Entries by abp_ml

Create a Co-Visitor Team

If you haven’t already noticed: your congregation has at least one or more college and/or high school aged folks with a lot of time on their hands – and parents who would love something constructive for youth to do that doesn’t require undo exposure to Covid. You also have at least one or more elders […]

Create a Prayer Booth

Invite your tweens and teens to create a neighborhood prayer booth, akin to that constructed for the 30 Days of Silent Prayer: Healing the Heart of Our City. This could reside on your congregation’s lot, or there could be several that pop up in members’ neighborhoods, constructed and supported by one or more family in […]

Create an Outdoor Labyrinth

There are countless variations to this project that extend the blessings of a labyrinth to all ages, abilities and beyond the congregation: get creative with location, builders, size and materials! One option Locate the labyrinth on church grounds.  (A temporary labyrinth is a great use for the parking lot while it’s not being used for […]

Engaging Young People in Online Worship

First Covenant Presbyterian in Minneapolis has a great way to engage young people in online worship: Carma Gjerning and her puppet bear discuss an aspect of the day’s focal reading, with leading questions that a young person might ask and answers that encourage further wondering and curiosity. Puppet time is followed by an illustrated retelling […]

Six New Things: Week of August 24

One Ralph De La Rosa’s timely Don’t Tell Me to Relax: Emotional Resilience in the Age of Rage, Feels & Freak-Outs (Penguin Random House) offers “warm, funny, streetwise… tools for coping in contentious times”. Offer a little levity to your younger crowd. Two For a little deeper look at resilience, you might consider Beautiful and Terrible Things: […]

Six New Things: Week of August 17

One Leigh Finke has edited two helpful books: one for your teens: Queerfully and Wonderfully Made: A Guide for LGBTQ+ Christian Teens (Augsburg Fortress) offers “insight and support from an amazing group of LGBTQ+ professionals, as well as testimonies from young adult queer Christians who’ve recently been exactly where” your questioning teens are; and one for […]

Six New Things: Week of August 10

One To lead your congregation in the essential conversations of our time, you might share A House Divided: Engaging the Issues through the Politics of Compassion (Chalice); further discussion can be fueled with Born Again and Again: A Call to Radical Transformation and/or Jesus of the East: Reclaiming the Gospel for the Wounded (both from MennoMedia): sift through the issues, open […]

Six New Things: Week of August 3

One Free Spirit Press’s new releases are designed to empower and equip young people: Shannon Anderson teams up first with Violet Lemay for the teen–focused Mindset Power, then with Jacob Souva, BFA, for Y Is for Yet, both designed to help young people develop a growth mindset that enhances resilience, focus and self-improvement. Two In a similar vein (and also from […]

Six New Things: Week of July 27

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