Our church’s bookshop has been closed over the last few months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people have been waiting patiently for the restrictions to change so that we can re-open this vital and much loved ministry of our church.

Bookshop reopening

We are pleased to announce that the Murray Bridge Church of Christ Bookshop will re-open from Wednesday 3rd June 2020 at 9:30 am.

Please note that for the time being that our bookshop will only open on Wednesday each week, from 9:30 am to 4 pm. This is due to a lack of volunteers to help serve customers.

If you are in a position to volunteer for a few hours week to serve in this way, please speak to Pastor Grant Spangenberg on 8532 2883. (Please note that we would expect volunteers to be in regular fellowship in a Christian church in the Murray Bridge area.)

For further information on the bookshop click here.

A wide selection of Bibles

The Murray Bridge Church of Christ Bookshop at 32 Seventh Street, Murray Bridge has been serving our community for many decades.

It is the only bookshop in Murray Bridge selling a wide range of Bibles, inspirational books and DVDs, Christian literature on a wide range of topics and a wonderful range of cards covering many special events of life. There is even a range of gifts for sale as well.

The Bookshop is open Tuesday through to Friday every week from 9:30 am to 4 pm (and please note a small change of closing time).

Please talk to our volunteer staff. They happy to assist you chose the right item for your needs.

 Walk through to the Coffee Shop and have a cuppa or a light lunch with great company on Wednesdays to Fridays 10 am to 2 pm.

If we haven’t got what you are looking for, we will endeavour to get it for you.

For photos and more information go to our special website page here.

Huge selection of cards for all occasions

Fingerprints of Grace

by Claire-Louise Watson

Published 2017 by The Salvation Army (Australia)

Many who know me would be aware that I often promote the reading and study of God’s Word, the Bible. I have been devoted to those activities for most of my life – since my early 20s. Perhaps less well known is my love of reading in general, and more specifically, reading books, articles and magazines which enhance my spiritual walk through life. I have read widely a good range of authors on many topics. These books and articles are important in my development, informing me, challenging me and, at times, inspiring me.

I recently read this book which had a profound effect on me, not just because I read it only a short time after my wife’s passing, but also because I know the author. Fingerprints of Grace was written by Claire Watson. Claire and her husband Tim are Salvation Army Captains here in Murray Bridge.

This book traces Claire’s walk with God through her early life, her decisions about study, becoming a physiotherapist and the difficult choice she made between that life, and marrying Tim and following him into ministry in the Salvation Army. Always seeking God’s will for their ministry, they moved to Western Australia.

It was in WA that her biggest challenge in life came. Their marriage was blessed with Hannah, a sister for their two boys. During their time in Busselton, they had many wonderful times and experiences which were turned upside down when two and a half year old Hannah became seriously ill. It was a time of suffering for the whole family. To see a vibrant little girl, the delight of their lives, fade from life over a period in hospital, is heart-wrenching reading. If you have lost a dear family member to illness – or for any reason really – you know how desolate you feel.

In this very personal account, Claire relates her struggles with her role as a mother, struggles with her faith and struggles to come to terms with the diagnosis and ultimate end of such a precious little life. It is an easy read told with frank, honest writing in a way in which we can all relate. It has helped me in my personal journey through grief and loss, and it will abundantly bless any who read it.

Published by the Salvation Army it can be ordered through their website or through our own bookshop.

Highly recommended.

˄TH

Bookshop Ministry

The Murray Bridge Church of Christ has a Christian Bookshop Ministry under the same roof as the church at 32 Seventh Street, Murray Bridge, South Australia. This has been a vital ministry of the church since its inception in 1975. It serves our church community, other churches in the area, as well as the whole of the Murray Bridge community and well beyond our rural city.

Our stock

The Church of Christ Bookshop stocks a wide range of Bibles, Bible study guides, books – both non-fiction and fiction – children’s books, CDs, DVDs, gifts and novelties as well as one of the best ranges of greeting cards in the region.

Opening hours

As of today, the Bookshop is open longer each week. We invite you to come in and chat with our helpful volunteer staff and pick up some great reading, find just the right card for a special occasion, or even buy some Christmas gifts.

Bookshop Opening Hours: Please note change of times (from November 6th, 2017 until further notice).

Monday                                                    Closed

Tuesday – Friday                                  9:30 am – 5 pm.

Saturday – Sunday                               Closed

Coffee Shop

Why not come in on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday and have a quiet, relaxing coffee in the adjacent Coffee Shop? It’s open from 10 am to 2 pm Wednesday to Friday.

You can check out more details on our website here: Church of Christ Bookshop.

Children’s books, including Bibles and Bible stories

Return To Me by Lynn Austin (Restoration Chronicles #1)

This was the first of Lynn Austin’s books I have read. It is the first of her trilogy in the Restoration Chronicles. Having read the first one, I am sure I will read the following two in the series. I am particularly interested in the third book which features the life of Nehemiah, one of my favourite people of the Bible. The book of Nehemiah is one of my favourites in all of the Bible.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and will probably read more of her works in the future. This book is a fictional account of the first group of Jews to return to Jerusalem from captivity in Babylon. It is very true to the historical Biblical account.

The main character of the story is Zechariah. The plot follows his early life growing up in Babylon with all of the hardships endured there, including the pressures to conform to the social moralities of the Babylonian culture and religion, including astrology. The sudden change on the part of King Cyrus is greeted with great joy by the Jews in captivity, and plans are immediately made for them to return to Jerusalem to begin life anew in their home country. The author cleverly portrays the family conflicts which arise, with families being torn apart, some remaining in Babylon, with others leaving for the long journey home.

The reader is given an in-depth impression of the physical hardships endured on the journey and the subsequent struggles to establish themselves in Jerusalem and in the surrounding countryside. The author never shirks from also drawing out in depth the spiritual pressures placed upon this band of people, especially the constant exposure to the paganism and astrology of the neighbouring Samaritans. The stark contrasts between the Jewish faith and the faith of other people living near Jerusalem is explored in many ways in the novel.

Zechariah features prominently in this account. Towards the end of the story we see him as the prophet whose book we read in the Old Testament. The author strongly portrays a young Zechariah in the early stages of his developing spirituality, and how he has a growing awareness of his special relationship with God. Austin never strays from showing the internal spiritual struggles of Zechariah, as well as his grandfather and mentor, Iddo.

I only have one little criticism: the frequent changes of point of view can take a little getting used to, but overall, this is a very well written and enjoyable account. The novel has one enduring strength: by being written as fiction, the author can draw each character in compelling and intriguing depth, while never losing sight of the facts of the historical foundations of the narrative.

Highly recommended.

˄TH

PS I read this book on my eReader. You can order a copy through our bookshop.