Böcker av Mark Wingfield

It's no wonder modern Christians have trouble with the truth after living for so long with lies about the Bible. This book aims to set the record straight and encourage honest conversation about the Bible and ourselves. It explores a number of big topics through the lenses of truth and faith.

One of the most dearly beloved aspects of the Christmas season is the music. From songs on the radio to church cantatas to school holiday concerts, Christmas means music. Some of this music is secular, but who doesn't start tapping their toes to "Winter Wonderland"? For Christians, the most precious songs of the season are those that celebrate the coming of Christ, born as a baby in the little town of Bethlehem.Before any of our Christmas favorites were composed, people of faith celebrated the newborn King through song. In this study, we will explore some of the songs of the season recorded for us in Scripture.We'll begin with one of the so-called "Servant Songs" of Isaiah as we contemplate the mission of Jesus-and us!-to be a light to the nations. Then we'll study the four songs found in the first two chapters of Luke and listen as Mary, Zechariah, the angels, and finally Simeon guide us in praising, proclaiming, and interpreting the meaning of Christ's coming.

Journalist and pastor Mark Wingfield describes how the congregation he serves undertook a detailed study of how the church should respond to the inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender members. The study was conducted by a nineteen-member blue-ribbon task force that included wide representation of the church's various constituencies. The author served as a staff liaison, recording secretary, and resource to the study group, keeping meticulous notes of the process and the aftermath of the study.Why Churches Need to Talk about Sexuality is written for clergy and lay leaders in Protestant congregations of all kinds who need a helpful guide to conversations about human sexuality within congregations. The book also has in mind anyone who wants to understand the controversial debates about human sexuality and the Christian church today and who desire to follow a process to discuss the topic and make decisions about how congregations and individuals will respond to matters of ministry and sexuality.This book not only details the process used at Wilshire but also tells the human story of why the study was undertaken and what happened to the lives and faith of real people inside and outside the church. The author's hope is to provide a resource to other clergy and church leaders to understand why this issue must be addressed, how difficult it is to address, and what to expect along the way. As the title indicates, even though this is a difficult conversation to have, churches must have the conversation anyway.