Guide to New Church's Teaching Series [Paperback]

Linda Grenz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 25, 2000 | Series: New Church's Teaching Series (Book 13)

A Guide to The New Church's Teaching Series by educator Linda L. Grenz offers practical suggestions for using the books of the series in the diocese or congregation. A complete reference for clergy and lay leaders, teachers and small group facilitators, the guide provides a brief overview of each book and contains suggestions for additional activities to enhance learning. It surveys a wide variety of church groups and formats for using the series—from adult forums and Bible study groups to retreats and vestry meetings—and recommends volumes of the series that would be most helpful in each context. Finally, the guide offers specific guidelines for recruiting, teaching, and leading small groups in a chapter describing how to create and maintain a learning environment for adults.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Linda L. Grenz is an Episcopal priest and executive director of LeaderResources, an Episcopal consulting and educational publishing organization in Leeds, Massachusetts. She is also adjunct professor of Christian education at the General Theological Seminary and the author of several books, including The Marriage Journey and The Doubleday Pocket Bible Guide.

Linda L. Grenz is an Episcopal priest and executive director of LeaderResources, an Episcopal consulting and educational publishing organization in Leeds, Massachusetts. She is also adjunct professor of Christian education at the General Theological Seminary and the author of several books, including The Marriage Journey and The Doubleday Pocket Bible Guide.

Product Details

• Paperback: 132 pages
• Publisher: Cowley Publications (January 25, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561011800
• ISBN-13: 978-1561011803
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,004,574 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

The Rev. Linda L. Grenz is an Episcopal priest, author and the founder of LeaderResources, a publishing and consulting organization serving the church. Linda was one of the first women ordained in the Episcopal Church, becoming a priest in 1977, just a couple of months after the rules were changed to admit women. She has served parishes in Delaware, New Jersey and Washington DC. She also served in two roles in the headquarters of the Episcopal Church -- as the Associate Director of the Overseas Development Office (working primarily in Africa) and as the head of the office for Adult Education, Lay Ministry and Leadership Development.

Linda started LeaderResources (www.LeaderResources.org) in 1994 with the vision of distributing curriculum as downloadable files and a licensing program whereby churches pay an annual fee to download the files as needed. Her vision and company were ahead of the curve - but most major denominational publishers have now adopted her model. Most recently, LeaderResources added print-on-demand books - again, moving to the front edge of adopting new technologies. LeaderResources now publishes over 50 curricula and has dozen of books in print - all done as an entirely virtual company. Linda has written several books and curricula, published by her denominational publisher, major publishers (Doubleday/Random House) and by LeaderResources.

Today you'll find Linda working in the house she helped design and build. Sited on the top of a hill overlooking the Connecticut River Valley near Northampton, MA, it provides a bird's eye view of the world and a sanctuary for a writer.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How-to manual for the Church Teaching Series, June 16, 2004

By 

FrKurt Messick "FrKurt Messick" (Bloomington, IN USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Guide to New Church's Teaching Series (Paperback)

The Episcopal church in the twentieth century took advantage of the general availability of publishing to good advantage, compiling through several auspices different collections and teaching series, the latest of which was only completed a few years ago. There have been 'unofficial' collections of teaching texts, such as the Anglican Studies Series by Morehouse press, put out in the 1980s, as well as an earlier teaching series. However, each generation approaches things anew; the New Church Teaching Series, published by Cowley Publications (a company operated as part of the ministry of the Society of St. John the Evangelist - SSJE - one of the religious/monastic communities in the Episcopal church, based in the Boston area) is the most recent series, and in its thirteen volumes, explores in depth and breadth the theology, history, liturgy, ethics, mission and more of the modern Anglican vision in America.

Each of the texts is relatively short (only two of the volumes exceed 200 pages), the print and text of each easy to read, designed not for scholars but for the regular church-goer, but not condescending either - the authors operate on the assumption that the readers are genuinely interested in deepening their faith and practice. Each volume concludes with questions for use in discussion group settings, and with annotated lists of further readings recommended.

This volume, an 'outside' volume, is in fact a user's guide for the rest of the new Church Teaching Series, assembled by Linda Grenz. Linda Grenz is an Episcopal priest, and director of a consulting and publishing/educational organization based in Massachusetts. She also teaches Christian education at General Theological Seminary, the Episcopal seminary in New York City.

The first chapter gives quick summaries of each of the other volumes - these are largely the same blurbs as occur on the backs of the books, with a few sentences on the authors' biographies, and a listing of chapters.

Following this information, Grenz writes about the different uses for series for particular audiences. The first broad heading is for education and formation groups: these may include youth groups, adult education groups, bible study groups, catechism and inquirer classes, and more. The second broad heading is for ministry and interest groups: these include groups around various ministry roles (lay readers, vestries, etc.) as well as committees, choirs and outreach. There is a nice two-page chart on pages 46-47 to show which books serve best with particular types of groups.

As a Christian educator, Grenz doesn't stop with simple book selection and recommendation. She devotes a chapter to group aspects - starting and managing groups, knowing appropriate sizes and compositions for specific intentions, leading discussions, activities, even ending groups and finding appropriate closure. She devotes space to particular formats - 45-minute sessions, 2-hour sessions, retreats and conferences.

The final chapter develops specific activities coordinated for each volume. While each volume does have its own discussion/study questions, these activities are generally more interactive and engaging of many senses - traveling to meet others, going out to movies or seeing videos together, setting up quiet days, and more.

For any serious student of the series, or anyone who wishes to incorporate it into an educational or leadership programme, this companion volume to the Church Teaching Series is a must.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Decent Resource, April 29, 2011

By 

Edward J. Barton (Tukwila, WA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Guide to New Church's Teaching Series (Paperback)

A general overview of how to utilize the Anglican New Church Teaching Series in faith formation, as well as some very general information on how to organize retreats, classes, educational moments and the like. The author reviews each of the books within the series, and provides a general overview on the wuthors as well as the topics covered. A suggested activity and approach also accompanies the discussion of each bookin the series. Additionally, this book identifies which elements of the series might be most appropriate for various groups in the Church - such as eucharistic ministers, lay readers, faith formation and the like. In general, the book will probably be of assistance to a Director of Religious Education or moderator - especially one new to either religious ed or the series, but is of limited use to the individual looking to utilize the series as a method of individual faith formation or discovery.