The 15 Minute Prayer Solution

2017 Catholic Press Association Book Awards, Honorable Mention: Prayer, Books About Prayer What might happen if you gave just ONE PERCENT of your day to God? I don’t have time to pray. I don’t know how to pray. I don’t know what to pray for. Perhaps you identify with one or all of these statements; most people do. But with Gary Jansen’s The 15-Minute Prayer Solution, anyone can learn to turn those “I don’t” statements into “I do” declarations— and be transformed in the process. Drawing on spiritual practices from the Christian tradition throughout the centuries, Jansen offers numerous and wide-ranging prayer exercises that can be completed in less than fifteen minutes. The Jesus Prayer, lectio divina, the Examen, imaginative prayer, and many more ways to joyfully encounter the Living God are explained. Deeply personal stories, thought provoking modern-day parables, and even humorous anecdotes bring spiritual ideas down to earth, revealing the practical side of prayer. And, as Jansen himself discovered, if you’re willing to take just fifteen minutes a day to pray, you may soon find that the entirety of your life has become a prayer, a relentless desire to place God at the center of everything. Now in paperback: Gary Jansen's bestselling Exercising Your Soul retitled, repackaged and revised!

The ministry of catechesis is critical to the mission of the Church, and the most critical factor in an effective parish catechetical program is the catechetical leader. But for these leaders to succeed in their role, they must develop specific leadership skills and competencies. This second volume of The Effective Catechetical Leader series closely examines what catechetical leadership should look like, how it should work, and whom it should serve. A few of the key topics covered in this book include how to be a servant leader while still exercising legitimate authority; how to properly and pastorally handle difficult situations and conflict to build community; how to avoid burnout by delegating responsibility and engaging in collaborative ministry; and so much more. The Effective Catechetical Leader series, developed in conjunction with the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership and written by some of the top catechetical leaders in the country, is the only series to encompass all the various aspects of catechetical leadership. This series provides the practical skills, strategies, and approaches that ensure successful parish faith formation in an evangelizing manner, which leads directly to a vibrant Church. From best practices to new approaches for proclaiming God’s word in a rapidly changing world, this groundbreaking series will empower catechetical leaders to excel at everything from administrative duties to effectively catechizing people of all ages within our diverse Church.

An imaginative way to pray the Stations of the Cross every day of the year. “As Jansen walks with us from station to station, he points us from pain toward love and hope, toward strength and endurance, toward transformation.” —Jessica Mesman Griffith, from the introduction Throughout the centuries, Christians have asked, “Why is there suffering?” or, on a more personal level, “Why am I suffering?” Answers abound, but none are likely to suffice or satisfy. A far more helpful question might be, “How should I respond to suffering?” And the answer to that question, believes Gary Jansen, can be found by looking closely at the Passion of Jesus. In Station to Station, Jansen uses the scriptural Way of the Cross to focus our minds and hearts on Jesus’ anguish and death. Walking through each station, we see the unique ways in which Jesus responded to suffering, and we are challenged to react similarly in our own struggles. Furthermore, through various Ignatian exercises, Jansen encourages us to imaginatively pray our way through the stations and to gradually respond more as Jesus would when we are weighed down by life’s burdens. Whether you are bearing your own cross or helping someone else carry theirs, Station to Station will show you how Christ’s character in the midst of suffering can, with time and prayer, become your character too.

Prayer is the raising of our hearts and minds to God. It is a holy and sacred experience open to everyone. We do not need to be experts in prayer to enjoy the opportunity to grow in prayerful awareness of our friendship with God.Sacred Space: The Prayer Book can lead us into a life of prayer and, in doing so, inspire new expressions and depths of faith. The Scripture, prayers, and reflections in Sacred Space: The Prayer Book will inspire you to a richer daily spiritual experience throughout the liturgical year and invite you to develop a closer relationship with God. Each day of Sacred Space: The Prayer Book includes a Scripture reading and points of reflection, as well as a weekly topic enhanced by six steps of prayer and contemplation: The Presence of God, Freedom, Consciousness, The Word, Conversation, and Conclusion. Sacred Space: The Prayer Book is designed to help you stay faithful to your intention to deepen your spiritual journey. It is the perfect gift for your parish, campus ministry program, small group, friend, family member, or yourself.

Reach Me with Smiles is a useful resource that will enhance teacher effectiveness, merging six approaches that can be used in any teaching context. How do you teach a lesson that will assist with growth? Teachers and leaders stimulate, motivate, involve, love, encourage, and strengthen students. The concept is recommended for teacher development to improve existing skills for independent or group study: Examine how to equip persons who make disciples of others, a core value of Christian ministry Keep lessons fresh as you remain equipped and updated with what God has called you to do Consider unique characteristics of Gods creationyour students Discover how to be intentional about teaching others how to demonstrate their faith Distinguish between disciple and disciple maker as a part of increasing effectiveness Examine processes to assist Christians with equipping the body of believers Explore how to escort church members toward becoming more mature Christians Equip servants to build strong foundations for transformational ministry in the church and community Uncover practical strategies for the local church or in service to the community The user-friendly layout considers teacher preparation as a process, offers suggestions to help teachers self-evaluate regularly, and provides a ready reference for specific skills with confidence. The investment of teaching, training, and equipping saints enriches and empowers Christian education. Reach Me with SMILES is a handy source for developing and nurturing spiritual growth, changing lives, and winning souls for the kingdom. Teachers, leaders, or anyone exploring teaching will be edified and empowered to sail away, reaching others for Christ.

The author describes how he re-embraced his Christian heritage and regained his spiritual center after abandoning it for twenty years in the fairy tale world of Hollywood.

The time-honored practices in this inspiring book will guide you in unlocking the power of Catholic devotions— prayers, meditations, and even very simple, small actions you can take right now that will bring you closer to God and also offer reassurance that we are never, ever alone. The mystical practices of mindfulness and heartfulness presented can help anyone find so­lace, healing, and direction during difficult times. In Life Everlasting readers will discover that lost causes can be won by meditating with St. Jude; healings can occur by praying with the Virgin Mary; and the Holy Spirit can assist us in making important decisions. The Catholic art of devotion can help us experience miracles in all aspects of our daily lives including our health, finances, and relationships. By praying and taking our attention off our own problems for just a few minutes a day, we can take the first steps toward abandoning fear and living a life of forgiveness, abundance, and perpetual gratitude. In other words, we can experience a little heaven on earth, a little life everlasting.

Dive into the profound and poetic world of humanity's paradoxical beauty and absurdity with Meditations at Midnight by Gary Jansen—a literary feast that ignites your love for books and leaves you pondering life's mysteries. There are few books that can bring you face to face with your own humanity with all its tragic loveliness and at the same time lift you so high above it that you are able to dispassionately examine mankind’s absurdity and brilliance. Meditations at Midnight, by Gary Jansen, is such a book. Jansen’s stories, verses, and musings are at once familiar, startling, dreamy, funny, and nostalgic. He pays homage to his own favorite writers from Jack Kerouac to Stephen King to Ernest Hemingway to Emily Dickinson to Paulo Coelho and more. This is a book you can devour in one sitting or flip open and just nibble on a thought or a theme that suits your mood. Meditations at Midnight will awaken your love of literature--or inspire it.