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A Resource You Don’t Want to Miss

15193660_1274310892614850_3005419544960841650_nA couple of years ago, I chatted on the phone with Shannon Basso about a project she was working on called BECOMING magazine. She had a vision to encourage women in their study of Scripture by combining strong theological content in a beautiful format. She succeeded.

I’ve given her first edition of BECOMING:Identity to many of my friends, and I can’t wait to share this second edition with them. I’m thankful for her passion to see women grow in the Lord through his word, as well as her creativity and diligence to bring women together to make this happen. It’s no easy task to do what she’s done, and I’m excited to get to share with you about it today.

Can you tell us a little about the vision behind BECOMING and how it’s developed as you’ve worked on the second edition?

I hit a season of real spiritual dryness as a mom of three young kids. I had reached a plateau in my growth, and at every women’s study I attended, it seemed like I was hearing the same lessons over and over. My soul was so thirsty for more, but I didn’t know where to turn.

image2As I was struggling in that place, God brought a mentor in my life, and she began sharing vital bits of information about God and the Bible that I had never heard before. Sometimes we need someone to come alongside us and open our minds to deeper understanding! What my mentor, Leigh, poured into me lit a passion for theology and a desire to inspire other women in the same way. So, with the help of some special women along the way, God led me to create the resource I would have wanted when I was struggling those years ago.

BECOMING has always been passionate about offering women a conversation not based on roles but on good theology. Our roles and seasons of life change, so we want women to be grounded in the foundation that never does—God and his Word.

BECOMING is also collaborative. We gather the wisdom of godly women and deliver it in a format that is fresh, exciting, and challenging. Women are thinkers, but I’m not sure we’re encouraged often enough in this practice. The format of our book invites women to think well, deeply, and rightly.

What we didn’t fully expect as we grew was the high interest in a study guide for our material. I don’t know why we were surprised—women love to do things with friends in community! Still, we have taken this shift in focus prayerfully and carefully. BECOMING is still an excellent individual study tool, but it’s now conducive to group study, as well.

Your first edition was on identity. What’s the theme of this year’s edition? Why did you choose it?

Story+ad+Melissa+KrugerOur second volume is on “Story.” This word is flying around everywhere in Christian and non-Christian circles alike. During my research for the study, I read a popular (secular) blog that posited that we are each the author, hero, and villain of our own stories. That’s a lot of responsibility for one person, I thought! But this is a widely held belief in our culture.

Deep down, people are desperate to know that their stories—their lives—matter and make a difference. But we can never understand our own stories until we understand the Creator’s story. Our stories only make sense as a part of his.

So we set out to examine story from God’s perspective. We take a biblical theology approach and trace 12 key themes of Scripture through the movement of Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration.

There’s something powerful about examining a subject from many different angles. After studying God’s story from Genesis to Revelation from 12 different vantage points, I guarantee you are going to have a more robust understanding of God’s divine drama and your place in it. And that understanding will influence the way you live out the prayer “thy kingdom come, thy will be done.”

One thing I love about your vision for BECOMING is that your desire to combine solid theology with beautiful craftsmanship. The pictures awaken our imaginations, the words speak truth, and the pages feel good in our hands. Why was it important to you to put together a magazine in this format?

Story Cover Page-01I think having something tangible and beautiful to hold does more for us than we realize. In a hurried world, where speed and efficiency reign, holding a book in your hands and reading forces you to slow down. It allows us to engage and linger over something with intention.

God made us with senses he intends us to use! When we feel the quality of good paper,  smell the ink of a freshly printed book, see inspiring imagery, hear the page turn as we savor well-written words . . . a lot more is happening than just reading. The physical and spiritual are invested in something together. Add to that experience the fellowship of a community of believers, and something special is going to happen. Our deepest hope is that the experience of reading BECOMING leads to worship of our God.

BECOMING also includes a study guide. How could a group of women use this resource together?

We’ve been excited to see God use BECOMING in all kinds of settings—everything from small groups around a kitchen table to large group church study.Story+ad+invitation

Because it’s collaborative, each writing (or article) is a stand-alone piece. It relates and contributes to the larger whole, but can be read and understood on its own. This makes our studies adaptable to group needs. The discussion questions are included after each article, and we are excited to offer a sewn, lay-flat binding for this volume.

While I would suggest that the group reads through all of the material, we realize that groups often have a limited number of weeks to meet. Both of our studies, BECOMING: Story and BECOMING: Identity, have 14 individual essays that can be easily divided into two segments for Spring/Fall and Spring/Summer sessions.

Alternatively, our team can help create a customized study plan that would suit a group’s study needs and time frame—there’s room for flexibility!

Can you share with us the various contributors and the title of their articles?

I continue to be in awe of the amazing group of women God assembles to create these studies. Here’s what to expect from BECOMING: Story

Preface:  A New Lens                             Melissa Kruger
Prologue: A Breakthrough Scene          Nancy Guthrie

Chapter I: CREATION

~ Kingdom                                       Heidi Dean
~ Covenant                                      Leigh Swanson
~ Rest                                               Catherine Ricketts

Chapter II: FALL
~ Good and Evil                             Sharon Beekmann
~ The Tree                                       Lindsay Swartz
~ Homecoming                              Pat Palau

Chapter III: REDEMPTION

~ Priest                                            Chrystie Cole
~ Sacrifice                                       Shannon Basso
~ Resurrection                               Trillia Newbell

Chapter IV: RESTORATION

~ Re-Creation                                 Ansley Schrimsher
~ Temple                                         Kristi Resler
~ Feast                                             Abby Kelly

 What’s the best way to get a copy of BECOMING?

The best way is through our website! You can find our new volume, BECOMING: Story, right here. Our team is always available to answer questions and help plan group study—let us know how we can help at [email protected]. Find out more about our non-profit ministry at becomingmag.com.

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