Welcome to The Ministry Lab's curated list of resources to support Sabbath observations.
Scroll down to find:
Leaders may also find support for Sabbath as self-care in our Boundaries & Safety: Office Hours lib guide.
MaryAnnn McKibben Dana created a set of five videos to compliment Sabbath in the Suburbs. They can be used to open a gathering, as a springboard for conversation, or as a component in a closing worship time.
Each video tackles a different them from Sabbath in the Suburbs, including:
Download a discussion guide for the book here.
View all five videos here.
Find the outline of supplementary 'experiments' for each video here.
SPECIAL SERIES
Your Life Kit for better sleep
Getting a good night's rest is critical to your wellbeing, but it isn't always easy to go to bed or sleep through the night. Life Kit's here to help you and your loved ones achieve optimal sleep.
The Sabbath is a day of rest given to us by God. Although it is right and good to take an entire Sabbath day to rest each week, I also like to incorporate mini-sabbath moments into each day. In the midst of a busy life, just a few minutes can bring us great peace, focus our minds, and usher us back to God’s presence. These Sabbath notecards are designed for busy teens and adults. You might enjoy using them with younger children as well or practicing them as a family.
This activity kit inspired by Let's Do Everything and Nothing inspires kids to think of others—interviewing a family member about their day or coloring a heartfelt sign to give to a friend—and all the joy that love brings to their world.
From Nicole Havelka, of Time Boss:
The Creation Spirituality Interfaith Worship Experience meets every Sunday at 6:00 PM CT. Register here for the zoom link.
What if the solution for the decline of today’s church isn’t more money, people, programs, innovation, or busyness? What if we honored how tired our people are and how hard it is to get volunteers? Perhaps it’s time to reimagine what a congregation is, how it functions, and why it matters.
Engage this conversation with Dr. Andrew Root, professor of Youth and Family Ministry at Luther Seminary, who has invested years in studying “ministry in the secular age.” Andy will offer a refreshing, new paradigm for understanding the congregation in contemporary ministry. He will also articulate why congregations feel pressured by the speed of change in modern life and encourage an approach that doesn’t fall into the negative traps of our secular age.
See J. Dana Trent, author of For Sabbath's Sake, in the documentary: SABBATH: An Ancient Practice Meets the Modern World, a two-hour documentary that explores the history of one of the world's most important spiritual practices and its timeless relevance for a stressed-out, modern world. Learn more at www.journeyfilms.com.
Eileen Campbell-Reed interviews J. Dana Trent in Episode 113: Sabbath of her 3MMM podcast.
Yale Youth Ministry Institute - Gritty Sabbath Rest and Youth Ministry
by Dr. Dave Rahn and Ebonie Davis
Rest must be central to our reimagining of everything in our daily existence, including our work.
Can we get better at resting? Can we set better goals and push toward resting better? This episode talks about the need to look at rest differently and then figures out practical ways to actually do it in regular life.
The 7 types of rest that every person needs (Sleep and rest are not the same thing!)
Avalon Nuovo
by Lisa Witherspoon, Director of Children’s Ministries, First Presbyterian Church, Greensboro, NC
Less Work, More Living; Yes! Magazine, by Elaine Meyer
The Case for Slow Work from Yes! Magazine, by Paige Curtis
The right to live, work, and play at our own pace is inalienable and worth protecting at all costs.
Joseph Yoo of MinistryMatters wonders about Pastor's Office Hours: Time to Cut Back?
Please listen to/watch Renee' Jones-Schneider's Star Tribune article, Black Twin Citians Finding Comfort in Safe Spaces. May every BIPOC soul find a safe space.
