Archived Alumni Book Clubs
STEVE MITCHINSON
Book discussion details.
Our featured book this spring is Dying for Life: How Jesus’ Passion Reframes Life and Death as Dying and Rebirth by SSU alumna, Steve Mitchinson.
What if, rather than dread or denial, Christ calls us to embrace death as a journey in stages, through growth in the womb of this life toward our rebirth into the next?
Dr. Steve Mitchinson compares this proposition with his own observations as a palliative care physician, teaching readers to be midwives for those about to emerge into their full humanity.
About the author — Steve Mitchinson
Steve Mitchinson is a Palliative Care physician who served as medical director of the Palliative Care Unit at Abbotsford Regional Hospital. Currently he is working in hospice, community and hospital based palliative care.
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Dying for Life is based on Steve’s thesis research from his MA in Theology & Culture at St. Stephen’s University (New Brunswick) and earned him SSU’s 2023 Grad Studies Award for Research Excellence.
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What if rather than dread or denial, Christ calls us to embrace death as a journey in stages, through growth in the womb of this life toward our rebirth into the next? Dr. Steve Mitchinson compares this proposition with his own observations as a palliative care physician, teaching readers to be midwives for those about to emerge into their full humanity.
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Steve and his wife Karen live in Abbotsford, BC Canada moving from the UK in 2005, They have two adult children Josh and Amy. Among his other loves, he is a musician, published song-writer, an avid cyclist and a keen surfer.
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Meeting #1: April 18th, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. EST (introductory interview with Marisa Lapish)
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Meeting #2: May 16th, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. EST (book discussion with author, Steve Mitchinson)
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— Links to join are provided below (scroll down)
MERCY AIKEN
Book discussion details.
Yet In the Dark Streets Shining details the little-known story of Palestinian Christians through the heartbreaking but inspiring account of a boy who grew up to be a spiritual and community leader in Bethlehem. Bishara Awad was just a child when his father was killed by a sniper during the Israeli-Arab war of 1948. After the family fled their Jerusalem home, Bishara and his siblings grew up as refugees. His spiritual journey brought him through poverty and danger, while witnessing loss and death. Under the shadows of persecution and war, he learned how to live his Christian faith in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Christ. When Bishara learned how to forgive, he became a firebrand of faith and hope. Rising to the many challenges, he launched Bethlehem Bible College, the first Bible college in the West Bank. Through the dashed hopes of one war after another, as well as opposition on all sides, Bishara's story conveys how he and other Palestinian Christians continue to live their faith and envision a better future.
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Meeting #1: January 23, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. EST (with Mercy Aiken introducing her book)
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Meeting #2: February 27, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. EST (with Marisa Lapish facilitating)
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Meeting #3: March 26, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. EST (with Mercy Aiken and co-sponsored by
NEME to include their constituents)
— Links to join are provided below (scroll down)
About the author — Mercy Aiken
As the Relationship Manager for Network of Evangelicals for the Middle East, Mercy engages evangelical leaders, scholars, and pastors in learning more about the challenges that Christians and others face in the Holy Land and across the Middle East. She lived and volunteered on and off in the Occupied Palestinian Territories in Bethlehem between 2015 to 2020 and is the co-author of Yet in the Dark Streets Shining: A Palestinian Story of Hope and Resilience. One of her passions is to share about her experience in Palestine and Israel through writing, speaking, and
leading tours to the Holy Land. It is her hope that this will help inspire the global church to the much-needed ministry of peacemaking, justice, and reconciliation in the Holy Land and around the world. She holds a B.A. in English from Northern Arizona University and a Master of Arts in Theology/Culture/Peacemaking from Saint Stephen’s University in New Brunswick, Canada. Mercy is based in Flagstaff, Arizona.
