Six New Things – Week of February 27, 2023

President's Day, pulpit supply demands, and The Blizzard prevented posting last week. But the resources are so promising with regard to turning the tide on hurt and trauma, that we're rolling two weeks together - bridging African American History…

Guns to Gardens

Thanks to RAW Tools for existing: they are full of Great Ideas!! Nearly nine months ago we shared a Great Idea called America Is Not a Gun. Since then, gun violence has continued to increase across the country. Mass shootings (defined…

5 Step [Youth] Hospitality Plan

Thanks to CYMT's Stephen Ingram for this Great Idea/Free Resource. Stephen Ingram's 5 Step Hospitality Plan is exactly what it purports to be: a 5-Step plan that outlines, 'How to Make Your Students the Front Line of Welcome in Your Ministry'. Noting…

Bless the Earth

Thanks to Nurya Love Parish for sharing this truly Great Idea through Building Faith. Nurya Love Parish shares the liturgical practice of Plainsong Farm in Rockford, Michigan, which is a community-based farm producing food that is given away…

Six New Things – Week of February 13, 2023

Loving the self helps us better love others - whether we're fighting for dreams of freedom; navigating change and loss; endorsing the full humanity of diverse identities; or embracing the bodies God calls 'good'. Love ONE For those of us…

Body-Aware Lent

Thanks to Jodi Belcher of Building Faith for this exceptionally thorough and body- and life-affirming guide On Not Taking Lent out on Our Bodies. While there are certainly far more diverse views on fasting than those presumed by Belcher,…

Six New Things – Week of February 06, 2023

Faith, well-being, and resilience - especially for Black leaders, but for all who look toward a more just future: here is call, wisdom, and sustenance for the pursuit of racial, social, and climate liberation and reconciliation. ONE Howard…

MAKING ROOM FOR HOUSELESS STUDENTS

Thanks to Rev. Eric Shafer for sharing this Great Idea in Church Anew's blog. Rev. Shafer is currently the 'Pastor in Residence' for Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services after retiring from parish ministry in 2022. Shafer writes,…

Intergenerational Holy Week Journey

Thanks to The Network for sharing this Great Idea! Meet the challenge of presenting Holy Week stories - and the still-prevalent atonement theory theology that makes them even more difficult to share (especially with children) - with a multi-generational…