Bøger udgivet af FAITHWORKS

In naming their church after the biblical monument "Ebenezer," which in Hebrew means "stone of help," the leaders of Harlem's Ebenezer Gospel Tabernacle were teaching their congregation the value of remembering from where they had come. Today, 100 years later, this stone memorial continues to remind these ordinary people that God has played an extraordinary role in building their faith community. Dr. Marilyn Maye has written a compilation of history and edited a collection of memoirs for the spiritual offspring of Ebenezer's earliest members. However, readers from similar faith communities may be surprised by how much history the Ebenezer family shares with them. The triumphs and pitfalls of early immigrant pioneers of color to New York City, living and worshipping alongside pioneers of the Black migrations from the southern states, are highlighted in Stone of Help, a book that can be instructive to people who've recently migrated to the U.S., as well as to people born here. Set in early to mid-20th century Harlem, Stone of Help chronicles Ebenezer's humble beginnings in both spiritual and sociological contexts. Maye shows how, in the midst of two world wars, a horrific flu pandemic, racial discrimination, and hostile workplace conditions, these pioneers nevertheless survived and even flourished. Some of the memoirs may disturb you; others may make you laugh out loud. Hopefully, all of them will inspire you. In time, Ebenezer's members spread across the city, the nation, and the globe, carrying their unique heritage into leadership positions in a variety of religious and secular institutions. Today, Ebenezer's legacy is etched in stone and also in the lives of people who have been transformed by faith in Christ as taught and modeled at the church. As Ebenezer and other such churches continue the journey into their second century, Maye points to the challenges of being in neighborhoods with changing demographics and in communities that place a lesser value on religious thought and practice. However, she also points to the benefits that come from recalling the triumphs that the early pioneers experienced-with God's help. Proceeds from the sale of this book go towards sustaining this Harlem landmark, as the congregation enters its second century.

This book is a guide for parents seeking to design a rites-of-passage program for their adolescent youth and for parents considering such a program. Orita (meaning crossroads) prepares participants for adulthood by teaching life management skills in the context of African heritage and biblical principles. At the Orita celebration, family and community honor their youth and acknowledge their transition into adulthood. Parents are guided through every aspect of the design and planning of a program tailored for their youth. The program is also flexible and can be applied to families of various cultures.

Rissa Scalera was sick of getting dumped. She couldn't seem to tell the good from the bad and the ugly, so love might not be in the cards for her. When she agrees to tour with Raging Thunder as her niece's nanny, she swears she'll stay away from bad boy bassist Luca "Reject" Caroli. He's exactly what she doesn't need. But as she gets to know him, peeling away layer after layer of the melancholy, she begins to sense he's not what he appears. Problem is he's otherwise engaged. If not with one of his lusty fans then with a woman from his past who's reached out. Luca shouldn't be following his urges. He's got a future to think about. The first woman he ever loved is meeting him at one of the upcoming concerts and he's got to see if they can go back. But with each touch and every kiss, Rissa awakens parts of him that he thought he'd buried. Their combustible chemistry isn't making it easy. She knows the score but she's made it clear she won't hang around as second choice. As he wrestles with his troubled past, and the stars begin to align, he sees where the edge of forever lies. Will he too late to claim it?

Letitia "Tish" Jones was one of the most talented classical pianists of her time but it had come at a cost. The price she paid stripped her of her passion for music and she'd do anything to get it back. Almost anything. Going on hiatus with the band Raging Thunder as their keyboardist, isn't what she had in mind. Taking on a new identity, she finds a new passion-a man willing to help her but unwilling to open his heart. When an outside influence threatens her progress, he walks away and she's forced to stand alone to fight it. Johnny Scalera, the popular and charismatic drummer for the heavy metal band, is geared up for the second leg of their tour but there's a problem. Sales are down, reviews are less than stellar and the blame is on his shoulders. Tish's stage fright is laid there as well, and against his better judgment, he puts all his efforts into helping her. The plan: to walk away when it's done and pick up right where he left off. When it hits him Tish is all he wants, he chases after her. But the woman he finds is different than the one he left. Now able to stand on her own, she doesn't need him anymore. What lengths will he go, to change her mind?

There was no way Izabella dos Santos was letting him in again. He'd been flitting in and out of her life since she was a teenager but when pitcher Reid "Crackerjacks" Jackson is traded to his home team she's hard pressed to keep her promise. She was once again the prey. When Jacks asks her for a night out with his charming self, he's thrown for a curve when she turns him down. He can't believe it. Okay, he might be a tad commitment phobic but a night in heaven is not something to scoff at. When a crisis looms, Izabella is no longer willing to play his silly childish games and is surprised when he steps to the plate, taking on more than she'd thought possible. She has to remember he can only do temporary. Even as he hands over his home and his time, she isn't sure he can hand her his heart. The problem is, neither is he.

After her father's death on a routine domestic abuse call, Lana Scalera swore she'd never marry a cop. No way was she wearing widow's weeds before her time. That she fell for a marine. It seemed workable. He'd be home and out of danger once his tour was up, no longer the yellow dot on the enemy's target. When Zach Taylor is shipped home from Afghanistan with severe injuries, there to comfort and help him through the grueling hours of rehab is his pen pal and sounding board. He wanted more than friendship now that he was back and would do anything to get her to say yes to the ring. When Zach rejoins the police department, Lana makes good on her promise. No way was she going to lose him to a bullet. He was out although her heart was still hell-bent on changing her mind. What would it take to convince her that death wasn't the worst that could happen?