ATTENTION – Do you want to make an impact on the Youth! Do you enjoy working with the youth at events!
If so, the Adults Staff Application for 2021 Conference Youth Events can be found at: https://nccumc.org/youth/events/staff-application/
ATTENTION – Do you want to make an impact on the Youth! Do you enjoy working with the youth at events!
If so, the Adults Staff Application for 2021 Conference Youth Events can be found at: https://nccumc.org/youth/events/staff-application/
As you are planning for the Spring, consider these new studies for adult small groups, youth, and children’s ministries.
All of these resources can be requested now and will be loaned to you through the mail when they are available. The NC Conference Media Center is open to anyone involved with a United Methodist Church in the North Carolina Conference, free of charge. More info on how to request resources is below.
For Online Groups: The streaming videos for most of these studies are included in an Amplify subscription, or they can be purchased from Cokesbury.
Adult Bible Studies Spring 2021: Holy. If your small group is looking for a consistent, scripture-based, Wesleyan curriculum, you should give the Adult Bible Studies series a try. This popular quarterly series has undergone some recent updates including the addition of a DVD and suggestions for spiritual practices alongside its time-honored biblical background and exposition and suggestions for guiding group discussion. The Spring curriculum is focused on “Holy” with sub-units on Holy Living, New in Christ, and God Revealed.
The DVD is not necessary to use this curriculum, but it is a helpful supplement. The teacher will need the teacher book, and each student will need a copy of the student book. Additional free resources including a current events supplement, PowerPoint slides, and a reflection from the NC Conference’s own Rev. Belton Joyner can be downloaded at adultbiblestudies.com.
Courage: Jesus and the Call to Brave Faith by Tom Berlin. United Methodist pastor and author Tom Berlin challenges us to unlock the courage that we already possess as Christ-followers, and in doing so, we can begin to find the remarkable life Jesus offers us. By examining the life of Christ, we can begin to understand what true courage is and how God works in our lives when we exhibit a brave faith.
Although the book is a standalone resource, additional components for a six-week study include a DVD and a comprehensive Leader Guide.
Mysteries of the Messiah: Unveiling Divine Connections from Genesis to Today by Rabbi Jason Sobel. Rabbi Jason Sobel uncovers connections between the Old Testament and New Testament that are vital in giving us a complete picture of God’s plan for sending Jesus into the world as the Messiah. As Jesus did on the road to Emmaus, Rabbi Sobel explains what the Old Testament has to say about Jesus.
This six-session study uses a DVD and a study guide. Note: The videos for this study are not available on Amplify.
1 Corinthians: Searching the Depths of God by Jaime Clark-Soles. 1 Corinthians is basically a letter Paul wrote to a people who were trying a wild new social experiment known as a Christian community. Centuries later, our churches deal with many of the same issues Paul addresses: factions, sexual immorality, gender issues, money concerns, theological questions, lawsuits, problems in worship, and problems in leadership. New Testament Professor Jaime Clark-Soles explores these topics and the awe-inspiring, breathtaking world of the first-century church.
This six-session study uses a DVD, leader guide, and a book.
Scripture and the Skeptic: Miracles, Myths, and Doubts of Biblical Proportion by Eric Huffman. If, as Christians believe, the bible is the word of God, why is it so complex and difficult to interpret parts, yet simple enough for even children to understand in others? Huffman helps readers understand and cope with confusion about the bible and provides answers to questions by reframing it as a perfect and seamless story. Huffman illustrates how the bible, even the parts some consider ungodly, presents the beautiful story that God intended to tell.
All you need for this study is the book which includes resources for personal reflections and group discussion.
These books are the United Methodist Women 2021 Spiritual Growth studies for adults, youth, and children. These excellent, thought-provoking studies are not just for women’s groups. They are open to all and highly recommended.
Bearing Witness in the Kin-dom: Living into the Church’s Moral Witness through Radical Discipleship by Darryl W. Stephens. The United Methodist Church and its predecessors have a sometimes-uneven history of resisting the evil and violence that damage the world. This book explores this history, empowering us to imagine God’s justice and to lead with compassion. Together, we bear witness to God’s gracious presence in ways that make a material difference to all of creation, all persons, especially victims of injustice, and those who are most vulnerable. This is the moral witness of the church.
Becoming Peacemakers in a Culture of Violence: A Curriculum for Youth Leaders by Jay Godfrey. This book leads youth through eight one-hour sessions that explore our experience with violence at all levels of our society and how youth can become peacemakers as an expression of their faith. As children of God, we are compelled to counter the forces of violence in our communities and in our world with actions grounded in love of God, neighbor, and self. What that looks like for us individually and collectively is the question at the heart of this curriculum. Adaptations for conducting the sessions on a virtual meeting platform are provided throughout.
Responding to Violence: A Curriculum for Children’s Facilitators by Sue Raymond. This curriculum will help prepare children for the violence that they will, unfortunately, encounter over the course of their lives. Throughout the four sessions, children will examine violence within their families, including sibling rivalry; among friends; in their communities; and even within themselves. Each session is grounded in scripture and introduces concepts and skills to help children learn how to respond to the violence that they will, or have already, faced in their lives. Activities like games and role-play as well as crafts help underline what they are learning. Adaptations for distance learning are also provided throughout.
Celebrate Wonder is the new United Methodist-endorsed quarterly children’s curriculum from Cokesbury. Honor the spiritual life of children—their natural sense of awe, wonder, imagination, and curiosity—and help shape their growing faith. Leaders will guide children through engaging experiences, spiritual practices, and opportunities for reflection, giving them a safe space to ask big questions and helping them claim their spiritual identity as children of God. Read more about the details of this curriculum and how to use it for virtual Sunday School.
Each quarterly curriculum includes a DVD and a Family Activity Book. The leader guides, activity sheets, and class packs are divided between ages 3-5, 6-8, and 9+. A separate curriculum for One Room Sunday School is also available. All of these resources can be borrowed from the NC Conference Media Center.
The Youth Service Fund is delighted to announce the formal opening of applications for grants! Through the financial peaks and troughs of the last year, the Youth Service Fund is prepared to offer grants of up to $1,000 to missions that will directly make an impact on youth and build a foundation in Christ for the church members of tomorrow. The Youth Service Fund is a committee of youth leaders who create and sell merchandise in order to donate the profits to deserving causes that benefit youth. This merchandise was sold solely online last year which has had an impact on the date on which dates will be given this year. The members of the Youth Service Fund are passionate about serving other youth in these times of trouble and request that applications be sent in by March 5th, 2021. These grants will be distributed late March/early April. Thank you so very much for the support over the last year, and the Youth Service Fund hopes to continue the giving tradition! Form more information and 2021 Grant Application please click here.
-YSF Treasurer Will Rouse
Lent begins on February 17th, so now is the time to get your requests in for your Lenten studies. Below you will find new options, recommendations, and access to our complete catalog of Lenten resources for adults, youth, and children. We carry small-group studies, curriculum, devotionals, books, movies, activity books, and worship resources.
There are three new United Methodist DVD studies for Lent. Amplify is hosting a free webinar series with the authors to learn more about each of these new options. Read more about these titles below. These webinars begin on January 12th but will be recorded and available to watch later.
Cokesbury offers a helpful comparison chart that breaks down the details of their more recent Lenten studies.
Discipleship Ministries offers this helpful article on Tips for Ash Wednesday during COVID-19. The Candler School of Theology has produced a longer Guidance for Ash Wednesday for 2021.
The Ecumenical Consultation on Protocols for Worship, Fellowship, and Sacraments produced a document on Resuming Care-Filled Worship and Sacramental Life During a Pandemic specifically for Holy Week and Easter 2021.
The NC Conference will be posting devotions online for the 40 days of Lent as well as a short Ash Wednesday service with Bishop Hope Morgan Ward. This worship experience will be live and interactive. You can subscribe to receive the devotions in your email or view them on the Lent 2021 website.
The Bishops of the UMC will also be offering weekly video devotions on dismantling racism.
For Online Groups: The streaming videos for these studies are included in an Amplify subscription, or they can be purchased from Cokesbury.
Words of Life: Jesus and the Promise of the Ten Commandments Today by Adam Hamilton. Hamilton brings modern eyes to the most important set of ethics in history. He considers the commandments in their historical context, considering the meaning of each commandment in Hebrew, unpacking how Jesus reinterpreted them, and showing how every thou-shalt-not was intended to point to a life-giving “thou shalt.” He also explores how the latest research in science and psychology illuminates these commandments, rightly understood, as a way of ordering one’s life beautifully in the present day.
Savior: What the Bible Says about the Cross by Magrey R. deVega. You’ll be introduced to several biblically based ways of understanding Jesus’ death on the cross that may go beyond the explanations you’ve heard before. By exploring the mystery of salvation through the cross, you’ll find a deeper love for God and others while strengthening your commitment to follow Jesus.
Seven Words: Listening to Christ from the Cross by Susan Robb. Robb looks at Christ’s final words from a biblical and historical perspective, showing how we can find life and hope in them. As Jesus draws his final breath and utters his last words, it is then that his deep trust in the Father and his divine glory are revealed.
Atone: The Difference the Cross Makes by Wil Cantrell. Cantrell explores the great mystery behind all the theories of how Jesus’ sacrifice enables us to be at one with God, ourselves, and others. Readers will be challenged to move beyond solely intellectual discussions to atonement and to experience for themselves the transformation made possible by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. A leader guide and a sermon series outline by the author and based on this book are available as a free download.
Lent of Liberation: Confronting the Legacy of American Slavery by Cheri L Mills. This Lenten devotional invites readers to learn more about the brutal institution of slavery and its impact on Black people in America and discover how its evolution and legacy continue to harm their descendants in the United States today. Each of the forty devotions includes the testimony of a person who escaped slavery through the Underground Railroad, a Scripture passage, and a reflection connecting biblical and historical themes to challenge modern readers to work for liberation. A collection of digital resources to use with this book, including a small-group guide, can be downloaded for free.
Journey to Transformation by Bishop Sharma D. Lewis. This book is a new version of Bishop Sharma Lewis’ best-selling Lenten study for 2021. Sharing her individual journey, Bishop Lewis (Virginia Conference, United Methodist Church) invites readers to observe Lent by introspection, repentance, forgiveness, renewal, prayer, fasting, and Biblical study.
Walking in the Wilderness: Seeking God during Lent by Beth A. Richardson. We spend 40 days in the wilderness during Lent–days in which God calls us to self-examination, repentance, and making room for the Holy One in our lives. Our task during Lent is to clear away the clutter from our hearts so we can be fully present to God and our neighbors. This book includes daily reflections for Ash Wednesday through Easter. A spiritual practice is introduced each Sunday of Lent: Being Present, Lament, Lectio Divina, Trust, Compassion, and Hospitality.
The 40-Day Social Media Fast: Exchange Your Online Distractions for Real-Life Devotion by Wendy Speake. This “screen sabbatical” is designed to help you become fully conscious of your dependence on social media so you can purposefully unplug from screens and plug into real life with the help of a very real God. Disconnect in order to reconnect with the only One who said “follow me.”
The Walk: Five Essential Practices of the Christian Life by Adam Hamilton. Discover five essential spiritual practices rooted in Jesus’ own walk with God. Hamilton’s engaging teaching style will help you explore each of these practices, its New Testament foundation, and its potential effect on our personal lives and our lives together as the church.
Simon Peter: Flawed but Faithful Disciple by Adam Hamilton. Peter was just an ordinary guy who heard and followed God’s extraordinary call. Discover how you, too, have special gifts, talents, and abilities that God can use to make a difference today.
Entering the Passion of Jesus: A Beginner’s Guide to Holy Week by Amy-Jill Levine. Levine explores the biblical texts surrounding the Passion story. She shows us how the text raises ethical and spiritual questions for the reader, and how we all face risk in our Christian experience.
The Grace of Les Miserables by Matt Rawle. Rawle dives into six ideals found in the story—grace, justice, poverty, revolution, love, and hope—each represented by a character in Hugo’s story. He draws parallels between the iconic story and musical and our Christian calling, inspiring us to both understand our faith and live it out in the world.
Restored: Finding Redemption in Our Mess by Tom Berlin. Berlin encourages us to reflect and meditate through our own brokenness, showing us that it is only when we focus on the cross as a place to surrender control that we can leave our mess and find true redemption.
Embracing the Uncertain: A Lenten Study for Unsteady Times by Magrey R. deVega. deVega invites readers this Lent to engage and wrestle with life’s uncertainties, not ignore them. The first six chapters focus on six post-Transfiguration, pre-Passion stories in the Gospels. Each of these stories are signposts in the gospel narrative, pointing down at a world filled with uncertainty, but pointing us forward to a cross that can show us how to follow Jesus with courage, hope, and obedience. A devotional based on this study is also available.
A Resurrection-Shaped Life: Dying and Rising on Planet Earth by Jake Owensby. Bishop Owensby leads us through a re-examination of the biblical concept of resurrection and illustrates how it can influence us as Christians every day. A resurrection-shaped life finds hope through honest reflection on the past, moves beyond shame and blame toward self-acceptance and compassion, and draws strength from the hope of life after life.
Wind in the Wilderness: A Lenten Study From the Prophets by DJ del Rosario. del Rosario calls our attention to the issues of justice in today’s world. You’ll explore the continuity between prophetic emphasis and Jesus’ proclamation of the kingdom of God.
Plenty Good Room: A Lenten Bible Study Based on African American Spirituals by Marilyn E. Thornton with Lewis V. Baldwin. This unique short-term Bible study combines an in-depth look at Scripture, American history, and the music and lyrics of six African American spirituals. It provides biblical, social, and historical analyses of the songs.
40 Days of Doubt: Devotions for the Skeptic by Eric Huffman. Huffman helps us understand how we can deal with our doubt and provides candid, insightful answers for those times in our spiritual journey when our minds and souls are fighting. You’ll not only find solace in these wonder-filled reflections; you’ll also discover that you are aren’t abnormal, after all, for having doubt.
Interruptions: A 40-Day Journey with Jesus by Jacob Armstrong. Armstrong provides a chance for you to set aside your stress for a bit and refocus on God. He looks at the life of Jesus and gives insights on how you might respond to all the interruptions in your life.
View our pathfinders on Lent and Easter DVDs for Adults and Lent and Easter Books for Adults for additional small-group studies, devotionals, books, movies, and worship resources.
The General Commission on Religion and Race offers Roll Down, Justice! A Lenten Biblical Reflection. This is an online study with video clips that can be used for free.
The Baltimore-Washington Conference has posted a free Lenten study that can be done with any adult small group on your own time, Reclaiming and Living Covenant: A Lenten Experience of Scripture, UMC Social Principles and Antiracist Action to Build Beloved Community.
Words of Life: Jesus and the Promise of the Ten Commandments Today, Youth Study Book by Adam Hamilton. This book is a youth version of Hamilton’s newest Lenten study for adults. Youth versions of many of our adult studies are available. View the links in “More Resources” below for a complete list.
Words of Life: Jesus and the Promise of the Ten Commandments Today, Children’s Leader Guide by Adam Hamilton. This book is the children’s version of Hamilton’s newest Lenten study for adults. It contains session plans for younger and older children (grades K-2 and 3-6) including games, activities, craft ideas, and reproducible handouts. Children’s versions of many of our adult studies are available. View the links in “More Resources” below for a complete list.
Fathom: The Passion, The Death and Resurrection of Jesus by Katie Heierman. This 4-session youth study will explore the events surrounding Jesus’ suffering and crucifixion and their meaning for believers today. The lessons are a blend of narrative and traditional theological approaches to understanding the Bible story. Each lesson will focus on one passage that will launch into the larger context of God’s story, and how that story is meant to be theirs.
Children’s Dramas For The Church Year: Reproducible Dramas for Lent, Easter, and Pentecost by Linda Ray Miller. This reproducible resource consists of very simple Easter dramas that can be performed by kids of all ages. Short poems are also included for use in programs. Selections take no more than 10 minutes to perform and the number of children can vary as needed by the size of the church. Props and scenery are minimal and selections can be performed with little rehearsal.
Easter-rific! Teaching Kids…It’s More than Just One Day! by Tina Houser. This book includes nineteen stories that occurred during Holy Week, four more stories that occurred before Christ’s Ascension, and between two and four activities per story such as games, crafts, snacks, science experiments, storytelling ideas, and object lessons.
Sharing the Easter Faith with Children by Carolyn C. Brown. Being sensitive to the developmental maturity of children from ages birth to 12, Carolyn Brown provides materials, activities, and resources for congregations and families.
View our pathfinders on Lent and Easter Resource for Youth and Lent and Easter Resources for Children to find more resources including curriculum, animated films, picture books, activity ideas, and worship resources.
Sparkhouse is making available a free youth Lenten devotional app. Each day will include scripture, a reflection, a prayer, and a pop art image. Sign up to view a sample and be notified when the app is available.
Featured image by congerdesign from Pixabay
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought illness, grief, stress, and it is taxing our mental health. Although it is a trendy word in our culture, self-care is important and biblical. We also need to be sure that our congregations offer structured caring ministries so that we can care for one another. Many of us are grieving the deaths of loved ones and the everyday losses that continue to add up. Youth and children are also facing these issues. Pastors need assistance in guiding folks through these unprecedented times.
We recommend the following resources for supporting mental health for clergy, church members, and your community. Below you will find resources for:
Be sure to review the online and other resources listed on the NC Conference Mental Health Resources page.
Rest in the Storm: Self-Care Strategies for Clergy and Other Caregivers by Kirk Byron Jones. Drawing from biblical, theological, and sociological sources as well as personal experience, author Kirk Jones discusses the fundamental importance of self-care for clergy and other professionals engaged in helping people. Filled with creative and practical strategies for integrating self-care into vocational life, this compelling resource identifies the factors that influence overload and outlines plausible strategies for escaping such bondage.
Tending Body, Heart, Mind, and Soul: Following Jesus in Caring for Ourselves by Mary Jane Gorman. During the days of his ministry, how did Jesus care for his own body, heart, mind, and soul? Gorman looks behind and between the words of Jesus to discover his humanity, painting a vivid portrait of the life he called us all to live.
Faithful and Fractured: Responding to the Clergy Health Crisis by Rae Jean Proeschold-Bell and Jason Byassee. This book brings together the best in social science and medical research, quantifying the poor health of clergy with theological engagement about what can be done about it. In addition to physical health, the book treads deep into the territory of mental health and spiritual well being and suggests that increasing the presence of positive mental health may prevent future physical and mental health problems for clergy. The authors weave concrete suggestions tailored to clergy throughout the book.
Soul Reset: Breakdown, Breakthrough, and the Journey to Wholeness (DVD study) by Junius B. Dotson. As he recalls his own journey through grief, depression, burnout, and emotional breakdown, Dotson is passionate about calling for a Soul Reset for pastors, church leaders, and all disciples of Jesus Christ. This is a 6-week churchwide study for everyone who moves at breakneck speed through their daily lives, often relying only on their own strength to bring God’s kingdom on earth.
The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Brené Brown. In her ten guideposts, Brown engages our minds, hearts, and spirits as she explores how we can cultivate the courage, compassion, and connection to wake up in the morning and think, No matter what gets done and how much is left undone, I am enough, And to go to bed at night thinking, Yes, I am sometimes afraid, but I am also brave. And, yes, I am imperfect and vulnerable, but that doesn’t change the truth that I am worthy of love and belonging.
Becoming a Healthier Pastor: Family Systems Theory and the Pastor’s Own Family by Ronald W. Richardson. When anxiety arises, unresolved familial issues and old family patterns return, often unhelpfully. Richardson explores these patterns, how they operate in church situations, and how pastors can do their own family-of-origin assessment. His volume is a standard tool for analysis of patterns in ministerial behavior and developing strong personal effectiveness.
Hope for Hard Times: Lessons on Faith from Elijah and Elisha by Magrey R. deVega. Discover how these two great, biblical prophets trusted God to find a way for them. Read these stories, pray, and listen as you receive encouragement and guidance for whatever you are facing today. This book has a companion leader’s guide and short videos for each session on YouTube.
Virus as a Summons to Faith: Biblical Reflections in a Time of Loss, Grief, and Uncertainty by Walter Brueggemann. This slim book applies Brueggemann’s deep understanding of scripture to the experience of COVID-19. He calls us to renew and live into our relationship with God. Will Willimon calls it “a quite wonderful book.”
Unafraid: Living with Courage and Hope in Uncertain Times (DVD study) by Adam Hamilton. Adam Hamilton explores the worries and fears most of us experience. Your small group can learn to identify fears and discover practical steps for overcoming them…all in the light of Scripture and a faith that promises again and again that we can live with courage and hope. This study can be done churchwide with resources available for all ages including a helpful children’s picture book, Eek! Said Amy.
A Way Through the Wilderness: Growing in Faith When Life is Hard (DVD study) by Rob Renfroe. In the Scriptures, we see that often God’s people went through a wilderness experience, and these experiences changed them in profound ways. Rob Renfroe explores the wilderness experience—what it is, how we get there, why God allows it, and how we can get through it God’s way so that we learn the lessons that can be learned only in the desolate seasons of life when we are totally dependent on God.
Jeremiah: Daring to Hope in an Unstable World (DVD study) by Melissa Spoelstra. This award-winning women’s study brings a message of hope in times of uncertainty based on the biblical prophet Jeremiah. Spoelstra provides women six guidelines for intentional living to overcome fear, worry, and doubt as they surrender their will to God’s and put their hope in Him alone.
The Awakened Life: An 8-Week Guide to Student Well-Being by Sarah E. Bollinger and Angela R. Olsen. The Awakened Life is an eight-week small group curriculum designed to equip chaplains, collegiate ministers, and spiritual leaders in helping college students navigate emotional disturbance, build resiliency, and learn psychosocial skills. It teaches age-appropriate mindfulness practices written from a United Methodist lens that students can use to tackle anxiety and learn to navigate the challenges of adulthood with equanimity.
More studies:
A Crazy, Holy Grace: The Healing Power of Pain and Memory (DVD study) by Frederick Buechner and Michael S. Poteet. Learn about the healing power of memories and how to use past goodnesses and graces from God to close old wounds. Study questions and prompts, which are included for each of Buechner’s essays, lead your group into discussions about letting go, the power of hidden secrets, rising from the ruins, and listening for the quiet voice of God.
Broken to Peace. (DVD) Using their pain to educate, inspire and help others, these straight-from-the-heart Christians share the real-life troubles–breast cancer, job loss, addiction, losing a child, clinical depression and physical abuse that made them fall to pieces, so that God could lead them broken… to peace.
Beyond the Broken Heart: A Journey Through Grief (DVD study) by Julie Yarbrough. This is an eight-week support and ministry program for those who are grieving the loss of a loved one. Author Julie Yarbrough chronicles her personal experience combined with a deep love of Scripture and years of leading grief support groups to create an authentic and deeply personal exploration of the grief journey.
Changed Forever: Grieving the Death of Someone You Love. (DVD) Testimonies of people who have recently experienced the death of a loved one, as well as experts in the field, talk about how to slowly integrate the loss you have experienced and the grief that comes with it, into a life that is changed forever.
Good Grief by Granger E. Westberg. This book describes what happens to us whenever we lose someone or something important. We all need a better understanding of the small grief in life as well as those larger grief experiences that can overwhelm us.
Merry Christmas? (DVD) The Christmas holidays can be a reminder of what is missing in life. Three individuals share the stories of how they have found the grace to cope with their losses and move ahead in faith. The host brings perspective to these stories as he unveils how the Christmas story speaks to hurting people.
More resources:
The Caring Congregation: How to Become One and Why It Matters by Karen Lampe. Churches can form an effective team by addressing four key areas of congregational care: prayer ministry, support ministry, hospital visitation, and grief and death ministry. Karen Lampe says congregational care should be modeled after the ministry of Jesus, who offered compassion, understanding, healing, and wholeness as a way of offering God’s redemptive gift of grace. Lampe’s training manual and resource guide is also available.
Lay Pastoral Care Giving by Timothy M. Farabaugh. Learn to reach out with God’s love and care for others as outlined in this practical book. Farabaugh offers a systemic path for pastoral care using the gifts of the laity in the church. Unique to this course is the ongoing training and accountability meetings outlined for those in this invaluable ministry.
Creating Caring Congregations. (DVD) This ecumenical resource educates clergy and laypersons for the purpose of decreasing the stigma associated with mental illnesses in our faith communities. It provides a five-step program of education, covenant, welcome support, and advocacy, to help churches begin to address mental health issues in the local church.
Mental Illness and Families of Faith: How Congregations Can Respond. (DVD) Help educate faith communities about various mental health issues. Each segment presents an issue related to the experience of mental illness, puts a face to the issue, and offers a message of hope. Professionals provide important information about each illness.
Shadow Voices: Finding Hope in Mental Illness. (DVD) An inside look at what it is like to live with a mental illness and how individuals and their families find their way through medical, governmental, societal, and spiritual issues — to hope.
The Recovery-Minded Church: Loving and Ministering to People with Addiction by Jonathan Benz with Kristina Robb-Dover. Here you will discover a clinically informed, biblical, and theological framework to love the addicts in your midst and also practical tools to help you succeed in doing so, including discussion questions after each chapter for use in small group settings.
Crisis Counseling in the Congregation by Larry E. Webb. This book explores the core competencies, skills, and knowledge available to and needed by pastors so that they can provide suitable care for the most common needs of their members. It provides a basic tool kit including in-depth listening skill, helping questions, various frameworks, and when to refer.
Pastoral Care in the Small Membership Church by James L. Killen, Jr. Small membership churches have a real advantage when it comes to incorporating people into a fellowship where they are known and where their needs are met. Good pastoral care can be the key to effectiveness in all of the other ministries of the church.
Don’t Sing Songs to a Heavy Heart: How to Relate to Those Who are Suffering by Kenneth C. Haugk. This book is an essential guide on how to care for and relate to people as they encounter difficult times in life. It offers key insights and suggestions of what to say and do—and what not to say or do—when people are hurting.
The Church Recovery Guide: How Your Congregation Can Adapt and Thrive After a Crisis by Karl Vaters. This book outlines the practical steps you can take to help your church not only survive but also thrive in the aftermath of the coronavirus crisis. It includes advice on how to minister to people feeling isolated and fearful.
The Awakened Life for High School Students: Finding Stillness in an Anxious World by Sarah E. Bollinger and Angela R. Olsen. This eight-week small-group guide empowers teens to awaken to a more abundant life through practices that build resiliency, teach psychosocial skills, and foster emotional and spiritual well-being.
The Volunteer’s Guide to Helping Teenagers in Crisis (DVD study) by Rich Van Pelt and Jim Hancock. The authors recommend and detail a program for dealing with crises in a way that will be most helpful for struggling teens. They’ve divided their approach into four stages: Understanding various crises and their potential consequences; Spotting crises by learning to recognize signs and get the whole story; Responding to crises by initiating contact, managing confidentiality, and taking follow-up steps to ensure teens receive professional help as necessary; Preventing crises by creating a safe environment and sharing information with teens.
Managing Anxiety: A Youth Study by Trudy Rankin and Faye Wilson. The authors provide youth with a foundational understanding of anxiety and other emotions while equipping young people with practical ways they can manage them using our Christian faith as a guide.
Managing Our Emotions: A Children’s Study by Trudy Rankin and Faye Wilson. This study helps children learn about their emotions and accept God’s gift of their entire range of emotions (sadness, joy, excitement, fear, and frustration to name just a few) through four two-hour sessions.
When A Loved One Dies: Walking Through Grief As A Teenager. (DVD) This video covers topics such as surviving the first days, weeks, and months after the death, grieving the relationship lost, facing the future, and rebuilding your life. It gives insight not only to teenagers, but also parents, teachers, and counselors who want to know how to help bereaved youth.
Helping Children Grieve. (DVD) Helpful information for adults on how to help children of all ages grieve. Topics include: the differences between how adults and children grieve, how a parent can grieve while still helping a child, three common feelings expressed, and how to tell children the truth about death.
For complete lists of our resources to support mental health, view the following pathfinders in our online catalog:
Featured image by Samuel Martins on Unsplash
Many schools are closed because of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, and many churches have ceased worship and other public gatherings. Yet, we still want to provide our kids with activities to do at home that will continue to help them grow in their faith – while keeping them occupied! Here are some free online Christian education resources to use during quarantine.
Cokesbury Kids is also offering a page of free resources including Deep Blue Kids lessons, kids activities, VBS resources, and more.
The Upper Room has posted Pandemic Prayer Practices for Children, Youth, and Families. It includes many ideas for all ages including written prayers, creating a family altar, and prayer activities.
Discipleship Ministries of The United Methodist Church offers these free booklets that can be downloaded. Ten Simple Spiritual Practice Ideas for Children & Youth offers 10 ideas for helping children and youth develop simple spiritual practices such as creative expression, body prayer, and the Examen.
This booklet on Family Faith Formation provides ideas for the whole family to practice together in everyday life. It includes liturgy, ritual, and prayers for every moment of the day from morning routines to car time to bedtime. Introduce your kids to faith stampers as markers of their faith journey.
Are your youth missing confirmation classes? Keep them up to speed with this fun video series from United Methodist Communications, The Wesleys Take the Web. The short videos place the Wesley brothers in modern times as they explain core concepts of Wesleyan belief. Reflection questions based on the videos are also available on the website.
While you’re at it, introduce your youth (or yourself!) to the Wesley Bros webcomic on which these videos are based. The comic, and the drawings for these videos, are illustrated by the NC Conference’s own Rev. Charlie Baber!
LinC: Living in Christ from Cokesbury is a fresh, timely, and biblically-based resource that helps you help your teens examine relevant faith and life issues, using the latest music, movies, news, and current events. They have made several of their lessons available for free on the Cokesbury Kids Free Resources page. These lessons include topics such as Hope, Bad News, Lament, Soul in Disrepair, Handwashing Day, and Why Worry?
Connecting Faith & Justice is a curriculum for youth from the General Board of Church and Society of The United Methodist Church that can be easily adapted for one or a few youth to work through on their own. The lessons follow the lectionary and focus on themes of mercy and justice. Begin with the bonus lesson that explores the theme. All of the lessons include scripture study and activities.
Sparkhouse Publishing is offering a free Family Sunday School beginning April 19th. Each video presents a lesson based on Lectionary readings that families can watch together. The Bible story, illustrations, and other content are based on Spark: Activate Faith Lectionary Sunday school lessons. post a new lesson every Tuesday for the following Sunday. Lessons will be posted through Trinity Sunday, June 7, 2020.
Download The Bible App for Kids onto your smart device, or just visit the website for free Bible story videos. The website offers parent guides, coloring pages, and adventure books that go along with each video to enhance learning and provide kids with a way to engage the bible stories away from the screen.
The Michigan Conference of The United Methodist Church has posted a very helpful page of resources on Children’s Ministry and COVID-19. Of particular interest is the section “Articles about how to talk with your kids about COVID-19.” It includes links to videos, articles, and even a comic that you can use to help explain COVID-19 to your kids. Many of the other resources and tips on this page are for faith leaders.
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Garner, NC 27529
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