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The stories in Kevin Brockmeier's debut collection require, test, try, exhaust, and--just often enough--reward the reader's patience. In Things That Fall from the Sky, Brockmeier writes in painstaking prose that's long on exposition and short on action. Many of these stories concern children. In "These Hands," a thirtysomething man, possibly with Nabokovian intentions, baby-sits an 18-month-old girl. In the title story, a depressive librarian finds relief, and even guidance, in the company of her small granddaughter. And in "The House at the End of the World," 4-year-old Holly describes her isolated life in a shack in the woods with her father: "This was during the collapse of civilization, and I believed we were the only people in the world." Here Brockmeier's expository style pays off, as he describes in detail father and daughter setting traps, lighting lanterns, and tracking streams. It's a kind of end-of-days Little House in the Big Woods, except, of course, the father is crazy, and civilization has not collapsed. In the end, Holly's mother comes to take her away, and Brockmeier doesn't shy for a moment from Holly's pain as she is carried "from the house and the bed and the world which were mine." At his best, Brockmeier writes with excruciatingly thorough imagination. --Claire Dederer
Book Description
Weaving together loss and anxiety with fantastic elements and literary sleight-of-hand, Kevin Brockmeier’s richly imagined
Things That Fall from the Sky views the nagging realities of the world through a hopeful lens.
In the deftly told “These Hands,” a man named Lewis recounts his time babysitting a young girl and his inconsolable sense of loss after she is wrenched away. In “Apples,” a boy comes to terms with the complex world of adults, his first pangs of love, and the bizarre death of his Bible coach. “The Jesus Stories” examines a people trying to accelerate the Second Coming by telling the story of Christ in every possible way. And in the O. Henry Award winning “The Ceiling,” a man’s marriage begins to disintegrate after the sky starts slowly descending.
Achingly beautiful and deceptively simple,
Things That Fall from the Sky defies gravity as one of the most original story collections seen in recent years.
Customer Reviews:
A Fresh, Imaginative Voice.......2004-10-21
Kevin Brockmeier, obviously wise beyond his years, writes with profound insight, empathy and imagination, in equal parts.
These stories are brimming treasure chests that I simply could not put down and did not want to end!
I can not wait to read his next work.
Disappointing.......2004-01-12
I was quite excited to read Kevin Brockmeier's Things That Fall from the Sky after I was exposed to his work in BASS and O'Henry (both stories I liked). That being said, I couldn't get through most of the remaining collection. Brockmeier often has lengthy, over-telling passages that state, too obviously, his themes. I imagine this reflects his background as a children's writer, but for the literary scene, it's far too much telling and makes the reader feel as though Brockmeier doesn't trust them to GET IT on their own. He'd be wonderful if he just SAID less...
Wouldn't recommend to my students at this point.
Excellent........2003-11-17
We were assigned to read "The Ceiling" and The Truth About Celia (novel), and with those two read, I had to buy this book. Kevin Brockmeier is an extraordinary writer, and I wait anxiously for his next book.
Interstitial fiction at its best.......2003-08-27
In this extraordinary collection, Brockemeier effortlessly crosses borders between many different modes of writing -- realism, surrealism, fantasy, mystery, fable, fairy tale -- to create sharply insightful stories that have much to say about modern life and the surreal world we live in. Tender, funny, painful, and deeply moving, I highly, highly recommend this collection to all fans of interstitial fiction.
Heads up!.......2002-06-21
Here are some of the things that fall from the sky in Kevin BrockmeierÕs striking and unusual debut collection of short fiction: an autumn leaf, errant fireworks, a lethal bucket, an impenetrable barrier of blackness, and a characterÕs dead mother. For Brockmeier, these strange rains come to symbolize the moments of pain and grace that intrude themselves upon our lives, falling without warning onto our unsuspecting heads.
These stories move effortlessly from naturalism (a boy shares his first kiss on the same day that his Bible teacher is killed by a falling bucket) to fantasy (a manÕs marriage falls apart as the sky above his house creeps ever lower), and each is distinguished by a richness of theme and character and a formidable stylistic talent. Not every story here works, but those that do are quite impressive. Brockmeier, it seems, is a writer to watch.
Customer Reviews:
Review of "Church Planting Movements" for Pepperdine Missions Class.......2005-12-14
Because Garrison's book was published in 2004, the stories of church planting movements in all areas of the world, are exciting to read and more importantly, credible. He brings in numbers to support his claim that all over the world, people groups are coming to Christ in ways that parallel "the book of Acts", planting churches instead of focusing on the traditional missionary strategy of making one church grow larger in size and in population. Garrison focuses on the idea that the Gospel needs to be heard to people groups, taking the focus away from geography (there are Christians in India but there are many Indians.) The first two parts of this book focus on different movements- in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and India, South America, Europe, and North America. It is valuable that even in these last three areas (places that are considered "Christianized"), there are still groups and even nations that are spiritually poor and in need of missionary activity.
Garrison works hard to take a new approach to missionary strategy, even redefining missionaries as "strategy coordinators". He also works hard to write about Church Planting Movements in places where missionary activity is dangerous, often protecting the anonymity of the people involved in certain countries, even renaming some countries themselves. Garrison uses the last sections of his book to describe essential characteristics of these movements and even points out "sins" that many missionaries commit in their work. Important tools for bringing the gospel to these people groups include media and translations of the Bible and stories into their own language, a strong emphasis on prayer, and bringing training to the people instead of requiring the people to leaver their people for training. Believers model their faith so that others can learn and grow; Christians are encouraged to worship God in ways that are culturally relevant (with their own songs and strategies for worship).
Perhaps one of the most radical but at the same time fantastic points of Garrison's book is in his focus on immediate evangelism and on lay leadership. He writes about how missionaries should begin their work even before learning the language, prepared to pass on leadership and authority immediately to local leaders of authority regardless of their lack of seminary training. It is total dependence on the Holy Spirit and on God but at the same time, Garrison presents the idea of rapid growth and rapid dependence on lay leadership in a way that doesn't read as irresponsible or as a "plan-so-far" missionary strategy. The goal is to create churches that are reproducible, in their own heart language, empowering them to take on their own responsibility of evangelism to the people around them just as they have received their blessing of salvation.
If there is one reason to read this book, it is because it is proof that God is working in places that Westerners are not even aware of. Churches are being created, according to biblical principles that do not even want to depend on foreign aid, worshiping in ways that westerners might even consider barbaric.
God's power / God's strategy.......2005-04-20
Church Planting Movements: How God is Redeeming a Lost World. By David Garrison. Bangalore: WIGtake Resources, 2004. 362 pages. Paperback, $12.
"In 2001 a newly emerging Church Planting Movement yields 48,000 new believers and 1,700 new churches in one year" (p. 49). How can you start a church planting movement that sweeps through an entire people group? You can't! But God can. And God can use you to facilitate His purposes.
David Garrison's Church Planting Movements invites the reader to view God's blueprints for reaching all people groups- quickly! But before delving into missiological theory on how these movements work, Garrison takes the reader on a trip to eight major sectors of the world to view already existing church planting movements (CPMs). Each of these episodes narrates the events that catalyzed a full-fledged movement resulting in unreached peoples turning to Christ. He visits India, China, Africa, Latin America, Europe, North America, and the Muslim world. Next he distills the common elements from each movement into comprehensive lists of: 1.) What occurred in every CPM and 2.) What occurred in most CPMs. Some of these elements are: house churches, rapid reproduction, and lay leadership (p. 172). With the good, Garrison includes the bad. He lists the "seven deadly sins" of a CPM. These include: sequentialism (i.e. adding churches versus multiplying them), developing dependency on foreign funds, and not contextualizing the Gospel to the culture (p. 239). These elements choke a budding movement.
The last section of the book challenges the reader to assess his own standing in the scheme of God's church planting movements. Then, it equips him with tools to works towards getting on mission with God. Garrison's appendix includes: a step-by-step guide for planting and reproducing a house church model (p.307-315), an apologetic to reach Muslims (p. 319), and reference materials including Scriptures that under gird all aspects of the CPM philosophy (p.331).
Garrison does his presentation a service by beginning with stories of CPMs in action. People are drawn to the tales of what can actually happen, which are based in reality. These stories are inspiring, educational, and fun to read. This prepares the reader to be open to the new paradigms presented in the second half of the book, as well as builds anticipation to finally get to that point. "How can I start one?!"
The text is easy to read, put into contemporary terms and concepts that the greater Christian community can digest. Missiologist David Garrison has organized this content into lists, graphs, reference tools, and easy to reference case studies in order to communicate the perhaps intimidating world of church planting and frontier missions to the average North American Christian. His positive attitude remains one that encourages rather than rebukes its Christian audience or the Christian movement in general.
The content itself issues a challenge to traditional church planting strategy, not only through its exegesis of the Scriptural text, but through the distilled wisdom gained from case studies. Garrison makes a strong case for unpaid, local, lay leadership, planting rapidly reproducing house churches that exhibit characteristics of evangelism, prayer, and a persistent obedience to the Word of God. With the mention of only a few of these, certain church leaders may balk, saying "Is that feasible? Is that Scriptural? ... Is that comfortable?" Church Planting Movements fields these questions comprehensively, almost anticipating them at every turn.
The section entitled "A Call to Action" seems to anticipate that its readership will only be able to really absorb a certain degree of the material presented (p. 297). It directs the reader to assess at what stage he is in his personal response to CPM philosophy. With this in mind, he can take the next steps through further awareness, education, and/or experience- jump in! In light of this, Church Planting Movements may be a book worthy of re-read, if not definitely for reference. Its charts, steps, and other helpful tools make it a valuable resource to plumb either as new awareness prompts deeper study or as new stages of a CPM develop.
This book is ideal for church planters, world Christians, and pastors looking to amplify their vision to a God-size. It should not be despised by those already involved in church planting ministries, as Garrison showed many examples of principles neglected by current church planters through ignorance. In other instances, he advocates that the removal of bad principles is all it takes to set a dormant movement free (p. 239). David Garrison's book, Church Planting Movements, will be an invaluable addition to a Christian's spiritual and strategic preparation in seeing God's glory spread to the nations.
Book Description
ith Redeeming the Lost, Elizabeth Kerner returns to the world of Lanen Kaelar and the fabled creatures made real after centuries of doubt. The prophecies are coming true and the ancient race of Kantri-or, true dragons-have come back to Lanen's world. They bring ancient power and knowledge and the Kantri have come to see what the 'littlings' have made of their world. But what they find is distressing, for humans have squandered their heritage, the small dragons that were left behind are little more than cattle-and those who do remember the ancient ways have allied themselves with a race of demons who long to destroy all the world. The Kantri are disturbed and look to Lanen and her love Varian to help them make the world right again. But Lanen has been captured by the demon-master Berys, who is intent upon using her powers to gain control of the universe. It is up to her true love, Varian and one of the most unlikely alliances ever seen to rescue Lanen. And if Varian fails, not only will Lanen's life and the fates of his beloved Kantri hang in the balance-the stage is now set for a confrontation between the forces of light and darkness, and if the good fail, both human and Kantri are doomed . . . .
Customer Reviews:
Great ending to an enjoyable series.......2007-06-22
This third book was quite enjoyable, I believe it was my favorite of the three. The one thing I didn't like about these books was the way Kerner describes the love between Akor (Varien) and Lanen. It was just a bit too much for me. Luckily I can see past that and enjoy the excellent story that is taking place. I enjoyed the ending of this book, though it did leave a little left to ponder. What is the purpose of Varien/Akor's new ability? Perhaps Kerner will revisit this story in the future. Good debut series!
Chaos vs Order.......2007-06-21
I read Song in Silence years ago and have been wondering and waiting to find out if the story continued. Finally, I just found and finished reading The Lesser Kindred and Redeeming the Lost. I love the love story, not just romantic love, but the various ties and connections between the dragons and the people. I also love the idea about the war between chaos and order and the fact that the humans (Gedri) made the choice of "choice" in determining whether they would follow chaos (demons) or order (dragons/Kantri). The love stories between the lovers and friends in this book are so touching. I hope Elizabeth Kerner writes more books, because I connected deeply with this wonderful world.
The best of the trilogy. A fine conclusion........2006-06-02
Elizabeth Kerner did a fine job in wrapping up the Tale of Lanen Kaelar. All of the different storylines came together nicely for a fantastic and heart-wrenching ending. Also, this final book had a quicker pace with more action and a headlong rush to the dramatic conclusion, with all of the forces of good cooperating to bring down the nearly unstopable demon master and his minions. The characters and interactions among them are all great, although some parts do get a bit sappy for my taste. The storyline is well-developed and comes to a satisfying ending without much in the way of loose ends. This book in particular stood out as the best of the trilogy to me because of the fast pace and conclusive ending.
However, it did seem to me that Kerner must have been told to trim down the story by editing out some of what she meant to include.. A war in the land is briefly mentioned a couple of times and never came into play (and none of the characters even seemed to be aware of it). And some parts of the ending came abrubtly and without much explanation at all, such as Varien's transformation during the last battle, and what about the Sun God Vilkas? But, overall I appreciated the conclusive wrapping up of everything in the last book.
Enjoyed for the most part.......2006-01-03
Overall, a nice work, entertained me but didn't wow me. A story needs more fluidity and substance. It did have it's moments, but that's about all. She needs to take advice from new author Brian S. Pratt who wrote The Unsuspecting Mage. He keeps it flowing, and the action never dies.
I will continue to read her work as it does pique my interest and several passages made me think. could do a little better though
Short on 'Redeeming' Qualities.......2005-12-06
Sometimes authors lose the plot. In Redeeming the Lost, Elizabeth Kerner loses...everything.
She loses what restraint she had on her overly flowery writing style. It reached a point where some of the language was laughable and ridiculous, and often it looked like there were several words missing from sentences. Kerner is one of those fantasy authors that unfortunately can't fight the desire to show off her knowledge of archaic language.
She loses the pacing. Oh does she ever lose the pacing. In actuality about 72 hours passes from start to finish of the book. Lanen has been kidnapped and so everyone...stands around and does nothing!? They chat and eat and mourn her kidnapping, but that's about it.
And that redeeming the title mentions? Happens before 100 pages are up. And the way it's done makes no sense whatsoever, nor does Kerner offer up an explanation.
She loses the ability to write in one point of view for more than a few pages. Honestly, the book jumps around so much, and so unnecessarily, it's enough to give a girl a headache.
The readers lose something when it comes to Redeeming the Lost, as well. They lose their lunch, as Lanen and Varien's already sickly perfect love affair tips the scales on the Give Me a Break O' Meter. Lanen is so perfect and so loved by all who know her, and her 'flaws' are looked upon affectionately by her friends and family. I wish MY family thought it was endearing when I throw a temper tantrum.
No problem is solved by anything other than Deus Ex Machina. Every single solution is a random coincidence or a stroke of luck that is completely unbelievable. The villain is unconvincing in that he lacks any quality aside from being completely evil. And, oh yeah, just thought I'd mention this as an aside...there's a war going on! Some kingdom is conquering the world, and our heroes don't know it's happening! Why???
There is some potential in Kerner's ideas. Her breed of dragon is particularly interesting, and some of her characters too. However, the world is poorly fleshed out, and her writing is entirely self-indulgent. It's all well and good for her to know archaic bits of language such as "hight", but using it in her writing is pointless, because most of us don't. We're aware that we're living in the year 2005 and, oh yeah, just because it's fantasy doesn't mean everyone has to speak like they were alive hundreds of years ago.
Oh, and one more bloody thing. It seems bloody obvious to me that bloody Elizabeth Kerner is bloody English. And if she bloody isn't, she bloody well knock it off with the bloody word BLOODY!!!
Book Description
In fiction, drama, poems, and pamphlets, nineteenth-century reformers told the familiar tale of the decent young man who fell victim to demon rum: Robbed of his manhood by his first drink, he slid inevitably into an abyss of despair and depravity. In its discounting of the importance of free will, argues Elaine Frantz Parsons, this story led to increased emphasis on environmental influences as root causes of drunkenness, poverty, and moral corruption -- thus inadvertently opening the door to state intervention in the form of Prohibition.
Parsons also identifies the emergence of a complementary narrative of "female invasion" -- womanhood as a moral force powerful enough to sway choice. As did many social reformers, women temperance advocates capitalized on notions of feminine virtue and domestic responsibilities to create a public role for themselves. Entering a distinctively male space -- the saloon -- to rescue fathers, brothers, and sons, women at the same time began to enter another male bastion -- politics -- again justifying their transgression in terms of rescuing the nation's manhood.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from The Historian, published by Thomson Gale on March 22, 2005. The length of the article is 547 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Manhood Lost: Fallen Drunkards and Redeeming Women in the Nineteenth-Century United States.(Book Review)
Author: David M. Fahey
Publication:
The Historian (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 22, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 67
Issue: 1
Page: 129(2)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Average customer rating:
- A most intriguing series for readers from preteen on:
- Excellent, Excellent, Excellent!!!
- for parents too!
- Can't put it down
- slow at shipping
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Shadow Children (Boxed Set): Among the Hidden; Among the Impostors; Among the Betrayed; Among the Barons
Margaret Peterson Haddix
Manufacturer: Aladdin
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Among the Brave (Shadow Children)
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ASIN: 0689033672 |
Book Description
Imagine a world where families are allowed only two children. Illegal third children -- shadow children -- must live in hiding. If they are discovered, there is only one punishment: Death.
Among the Hidden
An ALA Best Book for Young Adults
An ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
An American Booksellers Association Kids' Pick of the List
Among the Impostors
International Reading Association Young Adults' Choice
Among the Betrayed
An America Library Association Quick Pick
International Reading Association/Children's Book Council Children's Choice
Customer Reviews:
A most intriguing series for readers from preteen on:.......2007-05-13
The Shadow Chidren series may be the modern alternative to The Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, and Cherry Ames. The plot of each book-there are more than the four books of the boxed set-is captivating, as is the overall adventuresome goal of the series. My ten year old granddaughter introduced me to the Shadow Children after she had completed the first book. I both purchased and read all the books before giving them to her to make certain that all is wholesome. Parents and/or prospective readers be assured that the Shadow Children series will be enjoyed by everyone. Then, the variety of other books by Haddix will be enjoyed as well.
Excellent, Excellent, Excellent!!!.......2007-04-08
My son (who is 13) has a hard time reading a complete book, due to his short attention span. A friend suggested this series of books to us. I couldn't be happier. This series is so interesting that he read all of the books within two weeks!!!! As a parent, I enjoyed them also! This is the best deal on the web for this set.
for parents too!.......2007-03-14
My 9-year-old daughter introduced me to this series, saying I had to read them. Well, I did, I'm now near the end of book 5, and they're riveting. The plot is well-written, unpredictable, tense and believable. I especially appreciate how Haddix depicts the struggles these kids go through as they make their decisions on how to act, and how ultimately they make the right choices. Not always, and that is shown as well. It is certainly written for young readers, so goes very fast for an adult reading, but thoroughly enjoyable. I keep wondering why nobody has made movies out of Haddix's books? This would be a great one. Don't push it aside thinking "It's a kid book." Give it a chance.
Can't put it down.......2007-02-05
I could not put these books down. They are short enough to read in one sitting, but still left me satisfied and pensive. The story never dragged and I found myself unable to keep from outwardly expressing fear, anger, relief, and shock.
These are books for everyone. The stories are entertaining with many twists and the plot is thought provoking as many books about futuristic societies tend to be.
slow at shipping.......2007-01-10
The books are fine, they were for my son and he loves them. But it took over a month to receive them. Very slow shipping.
Average customer rating:
- Margaret Peterson Haddix is a genius!
- among the barons
- Among the Barons
- Awesome 4th entry in the Shadow Children Series
- Awesome 4th entry in the Shadow Children Series
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Among the Barons (Shadow Children)
Margaret Peterson Haddix
Manufacturer: Aladdin
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ASIN: 0689839103 |
Book Description
Luke Garner, an illegal third child, spent his first twelve years in hiding. For the past four months Luke has lived among others, using the identity of Lee Grant, at the Hendricks School for Boys. But just as things are finally starting to go right, Lee's little brother Smits arrives at the school and Luke finds himself caught in a tangle of lies that gets more complex with every passing day.
Can Luke trust Smits to keep his secret? And can he trust Smits's menacing bodyguard, Oscar?
Customer Reviews:
Margaret Peterson Haddix is a genius!.......2007-03-30
This series is brilliant. I bought them as a "future read" for my child and decided to try them for myself. I got completely hooked and passed them to my mother who also got hooked.
This series is a must read on so many levels. Warning for the future "DO NOT SURRENDER YOUR FREEDOM!"
Very strong characters. Beautifully written. Story is intense and gripping. Each book in series is a true page turner. You will not want to put them down.
among the barons.......2007-03-10
i thought this book was good its about luke garner and he took over lee grants name and he had met lees little brother smits and they lee and smits always hung out and smits was so sad.
Among the Barons.......2007-01-18
When we last left Luke Garner (or Lee Grant), he was happily planting garden's at Hendricks' School for Boys. He was content with his new surroundings and had openly chose Hendricks' as his new home where he would learn and grow. That was before we met Nina, Matthias, Percy, and Alia and this time around, Haddix decides that it is time to get back to Luke's story.
Luke (Lee) is treated like a god at Hendricks' School for Boys, and quite frankly, he should be. He introduced physical education to their daily schedules. He helps the students overcome their fears of the outdoors by letting them help in his gardens. He helps the students study so that they learn as much as they can from their classes. His life is changed drastically however, when Smits arrives at school. Smits is the real Lee Grant's (the name on Luke's false I.D. card) brother and this threatens Luke's situation at Hendricks'. Can he trust Smits with his secret and what exactly does Smits know?
Haddix cranks up the suspense and plot twists in this fourth installment, helping create in my opinion, the best of the series so far. While there are big things happening outside in the world she's created, Haddix very carefully decides not to tread there quite yet. She instead focuses on the somewhat smaller mystery of who the real Lee Grant actually was.
Through reading this series aloud to my class of fifth graders, I've discovered why these books are so appealing. Haddix creates characters that children can relate to. At times I find them predictable but they're by no means paper-thin either. My students love getting to know each new character and then invest a lot of emotion into watching that character survive in this world. Smits is no exception. He's initially unlikeable, but something draws children to him and the rest of these characters.
And Luke, this is not the same timid Luke we knew and loved from books one and two. This Luke is more seasoned. This Luke has seen things. This Luke has been places. Without having actually stepped foot in the outside world, he somehow has a sense of what it is like. I felt a strange chill when I realized that Luke is educating his fellow classmates and by doing so, creating an army of third children. Luke has clearly stepped forward as the hero of this series and if anyone is to save the day in this somewhat bleak setting, my bet is on Luke.
Tight suspense and clever plot twists aside, there's a reason this book has emerged as my favorite of the series. Something happens in this book that will change the remaining chapters of this series. A very simple scene that didn't actually cause my jaw to drop, but did cause me to pause and take in what was really happening. A scene in which you realize that nothing will be the same ever again for Luke. Haddix has now forced herself to venture into unseen territory and this is where this series will really be tested. She's created an interesting premise and it would seem that with book 5 coming, she's given herself an even bigger canvas to explore her world. Now lets see what she does with the paint brushes.
Awesome 4th entry in the Shadow Children Series.......2006-11-09
Among the Barons was a great and invigorating sequel to the second book in the Shadow Children series. Among the Barons is the third book in the series. Luke, Lee Grant under his fake identity, has to endure obstacles with Smits the real Lee Grants brother. Lee is forced to go live the Grant's but does not know their intentions. He finds out that they want Luke to stage Lee's death and if he doesn't will be punished.
Awesome 4th entry in the Shadow Children Series.......2006-11-09
Among the Barons was a great and invigorating sequel to the second book in the Shadow Children series. Among the Barons is the third book in the series. Luke, Lee Grant under his fake identity, has to endure obstacles with Smits the real Lee Grants brother. Lee is forced to go live the Grant's but does not know their intentions. He finds out that they want Luke to stage Lee's death and if he doesn't will be punished.
Average customer rating:
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Vol. 128, No. 6, National Geographic Magazine, December 1965; Finisterre Sails the Windward Islands; Land of Galilee; Finned Doctors of the Deep; I See America First: Diary of the President's Daughter; New Discoveries Among Africa's Chiimpanzees
Carleton; Parks, Winfield; MacLeish, Kenneth; Stewart, B. Anthony; Faulkner, Douglas; Johnson, Lynda Bird; Allard, William Albert; Van Lawick-Goodall, Baroness Jane; Van Lawick, Baron Hugo Mitchell
Manufacturer: National Geographic Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000R75TP2 |
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Wheat Among Bones: Poems
Mary Baron
Manufacturer: Sheep Meadow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
20th Century
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ASIN: 0935296050 |
Product Description
multiple books ship as one item. save on shipping/handling charges.
Book Description
A comprehensive handbook to urban ministry introduces and shows how to implement a Christian community development program.
Customer Reviews:
Essential Reading.......2007-07-05
In Restoring At-Risk Communities, John Perkins and other members of the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) provide an essential treatise for anyone who is concerned about community redevelopment. Each author writes out of a wealth of experience in actually working to restore declining communities. Their experiences offer important lessons for others to learn.
This text revolves around the "3-Rs" of the CCDA: relocation, reconciliation, and redistribution. The "3-Rs" provide the core values of the CCDA's approach to community redevelopment.
A commitment to relocation begins the process. This commitment grows from an understanding that communities cannot be permanently changed from the outside, but only from within. CCDA members commit to moving into the communities they are assisting, becoming active participants in the community. We cannot truly fix other's problems; we can only fix our own. Through relocation the problems of broken communities become our problems.
A commitment to reconciliation works to restore relationships in broken communities. As relationships between members of the community are reconciled, the community grows stronger. This provides the context for broken communities to be restored. Ultimately, reconciliation must also include reconciliation to God to see true transformation in the community.
A commitment to redistribution seeks to restore the necessary assets to community members for the community to thrive. This is not simply about pouring money into distressed communities, but about helping these communities to achieve economic stability. Economic stability is primarily achieved through creating jobs and providing job training.
Restoring At-Risk Communities is essential reading for anyone who wants to move from complaining about the problems in our communities to actively working to see our communities improved.
Eye-Opening and Engaging.......2007-02-28
Restoring At-Risk Communities is a book about development: the development of persons, of families, and of communities. How can at-risk communities be developed or redeveloped? As families, called by God, relocate to live and minister within these communities, the communities themselves begin to experience the positive effects of this move. Downward mobility replaces upward mobility and the "successful" are encouraged to become involved in the betterment of the community rather than move out and away from it. As individuals, families and ministries within these communities work towards reconciliation with their neighbors (reconciliation across racial as well as class and other lines), then a redistribution of talents and gifts and resources and contacts can, over time, work to empower the poor in the community. The community, in effect, becomes rich - in terms of what is made available within it (new jobs, new business opportunities, new and safer living conditions, more competitive educational opportunities, etc.) by those who "make it" and commit to using what they have gained to remake their community - its hope and its future.
Christian Community Development (CCD), for which Restoring serves as both a theoretical and practical handbook, is about helping people in at-risk communities to discover a sense of belonging, of significance, and of security. It is about developing people, developing their families, and developing their communities. Such development works towards wholeness: integrity of body-soul-community (John Stott). Moreover, CCD works best when it works hand-in-glove with the church. The church provides biblical and theological moorings and accountability while CCD works to empower the church to more effectively empower the communities they are serving.
I found the book to be extremely challenging in terms of my own embrace of kingdom-values that call for self-sacrifice and the willingness to live and die for the world God loves. I also found its practical how-to's and inspiring success (and sacrifice) stories causing me to examine my own congregation's call to become an integral part of our surrounding community.
A Challenging Work.......2007-02-16
No matter how committed one may be to working with the poor and underclass, it is nearly impossible to see transformation in the lives of the generationally poor. John Perkins and the people of Christian Community Development (CCD) seem to have identified the major criteria for effectiveness - living with them.
The concepts of Relocation, Redistribution and Reconciliation are built on doing things with the poor, not for the poor. Thus they avoid the enabling behaviors that characterize most social programs.
The strength of the work is that CCD is anchored in the church and based upon seeing people become an interdependent community in Christ instead of focusing on the homogeneous principle basic to church growth. Most importantly it calls the church universal - urban, suburban and rural - to leave its comfort zone and fulfill its mission by becoming personally involved with people who are "not like us."
The reconciliation discussion is especially informative for those who have not had the opportunity to be intimately involved in that work. It recognizes the need to share power, be teachable and be willing to change on the part of the dominant culture as well as to forgive, assume responsibility and be patient on the part of the minority culture.
To those who are seriously concerned about affecting our inner cities Restoring At-Risk Communities is a must read.
Passionate About the Underclass.......2007-02-15
John Perkins writes with a passion, a passion for people, especially people who are the "underclass". Perkins believes that one problem in the black neighborhoods is that too many with strong leadership abilities have moved out of the projects and predominately black neighborhoods leaving behind those too poor to escape. He makes this statement in the introduction and then the rest of the book deals with the results and the solutions to this problem.
I would strongly agree with his statement that, "The moral crisis that wee are facing in this country is crying out for spiritual leadership". Perkins seems to be encouraged that today's evangelicals are beginning to take leadership in the area of helping the poor. He gives a list of those ministries that are effective today.. He shares with the reader a brief, and helpful history of the groups he feels are doing the most to help restore community.
This book should be a textbook for those preparing to do urban and inter-city ministry and mission. There is so much that would be useful for congregations to study as they seek to impact their community.
The chapter on Theology of Christian Community Development was one I found to be very helpful. Perkins statement on page 29, "If we are not helping people find a relationship with Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life, then we are not meeting their true needs." Is a strong affirmation of what Restoring Community is all about. I give this book high marks for its combination of spiritual and practical approach to helping the poor. The three Rs spoken of in chapter 2 are a good design for any mission group to use in planning and implementing their work.
In Chapter 6 Perkins says that we have several competing models in the church today for reaching other cultures and meeting their needs. First we have the Homogeneous model--white churches and black churches. They preach a gospel that saves but is to weak to reconcile. Then we have the multi-cultural model- they are intent on cultural self-preservation. Third is the Integrated model-white with a sprinkling of other groups.. Finally there is the reconciliation model--built on friendships of trust, common mission, and mutual submission that go beyond Sunday morning.
As a whole this book is very good. Some sections go beyond good to excellent. Those interested in Christians and culture should by all means not just read this book, but study it and let it guide your thinking..
Very Practical and challenging.......2005-05-25
If you do not want to be challanged theologically and morally please do not read this book. Perkins et al. have given very good descriptions of inner-city situations and practical steps to help restore such communitites. Don't expect simple answers that remedy themselves quickly, however.
It is extremely helpful in developing good urban ministries. It was written in such a way that anyone intersted in learning to love their neighbor can benefit -- even if you have no intentions of becoming an urban minister. Also, this book would be very valuable for anyone (regardless of religious background) in the area of social services. Having said that, however, Perkins et al. certainly have Christians who wish to work in a multi-ethnic congregation in mind.
The only frustration I had with the book was that it does not have an index. So be prepared to make your own as you go along so that you can find things later!
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