WESTMONT, IL— Outreach magazine named three InterVarsity Press titles as Outreach Resources of the Year, with four additional books making the short list for the Also Recommended resource in its category.
The Outreach Resources of the Year aim to highlight valuable resources for church leaders and bring deserved attention to resources that can help churches better engage in effective outreach to share the gospel and reach communities for Christ.
More than 170 resources published between November 1, 2017 and October 31, 2018 were submitted for consideration and placed into eleven categories. An expert in each category evaluated the resources and chose what they considered to be the best. The experts also chose how many resources to recognize and whether to include any as Also Recommended.
Here are the IVP titles that were honored as part of the Sixteenth Annual Outreach Resources of the Year:
Culture
Healing Our Broken Humanity: Practices for Revitalizing the Church and Renewing the World by Grace Ji-Sun Kim and Graham Hill was the Resource of the Year in the culture category.
Based on their work with diverse churches, colleges, and other organizations, Grace Ji-Sun Kim and Graham Hill offer Christian practices that can bring healing and hope to a broken world. They provide ten ways to transform society, from lament and repentance to relinquishing power, reinforcing agency, and more. York Moore, national evangelist for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and an expert for the culture award category, said, “This book is a fantastic invitation to pursue the vision of a church that flourishes in every category.”
Social Issues/Justice
IVP also received top honors in the social issues/justice category. Rethinking Incarceration: Advocating for Justice That Restores by Dominique DuBois Gilliard and What Does It Mean to Be Welcoming: Navigating LGBT Questions in Your Church by Travis Collins were both named the social issues/justice Resources of the Year.
Exploring the history and foundations of mass incarceration, Gilliard examines Christianity’s role in its evolution and expansion by assessing justice in light of Scripture and showing how Christians can pursue justice that restores and reconciles. Category expert Mark DeYmaz, Outreach magazine contributing editor and cofounder and president of Mosaix Global Network, said, “Readers will gain a holistic overview of past and present complexities concerning mass incarceration and be encouraged toward future engagement with people at-risk or affected by them, in ways that are merciful, empathetic, and just.”
In What Does It Mean to Be Welcoming Collins calls readers to both grace and truth, with humility, as they wrestle with LGBT questions. Collins has been there. A pastor who has walked congregations through the complex issues surrounding gay Christians, he knows firsthand the confusion and hurt that often follow. In this practical resource, readers gain insight into relevant biblical passages and, while the author is working from a traditional perspective, he offers insights from interpreters on both sides of the debate. DeYmaz said that What Does It Mean to Be Welcoming is “a legitimate attempt to navigate complexities in an honest way that includes and respects varying voices, positions and opinions.”
IVP titles chosen as Also Recommended resources include:
Social Issues/Justice
A Sojourner’s Truth: Choosing Freedom and Courage in a Divided World by Natasha Sistrunk Robinson
“An insightful and well-written narrative that is thoughtful, theological, and truthful.” —Mark DeYmaz, Outreach magazine contributing editor, founding pastor of Mosaic Church of Central Arkansas, and cofounder and president of Mosaix Global Network
Apologetics
God Is Stranger: Finding God in Unexpected Places by Krish Kandiah
“God Is Stranger is listed in the apologetics section (and that’s a good place for it), but it’s also a remarkably insightful look at the faith and embracing its strangeness.” —Ed Stetzer, an Outreach magazine contributing editor and director of the Billy Graham Center
Leadership
The Fellowship of the Suffering: How Hardship Shapes Us for Ministry and Mission by Paul Borthwick and Dave Ripper
“This resource offers readers a helpful perspective on what best shapes us for ministry leadership.”—Ron Edmondson, chief executive officer of Leadership Network who previously served for sixteen years as a senior pastor
Cross Cultural/Missional
Megachurch Christianity Reconsidered: Millennials and Social Change in African Perspective by Wanjiru M. Gitau
“Wanjiru Gitau provides an engaging analysis of the rise, growth, and position of megachurches worldwide in the twenty-first century, centering on the role of millennials in the midst of globalization and postmodernity.” —Robert L. Gallagher, director and professor of intercultural studies at Wheaton College Graduate School
For a complete list of IVP award winners visit ivpress.com/award-winners.
Founded in 1947 as an extension of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA, InterVarsity Press serves those in the university, the church and the world by publishing thoughtful Christian books that equip and encourage people to follow Jesus as Savior and Lord in all of life. For more information, visit ivpress.com.
Contact: Krista Clayton | 630.734.4013 | kclayton@ivpress.com
