Six New Things – Week of November 24, 2025

These are frenzied times. And now it’s ThanChristYear Season. What might you let go of in order to maintain sanity? Please, dear leaders, be kind to yourself.

ONE

Find meaningful ways to close out Native American Heritage Month as you explore Thanksgiving/Alternatives. National Day of Mourning and Decolonizing Thanksgiving options invite you to honor Indigenous history, traditions, and current realities, as you reconsider white/colonizer perspectives.

Let Thanksgiving take on more spiritual significance with a focus on Gratitude and/or with Worship ideas that incorporate diverse voices, Indigenous realities, and First Nations readings of Scripture.

TWO

Advent – and therefore Christmas – are right around the corner.

We’ve made our favorite resource easily accessible. Click the links to find:

Are Advent, Christmas Pageants, and other Seasonal challenges especially… challenging…  this year? Contact The Ministry Lab for a Creative Consult to integrate hard truths and current realities, explore intergenerational engagement, discover new assets, and innovate your offerings to transform community participation.

THREE

SPREAD THE WORD: BOYCOT BIG BOX THIS BLACK FRIDAY!!

Here’s an overview of the intent and approach – including a particular list of retailers to avoid.

Here are a couple of shareable fliers for your media outlets.

Spread the word! Be public!

         

FOUR

Exciting news from The Ministry Lab!!!

In conjunction with ISAIAH, Dave ‘Agape’ Scherer, Dn Dr. Diane Jacobson, and Working Preacher, we’re creating a Palm Sunday Path Lenten Toolkit!

Working Preacher will share non-RCL text reflections appropriate for a sermon series or adult study group.

Dn Dr. Diane Jacobson will share ‘fire text’ reflections appropriate for intergenerational conversation – in preparation for community organizing for both ISAIAH’s Palm Sunday Path and follow-up actions (see below), and the EcoFaith Summit of the Upper Midwest – From Fear to Fire: Igniting Community for a Planet in Peril, April 18, 2026.

David ‘Agape’ Scherer is creating embodied practices to break down barriers and develop skills for community organizing – across generations.

We’ll add liturgical elements and music to fill out Sunday mornings; children’s books for worship, Sunday school, or other faith formation; spiritual practices to bond and develop resilience; and specific actions – including neighbor invitations – to strengthen community bonds and deepen engagement in the Palm Sunday action and 2026 EcoFaith Summit!!!

Coming: January, 2026.

The Ministry Lab’s Toolkits are created with diverse congregations and all generations in mind. Find one to support your intergenerational, community-building ministries here.

FIVE

What’s this ISAIAH action all about?

 

Join ISAIAH December 13, and join the community that will define ISAIAH’s 2026 platform, shape the Palm Sunday Path, and prepare for a second national action on July 3, 2026!!!

SIX

To those who so generously donated to The Ministry Lab in our Give to the Max campaign: Thank you!

We didn’t make our goal, but every dollar is both fiscal and moral support. Thank you for your generosity!

If you missed Give to the Max but would like to include The Ministry Lab in your end-of-year giving, you can still donate and/or invite others by sharing this link: https://give.mn/plpucg.

OR become a subscription member for 2026 and expand access to items that will be going behind a paywall in January!!

Learn more and become a subscription member here.

~~~