Clero y laicos

Safer Sanctuaries

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 13:40:48 GMT

Safe Sanctuaries has long been a trusted source of policy and procedural guidance for abuse prevention in the church. First published in 1998, Safe Sanctuaries has guided churches and other affiliated institutions as they implement abuse prevention plans for children, youth, and vulnerable adults. A changing world, however, calls for new and updated approaches to the work of abuse prevention. This new resource, Safer Sanctuaries: Nurturing Trust within Faith Communities, builds on the strong foundation of past efforts while preparing churches for the work of the future.

The Upper Room Disciplines Enlarged Print and Digital Combo

Thu, 16 Jun 2022 22:31:35 GMT

One year of digital access to The Upper Room Disciplines online and on your mobile device, and one copy of the current or upcoming year's Disciplines Enlarged Print.

The Upper Room Disciplines provides profound yet succinct daily meditations for going deeper in your spiritual walk. This bestselling book follows the lectionary scripture readings and is written by today's Christian thought leaders.

The Upper Room Disciplines Print and Digital Combo

Thu, 16 Jun 2022 22:31:33 GMT

One year of digital access to The Upper Room Disciplines online and on your mobile device, and one copy of the current or upcoming year's Disciplines in regular print.

Sacred Conversation

Fri, 10 Jun 2022 21:33:39 GMT

Sacred Conversation

Fri, 10 Jun 2022 21:33:39 GMT

God created humans with the desire to both know others and be known. People weren't meant to go it alone on their spiritual journeys, and God has provided many fellow travelers to accompany us.

Some of these fellow pilgrims—spiritual directors—are called to walk the spiritual path with others. The spiritual director, however, does not seek to tell their counterpart how to live out the faith. Instead, the spiritual director accompanies others on their spiritual journey and helps them discover how God may be working in their lives. The spiritual director listens, notices, encourages, asks questions, and prays for the person receiving spiritual direction.

In Sacred Conversation, readers will learn what spiritual direction is and what it isn't. They will explore spiritual practices that have helped people for hundreds of years develop a closer relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Marsha Crockett introduces readers to seven gifts of spiritual direction: awakening, hospitality, story, pilgrimage, silence, meditation, and belonging.

Each chapter contains reflection questions for individuals to use in conversation with their spiritual director, as prompts for journaling, or for sharing with small groups.

Campus Ministry

Mon, 06 Jun 2022 13:42:26 GMT

This resource, written with the intention to support a new Lay Servant Ministries course, will give readers a general understanding of the developmental needs of the 18- to 26-year-old demographic in the United States; general categories of institutions of higher learning; basic structures for campus ministries and offices of spiritual and religious life on college or university campuses; a framework to discern how United Methodist congregations may be called to serve students in their local context; and tools to begin bridging the administrative structures at the institution of higher learning in question to gain appropriate access to students.

The approach of this text (and its companion PDF leader's guide, available separately) is fundamentally student-centered and contextual, placing the needs of students as the foundation of congregational discernment and institutional bridging to build and/or support a student ministry. (The scope of this text is limited to higher education in the United States, as models of higher education differ greatly in other regions of the world. This text also primarily targets the 18- to 26-year-old demographic, recognizing that many students in the United States may fall outside this age range.)

Soul Reset

Fri, 03 Jun 2022 15:09:29 GMT

Everything was going fine ? until it wasn't. For Reverend Junius B. Dotson it took an actual breakdown during a funeral for him to realize he needed a reset. As he recalls his own journey through grief, depression, burnout, and emotional breakdown, Dotson is passionate about calling for a Soul Reset. He is calling out to all of us: pastors, church leaders, and all disciples of Jesus Christ.

This eCourse edition of Soul Reset is a 7-session study designed for anyone who moves at breakneck speed through their daily lives, often relying only on their own strength to bring God's kingdom on earth. Jesus shows us a different way, a more natural, unforced rhythm of what kingdom work looks like. It's a balance of work, rest, play, worship, exercise, and eating well?spiritual practices that keep our souls hydrated and healthy. At our best, we do our best in the work of the church in the world.

This October 4-November 19, 2021 version of our eCourse included both asynchronous (accessible anytime) and synchronous (at a particular time) sessions. Synchronous sessions were recorded for viewing in the eCourse at any time. Asynchronous reading material, video, and a place for chatted conversation are available anytime once you register.

Soul Reset author Junius B. Dotson died in 2021 after a brief bout with pancreatic cancer. We miss him, are ever grateful for his legacy, and are pleased to offer this eCourse in his honor. Our synchronous sessions were offered by longtime friend and colleague of Junius, Rev. Dr. Ronald Bell.

Private eCourse classrooms with group rates are available upon request. If you are interested, email us at UReLearning@UpperRoom.org.

The Upper Room Disciplines

Thu, 26 May 2022 20:23:15 GMT

The Upper Room Disciplines 2022: A Book of Daily Devotions helps readers become rooted in the teachings of God through meditations and scripture reading. A diverse group of 53 Christian thought leaders each contribute a week of topical devotions that reveal something new about God and humanity, sin and grace, revelation and humility, individual discipleship and life in community.

Daily readings in The Upper Room Disciplines include a selected scripture passage, a meditation on the scripture, and a prayer or suggestion for reflection. Each week has 7 devotions focusing on a particular theme, engages readers with texts from the Revised Common Lectionary, and helps show how the ancient stories of the Bible relate to our lives today.

Among the writers for 2022 are Patricia Raybon, Steve Harper, Lydia Wylie-Kellermann, Will Willimon, Gennifer Brooks, Ben Ingebretson, Layton E. Williams, Ben Yosua-Davis, Amy Oden, Juan Carlos Huertas, Kathy Khang, Derek Weber, Brandan Robertson, and Heather Murray Elkins.

The Upper Room Disciplines 2023

Thu, 26 May 2022 19:54:17 GMT

Strength for Your Spiritual Journey

Center your heart and mind on God each day with The Upper Room Disciplines. Readings in this year-long devotional will awaken and strengthen your awareness of God’s presence in your daily life. Each week a different Christian thought leader offers daily meditations, scripture readings, and prayers that will help you engage God’s Word.

Based on the Revised Common Lectionary, a three-year cycle of Sunday scripture readings, Disciplines features: a focal scripture passage for each day, short daily meditations from 53 thought leaders from diverse Christian traditions, a reflection or prayer to carry with you each day, weekly scripture overviews, an index of scripture readings, and a guide to daily prayer.

Among the writers for the 2023 edition of Disciplines are Hannah Adair Bonner, Tex Sample, Barbara Brown Taylor, Elizabeth Corrie, Bishop Karen Oliveto, Richard Morgan, Chanequa Walker-Barnes, and Peter Wallace.

Gather Us In

Tue, 24 May 2022 18:21:07 GMT

Gather Us In

Five Loaves, Two Fish, Twelve Volunteers

Tue, 24 May 2022 18:20:53 GMT

Five Loaves, Two Fish, Twelve Volunteers

Extraordinary Ministry in Ordinary Time

Tue, 24 May 2022 18:20:45 GMT

Extraordinary Ministry in Ordinary Time

A Missionary Mindset

Tue, 24 May 2022 16:04:28 GMT

Doug Ruffle writes A Missionary Mindset using the timeless principles of E. Stanley Jones and transfers them for use today. Teaching us to approach the mission field as if we were from a different country and learning a new culture, a new way of communicating, and a new way to connect people to the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Spoken into Being

Tue, 24 May 2022 16:03:19 GMT

"Tell me a story." Countless parents and grandparents have heard that request from children. People of all ages are captivated by a good story.

Storytelling helps us makes sense of the events of our lives, the world around us, and God. When we tell stories, we speak a world into being—just as God did in the creation accounts in the book of Genesis.

"Everyone is a storyteller," says author Michael Williams. You don't have to be a professional storyteller to be able to tell good stories. In this book on storytelling as spiritual exploration, Williams shares stories from his life and offers practical prompts that guide us to tell our own stories. He reminds us that we have been spoken into being as part of a much larger story. Using poetry, personal narrative, and retellings of biblical stories, Williams leads us to a deeper knowledge of the power of narrative.

The stories that capture our attention shape us into who we are now and the persons we will become. Not all stories serve us well, however. Stories of fear stop us in our tracks and become roadblocks on the journey, while stories of fantasy, no matter how alluring, are dead-end streets.

Spoken into Being points to a path beyond fear and fantasy, a way toward encounters with God, in whom all things are being made new.

La evangelización transformadora

Fri, 20 May 2022 15:41:12 GMT

Debido a las tácticas más agresivas y de confrontación que escuchamos, el evangelismo ha desarrollado una mala connotación. Las puertas se cierran apresuradamente, las llamadas telefónicas terminan abruptamente y los correos electrónicos quedan sin respuesta.

Después de todo, ¿no es una tarea que debería realizar el pastor?

Tal vez sea el momento de reexaminar el modelo de evangelización de Juan Wesley como un ciclo completo y natural, en el que se trata de un punto de partida común en lugar de un final solitario.

El motivo central del evangelismo auténtico es: Habiendo recibido un mensaje que ha marcado la diferencia en nuestras vidas, deseamos compartir ese mensaje con otras personas con la esperanza de que también transforme sus vidas. Wesley modela un evangelismo que se extiende y da la bienvenida, invita y nutre, y habla tanto a la razón como al corazón.

«El evangelismo es relacional», escriben los autores. «Cómo nos relacionamos con Dios, que es capaz de transformarnos en seres nuevos. Cómo estamos en relación con nuestro prójimo, al que debemos amar como a nosotros mismos».

Como dice un crítico «Knight y Powe nos han dado un libro para relacionarse. Describen la profunda conexión entre los pensamientos de Juan Wesley, los himnos de Carlos Wesley, el pensamiento erudito sobre la evangelización y la comprensión bíblica del evangelio, todo ello en relación con las necesidades, preocupaciones y esperanzas de «la gente de a pie».

Aprenda por su cuenta o como grupo congregacional de este estudio práctico sobre cómo vivir una vida evangelística que demuestre el poder transformador de amar a Dios y al prójimo.

La evangelización transformadora. La manera wesleyana de compartir la fe: Guía para el liderato facilitador del curso, por Henry Knight III y F. Douglas Powe, también está disponible aquí.

For the Common Good

Fri, 20 May 2022 15:41:05 GMT

For the Common Good reminds us that the Holy Spirit gives each Christian one or more spiritual gifts to be used for the common good. It guides readers to discover their own particular gifts and learn to use their gifts to serve others.

Examining key passages in Paul's writings, author Christine Harman leads readers through a personal spiritual gift assessment. She names 20 distinct spiritual gifts—including discernment, compassion, and evangelism—and helps people explore scripture references on each one. After identifying their particular gifts, clergy and laypeople will learn how to apply them for the good of their church, community, and the world. This book is ideal for both group study and self-discovery. The book also includes suggestions for how to build a ministry team or assign people to committees based on the gifts of each individual.

This book is the text for a Lay Servant Ministries advanced course on spiritual gifts. It also can be used for a small-group study.

A Leader's Guide is available for this book.

Launching a New Worship Community

Fri, 20 May 2022 15:40:58 GMT

For many churches, the call to make disciples comes with a realization that the church's current worship opportunities do not reach certain groups in their surrounding community. New worship services offer the most promising strategy for renewing established churches and planting new worship communities. In a post-pandemic world, churches will be challenged to reach new people with the gospel and to help them meet in a way that is meaningful to them.

Accessible to ministry professionals and lay leaders, Launching a New Worship Community is a comprehensive guide to starting a new worship community—whether that means an established church beginning a new worship service or a church startup designing its first worship offering. The authors, writing with a team of church planting experts, provide practical advice rooted in solid academics, theology, and real-world experience. With this guide, readers will have the tools they need to begin and sustain a new worship community.

Leadership is Discipleship 2021 (Korean)

Fri, 20 May 2022 15:40:51 GMT

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Ready, Set, Plant

Fri, 20 May 2022 15:40:44 GMT

When one reads through the New Testament, it's evident that the practice of planting churches began two thousand years ago. Today's culture, community, and connections differ greatly from the churches Peter and Paul helped build. Even in the past 20 years, those factors have dramatically changed the ministry of church planting.

In Ready, Set, Plant Bener Agtarap and Curtis Brown provide tools for planting churches—looking at the spiritual, social, and economic aspects of the process. Creating new church bodies requires redefining priorities and practices. Yet one thing that never changes is that the mission must be God's mission.

Ready, Set, Plant raises questions about church planting that every new church community must address: Why? Who? How? What? Where? When? Agtarap and Brown provide a broad range of answers to each question. By examining these questions and various answers, church planters will be equipped to fulfill their divine call to make disciples and transform the world.

Leadership Is Discipleship 2020 (Korean)

Fri, 20 May 2022 15:40:36 GMT

LID 2020 ?????? ??? ‘??? ??’?? ? ??? ???? ????? ????? ???? ???? ????. ??? ??? ???? ??? ??? ?? ??? ??? ?? ???? ??? ??? ????? ??? ?? ??? ?? ??? ???? ?? ??? ??? ???, ??? ??? ????? ????? ??? ??? ??? ??? ? ? ?? ???. ??? ??? ??. 1. ?????? ??, 2. ??? ??? ??? ?? ??, 3. ?? ????? ???? ??? ??? ???, 4. 3·1 ??? ??? ??, 5. ???? ???? ?????, 6. ??? ??? ?? ??? ??? ?, 7. ?? ??? ??? ??, 8. ?? ??? ?? ???, 9. ??? ??? ??? ??.