New and Noteworthy, March 2016

MISSIONS Staying Is the New Going

Alan Briggs. Staying Is the New Going: Choosing to Love Where God Places You . Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress, 2015. 208 pages. $14.99. 

Briggs, a Colorado church planter, calls Christians to everyday, local mission work. Engage in your community, build relationships outside church walls and look for opportunities to share the Gospel in the context of your home’s occupations, worries and dreams, he urges. 

Each chapter ends with a list of discussion questions. 
PRAYER 10 Prayers You Can’t Live Without

Rick Hamlin. 10 Prayers You Can’t Live Without: How to Talk to God About Everything . Charlottesville, Va.: Hampton Roads Publishing Co., 2016. 256 pages. $13.99. 

“Pray without ceasing,” Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians. But how? 

Hamlin gives 10 practical ideas for integrating prayer into daily life. Inspirational stories from his tenure as executive editor of Guideposts magazine give vivid examples of prayer working in a fallen world. “You were made to pray,” he writes.  
APOLOGETICS God’s Crime Scene

J. Warner Wallace. God’s Crime Scene: A Cold-Case Detective Examines the Evidence for a Divinely Created Universe . Colorado Springs, Colo.: David C. Cook, 2015. 320 pages. $17.99. 

Former atheist and homicide detective Wallace applies his forensic mind to creation. This follow-up to “Cold-Case Christianity ” includes anecdotes from his career that illustrate his methods. An accessible survey of evidence, the book is useful for people in the pew interested in defending their faith with facts.

YOUNG ADULT Conviction

Kelly Loy Gilbert. Conviction . New York: Hyperion, 2015. 342 pages. $17.99. 

This debut fiction novel is a rare combination of sports story and crime thriller, weaving faith and family throughout. 

The main character is a teen star pitcher whose father, a Christian radio host, is accused of murder. Sensitive and poignant, with a nonlinear plotline and complex characters, this book blurs the line between “Christian fiction” and mainstream. Teens as well as adults will enjoy this layered story.