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Ministers Book Club

As a former pastor, I know well the challenges facing church leaders today. Not only do you need to attend to the many and various needs of your members, you also need to prepare sermons, attend or lead meetings, provide overall leadership for the congregation and stay up-to-date with current thinking in a variety of areas.

At Mennonite Publishing Network, we want to support you by providing books and other resources that can inspire and encourage you, and help you to help your members live out the radical message of Jesus Christ. At the same time, we want to proclaim that the historic Anabaptist vision of Christ-centered discipleship, worship, service, peace and justice is still relevant today.

Members of Mennonite Church USA and Mennonite Church Canada, the two denominations that own Mennonite Publishing Network, are automatically members of the Club, but pastors of any denomination are welcome to join. We also welcome those who are serving as missionaries or service workers outside of North America, as well as seminary students. To join, just fill out the sign-up form.

As a member of the Club, you can receive a 20 percent discount on new and other selected titles throughout the year. Three to four times a year you will receive an e-mail alerting you to new titles that are available at discounted prices. Just let us know which books you want and they will be sent to you; together with an invoice. It’s that easy!

Being a pastor is an important calling. God bless you in your ministry!

Ron Rempel, Executive Director
Special Winter Offer: Buy any two Believers Church Bible Commentary Series books at 20 percent off, and get either Colossians, Philemon or 1 & 2 Thessalonians free! Click here for more information.

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Winter, 2009-2010 Specials

Welcome to the revised Minister’s Book Club! All the titles below are available at 20 percent off. Click on the titles to learn more about each book. Use the order form below to indicate which ones you want. Offer good until March 30, 2010.

War, Peace, and Social Conscience: Guy F. Hershberger and Mennonite Ethics

In this definitive biography, Theron F. Schlabach shows how Hershberger helped Christians live their faith in a world beset by war and injustice, at the same time pioneering creative ways to engage pressing concerns such as civil rights, economic justice and capital punishment. Hardcover, 724 pages.

Retail price: $39.99 U.S./$45.99 CDN
Club price: $31.99 U.S./$36.79 CDN

 

 

Special offer: Also buy these Guy F. Hershberger’s classic books for 20 percent off the regular price! The Mennonite Church In The Second World War, Club price: $20.00 U.S./$23.00 CDN War Peace, And Non-Resistance, Club price: Club price: $20.00 U.S./$23.00 CDN The Way Of The Cross In Human Relations, Club price: $20.00 U.S./$23.00 CDN Special Bonus offer! Get War, Peace, and Social Conscience and all three of these Guy F. Hershberger’s classics for just $74.99 U.S./$79.60 CDN!

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Under Construction: Reframing Men’s Spirituality

Warriors, lone rangers, conquerors—these are the common images that come to mind when talking about men. But are those the only metaphors for Christian men? Using the story of Joseph from the Bible, Gareth Brandt shows how male spirituality reaches its height when it shows compassion to all people, beginning with those close to us, and finds meaning through participation in building God's commonwealth of love and justice. Paper, 300 pages.

Retail price: $13.99 U.S./$16.09 CDN
Club price: $11.19 U.S./$12.87 CDN

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The Fugitive: Menno Simons

It’s 1544, Menno Simons, a leader in the new--and persecuted--free church movement, is on the run from authorities in the Netherlands. With a price on his head, he stops to catch his breath and prays, “Lord, what do I do now?” Myron Augsburger’s historical novel recalls Menno’s life--from Catholic priest to radical reformer to hunted fugitive. Paper, 398 pages.

Retail price: $14.99 U.S./$17.24 CDN
Club price: $11.99 U.S./$13.79 CDN

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Isaiah: Believers Church Bible Commentary

Ivan Friesen explores how the interpretation of the book of Isaiah is carried out and lived out today in faith communities where the Bible is the bedrock of faith and life. Such an interpretation combines the concerns of pastoral care with the distress and uncertainty of prophetic action. Kivar, 480 pages.

Retail price: $29.99 U.S./$34.49 CDN
Club price: $23.99 U.S./$27.59 CDN

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Practices: Mennonite Worship and Witness

John D. Roth examines the traditions of Anabaptist-Mennonite worship. These practices, he argues, are part of an essential unity that transforms and renews the people of God and calls them to lives of integrity that are embodied with discipleship and mission. Roth reflects on how distinctive Mennonite practices such as baptism, communion, foot washing, and common meals extend beyond the church as a witness to the world. Paper, 250 pages.

Retail price: $12.99 U.S./$14.94 CDN
Club price: $10.39 U.S./$11.95 CDN

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Beliefs: Mennonite Faith and Practices

This short, engaging book gives a brief account of what Mennonites believe. From the beginnings of the Anabaptist (or Mennonite) movement in the 16th-century, to biblical interpretation, baptism, understandings of the church, ethics, and the complex question of denominationalism, John D. Roth provides a solid framework for on-going conversations about faithful discipleship in the Mennonite church today. Paper, 150 pages.

Retail price: $12.99 U.S./$14.94 CDN
Club price: $10.39 U.S./$11.95 CDN

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Stories: How Mennonites Came to Be

John D. Roth’s straightforward, accessible narrative invigorates this contemporary introduction to the Mennonite story. Whether readers are new to the Mennonite community or just yearning for a fresh telling of Anabaptist origins, Stories: How Mennonites Came to Be will serve as a compact digest of the church's history for generations to come. Paper, 246 pages.

Retail price: $12.99 U.S./$14.94 CDN
Club price: $10.39 U.S./$11.95 CDN

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Marpeck: A Life of Dissent and Conformity

During the 16th century's tumultuous years of religious reformation and revolution, Pilgram Marpeck consistently but discreetly stood up to the ruling powers, calling for freedom of religioin and separation of church and state. Walter Klaassen and William Klassen, editors of The Writings of Pilgram Marpeck, have deeply mined Marpeck's writing and dialogue with other Reformation leaders. They place his life, work, and theology in the context of his violent, changing times. This thorough biography shows how Marpeck, perhaps more than any other early Anabaptist figure, helped lay the theoretical and practical foundations of the believers church. Hardcover, 424 pages.

Retail price: $32.99 U.S./$37.94 CDN
Club price: $26.39 U.S./$30.35 CDN

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All Right Now: Finding Consensus on Ethical Questions

Puzzling issues are dividing the church. Is your congregation seeking consensus? How should you begin? With this book Timothy J. Geddert can help your church find what he calls the ‘middle way’ between rule-oriented legalism and irresponsible freedom in which anything goes. Geddert shows how Scripture can be effectively examined in reaching ethical decisions. His study of a few controversial issues demonstrates how the discerning community can work toward consensus. Paper, 230 pages.

Retail price: $16.99 U.S./$19.54 CDN
Club price: $13.59 U.S./$15.63 CDN

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First Be Reconciled: Challenging Christians in the Courts

Richard P. Church seeks to recover the church as a unique reconciled body in a world of enmity, particularly via civil litigation. He traces the church's historic reticence to litigate within the body and with non-believers through key biblical texts, a historical survey, with a particular focus on the Anabaptist witness, and a constructive theological defense of the necessity of eschewing certain forms of civil litigation contrary to the church's witness of reconciliation. Book 4 in the Polyglossia: Radical Reformation Theologies series. Paper, 250 pages.

Retail price: $19.99 U.S./$22.99 CDN
Club price: $15.99 U.S./$18.39 CDN

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The Dark Night: A Gift from God

Many Christians enter a “dark night” at some point during their lives, a period when they feel abandoned by God and experience a dryness in their spiritual lives. Daniel P. Schrock demystifies this quite common phenomenon, which is often confused with depression. He roots the dark night experience in Scripture, but also explores how it can express itself in one’s vocation, marriage and family life, and even in the life of a congregation. Paper, 200 pages.

Retail price: $16.99 U.S./$19.54 CDN
Club price: $13.59 U.S./$15.63 CDN

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Remember the Future: The Pastoral Theology of Paul the Apostle

Jacob W. Elias highlights the ways in which Paul draws on narratives as he ministers via letters to congregations throughout the first century Mediterranean world. Paul frequently alludes to his own personal story as a Jew who encountered the risen Christ. Repeatedly Paul reminds his readers about Jesus's life and faithfulness, although he nowhere shares that story in any detail. Paul draws on Old Testament stories and the narratives and images of the Greco-Roman world. And Paul demonstrates his awareness of each congregation's story. Paper, 540 pages.

Retail price: $15.99 U.S./$18.39 CDN
Club price: $12.79 U.S./$14.71 CDN

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Jesus Matters: Good News for the Twenty-First Century

Jesus Christ is popular with many North Americans, but do they honor the Jesus of Scripture? Each author in this collection teams with one or more young adults to consider the various ways we encounter and experience Jesus. Topics include Jesus and creation, Jesus and the cross, Jesus and salvation, Jesus and mission, and Jesus and the future. Authors include Stanley Green, Michele Hershberger, Mark Thiessen Nation, Willard Swartley, Jack Suderman and April Yamasaki. Foreword by Shane Claiborne. Paper, 250 pages.

Retail price: $16.99 U.S./$19.54 CDN
Club price: $13.59 U.S./$15.63 CDN

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Now Go Forward: Reaching Out to Grow Your Congregation

For five decades, J. David Eshleman’s passion has been to bring unchurched people to healthy congregations. By encouraging and equipping believers and pastors to reach out to neighbors in the communities around their church buildings, Eshleman has helped numerous churches grow from a few dozen members to, in some cases, several hundred. This book challenges congregations to make disciples not just around the world but in their own backyards. Paper, 300 pages.

Retail price: $19.99 U.S./$22.99 CDN
Club price: $15.99 U.S./$18.39 CDN

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Like a Mustard Seed: Mennonites in Paraguay

Edgar Stoesz tells the inspiring story of the Russian, Canadian, and Mexican Mennonites who, beginning in 1927, immigrated to Paraguay and made a new homeland out of the jungle wilderness. This is a fascinating story that deserves a prominent place in the annuals of Mennonite history. Paper, 312 pages.

Retail price: $24.99 U.S./$28.74 CDN
Club price: $19.99 U.S./$22.99 CDN

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Power and Practices: Engaging the Work of John Howard Yoder

A new generation engages the theology of John Howard Yoder. These essays wrestle with questions of power and its implications for social practices including policing, nonviolence, sexism, governmentality, dialogue, political critique, theological construction, and the work of "inheriting" a theological tradition. Authors include Chris K. Huebner, Nekeisha Alexis-Baker, Paul Martens, John C. Nugent, and Paul C. Heidebrecht. Paper, 188 pages.

Retail price: $24.99 U.S./$28.74 CDN
Club price: $19.99 U.S./$22.99 CDN

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Reasoning Together: A Conversation on Homosexuality

Two theologians, Ted Grimsrud and Mark Thiessen Nation, argue both sides of an issue that is vexing the postmodern church: homosexuality. This book develops the give-and-take over the differences between the two scholars, but it also offers areas of agreement and consensus. Paper, 318 pages.

Retail price: $17.99 U.S./$20.69 CDN
Club price: $14.39 U.S./$16.55 CDN

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What Is Iran? A Primer on Culture, Politics, and Religion

Laurie Pierce offers readers an overview of the historical, religious, and political landscape of modern Iran. Written from a peacebuilding perspective and informed by almost two decades of Mennonite experience in Iran, she provides insight into a country that often makes the news but is rarely understood. The book also outlines Anabaptist involvement in Iran. Paper, 96 pages.

Retail price: $12.99 U.S./$14.94 CDN
Club price: $10.39 U.S./$11.95 CDN

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Special Winter Offer: Buy any two Believers Church Bible Commentary Series commentaries for 20 percent off, and get either Colossians, Philemon or 1 & 2 Thessalonians free!

The Believers Church Bible Commentary Series is for those who seek more fully to understand the original message of Scripture and its meaning for today. The series is based on the conviction that God is still speaking to all who will listen, and that the Holy Spirit makes the Word a living and authoritative guide for all who want to know and do God's will. Click here to learn more about the 21 commentaries published to date, then use the order form to order your copies. And don’t forget: Buy two and get either Colossians/Philemon or 1 & 2 Thessalonians free!