VEV Recommended Reading - Intentional Community

INTENTIONAL COMMUNITY

Colonies of Heaven: Celtic Models for Today's Church
Bradley, Ian
Intentional Community/Historic models

Bradley, a theologian at St. Andrew's, Scotland, uses early Christian monasticism as a model for missions for today's church.

In Search of Grace: A Religious Outsider's Journey Across America's Landscape of Faith
Hahn, Kristen
Intentional Community/Historic models

At age 29, Hahn took a 2-year journey through the smorgasbord of American and religious communities to produce this "kind of" shoppers' guide.

School(s) for Conversion: 12 Marks of a New Monasticism (New Monastic Library: Resources for Radical Discipleship)
Rutba House (editor)
Intentional Community/New Monasticism

This book is an attempt to discern the marks of this movement.

New Monasticism: What It Has to Say to Today's Church
Wilson-Hargrove, Jonathan
Intentional Community/New Monasticism

Wilson-Hargrove, FTE Fellow, writes "it's hard to be a Christian in America."

Going on Retreat: A Beginner's Guide to the Christian Retreat Experience
Silf, Margaret
Intentional Community/Program Resources retreats

Includes wise spiritual counsel and practical tips, including the Spiritual Exercises of Ingnatius of Loyola, as well as a list of retreat centers.

Merge: A Guidebook for Youth Service Trips
Dutt, Krista
Intentional Community/Program Resources Service Trips

Authored by the national program director of DOOR, the book gives practical and valuable guidance for planning and conducting a service trip.

Finding God in the Movies: 33 Films of Reel Faith
Barsotti, Catherine
Johnston, Robert
Intentional Community/Program Resources Media

Explores biblical themes like forgiveness, faith and repentance, including discussion resources for small groups

The Life of Meaning: Reflections on Faith, Doubt, and Repairing the World
Abernathy, Bob
PBS, Religion and Ethics Newsweekly
Intentional Community/Program Resources Media
Vocational Discernment

Fifty-nine contributors speak candidly about meaning in daily life, experiencing God, and the struggle to reconcile faith and doubt. Contributors include Jimmy Carter, the Dalai Lama, Studs Terkel, Desmond Tutu, and Jean Vanier.

Serving with Eyes Wide Open: Doing Short-Term Missions with Cultural Intelligence
Livermore, David
Intentional Community/Program Resources Service trips

Perfect for volunteers who need resources to prepare for cross-cultural engagements domestically and abroad.

Growing In The Life Of Faith, Second Edition: Education And Christian Practices
Dykstra, Craig
Intentional Community/Studies of Young Adults

Dr. Dykstra, VP for Religion at the Lilly Endowment, Inc., makes the case that they church has a wealth of wisdom for satisfying the hunger to know God deeply.

After the Baby Boomers: How Twenty- and Thirty-Somethings Are Shaping the Future of American Religion
Wuthnow, Robert
Intentional Community/Studies of Young Adults

Wuthnow is a sociologist at Princeton. Recommended by Mike Wilker of the Lutheran Volunteer Corps, this book gives a view of American religon forof decades into the future.

Lives to Offer: Accompanying Youth on Their Vocational Quests (Youth Ministry Alternatives)
Baker, Dori
Mercer, Joyce
Intentional Community/Studies of Young Adults

Dr. Baker is Scholar-in-Residence for a staff resource person for the Fund for Theological Education.

Recreating the Church: Leadership for the Postmodern Age (TCP Leadership Series)
Hamm, Richard
Intentional Community/Studies of Young Adults
Vocational Discernment/Practices Practices

"Generational Differences, " chapter 6, is particularly relevant to the work of vocational discernment.

God Moments: Why Faith Really Matters to a New Generation
Langford, Jeremy
Intentional Community/Studies of Young Adults

A member of Generation X writes about the "puzzling and unorthodox" generation that has a "passion for the sacred."

Stirred, Not Shaken: Themes For An Emerging Generation
Feldmeir, Mark
Intentional Community/Studies of Young Adults

United Methodist preacher suggests four themes to address emerging generations (of which he is a member): ambiguity, suffering, reconciliation and transformation.

The Good Life: Truths That Last in Times of Need
Gomes, Peter
Intentional Community/Studies of Young Adults
Spirituality contemporary resources contemporary resources

Gomes, a minister at Harvard University, debunks the idea that today's students are spoiled, materialistic, and morally complacent.

Big Questions, Worthy Dreams: Mentoring Young Adults in Their Search for Meaning, Purpose, and Faith
Parks, Sharon Daloz
Intentional Community/Studies of Young Adults

Young people need to be challenged to find a center for their beliefs and a focus for their lives.