Books

“A new book by Ruth Haley Barton never disappoints!”
 - David Benner

Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest: From Sabbath to Sabbatical and Back Again

In our frenzied culture, the possibility of living in balanced rhythms of work and rest often feels elusive. This rings especially true for pastors and leaders who carry the weight of nonstop responsibility. Sharing her own story of practicing sabbath for the past twenty years, Ruth Haley Barton offers hard-won wisdom regarding the rhythms of sabbath, exploring both weekly sabbath keeping as well as extended periods of sabbatical time. Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest grounds us in God's intentions in giving us the gift of sabbath, providing practical steps for sabbath rhythms in churches and organizations. Each chapter concludes with "What Your Soul Wants to Say to God," an opportunity to reflect and engage God around your own journey with the material. Sabbath is more than a practice it is a way of life ordered around God's invitation to regular rhythms of work, rest, and replenishment that will sustain us for the long haul of life in leadership.

Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership

I'm tired of helping others enjoy God―I just want to enjoy God for myself. With this painful admission, Ruth Haley Barton invites us to an honest exploration of what happens when spiritual leaders lose track of their souls. Weaving together contemporary illustrations with penetrating insight from the life of Moses, each chapter includes a spiritual practice to ensure your soul gets the nourishment it needs. Forging and maintaining a life-giving connection with God is the best choice you can make for yourself and for those you lead. This expanded edition of the bestseller includes a new appendix, How Is It with Your Soul? An Assessment for Leaders, plus a flexible six or twelve-week discussion guide for groups.

Invitation to Retreat

There has never been a time when the invitation to retreat is so radical and so relevant, so needed and so welcome. When Jesus invited his disciples to “Come away with me and rest awhile" he was inviting them to just be with him, to rest in him, and to give him their full and undivided attention. This is our invitation as well.  When we choose retreat, we make a generous investment in our friendship with God. And the truth is, we are not always generous with ourselves where God is concerned. We may incorporate regular times of solitude and silence into the rhythm of our ordinary lives, which may mean we give God twenty minutes here and half an hour there. And there’s no question we are better for it! But we need more; indeed, we long for more. The yearning for retreat: Can you feel it? That is your invitation to the More your soul is longing for. 

Life to Together in Christ

Community is one of the most over-promised, under-delivered aspects of the Christian life today!  Have you joined a church or small group in hopes of experiencing real life change, only to be disappointed? Individuals remain selfish and stuck in their ways. Communities become spiritually lifeless or even fall apart because we don't know how to experience transformation together. Transforming community does not come primarily from listening to inspiring preaching or adding another church program. It emerges as we embrace a shared commitment to the attitudes, practices and behaviors that open us to Christ in our midst. And that's where Life Together in Christ comes in.

Pursuing God's Will Together

If we are not pursuing God’s will together in fairly intentional ways, what are we doing? Meetings can sap our energy, rupture community and thoroughly demoralize us. They can go on forever with no resolution. Or they can rush along without consensus just to "get through the agenda." What if there was another way? Church boards and other Christian leadership teams have long relied on models adapted from the business world. Ruth Haley Barton, founder of the Transforming Center, helps teams transition to a much more suitable model―a spiritual community that discerns God's will together. In these pages you will discover personal and group practices that will lead you into a new way of experiencing community and discerning God's will together.