Six New Things – Week of December 01, 2025

An inside-out 6NT: internal stories, internal self; to-don’t lists, unlearning, non-recommendations, non-cooperation; and allyship with peers coming out.

ONE

All Is Calmish: How to Feel Less Frantic and More Festive During the Holidays (Broadleaf) invites us to ‘stop forcing holiday cheer and start embracing the season in a way that truly resonates’ through ‘daily strategies for cultivating peace, balance, and genuine joy’ to ‘navigate the holidays with grace’.

Catch a glimpse and find tips from other perspectives in the ew York Times’ intro article, This Holiday Season, Make a ‘To-Don’t’ List: Does anyone in your family even like the green bean casserole?

Find additional wisdom on setting healthy Boundaries & Safety; engaging Advent & Christmas Small Groups & Studies; or Sabbath & Rest in our lib guide.

TWO

‘Access [your] own internal universe, discover the root causes of… anxiety, and find the courage to embark on [your] own internal quest’ as you ‘listen to the gentle truth behind anxiety’ with, Discovering Your Internal Universe: The Unexpected Good News About Anxiety, Panic, and Fear (Eerdmans)

And understand ‘the stories we tell ourselves and the actions needed to reclaim power over our narrative’ with Story Work: Field Notes on Self-Discovery and Reclaiming Your Narrative (Broadleaf).

Find more in our Pastoral Care: Mental Health; Leadership: Discernment/Vocation; and/or Spiritual Practices: Intentionality – Meaning & True Self lib guides.

THREE

Discover a different type of well-being as we ‘rewire our brains to unlearn harmful beliefs, heal broken bonds, and transform our communities’ via Radical Unlearning: The Art and Science of Creating Change from Within (Beacon).

Find more in our Leadership: Change/Conflict; Pastoral Care: Grief & Trauma – Adults; Courageous Spaces Toolkit; or Faith Formation – Story Sharing & Truth-Telling lib guides.

FOUR

Here’s a rare one: Top Christian Nationalist Bibles: My Three (non)Recommendations from Caleb E. Campbell (Disarming Leviathan), who writes, ‘I love a good Bible. I love beautifully bound pages, thoughtful commentary, and the rich history of translations. But in recent years, I’ve noticed a growing number of ‘special edition’ Bibles that weave American nationalism directly into the biblical text.

I’m not recommending that you buy these, but they’re worth knowing about because they reveal how American Christian Nationalism markets itself through sacred packaging.’

I’m not recommending you buy these, either – no one needs to give their producers more money – but they’re worth knowing about because some of your parishioners may think they’re a lovely idea.

Find more support for dismantling Christian Nationalism in our lib guide.

FIVE

From unlearning to dismantling to Noncooperation Library & Training from Freedom Trainers. These aren’t ‘New’, but they are so timely. For ‘individuals, groups, and communities’ ready to ‘refuse to cooperate with official policies and actions nonviolently’, this ‘loose network of trainers teaching folks… powerful tools of collective noncompliance and mass noncooperation’ can support congregations in ‘[taking] away our acquiescence at a massive scale’ so that ‘undemocratic actors can be stopped in their tracks’.

Find more in our  Social Justice Engagement: Politics & Social Structure – Reimagined Democracy & Moral Economy; Community Organizing lib guides.

SIX

‘Adolescence is a time of self-discovery, especially for those exploring their sexual orientation or gender identity. Many fear rejection or bullying and need safe, supportive friends.’ Equip youth to listen, affirm and stand up for one another with How Can I Help My Friend When… They’re Coming Out? Skills for Being an LGBTQ+ Ally (Peer Ministry).

Find more in our Tweens & Teens: Sexuality & Identity and Youth Ministry lib guides.