Upchurch publishes devotional on the Book of James
FOR RELEASE: Thursday, July 14, 2011
HUNTINGTON, Ind. Dr. Rick Upchurch, director of the EXCEL Adult Degree Programs at Huntington University, recently published a devotional on the Book of James, titled "Discipleship with James: Devotionals for Spiritual Growth."The book of James in the Bible is one of the most read and loved for its practical application of Christian Principles. This devotional works through James over the course of a month, providing insights and observations from the text and connecting the words to day-to-day living. Included with the devotionals is a bonus retreat schedule which can be used individually or as part of a small group experience.
Those using this devotional guide will find themselves connecting the dots between theory and practice. They will also find themselves growing in their faith and how that faith was meant to be applied.
"James has always been one of my favorite New Testament books. I love how it connects faith to real life. So, I began taking short passages and writing a devotional based on that passage. Over time, I discovered I had gone through the whole book and decided to compile the devotionals together into a book. I added the retreat section in the back because I have had positive experiences from those times and felt that others would also benefit but often don't really know where to start," Upchurch said.
The book is available now from Amazon.com.
Upchurch became the director of EXCEL program at Huntington University in February 2008 after having led churches in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan for 18 years, and serving as associate vice president of adult and distance education at Ohio Christian University for nine years. He is also the president of ACCESS, a national Christian distance education association.
He and his wife of 35 years, Mary Margaret, are the parents of three children. Upchurch is a sought-after speaker on issues of faith, holiness, redemptive relationships and leadership. He is also the author of Guidebook to Curriculum Development and designer of the Upchurch Curriculum Audit Tool (UCAT).
EXCEL Adult Degree Programs at HU offers associate degree programs in Christian ministry and organizational management in addition to bachelor's degree programs in business administration, human resource management, not-for-profit leadership, marketing, accounting and nursing (RN to BSN). Onsite classes are held one night per week, one subject at a time in Huntington, Columbia City and Wabash, Ind. A 15-credit hour TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) certificate is also offered in an accelerated format in Huntington.
