New from Gather ’Round
Beginning with Fall 2008, the Preschool student book My Bible Storybook will be redesigned to include more activities for ages 3-4. Be sure teachers are aware of these changes. Encourage Preschool teachers to remember to send the books home at the end of each quarter and ask parents to read the stories aloud with their children.
Visual arts resource Proclamation by Design
The Visual Arts in Worship includes helpful background and ideas on using visual arts in worship. Colorful pictures offer a wealth of examples to inspire creativity. Read an excerpt at www.mpn.net.
Worship themes for 2008-2009
Writing teams from across the church have been at work creating fresh worship resources for the coming year. An Ohio conference team has developed Advent-Christmas-Epiphany worship resources with the theme, “Let Your Face Shine.” A theme of “Our Lives Are in Your Hands” has been chosen by a team from Pacific Southwest Conference for Lent-Holy Week season. For Easter-Pentecost season, a team from Franconia, Lancaster and Atlantic Coast Conferences has chosen “None can stop the Spirit.” As always, pastors and worship leaders will find weekly worship resources, ideas for children’s time and visual elements, and sermon suggestions for the Christian seasons in Leader magazine. Additional resources may be found on www.leaderonline.org.
Herald Press: Books for Youth
Treasure Hunt
A Shenandoah Valley Mystery
Treasure Hunt provides enjoyment, excitement and education. Eunice Smith draws on her own family background to build this believable, interest-catching tale. The Mennonite farm family forming the main characters in this book fills these pages with adventure, life, humor and (not always mutual) family togetherness. We first meet our 11-year-old tomboy heroine, Maggie, as her Dad, down whose back she has just pushed a snowball, chases her all over the house. She takes refuge in a cobwebby cellar hole and finds the beginning of this intriguing mystery. Gold, old manuscripts, friends and their problems, dangerous thieves and wonderful ideas that don’t work out quite right, as well as coping with old relatives and chores, differences in lifestyles, along with a look at differing reactions to war and its problems all fit into this puzzle.” —Donna Eggett, Christian Book Previews.com; Paper, 120 pages, $9.99.
Margaret’s Print Shop: A Novel
“Elwood E. Yoder focuses on the early 16th century … a time when the ‘new’ printing press was changing the world, print shop by print shop, one of which is Margaret’s. This is a story of her escalating sympathies with the Anabaptist reformation coupled with her increasing romantic attraction to Balthaser Beck, another printer. Both must decide whether to join the Anabaptists in belief and deed, which would lead to persecution by the Inquisition and the dominant powers’ determination to thwart any ideology threatening them. This novel is an excellent history book … the reader will close the back cover of the novel with a better understanding of the early Anabaptist struggle and the inspiring sacrifices they made for their faith. The spiritual insight and fascinating history make it worth the read.”—Christian Library Journal; Paper, 328 pages, $14.99