Dirk J. Hart

Andy and Sally Overby Langford. Nashville: Discipleship Resources, 1989. 84 pages.

The authors of this book are United Methodist pastors who specialize in worship (Andy) and evangelism (Sally). They have written this little manual in the conviction that call and response are central to both worship and evangelism and are therefore never far removed from each other.

Sermon and hymn suggestions for Epiphany

In The Service of God: How Worship and Ethics Are Related (Abingdon, 1983), William H. Willimon says that before preachers can summon the congregation to action, "We move aside and point the people to see God who has summoned us, telling them what we see and hear… The first job of the preacher is to give them a vision so true, so concrete, so clear, so demanding, so gracious, so alluring that it evokes their most courageous response" (p. 156).

If you've ever taken a careful look at the churches in your area, you've probably noticed that some of the newer buildings don't conform to our old stereotypes of what a church should look like. And if you've recently participated in a church building or remodeling project, you probably have a good grasp of the reasons behind these new trends in church architecture. Church building isn't as predictable as it used to be.

Richard Stoll Armstrong. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1986, 216 pp., $9.95.

Books about worship rarely mention evangelism; books about evangelism only occasionally touch on worship. In this book Armstrong focuses on the intimate connection between the two. Formerly an Episcopalian, Armstrong is now a Presbyterian and a professor at Princeton Theological Seminary.