For 2021, the topic is for "Christian Education Network of the ELCA Presents..." series is "Learning Strategies for the Life of Faith Initiative." We look forward to curating usable resources to support you in your ministry and the Life of Faith! If you have additional leadership resources to contribute, please contact the CENetwork office!
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Gathered to be Sent: Worship that Connects with Everyday Faith by Andy Stinton, a rector in the Church of England, is a small booklet that discusses the opportunities available to connect corporate worship with everyday life. Includes sample prayers and liturgy.
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Link to the article “The Way of Love: Community Prayer Before Worship” by Philip Bass and Helen Svoboda-Barber at buildfaith.org provides a description of a practice that includes specific prayers for the community before worship. While Anglican in nature, it is easily adapted to a Lutheran setting.
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Link to the article “Seven Shifts to Inspire Sunday to Saturday Faith” by the Church of England describes ways to encourage people to live out their faith daily through simple actions. Many of the shifts can be incorporated into the worship service.
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Faith Out Loud: Talking About What Matters is a video resource available from Select Learning. Dwight Dubois, in his book, The Scattering, suggests that sharingstories about our faith in the worship service is a great way to equip people for a life of faith. This resource can help provide examples for those who may be timid about sharing their stories. Available as a DVD or streaming.
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“Taking Faith Home” inserts from Milestone Ministry are an easy way to connect the worship service with daily life. Take a few minutes during the service to review the main idea in the sermon and highlight one way that people can put the message into practice during the week.
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Sample Checking-In Sheet from Dwight DuBois helps worship participants think about last week’s message and how they lived out their faith during the past week.
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Link to Milestone Ministry’s Adult Milestones. These modules lift up important milestones in the life of adults and include resources that can be used in the worship service as well as at home. Topics include a wide range of important occasions including new job, new home, retirement, returning from military deployment. Modules can be purchased individually or as a set.
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Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices of Every Day Life by Tish Harrison Warren connects the tasks we perform everyday to the parts of Sunday worship. Theauthor, an Anglican priest, finds the sacred in the most mundane of places.
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Link to the article “Ministry On (and Off) the Field” by Lisa Chisholm-Holms at buildfaith.org discusses how congregations can creatively respond to families who are involved in sports on Sunday mornings instead of being dismayed and frustrated.
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How Worship Practices Form Us for Ministry in Daily Life: A Life of Faith Initiative Resource by Craig L. Nessan