According to recent surveys, many Americans associate the label “Christian” with judgmental attitudes, hypocrisy, fear of hell, and a commitment to right-wing politics. Greg Garrett suggests another way, arguing that a faith that focuses solely on personal morality and the afterlife misses much of the point of Jesus’ message. This other way of following Christ is not concerned with an array of commandments or with holding the “right” beliefs. Rather it is centered on loving each other and loving God, or, as Garrett puts it, “love is where the rubber meets the road, where faith meets the world.” Personal and moving, this book relates the author’s personal experience of growing up in – and leaving – a disapproving conservative church and then finding his way back into a different kind of Christian community, which is communal, missional, just, and loving.

We also have all of the new spring curricula for the Wee Believe series, including Awesome Adventures: God’s People on Mountains and Seas. This is a great summer curriculum that encourages children to explore the Old and New Testament stories of God’s people. This summer, Anna and Jake will take your class of adventurers over mountains and across, beside, and sometimes in water, to explore the stories of people in the Bible learning to follow God where they were.

The new online lectionary curriculum, Feasting on the Word, is now available! This ecumenical, downloadable resource incorporates the uniqueness of the commentaries, which provide four different approaches to each of the biblical passages for each of the lectionary readings in the Revised Common Lectionary. Feasting on the Word is designed for classroom use in the church among various age levels, including children, youth, and adults. Visit feastingontheword.net/curriculum for more information and to order.