Curating and Sharing Ministry Resources
What role can faith communities play in bullying prevention? As Minnesota lawmakers consider an anti-bullying bill, we note a dizzying array of material on bullying. Several new resources stand out. Now available on DVD, Lee Hirsch’s acclaimed Bully (PG-13) follows five kids and families over the course of a school year. Intimate and shocking, the [...]
Interest in intergenerational faith formation is growing. Here’s a short list of accessible resources, with special thanks to Diane Olson and her CEF colleagues. Lifelong Faith Journal is a free download. See especially volume 6.1, “The Ecologies of Lifelong Faith Formation,” volume 3.1, “Generations Learning Together,” and “Best Practices in Intergenerational Faith Formation” in volume [...]
Fans of American Public Radio’s On Being with Krista Tippett may have noted that graphic illustrator Doug Neill is now taking visual notes of the show. These sketchnotes recall Paul Soupiset’s illustrations for Sparkhouse’s Animate DVD Study, Facilitator’s Guide and Personal Journal, and their re:form curriculum for youth: they help us–at least, some of us–attend. [...]
Here’s a short list of outstanding, current antiracism resources for adults and older youth. Click titles for more information/preview. DVDs NEW: Cracking the Codes: The System of Racial Inequity (World Trust). Downloadable conversation guide and access to learning modules. Mirrors of Privilege: Making Whiteness Visible (World Trust). Downloadable conversation guide. What Makes Me White? (A.M. [...]
It seems we are becoming less interested in defining our differences, and more drawn to explore what we hold in common and how we are transformed in interfaith encounter. The emerging interfaith movement has recently produced several notable resources. Brian D. McLaren’s Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Mohammed Cross the Road? Christian Identity [...]
Parenting resources appropriate for progressive Christians are rare. But they do appear. Hopes and Fears: Everyday Theology for New Parents and Other Tired, Anxious People by Bromleigh McCleneghan and Lee Hull Moses (Alban, 2012) is such a find. It works for small group study, and it is a great recommendation for new parents. Read more [...]
Many DVD studies have five or six segments, making them perfect for Lent. Here are ten ideas; click to find a preview or more information. What Wondrous Love: Holy Week in Word and Art is a new offering from Candler School of Theology. Like A Thrill of Hope for Advent and Christmas, it features the [...]
What if Jesus meant that we should love our actual neighbors? In The Art of Neighboring (Baker, 2012), Jay Pathak and Dave Runyon encourage church members to be intentional in their relationships with their literal neighbors. Pathak and Runyon provide resources on their website. A short video introduces the neighboring movement. Church leaders are given [...]
Despite our collective fascination with the digital, church book groups remain a powerful place for formation. Shorter books, conversational in tone, with discussion questions at the end of each chapter work well: Catherine Keller ‘s On the Mystery: Discerning Divinity in Process (Fortress, 2008) is a fine example. Another is Apprenticed to Hope: A Sourcebook [...]
Recently, one of our member churches did an adult education session on faith online: participants shared their favorite websites, blogs, and emails on spirituality. Many of the websites on the RCC’s list of links are most useful for church leaders, but what about a list of nondenominational online resources on spirituality for everyone? Here’s a [...]