Joy Together: Spiritual Practices for Your Congregation

Although interest in spiritual practices has grown in recent years, most of the books available address individuals who wish to try Christian disciplines such as fasting or fixed-hour prayer. This book, by contrast, offers guidance and examples to Christian leaders as they seek ways to involve their congregations or small groups in spiritual practices.

In Joy Together, Lynne M. Baab describes six spiritual practices that congregations can attempt together: thankfulness, fasting, contemplative prayer, lectio divina, hospitality, and Sabbath keeping. She goes on to explore how these practices can help with congregational life and discernment and provides practical instructions for communicating with group members. Discussion questions are included at the end of each chapter so groups can delve into the topics more fully.

Lynne M. Baab, Ph.D. (www.lynnebaab.com) is the author of several books and Bible study guides on spiritual practices, including Sabbath Keeping and Fasting. She has also written books on online communication, such as Friending and Reaching Out in a Networked World. She is a Presbyterian minister and teaches pastoral theology at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand.