Children and Youth Network Resources
Often the individuals working with children and youth in the church feel as if they are working in a vacuum, isolated from others, and uncertain about where to find resource that might be helpful. The Children and Youth Network is a newly formed group in Hamilton Conference. One of our goals has been to create an easily available and accessible annotated resources list. Periodically we will feature different resources for children and for youth.
Featured Resources:
Guidelines for using social media - for people involved in youth ministry in the United Church:
http://www.united-church.ca/files/local/duty/caring_social-media-guidelines.pdf
Children's Resources
Godly Play: An Imaginative Approach to Religious Education, by Jerome W. Berryman. Gives the foundations, the vision, as well as the means to engage in this model of religious education and spiritual development.
The Encyclopedia of Bible Games for Children's Ministry, published by Group; the ISBN # is 978-0-7644-2696-4.
Lectionary Story Bible (3-book series of Year A, B, C) by Ralph Milton
First Steps Spirituality Centre Website: http://www.1ststeps.net
KidSpirit Magazine: http://kidspiritmagazine.com
Grandpa’s Soup by Eiko Kadono. An old story is given new life with some wonderful illustrations by Satomi Ichikawa. The story teaches about the importance of sharing with and caring for others. Through the transformation of both Grandpa and his soup, readers come to understand the value of community.
Something from Nothing by Phoebe Gilman. This story has been adapted from a Jewish folktale and tells the story of a faithful little boy and his grandfather who can, with great creativity and love, create something from nothing.
Youth Resources
Youth Spirit by Cheryl Perry, (Winfield, BC: Wood Lake Books, 1997). Program Ideas for Church Groups (whole People Of God Library) Book: Youth Spirit: A program Ideas For Church Groups (whole People Of God Library) ISBN: 1551452472. Well indexed, easy useable activities, sound theology (not terribly deep), activities for all sizes and styles of groups. I have used this resource for worship, camp programs, youth events and adult programming. Invites looking beyond to other resources and other traditions.
'Worship Feast' series by Jonathon Norman, Abingdon Press. One titled 'Readings' contains 100 readings, prayers, rituals and guided meditations, and the 'Ideas' book contains 100 ideas for using all of the senses to Worship.
Faith Metaphors - Interactive object lessons for Youth Ministry - Group Publishing
Christian Scripts Free: http://www.bobsnook.org: Skits - need rewriting but easily done.
Spontaneous Melodramas by Doug Fields, Laurie Polich, Duffy Robbins. A series of 24 skits based on well loved Bible stories – they’re a little silly and require some self-editing by the narrator (the first edition came out in 1962 and the language hasn’t been updated to be more inclusive) but a great way to engage families in dialogue about familiar Biblical stories and people.
Children's Resources
Mr. Peabody’s Apples by Madonna. This book was inspired by a nearly 300 year-old story about the power of words and the consequences of rumours. It was told to Madonna by her Kabbalah teacher. It is about a teacher who dedicated every Saturday morning of the summers to organizing baseball games with other schools. One student, Tommy Tittlebottom, witnesses Mr. Peabody taking an apple from Funkadeli’s Market. He tells his friends who tell their friends and families and soon the whole town thinks that Mr. Peabody is a thief. If Tommy had have investigated the matter, or talked to Mr. Peabody, he would have found out that there was an explanation for his actions, but instead, Mr. Peabody’s reputation is ruined in the town. Tommy has to face Mr. Peabody and the resolution is very interesting with a great message. I have successfully used this with all ages of children and youth, and great discussions have followed its telling.
The Big Orange Splot, by Daniel Manus Pinkwater. This is my *favourite* storybook! It tells the story of a suburban street that features houses that are all the same – same size, shape, colour. The people who live on this street think that their sameness is pretty cool. The main character, Mr Plumbean, experiences a change in attitude when a bird drops a can of orange paint on his roof. While his neighbours try to convince him to return his home to its original state, Mr Plumbean comes to appreciate uniqueness and creativity.
Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt. This is a children’s book great for kids, but also for any church board or community that needs to hear a story like this: “Scaredy Squirrel would rather stay in his safe and familiar tree, following his carefully planned routine, than risk venturing out into the unknown. Until one day, something happens that is NOT part of his plan…” Watt, Melanie Scaredy Squirrel. Kids can press: Toronto, 2006.
Lectionary Story Bible (3-book series of Year A, B, C) by Ralph Milton
Real Kids, Real Faith: Practices for Nurturing Children's Spiritual Lives by Karen Marie Yust from Jossey-Bass: This book was written to assist parents in creating a spiritual home for children and provides many practical tips. At the end of the book are reflection and discussion questions for each chapter. This book would be a great resource for a small group of parents to meet about and discuss over the course of a few weeks. Try it as a Lenten study!
Postmodern Children's Ministry: Ministry to Children in the 21st Century by Ivy Beckwith also from Zondervan: Beckwith begins by providing a clear definition of' post-modernism' and its effect on the church as well as describing the millennial generation of children and how they are different from other generations. She then describes ministry with children that moves away from a consumerist approach based on numbers and programs. She emphasizes the importance of the attitudes and qualities of the people who interact with children and how the overall spiritual and relational attitude of the whole community of faith is the key to children's faith formation. Beckwith also stresses the important role that families play in faith formation and how churches can support families in this work.
Last Child in the Woods is the first book to bring together a new and growing body of research indicating that direct exposure to nature is essential for healthy childhood development and for the physical and emotional health of children and adults. More than just raising an alarm, Louv offers practical solutions and simple ways to heal the broken bond—and many are right in our own backyard.
World Peas and Other Ways to Make a Difference by Rebekah Chevalier. This is perfect for ministry with children aged 5-12. There are a few activities for older youth – the resource indicates which activities work best with which age group. This could be a nice complement to a Sunday School program or could be used for a youth group meeting. The resource features a series of stories that teach about social and ecological justice and is complemented by crafts, games and hands on activities to consolidate learning.
Mr. Peabody’s Apples by Madonna. This book was inspired by a nearly 300 year-old story about the power of words and the consequences of rumours. It was told to Madonna by her Kabbalah teacher. It is about a teacher who dedicated every Saturday morning of the summers to organizing baseball games with other schools. One student, Tommy Tittlebottom, witnesses Mr. Peabody taking an apple from Funkadeli’s Market. He tells his friends who tell their friends and families and soon the whole town thinks that Mr. Peabody is a thief. If Tommy had have investigated the matter, or talked to Mr. Peabody, he would have found out that there was an explanation for his actions, but instead, Mr. Peabody’s reputation is ruined in the town. Tommy has to face Mr. Peabody and the resolution is very interesting with a great message. I have successfully used this with all ages of children and youth, and great discussions have followed its telling.
Jesus 24/7- Youth by David Bruce. This resource was written as a study guide for a confirmation class at a United Church. It does not have to be used for a confirmation class, but can also be used for a Youth Group study, or a high school class on Sunday mornings. There are six sessions in the book, but these can be divided to suit the time frame available. They are based on the New Creed. Each session is outlined in a very detailed way. I find it quite cerebral and wordy, so I adapted it by making it more activity and discussion based.
Contemplative Youth Ministry: Practicing the Presence of Jesus, by Mark Yaconelli from Zondervan: In this book Yaconelli describes the contemplative model and how it is used both with youth and as a way of centring and supporting youth ministry leaders. Yaconelli shares both poignant and humorous stories from his own experiences as a youth leader that will have you nodding your head as you recognize exactly what he's talking about.
The God-Hungry Imagination: the Art of Storytelling for Postmodern Youth Ministry, by Sarah Arthur from Upper Room Books: Arthur includes practical ideas as well as theory to describe a way of practicing ministry with youth that puts imagination and story at the centre. Each chapter includes Questions and Exercises, an 'Idea for the Road', and 'Fare for the Imagination'. Arthur developed this method as a way to engage participants in confirmation sessions.
Go Deep: Spiritual Practices for Youth Ministry by Doris E. Kizinna. A great “how to” resource that covers topics like youth at the communion table, prayer, and meditation. This is a wonderful resource to not only engage young people in spiritual practice but to feed the youth leader’s soul as well!
Talksheets – 50 Creative Discussions for Junior High Youth Groups by David Lynn. The talksheets are primarily designed to be used as discussion starters, although they can be used as curriculum for youth groups, or Sunday School sessions. There are many topics covered, and a leader could pick them according to the interests or needs of his/her specific group. The nice thing about them is that they have a short worksheet for the youth to consider before the discussion starts. This is good, in that it gives the youth time to consider answers and ideas before the discussion starts. It alleviates the common problem of no one speaking up when there is a discussion. Each lesson is clearly outlined, so they are user-friendly and volunteers feel comfortable using them. It is old (1988), but the topics are still relevant.
The Visual Bible DVDs: The first ever word-for-word dramatized DVD Bible for children and adults. Epic dramas played out using ONLY the Bible verses The visuals are stunning. The characters are engaging. The cinematography is breathtaking. The Bible comes to life before your eyes.
Ready to Go: Retreats & Lock Ins by Beth Miller. This resource can be used wholly to plan a youth retreat or sleepover, or can be used as individual activities. Some of the activities feature conservative theology but the foundation is present for a potentially great resource. There is a cd of readymade handouts and activity guides.
Revisiting Relational Youth Ministry by Andrew Root. From a strategy of influence to a theology of incarnation.
Present on Earth from the Iona Comunity and Wlkd Goose Worship Group. Worship resource, meditations, skits and sparks for discussion for OLDER teens.
TeamWork and Team Play by Jim Cain & Barry Jolliff. A guide to cooperative, challenging and adventurous activities that build confidence, cooperation, teamwork, creativity, trust, decision making, conflict resolution, resource management, communication, effective feedback, and problem solving skills.
Supported by the Mission & Service Fund