The first real glimmerings of awareness started with Katrina, a lovely feminine name, but a crippling storm. Not the nibbling, nagging kind of awareness that the scientific community had been trying for years to raise, but a gut wrenching, "this can kill you", kind of awareness that gets quick attention. Suddenly, all the past warnings made sense and there was a sense of urgency in the CNN re-runs of previously ignored interviews. The story of three generations of the McFarland family and their epic struggle to build a lifeboat for mankind and save the earth from senseless self destruction.

A Pulitzer Prize winner’s intimate portrait of a church, its radical mission, and its riveting crisis. “The revolution I wanted to be part of was in the church.” Americans have been leaving their churches. Some drift away. Some stay home. And some have been searching for—and finding—more authentic ways to find and follow Jesus. This is the story of one such “radical outpost of Jesus followers” dedicated to service, the Sermon on the Mount, and working toward justice for all in this life, not just salvation for some in the next. Part of a little-known yet influential movement at the edge of American evangelicalism, Philadelphia’s Circle of Hope grew for forty years, planted four congregations, and then found itself in crisis. The story that follows is an American allegory full of questions with urgent relevance for so many of us, not just the faithful: How do we commit to one another and our better selves in a fracturing world? Where does power live? Can it be shared? How do we make “the least of these” welcome? Building on years of deep reporting, the Pulitzer Prize winner Eliza Griswold has crafted an intimate, immersive, tenderhearted portrait of a community, as well as a riveting chronicle of its transformation, bearing witness to the ways a deeply committed membership and their team of devoted pastors are striving toward change that might help their church survive. Through generational rifts, an increasingly politicized religious landscape, a pandemic that prevented gathering to worship, and a rise in foundation-shaking activism, Circle of Hope tells a propulsive, layered story of what we do to stay true to our beliefs. It is a soaring, searing examination of what it means for us to love, to grow, and to disagree.

The Pulitzer Prize winner's extraordinary portrait of one religious community - and what it means for us all "Lyrical, probing, and deeply reported, this is an extraordinary account ." ― Patrick Radden Keefe, author of Empire of Pain "Eliza Griswold is a dazzling reporter: ever observant, wise, sympathetic, and honest. And in this spellbinding book." ― David Grann, author of Killers of the Flower Moon and The Wager "A sharply contemporary book, painfully honest, stubbornly hopeful." ― Archbishop Rowan Williams, author of Passions of the Soul "That rarest of books: an examination of the sacred and spiritual realm captured with humor, humanity, and style."― Susan Orlean, author of On Animals Although most evangelicals have their sights firmly set on salvation in the afterlife, one extraordinary church in Philadelphia is designed to fight for progress and dedicated to social justice in this life. Over forty years, Circle of Hope grew from one family to four congregations battling for equality among the sexes, an end to racial discrimination, and offering hope to believers of all kinds - from outcasts to addicts - in its radical mission to improve the world. Then, rocked by many of the same issues facing society at large, from MeToo to Black Lives Matter, Circle of Hope is forced to confront its own mistakes, plunging the community into existential crisis. Building on years of deep reporting, Pulitzer Prize-winner Eliza Griswold paints an intimate portrait of pastors and church members' desperate wrestling to find a way to remain together despite their dividing truths. Through generational rifts, an increasingly politicised religious landscape, a pandemic and a rise in foundation-shaking activism, Circle of Hope tells a propulsive, layered story of what we do to stay true to our beliefs. It is a soaring, searing examination of what it means for a community to love, to grow, and crucially to disagree.

We live in a world full of challenges. The three graces can almost be seen as motors for Christian life in today's world, but the words faith, hope, and love have so many everyday uses that their technical, theological meanings are, for many, difficult to appreciate. Modern life also leaves many yearning for authenticity and meaning. Many religions have answered that need by calling to mind the image of a path. Always profound progressions, religious paths tend to be motivated either by practices (the act of walking the path) or focal points. Christianity has a focal point, an object, and it sees the three graces as distinctively content filled. The heart of this book is about helping people find the Christian path and their intellectual, emotional, and spiritual balance--an equilibrium that is sustained by a strong personal faith, an enduring hope for the future, and genuine love that will withstand the worst of times. It contributes to the category of Christian literature that provides a pattern for Christian living without surrendering the intellect to the more popular side of this genre.

Owing to a long history of racial discrimination, Blacks tend to distrust the Caucasian-dominated model of mental health, and so the system must incorporate treatments that appreciate and empower their unique worldview and culture. Specifically, nursing must adopt a transcultural approach to healing, improve educational efforts to better reach Blacks, and advocate more effectively for financial aid in meeting basic needs, which must be met before psychological needs. The Circle of Care and Hope is a holistic, interventionist approach to treating Blacks with mental illness and integrating three healing principles: a biblical worldview, culturally appropriate practices, and multi-theoretical healing applications. This unique approach breaks down the barriers of stigma and shame associated with mental health. It empowers Blacks in sustainable healing and overcomes their unequal access to effective mental health treatment. Designed by Dr. Judy E. Vansiea, the Circle of Care and Hope’s three-pronged approach is part of her mission to advocate, mentor, engage, encourage, and empower the lives of people who are marginalized and disenfranchised.

A woman’s true story of rebuilding her faith in the aftermath of harrowing tragedy. In the early hours of March 7, 1999, Justina Page’s life changed forever when a four alarm house fire ravaged and destroyed her family’s home. In the aftermath, in addition to the heartbreaking loss of one of her 22-month-old twin boys, Justina and her husband had to cope with the physical injuries to both her and their surviving son. The Circle of Fire chronicles her struggle to overcome the devastating consequences of this catastrophic event. Justina’s is a journey of discovery—that personal tragedy is not a life sentence to despair, anger, and continual pain and suffering, and that something positive can be salvaged from every agonizing experience, even when your faith has truly been tried by fire.

An inspiring coming-of-age novel in verse about weathering the uncertainty that comes with family illness perfect for fans of Starfish and Red, White, and Whole. Cass and her parents haven’t let her dad’s cancer stop them from having a good life—full of love and poems and one annual World Series game. Now that Dad’s cancer is back, Cass overhears the doctor say that she has a 50% chance of inheriting her dad's genetic mutation, Li-Fraumeni syndrome. There’s a genetic test Cass can take that will tell her for sure. There’s still so much she wants to do—play baseball, study at the zoo, travel the world with her best friend, Jayla. Would it be better not to know? When it turns out Dad’s cancer is worse this time, Cass is determined to keep up their World Series tradition while navigating all the change and uncertainty that lies ahead. Poignant and powerful, Cass’s story brings the pains and anxiety linked with illness to the surface, and reminds us that sometimes hope is worth holding on to. Praise for The Hope of Elephants: A Bank Street Best Children's Book of 2023 An NCTE Notable Poetry Book of 2022 A 2022 Cybils finalist for Novels in Verse A Whitney Awards finalist