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Faith Formation: Cultivating Gratitude & Hope

Resources including: Children & Family Curricula & Storytime; Confirmation/Affirmation of Baptism; Denominational Resources; Tween & Teen Mental and Spiritual Health; Sexuality & Identity; and Online/At-Home Tech

Children's Books

1-Minute Gratitude Journal     Gratitude book list.jpg     Picture of The Blessing of You          Elephant's Music: Filipina, Monika: 9781433835056: Amazon.com: Books     Picture of A Flood of Kindness                    The Little Book of Joy     Maybe You Might          Cover of My Story Friend     Saving Earth     See You Tomorrow: A Manna and Mercy Board Book     Someday We Will: A Book for Grandparents and Grandchildren     Click to go to detail page for Something Beautiful     Tofu Takes Time     Help young children develop a growth mindset, cope with making mistakes, and learn to persevere.          We Are Better Together     What Do I Do with Worry?

Tweens & Teens

Gratitude book list.jpg     Chapter Books to Encourage Mindfulness & Gratitude    BHF logo (with DGT).png     See The Good Journal - By Zach Windahl (hardcover) : Target

Adult Books

Picture of Bread of Life     Dusk, Night, Dawn     Faith Practices               Hope: A User's Manual  -     By: MaryAnn McKibben Dana     Hope Leans Forward: Braving Your Way toward Simplicity, Awakening, and Peace     How Not to Be Afraid: Seven Ways to Live When Everything Seems Terrifying     Picture of Looking for God in Messy Places     Messy Minimalism: Realistic Strategies for the Rest of Us     Picture of The Peace Project     Picture of Signs of Hope

Activities

Hope: A User's Manual  -     By: MaryAnn McKibben DanaArianne Braithwaite Lehn wrote the book discussion guide for Hope: A User’s Manual. The guide is meant for groups. Each section includes a prayer, discussion questions, a take-it-with-you portion, and a benediction. Find the guide here.

See The Good Journal - By Zach Windahl (hardcover) : Target     Wonder Seeker

Webinars & Trainings

CONVERGENCE offers numerous leadership and community development webinars on-demand or in a cohort:

Blogs, Podcasts & Articles

Gratitude in an Unjust World

By Jodi Belcher (she/her/hers); Building Faith; Nov 18, 2022

Erin Strobes' mission for her monthly blog, Nourish, is to help you be kinder to yourself and others.

 

Image credit: Nicholas Kramer, Untitled (detail), 2021, photograph, Seattle. Used with permission.

Father Richard Rohr - citing numerous mystics - shared a full week on Mystical Hope.

Rev. Dr. Michael Piazza wonders Where Has This Year Gone?!? and encourages us to begin each day with "Thank you".

Rev. Deborah (Deb) Vaughn shares a simple reminder of the gift of noticing the Beauty around Me when days are dreary - and sharing beauty with others.

An Unexpected Emergency in Flight is a reminder of the incredible grace and joy we experience knowing "we are in this together".

5 Ways to Grow Grateful Kids from Faith Formation Ministries

5 Ways to Celebrate With Your Family  

As followers of Jesus, we celebrate to remember and anticipate God’s abundant goodness, creativity, faithfulness, beauty, and love. This practice invites families to cultivate joy with the God who rejoices in us (Zeph. 3:17). Here are five “delight-full” ways to do so.

In Our Library

Apprenticed to Hope: A Sourcebook for Difficult Times     Available Hope: Parenting, Faith, and a Terrifying World - Richardson, Julie E     The Book of Joy by Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu and Douglas Carlton Abrams