Scott Bessenecker

Against the Tide, Towards the Kingdom

“Honest and deeply reflective, Jenny and Justin Duckworth have granted us a window on the beauty, the mess, the joy, and the pain of missional community. What they have discovered is that we can live fuller, more gracious lives in community, mission, and contemplation than we can by living in our nuclear family fortresses. This journey against the tide of a consumption-oriented culture will require us to put to death our tiresome and lonely lives of delicious self-absorption, but the promise of discovery and adventure in our voyage to a more sustainable and simplified life of shalom is painted for us with such striking honesty and beauty that we are compelled to set out on the waka. This is not a book, it is an invitation. I urge you not just to read it, but to accept it.”

Free

Work, Money & Leadership

“For Americans, freedom is an entrenched part of our national identity. But many of us have translated this iconic value into a posture of indulgence. We are free to buy what we want, say what we want and do what we want without regard to others or the environment. Mark and Lisa Scandrette have turned that notion of freedom on its head--we are free to embrace limitation, self-denial and simplicity. The good life as defined by 'American dream' usually includes a large home, multiple vehicles and fabulous amounts of disposable income. This book is an invitation toward a new vision of the good life, and it provides the tools necessary to take inventory of how we allocate our resources and apply them toward a better, more biblical and more sustainable vision. Free is detox for the soul. It leads us out of lives that are mired in material and temporal clutter. It is a gift to all of us who find that there is never enough time and money to live well.”

Gods That Fail, Revised Edition

Ethics, Culture & Social Issues

“"In Gods that Fail, Ramachandra adroitly describes what worshiping the gods of Scientism, Consumerism, Nationalism, Capitalism, and Marxism (among others) has done to us. Inside and outside the church, we have succumbed to these flawed ideologies and lost our way. But there is hope. In these pages is a lucid description of what it means to be in the world without becoming of the world.”

Nail Scarred Hands Made New

Evangelism & Missions

“In Nail Scarred Hands Made New, John Shorack gives us a vision of a restored humanity through the unique lens of his work in a violent Latin American slum community. Through his experience living and serving in desperate and hopeless conditions, we begin to catch glimmers of shalom, even amid John's own struggle with fear and depression. Addressing evil, hopelessness, and violence with the paradoxical approach of victory stained with suffering and deliverance standing alongside failure, John helps us see a resurrected yet nail-scarred Christ. An eschatological yet grounded vision of redemption and hope. I pray that this honest portrayal of life and struggle among the desperate will encourage us all to live more honestly and deeply with those who suffer.”

Single, Just Because

Marriage, Family & Relationships

“Profound and funny, spiritual yet irreverent, Bridget Gee deals with the universal themes of longing, friendship, intimacy, and making peace with ourselves. This is not so much a book on singleness as it is on what it means to be human. Single, Just Because sets us on a journey with the author of finding her true self in the midst of pain and loneliness. With hilarious wit and remarkable vulnerability, this book will call all readers—whether single, married, celibate, or sexually active—into a deeper understanding of true intimacy.”

Subversive Mission

Evangelism & Missions

“For too long the power and economic disparities of Western missionaries have obscured or undermined their contributions in marginalized communities. Finally, here is a book that provides a helpful framework to guide the gifted outsider and grant dignity to the knowledgeable insider. People from distant contexts and those who've lived their whole lives in difficult neighborhoods—we need each other to solve some of the most pernicious ministry challenges. Subversive Mission will clarify for the reader how locals and foreigners can work together for lasting, healthy change.”

The Gifts for the City

Church Leadership & Ministry

“Rather than a wooden and formulaic understanding of spiritual gifts, Andy Singleterry provides a lucid and flexible exploration of the gifts of the Spirit. From understanding cross-class partnerships to developing cross-cultural friendships, this book will serve those living and serving in marginalized communities that are seeking to identify and release spiritual gifting.”