A selection of books by Paul Beasley-Murray

There is Hope: Preaching at Funerals 
Publisher: IVP 
RRP: £14.99
250,000 people die in the UK each year, and almost half will have a Christian funeral service. Preaching at a funeral is a vital part of pastoral ministry, but too often funeral sermons consist of generalities and platitudes used for multiple services rather than illuminating the hope gifted to us by the resurrection.

In There is Hope Paul offers practical advice to help Christian leaders craft meaningful, biblically driven sermons and preach with confidence and compassion at funeral services. Drawing on his years of experience, he offers a sensitive, pastorally rich exposition of twenty key Bible passages, exploring how preachers can draw on them to show the hope beyond death that the Gospel offers. Alongside are funeral sermon examples that he has preached himself, as well as ideas, outlines and guidance for writing your own.

There is Hope is the perfect book for ordinands and preachers who are new to giving funeral sermons, as well as for experienced preachers and pastors wanting to improve and grow in their pastoral ministry and are looking for new ideas for funeral sermons.

Full of biblical depth, this guide will equip priests and pastors with all the tools they need to deliver comforting funeral sermons that truly deliver the message that even in death, in the Gospel there is hope.

Click here for a book review of There is Hope.

Make the most of retirement
Publisher:        BRF
RRP:                 £8.99
‘Retire’ means to ‘withdraw’, to ‘retreat’, to ‘give ground’, to ‘cease to compete’. In one sense that is true: retirement does involve a leaving of office or employment. Yet retirement is also about new beginnings and new opportunities. In this helpful book, grounded both in personal experience and in extensive research among retired ministers, and rich in quotations from an eclectic range of writers, Paul Beasley-Murray explores how retirement is part of God’s rhythm for our lives and provides encouragement and insights for this next stage of the journey. A must-read for lay and ordained Christians alike.

Click here for more information. 

Available from Baptist Union online shop
 
Fifty Lessons in Ministry: Reflections on Fifty Years in Ministry
Publisher:        Darton, Longman and Todd
RRP:                 £12.99
Paul Beasley-Murray, one of the most respected Christian ministers of the last fifty years, offers fifty succinct reflections on all aspects of ministry, including pastoring, preaching, evangelism, prayer, growth, worship, family, personal care and relationships.This is essential, foundational reading for clergy of all denominations and of all levels of experience.

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Living Out the Call: 1 Living to God’s Glory
Publisher:        Feed-a-Read
RRP:                 £5.99
Book One looks first at the challenges of ministry today, taking the view that ministers need to respond to their call by being 'passionate professionals' as well as 'exemplary pilgrims'.
 
Living Out the Call: 2. Leading God’s People
Publisher:        Feed-a-Read
RRP:                 £5.99
Book Two, Leading God’s People, looks first at the principles of leadership in the New Testament and then applies these principles to church life today.
 
Living Out the Call: 3. Reaching God’s World
Publisher:        Feed-a-Read
RRP:                
Book Three, Reaching Out to God’s World, is divided into two main parts. Part one looks at the challenge of preaching today, and how preaching must always have the Gospel in view. Part Two deals with the call of pastors to be leaders of missionary congregations.
 
Living Out the Call: 4. Serving God’s People
Publisher:        Feed-a-Read
RRP:                
Book Four, Serving God’s People, deals with the twin themes of worship and pastoral care.

Click here for a book review of the Living out the Call series.

Joy to the World: preaching at Christmas
Publisher:      IVP 
RRP:                 £9.99
Christmas is the one time in the year when many non-Christians are prepared to go to church, and this presents a great opportunity for preaching the gospel. However, for preachers and pastors, just to survive one Christmas is demanding, with one service after another during the Advent season - and to have something new to say from one Christmas to the next can be a real challenge. It is not easy, year after year, to find fresh approaches to the Christmas story for numerous and varied events. From his own experience Paul Beasley-Murray appreciates this need, and his main aim in this stimulating book is to help Christian preachers in their God-given task of telling the story of how God sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world.
 
Transform Your Church: 50 Very Practical Steps
Publisher:     IVP 
RRP:                 £9.99
As a minister of a local church, I know how easy it is to become isolated. My experience very quickly becomes confined to my own church', writes Paul Beasley-Murray. 'In such a situation it makes such a difference to read how others "do church", not in order to adopt ideas wholesale, but to take and adapt that which would be appropriate.' With warmth, originality and skill, Paul Beasley-Murray shares his pastoral wisdom with the wider church family. This is a book to dip into again and again. Readers will find it a trusted teacher, guide and stimulus to further thinking. Everywhere the author's personality shines through, though Paul Beasley-Murray is at pains to point out that he is only a learner, leading a church that is still very much on a journey. Each chapter ends with Scriptures to reflect on.
 
The Message of the Resurrection
Publisher:      IVP 
RRP:                 £12.99
The message of the Resurrection, believes Paul Beasley-Murray, is not just for Easter. It lies at the heart of the gospel and of the New Testament. It is good news for every day of the year. This accessible and practical exposition takes us back to the firsthand, vivid accounts of the key witnesses who saw the risen and very tangible Jesus: Matthew, Mark Luke, John, Paul, Peter and others. We are brought afresh to the distinctive records that together provide a full-orbed picture of the dramatic days following Christ's resurrection. We see the true meaning of this event, which changed human history for ever.
 
Power for God’s Sake? Power and Abuse in the Local Church
Publisher:        Wipf and Stock
RRP:                 £20.00
How can churches be empowered, not overpowered, by individuals? Power is a dangerous reality in ordinary church life. But when people bring God into the issue and 'power for my sake becomes power for God's sake' the danger is even greater. This expose of power abuse in churches today draws on a survey of churches within mainline Protestant denominations. Turning to the kind of power-model, Jesus gives the would-be church leader, the author explores how power can be handled positively when power for God's sake is, in fact, power surrendered in the service of others. An important book for all involved in leadership within the church.

This is My Story: A story of life, faith and ministry
Publisher:        Wipf and Stock
RRP:                 £20.00
This is a book for pastors - and for any Christian - who wants the ‘inside story’ of the pains and triumphs of a Christian leader.
 
Click here for a book review of this title.

Baptism, belonging and breaking bread
Publisher:    Baptist Union of Great Britain
RRP:    £3.50
A study guide for preparing for baptism, written for BUGB by Paul Beasley-Murray. This book is a development and replacement of Baptism and Belonging and is more detailed in content with a new section on the Lord's Supper.