Ascension Press
Current Titles
An Energy Not Its Own: Three cycles of parish life and the purposes of the parish church by Michelle Heyne and Robert Gallagher
Every parish church has three intrinsic cycles. Each describes a process that is inherent in the parish’s life. They are “given” rather than something we create. They will happen with or without our awareness of it, with or without our cooperation. And yet, our cooperation matters.
The Parish Life Cycle explores stages of creation, formation, stability (healthy/stable, and static), decline, disintegration, and death. The ministry of maintaining, developing, or revitalizing the parish is seen as the community’s movement back to the issue sand dynamics of formation. The second cycle is the Relationship Cycle that can help leaders keep the parish in a renewal cycle while avoiding the high level conflict cycle. And the Renewal-Apostolate Cycle is primary to understanding the Christian life—our need to form an inner core of silence as we act as instruments of God’s love in daily life.
Order from Amazon E-Book $9.99 Paperback $25.00
A Wonderful and Sacred Mystery: A Practical Theology of the Parish Church is the new book available from Ascension Press. The book is the first offering of the new Shaping the Parish series from Ascension Press. Michelle Heyne and Robert Gallagher, two professed members of the Order of the Ascension have collaborated in writing the book.
Order from Amazon EBook $9.99; Paperback 23.50
Chapters: Images of the parish’s intrinsic dynamics and rhythms, The goals of parish development, Power from the center pervades the whole, Cultural density, The knowledge and skills
Fill All Things: The Dynamics of Spirituality in the Parish Church By Robert A. Gallagher, OA
A book on four models exploring the spiritual dynamics of parish churches.
This is the rare book that I come back to, again and again, for wisdom in my ministry. Practical, and yet encouraging, it is more compass than map, pointing the way towards greater parish vitality and health. -Poulson Read, OA, Bishop of Oklahoma
What differentiates this book from others is that it provides not just analysis and comprehension, but frameworks, models, and real world examples that will help church leaders move a parish community toward healthy patterns, habits, and standards in their common life and mission. -Scott Benhase, OA, Retired Bishop of Georgia
Real-life, practical models that give depth and vision to the day-to-day work of leading healthy congregations. Spiritually grounded, yet pragmatic. May be the most helpful resource I've encountered for building a vital church. - Father Lowell Grisham, OA
Order from Amazon EBook $9.99. Paperback $30.00
Finding God in All Things: Contemplation, Intercession, and Intervention
The theories, methods, skills, emotional intelligence and stance of effective parish development
Finding God in all things is our life and our work. Our “shaping” and “developing” of parish churches is rooted in the conviction that God is already present in the parish, we do not bring God to the parish. Table of Contents
Order from Amazon Kindle $9.99. Paperback $35.00
Practicing Prayer: A Handbook by Lowell E. Grisham, OA
The prayers of the Church have connected the author with something compelling, deep and mysterious since childhood. That mystery is connected to his own experience in prayer of both God's endearing nearness and God's unfathomable depths. ...This handbook takes account of individual differences and temperament and encourages the reader to experiment. Throughout, Lowell reminds us that we are "to pray as we can, not as we can't."
Order from Amazon EBook $9.99; paperback 11.00
In Your Holy Spirit - a companion set of books
In Your Holy Spirit: Traditional Spiritual Practices in Today's Christian Life By Michelle Heyne, OA
This book provides practical assistance to Christians seeking to deepen their own spiritual discipline in the traditional areas of Weekly Practice (Eucharist, Mass, Holy Communion), Daily Practice (Office, Liturgy of the Hours), Reflection, Community and Service. Readers will expand their understanding of traditional Christianity and how it speaks to members of the Body of Christ today.
Using ancient practices, modern adaptations, and a Spiritual Practices Map, this book will help readers form their own Rule of Life, and create their own approach to spiritual discipline and practice within the church ’s traditions.
Order from Amazon EBook $9.99; paperback 16.95
Chapters: Our Key Assumptions & How to Use this Book (A Map: Spiritual Practices, Assessing Your Spiritual Practices), The Weekly Practice: Holy Eucharist (Building your own sense of competence, Ways to experiment with use of the body, Ways to experiment with stillness, silence, Ways to experiment with engaging the Word), The Daily Practice: Daily Prayers of the Church, Reflection, Participating in Community, Service, The Process of Spiritual Growth
The In Your Holy Spirit Model - a handout of the model. A 5 session educational program - "Teaching Spiritual Practice: An Experiential Approach to Christian Formation and Parish Development" makes use of the In Your Holy Spirit Model
The following books are being processed to become available from Amazon - check back soon
In Your Holy Spirit: Shaping the Parish Through Spiritual Practice By Robert Gallagher, OA
COST: $19.95 Paperback. $9.99 Kindle. At Amazon
“The pattern I believe called for in our age includes a weekly and a daily practice connecting us to something larger than ourselves; practices that link us to the ancient rhythms and bring us into relationship with the baptized community. It also includes a way to recover and maintain a sense of perspective about the world and ourselves. ”
This book provides clear, practical assistance to both ordained and lay leaders who want to progress their parishes by focusing on the development of healthy spiritual life.
Content: Shaping the Parish (A Map: Spiritual Practices), The Weekly Practice: Holy Eucharist, The Daily Practice: The Prayers of the Church, Reflection (Inner Stillness and Silence, Allowing Deep Listening), Participating in Community, Service, The Process of Change
This book offers nine programs that are designed to foster holiness of life. They are pathways of grace. The hope is to open up the possibility of significant movement in a person’s spiritual life. To help us take on practices grounded in the church’s traditions. Habits to be engaged as adults accepting responsibility for our spiritual life, responsibility in which we cooperate with the work of the Holy Spirit. Our concern is two-fold. Yes, about the individual’s growth in the Christian Life. And also, about the nurturing of an apostolic core and an apostolic climate in each parish church. Table of Contents. Kindle $9.99. Paperback $35.00 AMAZON
Older Titles
These titles will be offered as a PDF at no charge.
Priestly Spirituality by Eleanore L. McLaughlin A PDF of the booklet (no charge)
"Prayer and Prophecy" by Kenneth Leech
Two lectures given by Father Leech at the Berkeley Divinity School at Yale in 1984. The first is The City as Today's Contemplative Desert and the second is the Urban Church and the Struggle for the Kingdom.
"Power from on High: A Model for Parish Life and Development" by Robert Gallagher, OA
The renewal and development of a parish is a process of entering more deeply into the life of Christ and the nature and mission of the Church. A parish is being renewed as it enters into and reflects the mind, heart and work of Christ. A parish is being renewed as it enters into and reflects the unity, holiness, catholicity and apostolicity of the Church. A parish is being renewed as it pursues the mission of holy unity. Parish development is our striving, as a community of Christian people, toward God. It is not primarily something we do, or create, or make happen. It is the way in which a parish, a local manifestation of the Holy Catholic Church, shares in the Divine Life. It is living the Christian life, not simply as individuals, but as a people. Robert A. Gallagher, OA
An updated presentation of the model is in Fill All Things, Gallagher, Ascension Press
"Faith Sharing" by Mary Anne Mann; Robert A Gallagher, OA
A collection of exercises to help small groups relate the story of the People of God with our own story. Helpful for community building among vestries or other organizations. 32 pp. booklet. A PDF of the booklet
Several of the exercises are based on models available on this site at -- Shaping the Parish Resources
There are also two exercise developed shortly after the booklet was published. Nurturing Commitment and Competence and Renewal-Apostolate
"Parish Assessment Workbook" by Robert Gallagher, OA and Linda Miska Tavello, COA
A 1988 publication used by consultants and bishop's staffs to help parishes reflect on their life and ministry. It was frequently used as the basis for writing a parish profile. We believe it's still a very useful resource with a bit of adaptation.)
"Conformed to Christ" -- This book provides an introduction to the ways in which establishing standards and developing organizational structure contribute to parish formation and life in the Body of Christ. The sections describing the roles that standards and structures play in the creation of healthy parishes are followed by sample standards, job descriptions, and documents to serve as a guide for Clergy or lay leaders seeking to strengthen the life of their congregations. First published in 1988 and revisd in 2004.
Other AP material (offered without charge)
The Promise: 2021 Three reflections on the Benedictine Promise offered at the 2021 retreat of the Order of the Ascension. Includes an introduction by Sister Michelle Heyne, OA the Presiding Sister.
Managing Editor
Michelle Heyne, OA is the managing editor of Ascension Press.
Publishing Norms - A PDF on our norms