for February.
March 2009
  • This month's novel is A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, author of the award winning book, The Kite Runner.  Hosseini again offers a tale of war-torn Afghanistan, as we journey with two women through three decades of turmoil from Soviet rule to the Taliban. Through the tale of an unusual friendship, the reader comes to understand the complexities of Afghan patriarchal culture, the hardship of oppression, and most of all, the resilience of the human heart.
  • Download a copy of the reading group study guide for March.
April 2009
  • In From Outrage to Courage: Women Taking Action for Health and Justice, Anne Firth Murray, founder of the Global Fund for Women, gives hope that change can happen even in the face of staggering inequality. Each chapter presents issues that evoke outrage while also offering the responses of women, who have take courageous steps to fight against injustices. You will be challenged, yet inspired.
  • Download a copy of the reading group study guide for April.
May 2009
  • In May 1889, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was changed forever when the South Fork Dam broke, unleashing millions of tons of water on those in its path. In The Johnstown Flood, David McCullough not only vividly describes the events of this tragic period in American history, but he also deals with the larger social issues raised as a result.
  • Download a copy of the reading group study guide for May.
June 2009
  • In Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light - The Private Writings of the Saint of Calcutta, Reading Groups will peer into the life of one who was very clear about her calling to discover that the journey of faith is filled with extreme highs and lows.
  • Download a copy of the reading group study guide for June.
July 2009
  • In The Wounded Healer, readers will begin to understand the strting point of Christian ministry as presented by author, Henri J.M. Nouwen. This profound book presents a model of wholeness and healing appropriate for all who seek to care for others.
  • Download a copy of the reading group study guide for July.
August 2009