Forming faith in a time of flux

‘Prior to the pandemic, I would have given a book on change to one or two people,’ Sarah Yardley (Mission Lead at CreationFest) told me, ‘now, there’s almost no one I wouldn’t give a book on change!’ We were discussing her new book MORE > Change ahead of its publication into ‘Form’ –a new spiritual formation imprint from SPCK. 

Whether pastoring a congregation or simply trying to stop and spend time with God, we have all found ourselves forming faith in times of flux. As a preacher herself, Sarah aims to make God’s Word as practically accessible as possible, ‘Right now, I think there’s a real hunger for intimacy with God. Not everyone would use the language of spiritual formation, but we’ve learnt throughout the pandemic that if our spiritual lives don’t have a root that is deeper than the large-scale gathered experience then our faith would wither. I’ve seen a real honest hunger for deep spiritual life that doesn’t rest on certain experiences.’

Feeding and furthering this spiritual hunger is what Form intends to do through accessible, engaging, and practical books. Founded on the premise that we are all being formed – whether we like it or not, by what we read, listen to and watch, by who we spend our time with – Form books will help people engage intentionally in their spiritual formation right where they are.

Sarah Yardley’s MORE > Change is a pocket-sized book that looks to the Bible’s wisdom on how we navigate change. Alongside it are new books from Gemma Simmonds (Dancing at the Still Point, July 2021), John Mark Comer (Live No Lies, September 2021), 24-7 Prayer’s Brian Heasley (Be Still, October 2021), Amy Boucher Pye (7 Ways to Pray, October 2021) and more!

Form is also making age-old wisdom accessible to a new generation. Look out for new editions of old classics including a 20th anniversary edition of Dallas Willard’s Renovation of the Heart (October 2021) with new contributions from John Mark Comer and Natasha Robinson; and Frank C. Laubach’s Letters by a Modern Mystic with a spirit-breathed new foreword from Pete Greig.

‘Spiritual formation teaching gives us a real rootedness in the core disciplines’, Sarah explains, ‘not only for our faith in this moment but in the faith put in Jesus Christ throughout the ages.’ We see that many believers are turning to resources to help them cultivate a simple reliance on Jesus in the wake of the global pandemic, and Sarah’s book is no exception. ‘My prayer is that people who read my book would see our changing lives through the lens of an unchanging God, and that the practical tools would be a gift to those who are navigating their own seasons of change.’

And it is our hope that those who are navigating congregations through a time of flux, will find a resource to help you and those you serve focus on the one who calms the storm. 

Elizabeth Neep, Senior Commissioning Editor at SPCK in conversation with Sarah Yardley, Mission Lead at CreationFest

To find out more about Form, see https://spckpublishing.co.uk/departments/imprints/form-books