Blessing Encounters: Creating Family One Blessing at a Time

Where two or more are gathered, the possibility of family exists. Whether related by blood or not, families are born when people choose to bless one another by bringing good into each other’s lives. Presbyterian pastors Jim and Paul Burns, who are also father and son, believe we are all called to create family, not only in our homes and churches, but wherever we are. Through stories of one blessing encounter after another, their book speaks of a yearning that cries out from all of us, the longing to live well with one another in the midst of a divided world. Designed especially to be used in a group setting, each chapter addresses such themes as family, blessing, Jesus, love, church, Sunday dinners, death, resurrection, and Siri. Chapters conclude with questions and a challenge to encourage and guide you in joining with others in creating family, one blessing at a time.

James M. Burns, Jr.
 
James (Jim) Burns is a retired Presbyterian minister who served as the pastor of two churches. He received his PhD in physics from Texas A&M University and taught college physics for four years before his life direction changed and led him to Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and thirty-two years in the ministry.
 
He and his wife, Judy, live in Norman, Oklahoma, where he enjoys blessing encounters with his three sons and their wives, along with his five brilliant grandchildren.
 
 
Paul M. Burns
 
Paul Burns serves as the pastor of Priest Lake Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee. He holds an MDiv from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Prior to entering seminary, he worked as an investment consultant in New York City.
 
He lives in Hermitage, Tennessee, with his wife, Jennifer, his son, Nelson, and his dog, Chuy. He is the author of Prayer Encounter: Changing the World One Prayer at a Time and Wider, Longer, Higher, Deeper: Forty Days of Prayer, Scripture, and Growth-filled Questions.