Exclusive content from the author or seasoned guide.
Schedule, study guides, podcasts, essays, and email reminders.
Thoughtful online discussion with other Book Club members.
Optional in-person discussion groups in many locations (and growing!)
Philip Yancey is an American Christian author. Fourteen million copies of his books have been sold worldwide, making him one of the best-selling evangelical Christian authors. Two of his books
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Miriam (Mimi) Dixon began her ministry in 1979 serving as an associate pastor at Northminster Presbyterian Church in Seattle, Washington. From April of 1985 to May of 2019 she served
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Larry Burtoft was the pastor of Valley Vista Christian Community in Van Nuys, CA, where Dallas came to deliver the series of talks that became Life Without Lack (2018), which
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For Philip Yancey, writing is a way to explore faith. He explains: “At times we all ask questions such as ‘Where is God when it hurts?’ or ‘Does prayer make any difference?’ As a freelance writer, I get to investigate such issues full-time. It’s my calling, to honestly explore such questions, and I feel privileged to do so in print.”
Miriam (Mimi) Dixon began her ministry in 1979 serving as an associate pastor at Northminster Presbyterian Church in Seattle, Washington. From April of 1985 to May of 2019 she served as senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Golden, Colorado. She earned both her MDiv and DMin degrees from Fuller Theological Seminary. Mimi is on the Renovaré Board of Directors and teaches for the Renovaré Institute. She actively promotes Christian Spiritual Formation, crediting Richard Foster and Dallas Willard for their influence in her life and ministry. The Interior Castle has become an essential resource in Mimi's life with God for the past several years, and Mimi is excited to help Book Club members become better acquainted with Teresa of Ávila and the help she offers.
Larry Burtoft has been married to his wife, Lotus, for 49 years, and together they raised three sons. Those sons are married and raising another six sons and one granddaughter. Both Larry & Lotus were born in Southern California, moving to Colorado Springs, CO in 1993, where they now reside.
Facilitated by Philip Yancey
Facilitated by Miriam Dixon 
The Internet can be a scary place sometimes, especially when it comes to discussing close-to-the-heart topics. The Renovaré Book Club strives to create an online space where people ask without fear, seek understanding, and disagree while treating one another as Jesus would.
You can choose to participate in a members-only forum, a members-only Facebook group, an in-person group, or no group at all and simply follow along and enjoy the resources. It's up to you.
Map below shows in-person groups. None close to you? Join the discussion online and/or contact us to start an in-person group. Note: Coordinator contact info is only available after joining. Learn more about local groups...
Founded by Celebration of Discipline author Richard J. Foster, Renovaré is a Christian nonprofit that creates resources and kindles communities which help people become more like Jesus. Learn more about Renovaré.
Membership includes reading schedule with email reminders, study guides, podcasts, essays and a members-only discussion forum where you can interact with other members and the Renovaré team members leading the sessions. Membership also includes access to volunteer-led meetup groups in select areas.
Our 2019 – 20 season will begin on October 14, 2019, with the first week of reading starting on October 21. You may join any time during the season and have access to the bonus features of all four books (articles and podcasts, as well as discussion board conversations).
Due to the event-like nature of the Book Club, memberships are not returnable/refundable. Thanks for your understanding and for your support of the work of Renovaré.
Once you join, you will have perpetual access to this season’s resources and access to the discussion forums throughout the summer. We leave everything accessible on the Book Club dashboard through early September.
Once we archive all of the resources, we send members a link to access them going forward. We do not preserve the discussion boards past the summer.
No, all books must be obtained separately. (Memberships that include the first book are no longer available.)
If your membership was purchased on or before September 30 and included the first book, you will still need to obtain the final three books of the season.
Books may be borrowed from your local library, purchased at your local bookseller, or purchased using Amazon or CBD links on the Book Club purchase page (links support Renovaré). All of this season’s books are available in e‑book format through online retailers as well.
Yes, readers often find it easier to use the recommended editions, as page numbers and other details can be edition-specific. If you use an edition other than the one recommended, you may need to do some adaptation. Note: We are also aware that our readers are increasingly using eBook versions of the texts, and we will do our best to make the reading assignments make sense for the digital versions of our chosen editions as well.
Local meet-ups are organized and led by volunteers. Renovaré publishes the list of volunteer meet-up locations (coming soon for 2019 – 20) but does not have a direct role in hosting the groups.
Experience in the local groups has generally been very positive. We are delighted to see these communities blossom and grow. We are very grateful to our local leaders for being willing to step forward in this role.
That said, here are a few things to keep in mind:
• Your membership fee covers the study guide, podcasts, essays, weekly reminders, and access to a online community. Local meet-ups are a free bonus to the Book Club made possible by volunteers. Because of that, Renovaré cannot accept responsibility for individuals’ experiences — whether as host or participant — in a local book group.
• You must be a member of the Book Club to connect with a local host. We have assured our hosts that their information will only be made available to those who belong to the Book Club. Once you join, you will receive a special link to the coordinators’ names and email addresses so you can connect with them.
• Dates and times of meet-ups are set by hosts and may vary from month to month. Members can contact coordinators for time and location details.
We expect our Book Club members to treat one another as Jesus would, with the highest level of honor and respect. Any sort of abuse or harassment will not be tolerated — whether in-person or online.
Thank you!
Please see this map and list of locations. (Note: You can “grab” the map by clicking or tapping on it, and move it around to see various parts of the world.) Members will have access to the names and email addresses of the local coordinators to discuss a time and location.
If there are no groups in your area, you will still be able to join an online discussion group. Once you’re a member, you can also volunteer to become a coordinator for your region.
Each session has a facilitator (either the author or an expert on the book) who will help you grow as you read each title. They provide bonus articles and podcast messages about the book, but they do not engage on the discussion forums. You will have an opportunity to post a question for the facilitator that might be included in each session’s third and final podcast, which is driven by members’ questions.
Our Renovaré staff work together to moderate the discussion board and engage as they are able. New in 2019: Renovaré team members will be hosting monthly video meet-ups. Information on how to pre-register for these will be posted once we launch the Club officially in October.
Finally, our regional meet-up groups are coordinated by volunteer Book Club members.
All resources and discussion are through a special Book Club members website. By October 10, 2019 (or the day that you join the Book Club if after October 10) you will be emailed instructions on how to log in.
The leadership at Renovaré meets every spring and maps out the schedule for the year.
The Renovaré Book Club can fit just about any schedule. We read each book over six weeks, so the reading “assignments” are not more than 50 pages per week.
At the beginning of each book, our members receive an outline of the proposed reading schedule. Every Monday, we send out an update that includes:
All of the resources, once posted, are available all season. There are no “live” online discussions (members can post at any time), and you may engage as much or as little as you would like online.
Members who participate in a local meet-up led by a volunteer coordinator will gather once-a-month at a time, day, and place determined by the volunteer.
We do not have a flat-fee licensing system for our current Book Club. We will soon be offering Book Club materials for previous Book Club books that you may purchase for your group. We will post more information when that is available.
That said, we’d also love it if any or all of your group were to join the 2019 – 20 season, and we can certainly set up your own online discussion forum group if you do.
Justine Olawsky is glad to help. Email her at [email protected]renovare.org.
Membership includes reading/study guide, podcasts, essays, online discussion group access, and weekly reminders. Books are not included and may be purchased from local bookseller or online (use Amazon or CBD links on our book purchase page to support Renovaré).
