Featured Books
We are delighted to feature the books that young clergy women have published via YCWI’s book line with Chalice Press. You can view descriptions of the books, along with links to purchase, below. You can also browse the books via our Bookshop.org affiliate book list. Customers outside of the US can order directly through Chalice Press; email their customer service department at customerservice@chalicepress.
If you’re a YCWI member or a young clergy woman interested in publishing with us, visit https://youngclergywomen.org/books/ to learn more.
Making Paper Cranes
by Mihee Kim-Kort
Drawing on memories of making paper cranes with her mother at the kitchen table, Mihee Kim-Kort begins with one of her favorite stories from childhood about the tradition of making a thousand cranes. Intrigued by the symbol of the crane, she explores the migrations and movements of the community of Asian American women. What results is a theological endeavor that engages the social histories, literary texts, and narratives of Asian American women as well as the constructive theologies of feminist and liberation theologians. But, it is ultimately one young woman’s embrace of living into this community and identity, and articulating a particular theology that is hopefully accessible to all who have experienced powerlessness and marginalization.
Simply put, Making Paper Cranes is about Asian American mothers, daughters, sisters, and women who courageously discover the grace in the struggle, the survival, and the song.
Read our review in Fidelia here.
Available in the US via Bookshop.org
Available everywhere via Chalice Press
Disclosure: YCWI is an affiliate of Bookshop.org and will earn a commission if you click through the link above and make a purchase.
Bless Her Heart: Life as a Young Clergy Woman
by Ashley-Anne Masters and Stacey Smith
In October 2011, our first book with Chalice Press was released.
Bless Her Heart: Life as a Young Clergy Woman by Ashley-Anne Masters and Stacy Smith was inspired by the stories shared in Fidelia published since 2007.
Comprising essays from young women clergy, this book is a reflection on the everyday realities of pastoral ministry for the young, female professional. Presenting real-life, first-person scenarios from young, female pastors in a variety of denominations, church sizes and ministries, this book is intended for young women in ministry, as well as those considering a ministerial calling.
Read the review in Fidelia here.
Available in the US via Bookshop.org
Available everywhere via Chalice Press
Disclosure: YCWI is an affiliate of Bookshop.org and will earn a commission if you click through the link above and make a purchase.
When Kids Ask Hard Questions, Volume 2: More Faith-Filled Responses for Tough Topics
by Bromleigh McCleneghan and Karen Ware Jackson
From the creators of When Kids Ask Hard Questions come MORE questions—and thank goodness, responses!—on today’s tough topics. In an increasingly complex world, children deserve thoughtful responses informed by our progressive faith values. In this second volume for parents, teachers, and faith leaders, respected experts, pastors, and parents address more than two dozen tough topics, offering theological perspectives and suggestions for comforting and spiritually guiding children.
Available in the US via Bookshop.org
Available everywhere via Chalice Press
Disclosure: YCWI is an affiliate of Bookshop.org and will earn a commission if you click through the link above and make a purchase.
When Kids Ask Hard Questions
by Bromleigh McCleneghan and Karen Ware Jackson
When your kids ask the hard questions, are you prepared to respond? Learn how to craft faithful conversations and be better prepared to tackle the tough stuff with your kids. More than 30 essays from a diverse group of young Christian parents, pastors, and experts address today’s toughest topics, including bodies, gender, race, bullying, suicide, mental illness, death, divorce, money, generosity, technology, faith, and more. When Kids Ask Hard Questions models faithful responses to the big questions and invites you to take a deep breath, create safe spaces for the important conversations, and speak the truth in love.
Available in the US via Bookshop.org
Available everywhere via Chalice Press
Disclosure: YCWI is an affiliate of Bookshop.org and will earn a commission if you click through the link above and make a purchase.
Ash and Starlight
by Arianne Braithwaite Lehn
What if who you are and where you are right now – in all the mess and beauty – is exactly what you need for your deepest connection with God yet? With this prayerful companion, your soul will rejoice, accept, surrender, and trust amid the ash and starlight of your daily life.
Spiritual writer and pastor Arianne Braithwaite Lehn provides encouragement for life’s journey in these honest and poetic prayers drawn from the everyday emotions, joys, and pain of our days. Ash and Starlight features prayers for centering, confession and release, guidance and transition, waiting and struggle, comfort and strength, trust, and seasonal times of year. This compilation of prayers will will help you find connection and wholeness in your own daily pilgrimage. You will be empowered to live authentically and soulfully, embracing the brokenness and beauty of your life right now, just as it is.
Available in the US via Bookshop.org
Available everywhere via Chalice Press
Disclosure: YCWI is an affiliate of Bookshop.org and will earn a commission if you click through the link above and make a purchase.
Faithful Families
by Traci Smith
A new and expanded version of Seamless Faith, now with more than a dozen new spiritual practices, space to personalize it with your own favorite practices and scriptures, and additional resources for parents, kids, grandparents, and communities that care about families!
Add family faith moments to your daily routine with little or no prep, and share meaningful spiritual experiences with your children! Traci Smith, a pastor and mother of three, offers ways to discover and develop new spiritual practices as a family, whether you’re a new seeker or a lifelong follower. Faithful Families is brimming with more than 50 easy, do-it-yourself ideas for transforming your family’s everyday moments into sacred moments!
Read our interview with the author in Fidelia here.
Available in the US via Bookshop.org
Available everywhere via Chalice Press
Disclosure: YCWI is an affiliate of Bookshop.org and will earn a commission if you click through the link above and make a purchase.
Blessed Are the Crazy
By Sarah Griffith Lund
When do you learn that “normal” doesn’t include lots of yelling, lots of sleeping, lots of beating? In Blessed Are the Crazy: Breaking the Silence about Mental Illness, Family, and Church, Sarah Griffith Lund looks back at her father’s battle with bipolar disorder, and the helpless sense of déjà vu as her brother and cousin endure mental illness, as well. With a small group study guide and “Ten Steps for Developing a Mental Health Ministry in Your Congregation,” Blessed Are the Crazy is more than memoir—it’s a resource for churches and other faith-based groups to provide healing and comfort.
Read our review in Fidelia here.
Available in the US via Bookshop.org
Available everywhere via Chalice Press
Disclosure: YCWI is an affiliate of Bookshop.org and will earn a commission if you click through the link above and make a purchase.
Sabbath in the Suburbs
By Mary Ann McKibben Dana
“Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.” Yeah, right. Sabbath-keeping seems quaint in our 24/7, twenty-first century world. Life often feels impossibly full, what with work, to-do lists, kid activities, chores, and errands. And laundry… always and forever laundry. But the Sabbath isn’t just one of the ten commandments; it is a delight that can transform the other six days of the week. Join one family’s quest to take Sabbath to heart and change their frenetic way of living by keeping a Sabbath day each week for one year. With lively and compelling prose, MaryAnn McKibben Dana documents their experiment with holy time as a guide for families of all shapes and sizes. Tips are included in each chapter to help make your own Sabbath experiment successful.
Read our review in Fidelia here.
Available in the US via Bookshop.org
Available everywhere via Chalice Press
Disclosure: YCWI is an affiliate of Bookshop.org and will earn a commission if you click through the link above and make a purchase.
Previously Published
Partners in Prayer: Advent 2015
Edited by April Berends, Emily Brown, Brenda Lovick, Kelly Boubel Shriver
Reflect daily during Advent with brief meditations written by members of The Young Clergy Women Project.
Any Day A Beautiful Change
Katherine Willis Pershey (2012)
In this collection of interrelated personal essays, Katherine Willis Pershey chronicles the story of her life as a young pastor, mother, and wife.
Read our review in Fidelia here.
Who’s Got Time?
Amy Fetterman and Teri Peterson (2013)
Learn new ways of incorporating spiritual practices into the busy lives of Generations X, Y, and beyond.
Read our review in Fidelia here.