Inside the lives of homeless teens?moving stories of pain and hope from Covenant House Almost Home tells the stories of six remarkable young people from across the United States and Canada as they confront life alone on the streets. Each eventually finds his or her way to Covenant House, the largest charity serving homeless and runaway youth in North America. From the son of a crack addict who fights his own descent into drug addiction to a teen mother reaching for a new life, their stories veer between devastating and inspiring as they each struggle to find a place called home. Includes a foreword by Newark Mayor Cory Booker Shares the personal stories of six homeless youths grappling with issues such as drug addiction, family violence, prostitution, rejection based on sexual orientation, teen parenthood, and aging out of foster care into a future with limited skills and no support system Gives voice to the estimated 1.6 million young people in the United States and Canada who run away or are kicked out of their homes each year Includes striking photographs, stories of firsthand experiences mentoring and working with homeless and troubled youth, and practical suggestions on how to get involved Discusses the root causes of homelessness among young people, and policy recommendations to address them Provides action steps readers can take to fight youth homelessness and assist individual homeless young people Written by Kevin Ryan, president of Covenant House, and Pulitzer Prize nominee and former New York Times writer Tina Kelley Inviting us to get to know homeless teens as more than an accumulation of statistics and societal issues, this book gives a human face to a huge but largely invisible problem and offers practical insights into how to prevent homelessness and help homeless youth move to a hopeful future. For instance, one kid in the book goes on to become a college football player and counselor to at-risk adolescents and another becomes a state kickboxing champion. All the stories inspire us with victories of the human spirit, large and small. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each book will help support kids who benefit from Covenant House's shelter and outreach services.

"52 Ways to Ignite Your Congregation: Generous Giving" is biblically centered, liberally evangelical, and practically oriented. This second volume in the "52 Ways to Ignite" series gives pastors, lay leaders, and stewardship/mission committees fifty-two thoughtful and action-oriented ideas that will encourage members to become disciples who give—and give generously. William Green begins each idea with a Bible passage, to invite you into reflection and discussion, igniting you to experience even greater responsiveness to God’s generosity.

Gray Temple presents the argument for the sacramental equality of gay and lesbian couples, which is to say they are entitled to full participation in the sacraments, including Marriage. Gray Temple bases his discussion on the Anglican concept of discerning the will of God through Scripture, Tradition, and Reason. In the argument from Scripture, Gray Temple's basic premise is that we cannot presume to know what the Bible says to us if we do not understand what the biblical writers thought they were saying. He discusses the ways in which the concept of sexuality in the minds of biblical writers was very different than ours. He carefully analyzes the most often-cited biblical passages assumed to prohibit homosexual activity and shows why they are not saying what we think they are saying. In the argument from Tradition, Gray analyzes the roots of various traditions coming to the conclusion that traditions generally evolve to maintain privilege. Tradition has been used, for example to bar women from ordination. We are veering dangerously away from the Anglican tradition of the via media. In the argument from Reason, he presents answers to assumptions about homosexuality both from an impassioned liberal stance and from a stance designed to lead to a dialogue engaging the hopes and fears of the conservative and liberal sides. As a liberal charismatic who prayerfully came to the conclusion that his homophobia was not a stance favored by God, Temple is in a unique position to take on this topic. Gray Temple deeply understands the ethos of conservatism and his understanding of that ethos provokes him to engage conservative arguments with rigor and sympathy.

Emerzian and Bozza do a total makeover on the bad image of Mondays and make that day mean something amazing, incredible, and unbelievable. They provide 52 down-to-earth ways to make a difference, one for each Monday of the year. Includes a 15-minute bonus DVD.

Describes a variety of ways that families can get involved in volunteering, despite a busy schedule, and explains the many benefits of volunteering for all ages.

Describes the problems faced by the homeless, and tells how to help by giving money, food, and clothing, volunteering to work at shelters, starting assistance programs, and working for government policies.