Word Alive! All-age dramas to bring the Gospels to life ~ Claire Benton-Evans (Pub. Feb 2013)
Quote: "Reading scripture dramatically like this can be wonderfully revealing...exchanges like these can bring to life the noisy, argumentative crowd surrounding Jesus and his disciples...The key ingredient in all these dramas is freshness."
Overview: Reading through I'm enthused!...Claire is good at setting the scene for each drama e.g. for 'Walking on Water' she compares the calm of the Lake District to the 'wicked wind' in the Jordan valley whipping up a storm on Lake Galilee 'before you can say man overboard'. Props are kept simple but are effective and the book lacks none of the creativity and freshness that we've always loved about a Benton-Evans publication!
A selection of other titles published by KM: Feasts and festivals (Aug 2012) Food for Prayer (Dec 2008). She's also written chapters on Celebrity-obsessed culture, Family breakdown, Sexism, The NHS and Women in the church for Sermons on Difficult Subjects (Aug 2011).
About Claire Claire writes exclusively for Kevin Mayhew. Her consultancy work includes all-age worship workshops and children's spirituality training for clergy, worship leaders, head teachers and school governors. www.clairebentonevans.com.
Forthcoming events:
25 April 2013 Marham Church C of E Primary School in Cornwall, helping the school to design their own 'spiritual space' for the children to use.
11 May 2013 Edinburgh, leading a 'Taste and See' day on children's spirituality and all-age worship for the Church of Scotland.
All mentioned books available from KM Publishing and all good Christian book shops. A free sample of Word Alive! is available on our website:
Rejoice with Me ~Hope for lost sheep~ Annie Heppenstall (pub. 5 March 2013)
Quote: "Whether our path is rocky or smooth, the way we respond depends a lot on whether we feel loved or not."
Overview: Annie Shares her personal ups and downs to explore what it is to feel like a 'lost sheep'. This is an uplifting read covering a lot of ground. It includes lots of imaginative references (Leo Tolstoy's story about a Russian shoemaker) and great imagery (Annie's two tatty bookmarks- one of which is a yellowing photocopied sheep!). Great if you're feeling 'spiritually sick' or just want an inspiring pick-me-up.
About Annie: Annie is a qualified teacher and has a degree in Theology and Religious Studies from Cambridge University. She has spent the last four years practising a contemplative lifestyle, giving time to her family, to her writing and other creative expressions of spirituality as well as training in spiritual direction and counselling skills.
Other titles published by KM: Hiding in God (April 2012)
Both books available from KM Publishing and all good Christian book shops. A free sample of Rejoice with Me is available on our website.
The Lindisfarne Gospels ~The English Church and Our Multicultural World (Reflections and Liturgical Resources~ Ray Simpson (Pub. Feb 2013)
Quote: "I write, not as an expert, but a hungry pilgrim who picks up crumbs left by the experts, finds them life-giving, and shares them with other hungry spiritual seekers."
Overview: Very current/ topical, this slim but packed volume (you'll have to keep up!) takes you through the history of the Gospels- unravelling the various strands in a colourful and impassioned tone.No expertise on the subject is required (so it's suitable reading for the layman!) though the resources and liturgies section (which is quite big) lends itself more to those in Celtic ministry.
About Ray: Ray Simpson is the founding guardian of the international Community of Aidan and Hilda and the principal tutor of its Celtic Christian Studies programme. He sends a daily prayer tweet @whitehouseviews and writes a weekly blog www.raysimpson.org
A selection of other titles published by KM: Reflective Services for Lent (Oct 2012) Exploring Celtic Spirituality (Feb 2004). He also has two chapters on Abstinence and Fraud in More Sermons on difficult subjects (Dec 2012).
All mentioned books available from KM Publishing and all good Christian book shops. A free sample of The Lindisfarne Gospels is available from our website and The Lindisfarne Gospels Facebook Page