Recover the Eucharist for church and ministry.

This book is envisioned as a follow up to Stookey's successful Baptism: Christ's Act in the Church, published in 1982. It will provide historical--theological perspective in a style that is "popular," rather than academically heavy; and, it will be ecumenical in scope, but with a concentration on Protestantism. The shared Calvinian eucharistic tradition of Presbyterians, UCC, and Methodists will be particularly explored. It will also provide material pertinent to preaching, study of the eucharist by laity, and practical local reform that implements recent revisions of denominational rites.

The central thesis of the book is that there is a distinctive Wesleyan eucharistic spirituality. Looking at Wesleys's eucharistic practices, theology and sources, the writer identifies a spirituality that has a number of key themes. These revolve around the dynamic encounter with a personal Christ, the grace filled life, the therapeutic growth towards holiness and wholenes. They provide a way of looking at life and the formation of characters which may conform to the image of the Christ. While there were several reasons for the decline of Weslyean eucharistic spirituality after the death of the Wesleys, the writer maintains that this spirituality can be rediscovered, revived and communicated in new forms so as to impact Methodists around the world who are facing the challenges of the 21st century. The author is a pastor in a Methodist Church in Singapore.

This workbook describes major features in John Wesley's devotional life, and it illustrates how you can apply his ministry to your own life. Structured around Wesley’s "Means of Grace," the 7-week study covers prayer, scripture, the Lord’s Supper, fasting, Christian conferencing, and providential means of grace. Developed for individual or group study, the workbook also offers suggestions for organizing an initial group meeting and developing a successful group study. Also available in Spanish as La Vida de Devoción en la Tradición Wesleyana.

Marks of a Movement calls us back to the disciple-making mandate of the church through the timeless wisdom of John Wesley and the Methodist movement. With a love for history and a passion for today’s church, Winfield helps us reimagine church multiplication in a way that focuses on making and multiplying disciples for the twenty-first century. Winfield Bevins reminds us of the vital multiplication lessons from the Wesleyan movement, one of the greatest missional movements the world has ever known. He highlights the necessity of discipleship as the starting point and the abiding strategic practice that is key to all lasting missional impact in and through movements. The Methodist movement is an example of the power of multiplying movements that utilize the strategy of discipleship. Within a generation, one in thirty people who were living in Britain had become Methodists, and the movement soon became a worldwide phenomenon. We in the Western Church need a movement of historic proportions once again. What would such a multiplication movement look like for us today? We must look to the past to gain wisdom for the future. And as we look at the pages of church history, there is no better example of a multiplication movement in the West than the Methodist movement of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Marks of a Movement highlights the lessons and key insights that enable us to learn from the past and reapply this timeless, biblical wisdom for today.

Why did the Wesleyan Methodists and the Anglican evangelicals divide during the middle of the eighteenth century? Many say it was based narrowly on theological matters. Ryan Nicholas Danker suggests that politics was a major factor driving them apart. Rich in detail, this study offers deep insight into a critical juncture in evangelicalism and early Methodism.

"This is the body of Christ. This is the blood of Christ." It's Communion Sunday. The service is a little longer, and the sacrament is observed with gravity. You know it's important, but the wonder is lost. What does it all mean, really? According to the results of a survey, you're not alone. United Methodists have a strong sense of the importance of Holy Communion, but they also lack a meaningful understanding of the theology behind it. Reclaim a richer sacramental life in your congregation through a group study of This Holy Mystery. In 2004, the General Conference of The United Methodist Church adopted an official interpretative document on Holy Communion. For the first time in our history, the denomination has an official, comprehensive statement of the practice and theology of the Lord's Supper. Now, it's time for congregations to help members understand the observance. "We believe that study of this document will yield increased appreciation for the sacrament in the worship experience and enable United Methodist people to draw nourishment and strength for their ongoing journeys of faith," writes Felton. This Holy Mystery: A United Methodist Understanding of Holy Communion is a study guide of the General Conference–approved document. An all-in-one resource, this book is for both participants and leaders. It's divided into 7 sessions, providing commentary on the history, practice, and principles of Holy Communion in United Methodist congregations. It also points to implications of the sacrament for ministry and mission. We come to the Table of the Lord, seeking to have our spiritual needs met. The benefits include forgiveness, nourishment, healing, transformation, ministry and mission, and eternal life. Renew your appreciation for the divine grace made available through this sacrament.

This volume brings together the theological interpretation of the sacraments of baptism and Holy Communion as expressed in the writings and hymns of John and Charles Wesley. -Section 1 addresses the Anglican-Methodist sacrament of baptism as interpreted by John Wesley with excerpts from his Treatise on Baptism. -Section 2 contains commentaries on six of Charles Wesley's hymns on baptism. The commentaries seek to elucidate not only the theological emphases of the texts but also their meaning for the church today. -Section 3 moves to the sacrament of Holy Communion and includes excerpts from John Wesley's sermon "On the Duty of Constant Communion." Charles Wesley expresses similar views in his treatise on Holy Communion, "And upon the first Day of the Week," and in his twenty-two stanza poem "Happy the Saints of Former Days." -Section 4 includes the commentaries on sixteen Wesley hymns for Holy Communion. -Section 5 includes new musical settings for all of the twenty-two Wesley hymns on baptism and Holy Communion included here by twenty contemporary composers from North and South America, Asia, and Europe. In a variety of musical styles they seek to capture the various theological emphases and nuances of the texts.