New Guide Can Assist Modern Day Disciples of Jesus Engage his Central Mission and Closing Prayer, to Live a Life Spiritually One with Him, "Abiding in the Vine"

Author provides practical framework based on "five biometrics of a healthy branch" that can open up a life fueled by new creation vitality

KANSAS CITY, Mo., June 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- For many Christians, trying to live a life that honors God can feel like an endless cycle of falling short, seeking forgiveness, and trying harder. A new book offers a refocus, where the spiritual life engages inner wholeness in Christ rather than trying to fix brokenness and failure. Rejecting the popular notion that a Christian is simply a sinner saved by grace, the author dives into the depths and shares what it means to be made a spiritual son (or daughter) of God.

In "From the Fig Tree to the Vine," author Michael J. Parkyn urges readers to abandon the "fig tree life" of religious striving that has only leaves and no fruit, and rather learn to abide in the vine, just like Jesus instructed. Parkyn shares his frustrations in trying his best to live a life pleasing to God, only to discover God's immense love and unwavering acceptance that fuels the new creation life.

"I've found that a lot of us find it hard to just snap out of where we are and engage someone else's solutions," said Parkyn. "We need to understand and identify with the journey that took them there. That's the memoir element of the book, and I hope you find my story both interesting and helpful. I'm hoping you might find that my struggles and tensions resonate with some of your own, and you thereby find a connection into the solutions I have found."

Along the way, Parkyn established a sonship identity, overcoming fear of God's judgment, and breaking demonic strongholds that kept him paralyzed in both a surrender mentality and a debilitating illness. Facing distortions in popular Christian teachings head-on and grasping a ministry model beyond the limits of church, he shares what he calls the "five biometrics of a healthy branch" in the vine, with practical activations to help readers abide themselves. The five biometrics form the acronym WHOLE, providing a framework that focuses on God's solution in the new creation, a core purpose of Jesus dying, rising again, and sending the Holy Spirit:

1. Wellness Within reveals the stunning reality of being made a child of God by spiritual birth.
2. Highest Assurance embeds what Parkyn calls "certainty for eternity," with the assertion that "God does not abandon his children."
3. One Focus dials in on the reality of a living spiritual union with Jesus.
4. Liberated Influence empowers every believer to be a carrier of God's witness and influence right where they are, proclaiming his peace and blessing everywhere.
5. Elevated Purpose opens the way to unashamedly become the person God intended, participating in community that values one another – where the "we" becomes bigger than the "me".

"A painful encounter with a scorpion, a dramatic epiphany moment alongside London's Big Ben, the Grand Canyon filled with smoke, even my new creation equivalent of "The Lord's Prayer," this book is full of unexpected twists and turns," said Parkyn, " all with the backdrop of South Africa's majestic "Amphitheatre" mountain that symbolizes my spiritual journey and graces the front cover of the book. I've combined storytelling, bible teaching and practical activations to create a lively guide that challenges the status quo, while offering a lifeline for Christians stuck in a rut, confused by religious dogma, or hungry for more reality in their walk with God. Well-suited to small group study and reflection, the book will also be the basis of new online training to be launched soon as "New Creation Online."

"From the Fig Tree to the Vine: learn to thrive in the New Creation, A disciple's guide to bearing much fruit"

By Michael J. Parkyn

ISBN: 9798385047987 (softcover); 9798385047970 (electronic); 9798385067237 (audio)

Available at WestBow Press, Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the author

Michael J. Parkyn has been a missionary, pastor, and consultant. Growing up in England he graduated Kingston Polytechnic, London, summa cum laude with a B.Sc. After a profound spiritual awakening at a rock concert prompted an immediate shift in his life trajectory, he entered full-time missions work, eventually serving as a church pastor and youth leader, and working as operations manager for a global Bible teaching organization. He was formally ordained to Christian ministry and international church planting in 1991. After nearly 20 years in full-time ministry, Parkyn returned to his original professional career in construction management, actively integrating his spiritual engagement directly into the corporate marketplace, and growing his nonprofit organization, Whole Inc. He currently resides in Kansas City, Missouri, with Heather, his wife of nearly 40 years. They have four children, and eight grandchildren. To learn more, please visit https://whole.global and @messengermike on YouTube.

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SOURCE WestBow Press