Community First

As a response to the increasing violence in our culture, the widening ideological divides, and the growing gap in economic well-being, there is greater awareness that a deeper sense of community is desperately needed. But even as we acknowledge the need to build community, the dominant on-the-ground practices about how to engage people, civically and organizationally, remain essentially unchanged. We still believe community is built with better messaging, more persuasion, and social events for people to get to know each other better. All of which is naïve.

299 Days: The Community, the third book in the 299 Days series, reunites Grant Matson with his family after his wife, children, and in-laws accept that the only way to survive the Collapse is to flee the comfort of their suburban lives and join him at his isolated cabin in the woods. With riots becoming more violent, power outages more widespread, and the military crumbling, Grant and others throughout Washington State realize they must organize if they want to endure.

"...Hammer's voice is brimming with such melody that, if you listen to it long enough, you can probably get drunk off it." — Vulture.com *Now a major motion picture from director Luca Guadagnino, starring Armie Hammer and Timothée Chalamet. Winner of the 2018 Academy Award for Adapted...

It’s not like she’s the only woman to ever have a baby. At 35. On her own. But Anne Lamott makes it all fresh in her now-classic account of how she and her son and numerous friends and neighbors and some strangers survived and thrived in that all-important first year. From finding out her baby is a boy (and getting used to the idea) to finding out her best friend and greatest supporter, Pam, will die of cancer (and not getting used to that idea), with a generous amount of wit and faith (but little piousness), Lamott narrates the great and small events making up a woman’s life.

Ten years ago, Bell Hooks astonished readers/listeners with Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom. Now comes Teaching Community: A Pedagogy of Hope - a powerful, visionary work that will enrich our teaching and our lives. Combining critical thinking about education with autobiographical narratives, hooks invites listeners to extend the discourse of race, gender, class and nationality beyond the classroom into everyday situations of learning. Bell Hooks writes candidly about her own experiences.

You are meant to be in relationships that bring joy and connection—that help you know soul-deep peace and leave you feeling loved instead of lonely. Instead, surface-level friendships, filtered social media feeds, unresolved conflicts, and unhealthy relationships can often seem to harm our self-worth, spiritual growth, and mental health—and keep us from the very relationships that could bring that true connection.

A love letter to the healing power of collaboration and feeling seen, The People's Purge: Words of a Goat Princess Vol II is a must-read for anyone looking to rid themselves of the guilt of existing and get lost in the razor sharp mind of Jessie Reyez. Born from a popular long-running series on...

Bill Willits and best-selling author Andy Stanley share their successful approach, which has resulted in nearly 8,000 adults becoming involved in small groups at North Point Community Church in Atlanta . Simply put, the five principles clearly described here have passed the test. This is not just another book about community; this is a book about strategy - strategy that builds a small group culture.

Engage Gen Z. Future-Proof Your Brand. In today’s fast-changing digital landscape, brands are struggling to capture the attention of Gen Z, a generation that values authenticity, collaboration, and community like never before. The old playbook of one-way messaging and transactional loyalty programs is no longer enough. Enter web3 marketing, a revolutionary approach that builds lasting connections through gamification, transparency, and a community-first ethos. This groundbreaking guide provides everything you need to thrive in the web3 era.

In 16-year-old Mike Hernandez's life, only one thing is clear: Gay is not okay. His family's life revolves around the church, a church run by the vocally intolerant Pastor Myers, so Mike has resolved to spend his life in the closet. His only escape - besides the occasional, anonymous gay make-out session - is his art. He pours his complicated emotions into risque drawings he keeps in a secret sketchbook. A sketchbook he carries everywhere. When his sketchbook goes missing in the middle of Sunday school, Mike is sure his life is over.

What does it mean to be a good citizen at school? Young listeners will learn what it looks like to be a part of a school community.

Atypical meets Every Last Word in this relatable and heartfelt coming of age story about a neurodivergent teen navigating school, friendships and first love. ​ Evvie Chambers is doing her best to skate through the last month of high school to graduation. The only thing standing in her way is...

Inspired by a true event, the tale of a duck family waiting in the wings for their moment in the spotlight—from the #1 bestselling mother-daughter team of musical icon Julie Andrews and author Emma Walton Hamilton! Mr. and Mrs. Puddleduck have found the perfect place to nest: a cozy planter by...

Ada always looks forward to her summers at the family villa with her mother and grandmother in a Turkish seaside town. It’s easy to leave life in California behind when the days are filled with boat rides, games at the beach, and long swims with friends. But no matter how much Ada feels she belongs in the country where her mother grew up, deep down, her connection to the culture seems as fleeting as the seasons. It’s certainly no help that her mother has lost her own sense of self, rootless and disoriented after so many years abroad.

A young girl finds her voice—and discovers the power of speaking up for herself and her community—in this sweet and humorous chapter book by award-winning and #1 bestselling author Kwame Alexander, perfect for fans of Ivy + Bean and Ruby and the Booker Boys. When Macy gets book one of The...

If you are hungry for a deeper understanding of your life and your relationships, join author D. A. Combs for an engaging and riveting study of god's eternal plan for community. Incorporating topics vitally relevant to the church today, Pastor Combs tackles the issues of community, gender relationships, family relationships, and equality folding them into a biblical understanding within the framework of god's plan for his creation.

Naeem is far from the model teen. Moving fast in his immigrant neighborhood in Queens is the only way he can outrun the eyes of his hardworking Bangladeshi parents and their gossipy neighbors. Even worse, they're not the only ones watching. Cameras on poles. Mosques infiltrated. Everyone knows: Be careful what you say and who you say it to. Anyone might be a watcher.

Popular radio host and conservative legal and political commentator Jordan Sekulow offers an action plan that will bring real change to government and help secure the future of our nation.The next red wave is coming: November 3, 2020.We face battles on many fronts. The Deep State bureaucracy...

On the Last Day of School features music and special effects. Listen along and enjoy the fun! For fans of All Are Welcome and Remarkably You, this is a joyful audiobook that celebrates the triumphs of the school year and the wistful feeling of it ending. Before the final bell rings, there's...

Discover stories of fear, triumph, and spectacular celebration in this warm-hearted novel of interconnected stories that celebrates the diversity of South Asian American experiences in a local community center. Discover stories of fear, triumph, and spectacular celebration in the fictional town...