Small Church

A low moan penetrated Merrill’s illness-and-antihistamine-befogged dreams, pulling her from a deep sleep. Squinting through sleep-glazed eyes at the unfamiliar room, she recalled where she was. The bedroom walls of her new home seemed to be vibrating with the deep bellow of a fog-horn. When high-pitched whines and squeals followed the low rumble, she blinked and sat up in alarm. Small town secrets can lead to big trouble. When Reverend Merrillanne Bishop accepts leadership of the First Baptist church in the picturesque seaside community of Bannoch, Oregon, she doesn’t know what to ...

Cell-church specialist and pastor Dr. Joel Comiskey studied the world's most successful cell churches to determine how they effectively make disciples who make disciples. These churches have embraced specific principles. Conversely, churches that do not embrace these same principles have problems with their groups and therefore are not as effective in making disciples.

Will Melody and Reid's Christmas wedding go off without a hitch, or will a snowstorm make it a silent night? Ever since Reid Perry proposed to her at a Fourth of July party, Melody's been thinking about becoming his wife and finally having Michael, Reid's son, call her mommy for the first time. But when a sudden snowstorm leaves Reid trapped in the mountains, Melody fears the wedding will never take place. Through the help of her friends and an unexpected guest, Melody begins to discover that sometimes the miracle we want isn't always the miracle we need.

Falling in love at Halloween can be scary.... Lexi Carmichael recently moved to Shepherdstown, West Virginia, to be closer to her boyfriend, Tyson Monroe. The town is known for its ghosts, but his attitude is scarier than anything rumored to be haunting this small town, and she's ready to call it quits for good. Max Renfro has just returned to this hometown, taking a new job at the historical society. He's not looking for love, but when he meets Lexi, he can't get her out of his mind. Maybe working on the town's masquerade ball together will bring them closer together and help her get over ...

Will Macey's chance at summer romance go up in smoke? Small town florist Macey Edwards is focused on running her small business. Independence Day is an opportunity to take a day off and spend it with friends, but she's definitely not looking for love. When her next door neighbor opens a fireworks stand, Macey is annoyed and swears she'll get it closed down. But, there's something about Sam's crooked smile that lights her heart on fire. Sam comes to quaint Charles Town, West Virginia, to help his aunt and uncle after an injury leaves their new fireworks stand floundering. When he meets Macey...

She vowed to marry for love. He promised his daughters a mother for Christmas. Time is running out for both of them. A handshake between two men changes Alma Pickens’ life. Alma’s father promises her hand in marriage with a wedding due before Christmas. How can she keep her vow to her mother and still honor her father? With only Roy's dimples to capture her attention, Alma can’t conceive of loving a man in four weeks time. Widower Roy Gibbons' young daughters want a mother for Christmas, and desperate to grant their wish, he said yes without thinking. With Christmas right around the ...

Have you ever found yourself wondering what we might have in common with stars or why the moon never leaves us? Thinking about the precise dancing of planets, the passing of time or the nature of natural things? Our world is full of unshakable mystery, and although we live in a civilisation more complicated than ever, there is beauty and reassurance to be found in knowing how and why.

In the 1930s, the fictional town of Toad Springs, Florida, is filled with the adventures and daily whatnots of worthy, down-to-earth folk such as Flavey Stroudamore, owner of a three-legged gator named Precious who also just happens to have a birthmark of Jesus on his side.

Time for another wedding! Lexi and Max are finally getting married! Delaney's twins are due any moment! And Sophie and Zach are as strong as ever. It seems like everything is great in Charles Town. Until Michael's birth mother shows up demanding custody. Melody and Reid have to navigate through the complicated legal system to ensure they get to keep their son. Thank goodness Casey is the best lawyer in town. Still, it's difficult to argue with a mother who wants to see her child. Can they win? And... who will get engaged next? Charles Town Brides is a sweet, Christian romance series based ...

It’s time to tie the knot in this Irish wedding! Erin and Luke have been lucky in love, and now it’s time for them to make it official forever. But when a problem with the venue makes Erin think they might have to look for alternatives, their luck seems to be changing. Will Luke and the rest of the Charles Town men find a way to make it right? Sophie and Zach have decided to work on their relationship. He’s trying his best to get past the realization that his wife was murdered—not killed in an accident. Sophie just wants to be there for him, but if he doesn’t trust her, how can ...

Connie Granger has escaped the devastation of her bombed out city home. She has found work in the Women's Timber Corps, and for her, this remote community must now serve a secret purpose. Seppe, an Italian prisoner of war, is haunted by his memories. But in the forest camp, he finds a strange kind of freedom. In each other they find the means to imagine their own lives anew, and to face that which each fears the most. But outside their haven, the world is ravaged by war and old certainties are crumbling.

A theological evaluation of the important role that "cell" or "small" groups play as a branch of the "mother church" from which they are birthed - with an emphasis on how they impact the surrounding community. Four main topics are explored as they relate to small group ministry in our postmodern society - prophetically glimpsing at its impact on the rest of the 21st century.