We are excited and honored to announce that five books recently released by Forward Movement have been recognized as among the year’s best Christian books by the Illumination Book Awards.
Learning from London: Church Growth in Unlikely Places, by Jason A. Fout, won the gold medal in the Ministry/Mission category. Two silver medals were won: the Way of Love Bible Challenge, edited by Mark P. Zabriskie, won silver in the Bible Study category while Gifts of God for the People of God: Exploring Worship in the Episcopal Church, by Furman L. Buchanan, won a silver medal for Theology. Additionally, a bronze medal was won in the Devotional category for Angels of the Bible: Finding Grace, Beauty, and Meaning, by Kate Moorehead with Scott Brown. Faith & Courage: Praying with Mandela, by Thabo Makgoba, was awarded the bronze medal for Biography/Memoir.
“I’ve often encountered clergy in America who are either discouraged by our decline (and not sure what to do), or who are defensive about our decline (and pretty sure there’s nothing we can do),” said Jason Fout, author of Learning from London: Church Growth in Unlikely Places. “What is striking about the example of the Diocese of London is that it has shown genuine growth, over time, across church parties, and in a context in which churchgoing and explicit Christian faith is much rarer than in our country. These are stories of different approaches that are bearing fruit there, with promise as well for our own ministry setting.”
“The Way of Love Bible Challenge helps readers become grounded in some inspirational scripture readings that move Christians forward into action and spiritual practices that transform our lives and transform the world as well. It’s an ideal simple book to help Christians lead a well-balanced Christian faith and apply it to every day of their life.”
“I wrote Gifts of God for the People of God to help newcomers to Episcopal liturgy spiritually connect with worship—not just quickly, but deeply,” said Furman Buchanan. “The delightful surprise for me is how much regular worshippers and even ‘cradle Episcopalians’ are resonating with this book.”
“I have long felt the presence of angels but never had the courage to look deeply at the Scripture that describes them,” said Kate Moorehead, author of Angels of the Bible: Finding Grace, Beauty, and Meaning. “This book is a journey into the mysteries of celestial beings that exist in dimensions far beyond our understanding. It has been my great joy to explore their diversity and beauty.”
“I hope the book shows that reconciliation is possible in the most difficult of situations and will point to the hope and the grace that is in store for us as Anglicans, as Christians, as people of God, when we work at forgiveness and reconciliation within the Communion,” said Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, author of Faith & Courage: Praying with Mandela.
We are so very grateful for the hard work of our talented authors and for the continued support of our readers. Thank you!