Tag Archives: Lent

Forward Today: The gift of Lent

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Photo by Ahna Ziegler on Unsplash

Dear friends in Christ,

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. Amidst all the chaos and difficulties of our present world, it might seem that Lent is an unwelcome guest. More sorrow! More hardship! But I think Lent is the gift we all need.

As for me, I’m looking forward to a season that re-focuses me on what really matters. It’s all about love. God hates nothing he has made, as today’s prayer reminds us. Lent gives us an opportunity to ignore all the things that distract us from God’s grace and mercy.

I’m so glad to have this season dedicated to prayer, to scripture reading, to reflection, to self-denial, and to repentance. Difficult? Perhaps. Joyful? Absolutely! As my friend Fr. Tim Schenck says, “What could be more joyful than returning to Jesus?”

Christianity is a team sport. I hope you’ll find your way to a local church. If they have Lenten offerings, try them out.

At Forward Movement, we offer an array of tools to help you enter fully into this season. You can read Forward Day by Day, a simple daily devotion. You can pray the Daily Office, ancient patterns of prayer that sustain Christians around the world. Or you can still get an e-book copy of this year’s new Lenten devotional, The Disciple’s Way, offering daily reflections from church leaders vigorously encouraging you to be a disciple of Jesus.

I would be remiss if I also didn’t mention a lighter way to move through this holy season, Lent Madness, also known as the Saintly Smackdown.

However you choose to observe the season, I pray that Lent is a blessing for you. It might just provide the anchor you need to remember that God loves you and everyone else. If we can remember that, we can be bearers of God’s beautiful mercy and grace in this world.

Yours faithfully,

Scott Gunn's signature

Scott Gunn
Executive Director

More from our ministry:

Get to know God better: Devotions for People Who Don’t Do Devotions

Prepare for Easter: Order your colorable Alleluia calendar

Travel through scripture in this season: The Path

Forward Today: The gift of Lent is coming

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A linoleum-print illustration of a ship with seven sails, white against a dark blue background. The ship is sailing on a stormy sea, with curling gusts of wind in the background of the image.
Art by Jason Sierra

Dear friends in Christ,

We are just about ready to celebrate the feast of the Presentation of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple, which happens exactly 40 days after Christmas Day. This is always a sign that Lent is just around the corner.

Have you thought about how you’ll receive the gift of the Lenten season? This season is set aside to encourage us to return to the Lord, to get back on track as a follower of Jesus. While Lent is a time of quiet contemplation and somber reflection, the deeper reality is that repenting is joyful (though sometimes hard) work!

The church encourages us to observe Lent “by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word” (BCP 265). If your local church offers opportunities to engage in these practices, I hope you’ll avail yourself of them.

We at Forward Movement offer a range of resources to help you savor the gift of Lent. You might try praying the Daily Office on our prayer site. Or perhaps you’d like to take on the habit of listening to a daily podcast.

This year, we have published a new Lenten devotional book that I’m especially excited about. Recalling the vigorous beginning of Forward Movement in the 1930s, a time when our church needed the bracing challenge of discipleship, our book this year is The Disciple’s Way: Daily Reflections for Lent. We invited a range of excellent writers to challenge us to follow Jesus in stirring language.

Given all that’s happening in the world these days, I am personally looking forward to making my way through Lent with these compelling voices—and to engaging other ancient, time-tested practices of the church.

I’m writing about this now, because we all might need some time to figure out what Lent looks like this year. Whatever you do, I hope you’ll have an inspiring Lent.

Yours faithfully,

Scott Gunn's signature

Scott Gunn
Executive Director

More from our ministry:

Pray and color through Lent with this poster calendar

Prepare for Lent Madness by studying up on the Saintly Scorecard

Get ready for a new quarter of Forward Day by Day 

See all our Lenten devotionals on our website

Forward Today: Lent is about true love

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Photo by Ahna Ziegler on Unsplash

Dear friends in Christ,

Today’s juxtaposition of Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday offers the perfect occasion for a critical reminder. This season of Lent is all about love. No, it’s not necessarily about romantic love. But this season invites us to return to the Lord—to focus on love of God and love of neighbor.

89 years ago, the very first publication of Forward Movement was a set of Lenten devotions. The founding leaders of Forward Movement saw Lent as a vital time to move forward on our journey as a church and as individuals. A few weeks ago, a friend sent me a transcript of a sermon preached at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine just before Lent in 1935. Bishop William Manning offered what he called “A Charge to the Diocese of New York on the Observance of Lent and the Forward Movement.”

Bishop Manning said, in part:

In the Forward Movement that we now need, and are undertaking, the first step must be a movement back to the use of our Bibles and our Prayer Books. A sincere, intelligent, and believing use of these two books by all of us will bring an awakening of interest, a deepening of conviction, a revival of faith and life which will arouse the whole Church, and at this time in which we are living we need this in every Diocese, in every Parish, and in every Home. Every man and woman who will faithfully read his Bible, and faithfully follow the teachings of his Prayer Book, will come near to Jesus, and this is the soul of our religion as Christians.

I encourage you to read the whole charge for some inspiration and very specific practices to try this Lent as we all repent and return to the Lord. What’s old is new again in our spiritual practices.

If you do not own a Bible you love, buy one to read and study at home. If you do not own a Book of Common Prayer, ask for one at your church or enjoy this lovely gift edition Book of Common Prayer from Forward Movement. If you are on the go, you can pray the Daily Office wherever you are, by reading or by listening to our podcasts, on our prayer website. However you do it, I strongly encourage you to take the good bishop’s advice and use this season to savor the scriptures and the prayer book.

The Bible and the Book of Common Prayer are not in themselves the ends of our spiritual journey, but they are treasures which can help us discover true love: the grace of God, the joy of loving God, and the delight of loving our neighbors. Have a blessed Lent.

Yours faithfully,

Scott Gunn's signature

Scott Gunn
Executive Director

P.S. Do you want to pray through Lent with a devotional this year? It’s not too late. Download an ebook of Will You?, our newest Lenten devotional, from Amazon or Apple Books. You can also listen to Will You? as an audiobook from Audible or Apple Books. Our other Lent devotionals are also available as ebooks – browse to see which one speaks to you this season.

More from our ministry:

Laugh and learn about the saints this season: Lent Madness

Start your day with scripture and reflection: Forward Day by Day

Prepare for Easter: Order your Easter calendars today

Forward Today: Savoring Lent

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Dear friends in Christ,

It’s hard to believe, but Lent begins two weeks from today. From many conversations over years, I know that some people really look forward to this season and others dread it. A long time ago, I didn’t love the subdued season of Lent, but I grew to love it.

Lent can be a joyful time. Shocking? It shouldn’t be—even the Book of Common Prayer speaks of this season as a time to “prepare with joy for the Paschal feast.” With joy!

How can this be? Lent is a time to turn back toward God’s ways, to repent. Lent is a time to grow closer to Jesus. Lent is a time to live the life that God intends for us. What could be more joyful than that?

In its wisdom, the church suggests several ways to use the season of Lent for our good. We are encouraged to practice fasting and self-denial, to realize that our health and happiness doesn’t come from things, but only from God’s grace and mercy. We are urged to spend time in prayer and in studying the scriptures. We are commended in giving alms.

I encourage you to take advantage of whatever opportunities your local church offers. It is good to spend this time in the company of others. Forward Movement also offers a wide array of resources to support your Lenten journey. We have published Lenten daily devotions. We have a website and an app with resources for daily prayer. We offer a joyful practice in Lent Madness—learning from the saints.

With just two weeks until Lent starts, now is the time to make a plan. How will you savor this season, this time to return to the Lord?

Yours faithfully,

Scott Gunn's signature

Scott Gunn
Executive Director

P.S. Your church might want to order copies of our colorable Lent and Easter calendar posters. These engaging posters are fun for all ages—to color in the pictures and to find ways to engage these seasons.

More from our ministry:

Follow along with Lent Madness with this 2024 Bracket Poster

Meet Amanda Perkins McGriff, the author of this year’s Lent devotional

Look ahead to Easter: Easter Triumph, Easter Joy

Savor God’s word with this bite-sized devotional: Forward Day by Day

A new devotional and small group study: Will You? A Lenten Study of Baptismal Promises

Book cover of Will You? A Lenten Study of Baptismal PromisesCincinnati, OH – Forward Movement, in collaboration with Episcopal Evangelism Society, invites Episcopalians to reflect on their baptismal promises during Lent through a new small group study and corresponding book, Will You? A Lenten Study of Baptismal Promises.

This five-week Lenten small group study offers daily reflections, examples of evangelism in action, and an invitation to think in new ways about the promises we make to God, each other, and ourselves in baptism.

A free downloadable group leader guide helps facilitators plan and guide six group meetings to discuss the book.

When we are initiated into the church with the water of baptism, we (or our sponsors) answer a series of questions called the Baptismal Covenant. The first three questions echo the words of our creeds, our beliefs about God and the church. The last five questions focus on action. They each begin with the words: “Will You?”

These “Will You” questions articulate how we are to animate our baptism, to follow Christ’s example in our relationships with others, our communities, and the world. These questions move from a “gathering in” to a “sending out”—they are a call to embrace and practice evangelism by proclaiming the Good News of Christ in all we do and say.

The study was written by Amanda Perkins McGriff, who received a 2021 Episcopal Evangelism Society grant to create a curriculum exploring connections between baptism, eucharist, and evangelism.

“This resource will inspire meaningful conversations about evangelism, as it relates to our Baptismal promises, for congregations at any stage of engaging Episcopal evangelism. It was transformative in my own congregation,” said Day Smith Pritchartt, Executive Director of the Episcopal Evangelism Society.

Will You? is available in print from Forward Movement directly, with affordable bulk rates for churches and groups. The print edition is also available through online sellers such as Amazon; please note that when you buy the print version directly from Forward Movement most of your money reaches us and is reinvested in our ministry.

The book is also available as an eBook on Amazon Kindle and Apple Books, and audiobook on Audible and Apple Books.

Order directly from Forward Movement at forwardmovement.org/willyou or by phone at 800-543-1813.

 

 

About Forward Movement

Inspiring disciples and empowering evangelists around the globe every day, Forward Movement has been producing excellent, innovative resources to encourage spiritual growth in individuals and congregations for more than eighty years.

Forward Today: Joy will soon dawn upon us

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Photo by Clicker Babu on Unsplash

Dear friends in Christ,

Starting Sunday, we begin our journey through Holy Week. That means Easter Day is almost upon us. As it does every year, our Lenten journey through the wilderness ends with the dawning light of ultimate joy in the promised land of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

I suspect that many readers of this email will have had some kind of Lenten discipline, whether that means special prayers, or Bible studies, or practices of self-denial, or something else. For many years, I wondered about adopting Easter disciplines too.

As we approach Holy Week and Easter, I wonder if you might consider entering fully into the observances of Holy Week and then celebrating with abandon the Great Fifty Days of Easter.

The church makes Holy Week observance pretty straightforward. Some churches after daily services each day of Holy Week, but most churches at least offer Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Eve or Easter Day. Simply taking part in these liturgical offerings helps us to encounter the Paschal Mystery afresh.

But what about Eastertide? I encourage you to find some way to celebrate the full 50 days of Easter. At Forward Movement, we offer a blog with meditations each day of the season, 50days.org. You might join a book group or a prayer group for the season. And if you want other daily devotions to read, you could make your way through my latest book, Easter Triumph, Easter Joy: Meditations for the Fifty Days of Eastertide.

Easter is too amazing to celebrate just one day. How will you bask in the glow of Christ’s Resurrection?

Yours faithfully,

Scott Gunn's signature

Scott Gunn
Executive Director

More from our ministry:

Read along with the Easter lectionary: A Journey through Acts

Prepare to welcome the newly baptized with the gift of common prayer

Even if your bracket is busted, you can still vote in Lent Madness!

Forward Today: It’s never too late

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Dear friends in Christ,

Photo by Lili Popper on Unsplash

We’re just a week into our annual Lenten journey. I hope yours is a blessing to you.

Perhaps in the chaos of our times, you didn’t quite get started on Lent yet. I’m here to say, “It’s never too late.” The whole Gospel testifies to the fact that with God, it’s never too late. We can always turn to God and be warmly embraced.

So if you are thoroughly enjoying a carefully-thought-out Lenten practice, I am delighted. And if you never quite figured out how you want to observe this Lent, today is a great day to do that.

You might decide to spend some time with the scriptures. Committing to reading one of the Gospels, or maybe some psalms, is a goal you can achieve. Knowing and remembering the stories of God’s great love for us is always a blessing.

Prayer is also a fruitful practice if you don’t already have a daily habit of prayer. It can be as easy as saying a table grace before you eat. Or you could just talk to God and share what’s on your heart in the morning or evening. And, of course, you can also say morning and evening prayer with the Forward Movement prayer website or our free app (for Apple or Android). You don’t get bonus points for longer prayers. What matters most is that we are sincere when we pray.

If these suggestions don’t seem quite right, you could talk with a priest or with a wise friend. I encourage you to use the gift of this Lenten season to prepare with joy for the Paschal feast. We need Lent and Easter more than ever these days.

Yours faithfully,

Scott Gunn's signature

Scott Gunn
Executive Director

More from our ministry:

Listen for God’s invitation with new devotional, A Generous Beckoning

Pray on the go with our portable book of prayers, Hour by Hour

Starting today: Live ChurchNext course on Money and Faith with Miguel Escobar

How’s your bracket looking so far? Play Lent Madness with us

Forward Today: New and contrite hearts

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Dear friends in Christ,

Photo by Annika Gordon on Unsplash

A couple of years ago, I was in a group of people who were asked to list their favorite days in the church calendar. I’ll never forget this passionate answer from one of my friends: “My favorite day of the year is Ash Wednesday. It’s the one day a year we are completely honest.”

After getting over my shock that my friend’s favorite day was a solemn fast day, I pondered her answer more. And I realized she’s exactly right. Ash Wednesday is that day every year when we remember that we are utterly dependent on God, that we are broken and need repairing, and that there is joy in repentance. The prayer for today says it perfectly:

Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

God hates nothing. Nothing is beyond redemption, and that certainly includes us. All we need to do to clean the slate is start over, trying our best to make amends—to God and to our neighbors.

The center of this prayer is a petition to God to help us get the process of repentance started, “Create and make in us new and contrite hearts…”

It’s a prayer we all need. I know I do. It’s go healthy to remember that it’s not all about ourselves. It’s all about God. And if it’s all about God, then we really want God to work through our lives, in our hearts.

Today, I hope you’ll find your way to a church to hear the Good News that God loves you, that God desires your repentance. You’ll hear that we can’t do it on our own, but God stands ready to help us along the way. You’ll hear all the ways we have messed up, and all the ways we can return to the Lord’s way. You’ll be reminded that this earthly life is short, and God invites us to use this time well.

Blessings to you as we begin anew our journey through the season of Lent, with its solemnity and its joy.

Yours faithfully,

Scott Gunn's signature

Scott Gunn
Executive Director

More from our ministry:

Pray with us through Lent at prayer.forwardmovement.org

Listen for God’s invitations in the new book, A Generous Beckoning

From the Grow Christians archives: Kids and Ash Wednesday

There’s still time to join the ChurchNext Lenten course on Faith and Money

Forward Today: Preparing for Lent

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Dear friends in Christ,

Photo by Wolfgang Kuhnle on Unsplash

Our journey through Lent begins two weeks from today. Every year, I feel like I need Lent more than ever. It’s our annual invitation to renew our commitment as followers of Jesus Christ. In Lent, we can remember what’s most important, and we have a whole season to redirect our lives toward Jesus and away from those things which distract us from following him.

The Book of Common Prayer tells us some of the best ways to use this season to point ourselves toward Jesus. We are urged to keep Lent “by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word.”

Any of us can do these things. We have everything we need, as long as you have a Bible handy. But it’s helpful to join in Lenten disciplines with other people. Coming to church on Sundays is a great way to keep Lent. It’s also wonderful to gather with others at your church to practice the ancient Christian disciplines of prayer and study.

If you are looking for support for your journey through Lent, Forward Movement has many resources to offer, including our prayer app or website, Forward Day by Day, or any of our Lenten devotional books. Our Lenten devotional books are well-suited both to individual reading and group use. Several of our recent books, including Signs of Life, The Way of Love, Vital Signs of Faith, and the updated edition of Bible Women, would be especially suitable for a Lenten book group.

I encourage you to think about how you wish to savor Lent this year. Now is a great time to reflect on Lent and to make sure you have what you need for this holy season of blessing and renewal.

Yours faithfully,

Scott Gunn's signature

Scott Gunn
Executive Director

P.S. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Lent Madness!

More from our ministry:

New this year for Lent: Hear Us, Good Lord and Encounters with Jesus

Live Lent course from ChurchNext: Wrestling with Faith and Money

Get your copy of the Join the Journey calendar today

From Grow Christians: No child of God is unclean

Spend the year with Forward Movement

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Spend the year with Forward Movement calendar GRAPHIC

Explore our offerings for every season of the church year

Each season of the year brings new opportunity to inspire your small group or congregation, or to find that inspiration on your own. We invite you to spend your program year with Forward Movement.

We’ve organized a 12-month path for you and your congregation to follow from fall discipleship courses through summer reading groups.  Take as little or as much as you need for your community.

View this as an interactive booklet:

Spend the year with Forward Movement

Autumn

Autumn provides an excellent opportunity to grow and learn as a community.

It’s the perfect time of year to start one of our free discipleship courses: Exploring the Bible, Practicing Our Faith, or Celebrating the Saints. Each is designed for all-ages and comes with everything you’ll need to run the program, though you can purchase companion books if you’d like. Most content is available in both Spanish and English.

Living Discipleship Courses

Your church might also want to begin RenewalWorks, which helps churches discover and explore their unique characteristics and helps chart a path to focus on the spiritual growth of their community.

Grow Christians LogoLooking for ideas for children and families, or an inspiring community practicing faith? Grow Christians is our community blog focused on families practicing faith at home. With regular posts from a broad community of writers, this group blog inspires generations to come together as they celebrate the presence of God through the Christian year.

This is an excellent season to get your lay leaders refreshed through the Revive program, especially in this time of upheaval. You can run the complete course for the whole program year or do part of it this autumn.

Finally, if you offer a program for new members, you might find Transforming Questions helpful as a free course for new Christians and seekers.

 

Advent

Promise and Praise CoverA season to slow down and reflect on the gift of Jesus in our world, Advent is a powerful time to read a daily devotional with your congregation or small group.

Our newest Advent devotional, Promise & Praise, corresponds with AdventWord, a global community of prayer that invites people to read and respond to a single word each day. The words are drawn from the weekly scripture readings and prayerfully selected as a way to help us ready our hearts and our lives for the coming of the Christ child. Learn more about AdventWord finding a new home at Forward Movement.

2021 Advent CalendarAdvent calendars are a popular way of marking the season. Get your whole church involved with our popular poster Advent calendars, Slow Down! Quiet. It’s Advent.

With illustrations by Jay Sidebotham, these colorable posters suggest ways to mark the days through the Advent season; ideas for prayer, helping others, and being thoughtful about the true meaning of Christmas. They come in packs of 25 for easy bulk ordering for your entire congregation.

The start of the liturgical year is also a great time to introduce people to the habit of daily prayer through the Daily Office. You can pray it with our website or free app, individually or in groups. Visit the App Store or Google Play store to download the Forward Day by Day app.

 

Christmas

We have books and devotionals that make excellent gifts for your loved ones, including gift subscriptions to Forward Day by Day.

As the calendar approaches the New Year, we also ask you to consider donating to our ministry that provides prayer resources to those in need. Click here to learn how you can help.

Twelve Days of Grace is a campaign on social media over the twelve days of the Christmas season to remind us that we’re grateful not just for presents under the tree, but for the gift of God’s love in Jesus Christ and in our own lives. Share your gratitude on social media with hashtag #graceupongrace every day of Christmastide!

 

Epiphany

The Good Book Club LogoWith partners from around the Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion, Forward Movement celebrates the Epiphany season with a new round of the Good Book Club. Join people around the world in reading the Book of Exodus using free materials from our partners.

The second book of the Bible, Exodus recounts the journey of the Israelites from slavery to freedom. We hear the great stories of Moses, from his discovery by Pharoah’s daughter on the bank of the river to the burning bush to his presentation of the Ten Commandments. Along the way, we encounter God’s covenant and explore the grand theme of redemption.

This year, we have a bonus time of scripture engagement: the Good Book Club will dive into the first twenty chapters of Exodus from Epiphany, January 6, to Shrove Tuesday, March 1. For those who want to keep reading, we’ll offer a daily reading guide and an overview of the second half of Exodus. That reading period will conclude on Easter.

ChurchNext LogoThe new year may bring a renewed desire to deepen knowledge and spiritual disciplines. Our online courses from ChurchNext bring talented and passionate instructors directly to you. Courses cover a variety of subjects and are available for individuals or groups; from church leadership and finances to personal growth and holy habits, and everything in between.

Looking to take up a practice of daily prayer in the new year? We suggest starting with our website prayer.forwardmovement.org or downloading our app on the App Store or Google Play store. Both the website and app integrate our daily podcasts, making new spiritual practices more accessible than ever.

 

Lent

The Pilgrim Way of Lent CoverLent is a season to refocus our lives on Jesus. Churches might like to encourage their members to read a daily devotional, and Forward Movement has several from which to choose.

New for 2022, we are offering The Pilgrim Way of Lent, meditations by staff of the Washington National Cathedral.

The popular Join the Journey colorable calendar poster will help families remember their Lenten journey at home. Illustrated by Jay Sidebotham, the calendar calls to mind daily activities or reflections. (link coming soon)

Lent is a wonderful time to engage with scripture, and Forward Movement has many courses and books to help. During Lent, the Bible Challenge series might be especially timely. For congregations who traditionally offer Lenten programs, many of these can be adapted to work over the five weeks of Lent, whether your groups are meeting in person or online.

Lent Madness LogoFinally, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention Lent Madness, where online competition meets saintly devotion. Learn about saints, have some fun, and discover how Christ’s light shines through all kinds of people.

 

 

Holy Week

Walk In Love CoverFor those congregations who keep vigil with the Blessed Sacrament on Maundy Thursday, the free Holy Hour devotion could be useful.

If you are teaching about the liturgies and the meaning of Holy Week, Walk in Love: Episcopal Beliefs & Practices has several chapters that will help prepare people for this most important week of the year. The full book walks through the liturgical year, the sacraments of the church, habits of daily prayer, and the teachings of Anglican Christianity.

 

Easter

Easter Sunday might be the biggest Sunday of the year, but it’s also the beginning of a season that lasts 50 days. The 50days.org blog features a reflection every day of the Easter season.

Journey Through ActsLike Lent, Easter is a fitting time to dive into scripture. We hear from the Book of Acts on Sunday mornings, so why not use the A Journey Through Acts: A 50 Day Bible Challenge or Acts to Action?

We have several other 50-day Bible Challenge books, including all four gospels!

 

Season after Pentecost

This long green season sets our minds on flourishing. Grow Christians is blog for families who are raising children in the faith. You can encourage people to read and act on what they read to bring faith into homes.

Revive Logo

Similarly, this is another good time to consider Revive, a program to engage lay leaders and help them thrive.

 

Summer Reading

Book ideasWhy not organize a summer book group? Many of Forward Movement’s books come with reflection questions or free courses.

Check out some suggested titles that work well for individual and group reading.

Some of our books have a companion course from ChurchNext. Speaking of ChurchNext, churches can offer group courses or encourage individual exploration with our online Christian formation by video.