The Ministry Lab supports worship leaders with robust resources.
Check out these resources to help clergy, sacristans, musicians, and other leaders prepare and facilitate meaningful worship.
Liturgy and Music
- Prepare for World Communion Sunday with ideas from our World Communion Sunday lib guide.
- Get ready for Thanksgiving observations with ideas from our Thanksgiving: Worship lib guide here.
- Find frequently updated resources for planning Advent and Christmas, here; and Epiphany here.
- We’ve updated our listing of on-demand online and hybrid worship webinars; find them here.
- Discover post-pandemic approaches to worship in Rethinking Worship.
- For Emerging-from-Covid resources, tips, and inspiration, see:
- For more general worship prep and liturgical arts resources, see Liturgy, Music, & Liturgical Arts
- And find additional worship prep resources here.
Preaching
- For prompts, sample sermons, preparatory study and more, for preaching about antiracism, diversity, and social transformation, see our lib guides on:
- Worship: Lectionary & Preaching
- Worship: Racism/LGBTQ+/Diversity-Specific
- Racism: Spirituality, Identity, & Healing: Preaching about…
- Racism: Restorative Justice
Children & Youth
- Connect with young people and families this Thanksgiving with resources from our Thanksgiving: Children & Families lib guide.
- Children, Youth, Families & Intergenerational includes resources for all ages
Technology
Amidst continuing upheaval in decision-making, find inspirations, support, and tips for hybrid worship:
Hard Copy Resources
Hard copy resources—including how-tos, liturgical elements, and music—are available for preview or to borrow. Contact Rev. Emily Meyer to access these resources.
Great Idea
Generated by The Ministry Lab’s partners, congregational leaders and director. If you have a Great Idea to share, let us know!
PANDEMIC LIGHTING OF THE ADVENT WREATH
This is multiple Great Ideas in one: community building, Advent wreath lighting, worship renewing, etc.
Learn about one congregation’s “Zoom pods”, find free Advent wreath lighting music videos, a liturgy+, and small group studies, all from our friend Rev. Elsa Anders Cook.
Watch for additional wreath lighting ideas as the UCC Family Faith Toolkits are unveiled!
Read more here.
VISUAL WORD
Visual Word videos—created by gifted United Theological Seminary, judicatory and community artists—provide theologically sound, artistically rich resources for a variety of parts of worship.
They enrich local expressions of church by providing diverse perspectives and creative elements. The videos are appropriate to seasons of the church year and are shareable online or in person.
Learn More
Have something you’d like to discuss? Need to check out resources? Share questions, interests and ideas with The Ministry Lab’s Executive Director, Rev. Emily Meyer.