Six New Things – Week of December 20, 2021
There are too many great resources to share right now – when you, dear leader, are in the midst of your busiest time. So, we’ll save a lot of them for the New Year. Here are a few to get us into 2022 with grace:
ONE
If you haven’t figured out Christmas Eve yet, This Is the Day has you covered with a free downloadable Christmas Eve Lessons and Carols liturgy.
You can also find a free online shareable Service of Lessons & Carols from Church Anew here – could be perfect for Sunday, December 26.
TWO
For last-minute children’s stories for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, or the First Sunday after Christmas, you might use one of our Illustrate-Your-Own Christmas Sermons: I AM or Dance of Delight.
You can also find a curated list of children’s Christmas story books in our Advent & Christmas lib guide.
THREE
New Year’s liturgies/rituals could be a great way to mark the turning of the year with youth, children, or an intergenerational group. Iona offers: The Same Old Way? which calls us to begin a new year with the intention of living in a different way; The Best Gift Ever, an all-ages service focusing on the Magi’s visit and how we might choose a gift for God for the coming year – a kind of new year’s resolution from the heart; and the brief January 1st & January 4th – both based on Neil Paynter’s Going Home Another Way – offer reflections and prayer on new beginnings and moving forward by keeping resolutions, respectively.
FOUR
The Ministry Lab’s Epiphany Worship Service includes themes and texts from the 2nd Sunday of Christmas through the Season of Epiphany and features embodied liturgy led by Michel Gribble, music from Billy McLaughlin, leadership from Rev. Dr. Yolanda Williams and Rev. Amanda Boss, and readings from area youth, including the Gospel shared verbally and in ASL. This free recorded service is offered to provide leaders a Sunday off any time during the Season of Epiphany. Request it here.
We’ll monitor requests and respond within 24 hours from Dec. 20-21 & 27-29. We will be away December 22-26 and December 30-January 2. Regular response times will proceed after January 3.
FIVE
Illustrated Ministry is offering a free Epiphany Lesson from their Mini-Revolutions Curriculum – a great way to introduce the ideas of Epiphany while getting a sneak peek at the curriculum.
Richard Bruxvoort Culligan graciously shared this tune with the MN Conference UCC – perfect for an Epiphany theme song:
You Are a Light on My Path (based on Psalm 119:105-112)
SIX
Church Anew has created a fabulous video Bible curriculum featuring local leaders (including Rev. Tyler Sit and theologian Joe Davis – both featured in our Summer Worship Series!) and amazing film footage. Old & New: Belonging to God’s Good – A Bible Study on Genesis looks like a do-not-miss learning opportunity for teens through adults.
