Six New Things – October 26

One

Feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, and burned-out? You are not alone – and there’s help. Develop resilience with:

Running on Empty (Thurs. Oct. 29), which will address burn-out concerns with pastoral leaders; Cora Brown’s Covid Coping: How to Deal with Job Stress and Build Resilience during the COVID-19 Pandemic,  a quick read with lots of tips and more resources; and Karen Hutt and United students’ pick-me-up, Create and Innovate!

Barbara Brown Taylor’s, Always a Guest: Speaking of Faith Far from Home (PC(USA) Store) will inspire preaching and Tending to Ambiguous Losses in Uncertain Times (with Luther Sem. Prof. Carla Dahl; Thurs. Nov. 12) will be both a personal and professional boost.

Two

Everyone knows that a contemplative practice will benefit your stress levels and resilience, with the delightful side-effect (or is it the other way around?) of deepening your relationship with God.

Looking back to look forward is a theme in both Christiana Peterson’s unique Awakened by Death: Life-Giving Lessons from the Mystics and Wesley Granberg-Michaelson‘s Without Oars: Casting off into a Life of Pilgrimage (both Broadleaf).

And don’t forget to join us every Wednesday for Midweek RetreatMidweek Retreat!

Three

Feeling renewed? Re-commit to the essential work of Dismantling Racism: The MN Annual Conference UMC’s recurring webinar series allows you to find an event to attend or view previously recorded offerings; the MN Conference UCC’s Immigration Team asks What Is Happening with Our Immigrant Sisters and Brothers?; and Esau McCaulley gives us Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope (Cokesbury).

Four

Refreshed? Get inspired to engage “across sectors” with Faith+Finance’s Neighborhood Economics: Healing Our Communities; prepare your community for a lengthy election season with NPR’s When Will Mail-in Ballots Be Counted; and help out your corner of creation with Growing Green Hearts’ Social Media & Smart Salting for Churches.

Looking for more Get Out the Vote and/or Protect the Vote ideas and opportunities? See our frequently updated Census & Voting lib guide for community engagement, preaching tips and vigil and liturgical elements.

Five

Overwhelmed by Advent & Christmas, already? Get a new perspective with Terri Hord Owen’s Imagining a New World: An Advent Devotional (Chalice); avoid overload and overwhelm and prepare your self, your family and your congregation with the CDC’s Considerations for Fall and Winter Holiday Celebrations; and let the perennial favorite, Sundays and Seasons lighten the load of worship prep.

And don’t miss our frequently updated pages for Faith Formation (and lib guide) and Worship (and lib guide) – which include adaptable pageants like Over the Hills and Everywhere: An Advent Liturgy, and include our Reformation, All Saint’s and Thanksgiving resources.

Six

Last but not least: here’s a little morale booster!!!

The Ministry Lab is super excited to share that we will have a number of $200 Hopeful Innovation Grants available within the next two weeks! Watch here and on the website for announcements and official application forms, coming soon!

Basically, we look forward to supporting congregational efforts that aim to accomplish at least one of the following:

  • expand and/or deepen your reach within your congregation or community
  • represent something new, creative and/or bold for your congregation
  • facilitate faith development
  • equip leaders for new ministry opportunities

We’ll get the application forms out in another media blast as soon as we can!