Max Lucado wants more than 'wimpy grace'

Thomas Nelson and Outreach Inc are developing a new kit to help churches get the most out of Max Lucado's forthcoming release, "Grace: More than we Deserve, Greater than we Imagine".

The book inspires Christians to understand grace not only as something that they receive but something that can change, shape, embolden, soften and shake them up all at the same time.

"We all talk as though we understand the term 'grace,'" Lucado explains.

"But too often we've settled for a wimpy grace, a goldfish grace that sits in a bowl on the shelf and never causes trouble or demands a response.

"There's more to grace than we've ever imagined."

The book is out on 11 September and to engage churches, Outreach and Thomas Nelson will be distributing kits from 17 September over a period of seven weeks.

They are hoping the kits will get congregations united around this single biblical theme of grace.

The kits contain seven sermons by veteran pastor and author Lucado, a small group curriculum, gift books and invitation and connection tools.

The DVD-based curriculum is led by Lucado and supplemented by guides for participants and leaders.

A promotional DVD features Lucado, plus sermon outlines, PowerPoint templates, and bulletin inserts.

There are also postcards and door hangers to help "share the grace" with the community.

"This unique partnership with Thomas Nelson enables Outreach to place into the hands of local church leaders the tools they need to extract the essence of Lucado's study on grace and to equip members to be ambassadors of grace to others," said Eric Abel, vice president of marketing at Outreach Inc.

"Grace fully experienced doesn't stay inside four walls. It spills over to all of our communities."

The kits can be found at www.outreach.com under "Campaigns" for more info