Terri Martinson Elton, associate professor of leadership at Luther Seminary, is author of “Journeying in the Wilderness: Forming Faith in the 21st Century.” Published in February by Fortress Press, the book argues that leaders must embrace contextual faith formation in response to the disruptive changes of 21st-century life.
In light of the coronavirus pandemic, “Journeying in the Wilderness” is a timely book. Elton suggests activities and practices that can help church leaders and congregations as they work to develop a contextual approach to faith formation. She encourages readers to “keep the big picture in mind, pay attention to each step, and be open to God’s leading” as they work through the book to recalibrate faith formation to fit their circumstances.
Gordon Mikoski, associate professor of Christian education at Princeton Theological Seminary, writes, “Elton’s book helps us all to find the way forward when the old maps are outdated or don’t cover the territory we now find ourselves in. We discover here a spiritual process for moving forward in faith through deep engagement with the love of God attested to in Scripture and through participation in a set of faith-orienting practices. We need Elton’s spiritual GPS for such a time as this.”