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Book Cover for: Life Together in Christ: Experiencing Transformation in Community, Ruth Haley Barton

Life Together in Christ: Experiencing Transformation in Community

Ruth Haley Barton

Best Book of Spiritual Formation, from Byron Borger, Hearts and Minds Bookstore

Have you joined a church or small group in hopes of experiencing real life change, only to be disappointed?

Have you sat through inspiring sermons about what is possible when Christians gather together in mutually edifying relationships, only to recognize how cynical you have become after many failed attempts?

Community may be one of the most over-promised, under-delivered aspects of the Christian life today. Individuals remain selfish and stuck in their ways. Communities become spiritually lifeless or even fall apart because we don't know how to experience transformation together.

Transforming community does not come primarily from listening to inspiring preaching or adding another church program. It emerges as we embrace a shared commitment to the attitudes, practices and behaviors that open us to Christ in our midst. And that's where Life Together in Christ comes in. Reflecting on the story of the two disciples who meet Christ on the Emmaus Road, Ruth Haley Barton offers this interactive guide for small groups of spiritual companions who are ready to encounter Christ in transforming ways--right where they are on the road of real life.

Book Details

  • Publisher: IVP Formatio
  • Publish Date: Nov 5th, 2014
  • Pages: 192
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 8.36in - 6.83in - 0.64in - 0.72lb
  • EAN: 9780830835867
  • Categories: Christian Living - Spiritual GrowthChristian Church - GeneralChristian Ministry - Discipleship

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About the Author

Barton, Ruth Haley: -

Ruth Haley Barton is a teacher, spiritual director, retreat leader and author. She is cofounder and president of The Transforming Center (www.thetransformingcenter.org), a ministry dedicated to caring for the souls of pastors. Ruth has ministered in several congregations, including Willow Creek Community Church. Her other books include Sacred Rhythms and Invitation to Solitude and Silence (both InterVarsity Press). This book was previously published by Waterbrook under the title The Truths That Free Us.

More books by Ruth Haley Barton

Book Cover for: Sacred Rhythms Bible Study Participant's Guide: Spiritual Practices That Nourish Your Soul and Transform Your Life, Ruth Haley Barton
Book Cover for: Pursuing God's Will Together: A Discernment Practice for Leadership Groups, Ruth Haley Barton
Book Cover for: Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership: Seeking God in the Crucible of Ministry, Ruth Haley Barton
Book Cover for: Sacred Rhythms: Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation, Ruth Haley Barton
Book Cover for: Invitation to Solitude and Silence: Experiencing God's Transforming Presence, Ruth Haley Barton
Book Cover for: Momentos sagrados: Alineando nuestra vida para una verdadera transformación espiritual, Ruth Haley Barton
Book Cover for: Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest: From Sabbath to Sabbatical and Back Again, Ruth Haley Barton
Book Cover for: Invitation to Retreat: The Gift and Necessity of Time Away with God, Ruth Haley Barton
Book Cover for: Women Like Us: Wisdom for Today's Issues, Ruth Haley Barton
Book Cover for: Becoming Women of Purpose, Ruth Haley Barton
Book Cover for: Transforming Worship: Planning and Leading Sunday Services as If Spiritual Formation Mattered, Rory Noland
Book Cover for: Longing for More: A Woman's Path to Transformation in Christ, Ruth Haley Barton
Book Cover for: Sabbath Journal: What Your Soul Wants to Say to God--Lined Blank Journal with Prompts in Back, Ruth Haley Barton
Book Cover for: Ruth: Relationships That Bring Life, Ruth Haley Barton

Praise for this book

"Transforming community emerges as we embrace a shared commitment to the attitudes, practices and behaviors that open us to Christ in our midst. Reflecting on the story of the two disciples who meet Christ on the Emmaus Road, Ruth Haley Barton offers this interactive guide for small groups of spiritual companions who are ready to encounter Christ in transforming ways on the road of real life."--Light Magazine Canada, January 2015
"Life Together in Christ is fresh, useful, biblically smart, and rooted in sound theology. . . . As a pastor thinking about how to use Life Together in Christ, I envision employing it as the basis for a sermon series on the Road to Emmaus, linked with small groups of the same theme, perhaps during the Easter season. I could also see using some of the chapters on their own for small group use. Whichever way I end up using it, I am certain that I will."--Sarah Scherschligt, Presbyterian Outlook, February 2, 2015
"Jesus' call for us to be transformed is clear, but how does that happen? Barton emphasizes that we are transformed in community, providing an alternative to the individualism of our age. Hospitality, listening to one another and to Christ in our midst--these are the practices by which we submit to the transforming power of Christ."--Relevant Magazine, January-February 2015
"Life Together in Christ is a delightful book to read--spiritually encouraging and uplifting, and a viable and strong source of guidance for creating community dedicated to spiritual growth, maturity and the kinds of loving, transformational spiritual power that can, then, change the world. It belongs on the bookshelf of every ministry professional and in every church library. For individuals feeling led to create a growing, thriving church community, there could be no better resource. Life Together in Christ is itself a transformational experience rooted in Gospel story and values and, well utilized, has great potential to bring new life to church, family and community life."--Michelle Wilbert, Englewood Review, Advent 2014
"Ruth Haley Barton is a courageous leader whose writing points towards the future of Christian spiritual formation. In Life Together in Christ, Barton taps into our desperate longing for community in an age of isolation, loneliness and individualism. She understands that whole life formation happens best in solidarity with one another. Rather than fixating on styles and structures for belonging (which happens so often), Barton focuses on the substance of what a transforming community can be--exploring the practices and relational disciplines that might help us experience life together in the kingdom of love. This immensely readable book is rich in scriptural wisdom and practicality."--Mark Scandrette, author of Free and Practicing the Way of Jesus
"Ruth Haley Barton continues to do what she does best: invite us into a deeper life with Christ and offer rhythms of spiritual formation. She reminds us that nobody drifts into significant spiritual maturity--it must be pursued. Biblical community is not some worn-out buzzword; it is a God-given tool to be received and extended in our pursuit of Christ together. Full of purposeful intention, but free of easy equations, Life Together in Christ offers a clear challenge: if sustaining spiritual transformation is to occur we need rhythms of formation practiced in the midst of community. This book is a helpful tool for those serious about journeying on the road with others in the direction of Jesus together."--J.R. Briggs, author of Fail: Finding Hope and Grace in the Midst of Ministry Failure