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A writer, pastor, and artist, Sara Olson-Smith weaves together the ancient stories of scripture with lived experiences of community of faith. Currently serving at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Davenport, Iowa, her ministry began in central New Jersey. Her writing can be found in various publications, and you can hear her voice on the podcast of Bible stories for children called Little Bird and Jesus.
""If you haven't met Sara Olson-Smith, you will on these pages. She's as warm and compelling in print as she is in person--a truly gifted pastor, full of grace, integrity, and an unmistakable love for people."" --Peter W. Marty, Editor and Publisher, The Christian Century ""Sara Olson-Smith bequeaths a faithful and beloved congregation's treasury of comfort, courage, and hope to every pastor, leader, and congregant facing the reality that their faith community can no longer be a church the way the church is meant to be. Beautiful vignettes interwoven with Scripture touch the heart, move to tears, and inspire conversation that empowers discerning with faith that trusts the promise of the Gospel. Congregations should read this book together!"" --Craig Alan Satterlee, Theologian and Author ""The best eulogies tell the truth about the person who died, honoring the complexity of being human. Olson-Smith gives the best kind of eulogy in this book, not only in her truth telling, but in the ways she helps us see churches we have loved in all their complexity. This book is a must-read for clergy as we navigate the painful work of knowing when ministry is coming to an end, while helping a church to close with faithful courage."" --Brooke Petersen, John H. Tietjen Chair of Pastoral Ministry, Lutheran School of Theology At Chicago ""Eulogy for a Faithful Church offers heartwarming and heartbreaking testimony to the reality of grief, the persistence of faith, and an abiding trust that God is faithful to the promise of resurrected life. Most of all, it is a story of love. A must-read for all who wonder whether a lasting legacy remains when a congregation comes to the end of its life. The answer is a resounding yes!"" --Audrey West, Project Administrator, Thriving in Ministry: Moravian Clergy Connections ""With so much shifting underfoot, congregations often cling to life as they once knew it. Sara Olson-Smith offers a more Jesus-shaped way in this tender memoir. This is a beautiful story of everyday, faithful people who once met in a brick building in New Jersey. Weaving together stories from scripture and from kitchen tables, Olson-Smith finally weaves us all into a grieving, trusting, and hopeful people called Church."" --Jason A. Mahn, author of Neighbor Love through Fearful Days
Ancient Christianities
The First Five Hundred Years
Paperback
$34.99
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