New books, new opportunities

We are currently working on a couple of dozen new books to be added this coming Sunday, September 18. There are so many wonderful resources available -- common, unassuming books and audio CDs that don't look nearly as explosive as they can prove to be in your spiritual walk.

Thanks to the faithful ones who have donated these powerful books, DVDs and CDs. We are praying for the Lord's purposes for each item!

Among the new items this week:

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"Cognitive dissonance" -- or getting caught in a book

By God's provision, our lending library is experiencing a continuing inflow of quality reading material (and viewing and listening items). Thanks to all who are sharing -- lives are being impacted.

I can say this truthfully because I read a recently donated book last Sunday, and it carried me further into God's truth. Someone who was clearing out their home library gave us some books, and one of those was a title that the Lord knew would equip and grow me. I suspect that family had no idea of the impact even just one of their titles would make on someone in our church family.

What does it look or feel like to "grow" from reading a book? At its deepest level, it's an unconscious thing. Your mind is caught by a phrase, or an idea -- and it bumps up against some belief you held previously. There are long and complex phrases from the psychology of learning that describe the process, but growth happens when we are focused on the message of what we're reading rather than on the process of reading itself.

Add to this the promise that each believer has: "the Spirit of truth ... will guide you into all the truth" (John 16)-- and you'll see why our new lending library offers some exciting opportunities!

Come find the next book that will help you grow -- and see how the Lord will use it to produce eternal fruit.

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Spotlight: "Job" by John Piper

There are a number of excellent, not-to-be-missed resources in our lending library. One such book (newly donated, thanks!) is Job, an illustrated hard-cover version of John Piper's poem "The Misery of Job and the Mercy of God." Reformed Theological Seminary thought enough of this book to use it as gifts to supporters.

Joel Belz nicely summarized the work in World magazine. I hope you'll look for this book and join others who have grown from their reading of it.

[Piper's] insights and ability with words are coupled with the powerful themes of Job's timeless story ... the shortness of the book saved me no time at all, for I had to go back and read it again and again.

The author's theme, of course, is not Job, but God. That is always John Piper's theme. He wants his listeners to know the God of the Bible ... "It is a great sadness when sufferers seek relief by sparing God His sovereignty over pain. The sadness is that this undercuts the very hope it aims to create."

Joel Belz
World Magazine
August 10, 2002
Excerpt from http://www.worldmag.com/world/issue/08-10-02/opening_1.asp

How to check books out -- and back in

Trying to keep it simple, we're using a card system for checking out books in our lending library.

When you decide to check out a book, write your name and the date the book will be due back (3 weeks from the day you check it out). Put that card in the manilla Check-Out Cards envelope at the top, left-hand shelf on the book rack.

When you return the book, pull that card out of the envelope. Cross out your name and stick the card back into the pocket in the front of the book. Return the book to the book cart.

If you need more time, write the new date (again, 3 weeks from the date you are renewing it), and put the card back into the envelope.

Simple, straight-forward, honor system.

Remember our ministry goal, to equip everyone for the Kingdom life, and check out something that speaks to a need or a question in your life.

Remember that checking out a book is a Vote for the Book, to ward off weeding =)

And hurrah! New books were donated today! They are excellent resources, and something will have to go, to make room for them. Which books are YOU using?

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New books, including some re-prints and editions of classics

We have some great new resources that will be available this Sunday. Hope there's something that calls your name =)

Religious Affections: A Christian's character before God from the work by Jonathan Edwards, edited by Houston

The bondage of the will by Martin Luther, translated by J. I. Packer

A quest for Godliness by J. I. Packer, based on the Puritan vision of the Christian life

TwentySomeone by Craig Dunham and Doug Serven, about "finding yourself in a decade of transition"

Radical: Taking back your faith from the American Dream by David Platt

Covenant marriage by Gary Chapman (who wrote The five love languages)

A Godward life by John Piper, a devotional reader with 120 daily readings

... and about a dozen more!

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Voting with your reading

Limited space -- but keeping resources updated

Our wonderful lending library is stocked full of great reads and appealing resources. And we're filled almost to our limit! So how can we steward this ministry in a way that doesn't exceed our space but keeps our resources fresh and relevant?

All libraries keep resources fresh by "weeding," a graphic way to speak about culling the materials that

• aren't being checked out,
  
• are less appealing than others, and
  
• that just aren't what patrons seem to want.

For our unique situation (a fairly new library, but one limited to 64 linear feet of shelving), the weeding process will be driven by our need to add new resources.

For example, if there appears to be a need for, say, two or three particularly cogent new books, then we'll go back and consider the circulation record of the books we have, looking for two or three books that have not found any one who wants to read them.

This is where our church family VOTES for what we keep by what we check out. Titles checked out have gained at least one vote; titles that never circulate have none.

So please KEEP VOTING by reading and sharing good books. And KEEP REQUESTING new titles that will help our library stay fresh and relevant.

Remember: you can contribute to the conversation about our library through the "comment" button on the Blog site: http://trinity-pca-lib.blogspot.com/

Thanks for your continued input!

Lots of new books, a new searchable list

It is amazing to see the library resources we now have through Trinity's new lending library. Lots of new books have come in this week, and it's time to update the searchable "All our stuff" document.

If you would like to search for a particular author, title or area of reading, a .pdf document can be accessed by clicking here.

This list is organized by topic / subject according to the Dewey System. Fiction and Biography appear towards the end of the list.

Hope you find just what you're looking for!

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Growing the kinds of books available

Have you noticed? The kinds of books in our church library are expanding!

We have developed a wide range of non-fiction topics and this week, we are beginning to offer some of the best in Christian fiction.

And thanks to your input, comments and contributions, we hope to offer childrens' books soon. The goal for this ministry: Colossians 1:28, "that we may present everyone mature in Christ." Have you recently read something that glorified the Lord and made you grow a it? Come check us out.

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Easter Sunday prayer

Worshiping with my Trinity family was again a wonderful time of praise, community and joy. What a day for celebration!

I was also struck that our lending library has an essential need that I should share: prayer for the Lord to use these new resources to build His Kingdom workers.

Whatever our motives for having a lending library, whatever our efforts to provide and promote and proffer, they will all be worthless if the Lord does not grace us to read, think and grow through this ministry.

Please pray with me that God will bless this work He began, that His Spirit will move in all our hearts, that we may hunger for His word and His truth -- to His glory.

Alleluia! He is risen.
And through that same power may we too rise to grow and serve.

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This Blog -- a 2-way communication

The neat thing about blogs is you can leave comments for each post and share your thoughts.

Click on the title of the post you want to respond to (such as this post's title, "This Blog -- a 2-way communication").

You'll see the post, and below it, a place to leave comments. Just type in your thoughts, and then click "preview," (if you're wise =), or simply "post" it.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Great Opening Day

It was exciting to see the pieces come together: books and audios that the church family has donated, the gifted cabinet building by Dave Morris, and the church's first inspection of the new ministry.

Two main questions came up today:

1) How do we borrow books? We're using the old card system to do this.

• Pull out the yellow card from the pocket in the front of the book.
• Write in your name and the current date.
• Drop the card into the Check-Out Card envelope you'll find on the top shelf.
• Bring the book back within 3 weeks.

Simple!

2) What are we needing now?

• READERS who will "take responsibility" to use this ministry to grow.
• Some folks have asked about specific titles and authors we're looking for. Click on the right-hand sidebar on "Resources the library seeks." We'll keep that page current. Thanks for asking and helping!

All in all, a terrific day -- and we received some great contributions that we'll be adding to the collection in the coming days.

Let's see how the Lord will have us grow! Can't wait.

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Library debut -- and the brochure

We've been preparing for tomorrow's debut of the new library collection, and we've made a brochure to give an overview of the new ministry. (See the sidebar to the right, and click on "Brochure about the ministry" to see it.)

I continue amazed at the Lord's rich provision for us -- and of our great need to be reading and thinking and growing.

What a great time to be a part of Trinity PCA in Boerne!

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Contributing new books

This week we received several of Tim Keller's most recent books. The interesting twist was that the books were bought new, just for Trinity's library.

One of the first bits of news that we published about our library was a listing of titles and authors that we wanted to have in our collection. The donor checked what we had received, compared that to what we wanted, and was able to help build our library in line with our vision. What a wonderful gift!

If you aren't familiar with Tim Keller, you'll be amazed at the power with which he ministers God's Word and wisdom in a compelling way that is so relevant to our daily life. Keller planted the first PCA church in New York City, and today his ministry reaches around the world, literally.

We will soon have available some audio recordings of his sermons as well as the audio book format for some of the print titles.

We're growing in depth as well as number!

• Keller, Timothy Generous justice: How God's grace makes us just
• Keller, Timothy King's cross:The story of the world in the life of Jesus
• Keller, Timothy The Prodigal God: Recovering the heart of the Christian faith
• Keller, Timothy The Reason for God: Belief in an age of skepticism
• Keller, Timothy Counterfeit Gods:The empty promises of money, sex, and power, and the only hope that matters

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Another Sunday, and more riches contributed

We received another box of books today at church, and I was thrilled to find several of our sought and needed items:

• the 5-volume set of The Complete Works of Francis A. Schaeffer (on my own To-Read list!)
• two excellent concordances (an index and listing of key words from the Bible), both a brief reference edition and a large, exhaustive version;
• the 2-volume Bible Knowledge Commentary of the Old and New Testaments;
• and more that will help both Bible study-ers and parents of covenant children.

I am privileged to see God's work to bring together such a ministry for us as a church family. Can't wait to share these with you next Sunday!

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Getting the books ready

It has been so much fun to organize, catalog and prepare some books for next week's debut of our lending library! (for April 10, 2011)

Seeing these beautiful, high quality reading materials has been an encouragement to continue my own spiritual growth.

Theology, Christian living, devotional materials and a smattering of fiction -- there is sure to be something that will interest everyone.

You can see the books that will be the first on our library shelves by clicking on the "Pages" link, "Listing of materials in our library collection."

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Postponing the Library Start for one week

The response in contributions for our library has been great! So great, in fact, that I will need one more week to have things ready to circulate.

Instead of April 3, we will hope to start displaying and circulating materials in our new Lending Library on Sunday, April 10.

C U Then!

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Another milestone

Too many books to count!

Today's contributions came in boxes and bags and included hardbacks, paperbacks, audio cassette albums and Bible reading guides. The quantity made moot any attempt to continue counting, but the growing collection in our Trinity Lending Library is exciting!

The listing of books found on the right sidebar will not be updated until next week, probably. I will be busy working to "process" the new books into our collection, and then I'll keep a running list of books available.

Next blog post: just what is involved in this "processing?" Keep those prayers, contributions and donations coming. And check the earlier post on "Questions and answers for the new process" (link in the Archive list to the right.)

Target beginning date: April 3!

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After 10 days: over 40 books!

The Lord is building His library for us!

A word here, and a conversation there, and we continue to see top quality materials coming in for the church family's growth. Click on the link in the right side-bar, "Listing of materials in our library collection," to see the updated list of what we will have to read!

A recent Covenant Seminary graduate donated many of these new titles, and individuals and family contributions are making an impact as well. We continue to solicit your input and donations.

We have not yet begun collecting materials for children, but that will hopefully be a significant part of our offerings in the future.

Can't wait to see what it all looks like when we begin circulation on April 3!

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We have our first books!

Today we received Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis and Bryan Chapell's Praying Backwards.

May all our materials be as strong for building the Kingdom through our reading!

We'll keep a current list of all titles we now own in the "Listing of materials in our library collection" page, linked in the sidebar to the right.

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Questions and answers for the new process

The announcement about the new library was shared before the worship time this morning, and folks had some great questions that I thought I would share.

• Do we want Christian fiction books?
  YES, we welcome high quality fiction and non-fiction that glorify the Lord and edify the reader. "The thread of antithesis (good on one side, evil on the other) runs through all creation," and so we welcome books and recordings where we see God's glory, not just the expected theological non-fiction.
  

• Should we put our name on the materials so we can get them back?
  GREAT question, and NO. Materials we are seeking for the library will not be returned. We will either access (add) what is donated into our library collection, or we will pass on donated materials to local Christian and family-supporting charities.

• What if my books have markings in them?
  Highlighting and marking are not uncommon in the books being donated. These may be the most helpful books! So, YES: bring them too.
  
  If a marked up book turns out to be popular, we hope to eventually invest in a new, clean copy. But right now, we're happy to include high quality books regardless of scholarly or personal focus background =)

Space is a critical issue right now, so please understand that some materials which would be EXCELLENT for a church library may not be accessed right away. We will need to display, circulate and store the very best of our collection. If you don't see your donated materials right away, it may be because of the shortage of space currently available.

Boxes to receive your donated materials will continue to be available on Sunday mornings around the side information table. Donation acknowledgment statements for tax purposes can be provided -- contact Janie.

Thanks to all for your enthusiasm and support! This will be a great adventure.

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Starting to gather materials

We will be adding materials through contributions and purchases. These are some of the beginning authors and works we would like to make available. (Click on the title or author to be directed to Shelfari or Amazon information.)

Author / speaker	Suggested works
James M. Boice
John Calvin
Thomas Chalmers
Jonathan Edwards
Tim Keller	Reason for God, Counterfeit Gods
C. S. Lewis
Keith Mathison	Given for You
John Murray	Redemption Accomplished and Applied
John Owen
J. I. Packer
John Piper
Francis Schaeffer	his 5-volume collected works
R. C. Sproul
Philip Yancey	What's So Amazing about Grace?

Our Mission

Colossians 1:28 "that we may present everyone mature in Christ"

We're starting a lending library!

Despite our borrowed gathering place and the too-small closet area for storing our goods during the week, we are venturing forth to include a library among our ministries to the Trinity family. It's an exciting step forward.

The news was announced to our church family this past week by email and in the Sunday worship program. Click here to view that announcement.

Stay posted for updates on materials we are seeking, materials we now own, and links to info on those materials at Shelfari.

Grace and peace from our Father!
~ Janie