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Faith Formation: Prayer

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

Small Group/Congregation - Adults

Unearthing Us: Poems and Practices for Discovering Our Fullest Selves     Unearthing Us Facilitator Guide: 21 Sessions Based on the Poetry of Joe Davis

The 21 sessions in the Unearthing Us Facilitator Guide correspond to the 21 poems in Unearthing Us: Poems and Practices for Discovering Our Fullest Selves by Joe Davis. 

  •  Sessions move through stages of planting, growing, and flourishing that connect to the thematic progression of poems in Unearthing Us.
  • Leaders are invited into pre-work activities to prepare their hearts and minds for facilitating each session. 
  • Sessions include creative responses to each poem along with biblical exploration, community connections, and journaling prompts. 
  • Many groups can use these sessions: senior high youth, intergenerational events, Bible study groups, retreat participants, and other gatherings of people who want to explore poetry and faith together. 

 All sessions are written by Rev. Dr. Jia Starr Brown, an educator, activist, and curriculum designer who provides access to education, tools, and community that we all need to live whole and liberated lives.

     Awakened: A 52-Week Progressive Christian Devotional          Bread for the Day: Daily Bible Readings and Prayers, Year B 2021     Picture of Bread of Life          Do Better     Every Step Is Home     Every Thing is Sacred     How Not to Be Afraid: Seven Ways to Live When Everything Seems Terrifying     Hunting Magic Eels: Recovering an Enchanted Faith in a Skeptical Age     Front cover.jpg     Listening to the Heart of Genesis     BL_TNBBOCM_TheNewBigBookOfChristianMysticism_Cover_9781506486840c     Seeing the Sacred     The Power of Ritual     Seasons of Wonder by Bonnie Smith Whitehouse     The Seeker and the Monk: Everyday Conversations with Thomas Merton                    The Universal Christ (Paperback)     Companion Guide for Groups ~ The Universal Christ     The Wild Land Within: Cultivating Wholeness through Spiritual Practice     Wintering by Katherine May

30-Day Journey with Julian of Norwich     30-Day Journey with Emily Dickinson     30-Day Journey with Jane Austen     30-Day Journey with Martin Luther King Jr.     30-Day Journey with Dorothy Day     30-Day Journey with Dietrich Bonhoeffer     30-Day Journey with St. Hildegard of Bingen

This edition of Oneing brings together for the first time the faculty of the Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC): Richard Rohr, Cynthia Bourgeault, James Finley, Barbara Holmes, and Brian McLaren - teaching the rich concepts of “Order, Disorder, Reorder".

Family Practices - Adult/Parent Books

     Blessing It All     Picture of Bread of Life     Breathe through This by Eline Snel     A Dive into the Blue     Every Step Is Home     Front Cover Preview Image - 1 of 13 - Feminist Prayers for My Daughter: Powerful Petitions for Every Stage of Her Life     Picture of Forming Resilient Children     Getting It Together     Hard and Holy | Devotions for Parenting     Let's Do Everything and Nothing     Ordinary Blessings for Parents: Prayers, Poems, and Meditations for Family Life     The Power of Ritual     Prayers for Faithful Families: Everyday Prayers for Everyday Life     Remind Me Again: Poems and Practices for Remembering Who We Are     Seasons of Wonder by Bonnie Smith Whitehouse     Seeing the Sacred               Click to go to detail page for Something Beautiful     This Sweet Earth: Walking with Our Children in the Age of Climate Collapse

Path to Peace with Creation: "Follow the Peace Path" CardsPath to Peace with Creation: "Follow the Peace Path" Cards

Churches can extend learning with this deck of 52 Peace with Creation Cards, packed with ideas for families to do at home together. Whether a church has summer Sunday school or not, these cards are a great way to stay connected with families and provide parents and caregivers an easy and fun faith formation resource. Purchase one deck of cards for each family.

An Illustrated Invitation for Families - Devotional MaterialsAn Illustrated Invitation for Families draws all ages into conversation with biblical stories that show us what God is doing in the world and invite us to consider how to join in that work. It can be used as a companion to other Illustrated Invitation products or as a stand-alone resource for families.

Includes Family Activities, Illustrated Story Cards, and Coloring Pages

Faithful Families: Creating Sacred Moments at Home

Traci Smith, author of Faithful Families: Creating Sacred Moments at Home (Chalice) offers two free downloadable practices to share with children and families: Snuggles under God's Wings and After a Natural Disaster.

Family Practices - Children's Books

50 Days of Spiritual Practice from Easter to Pentecost  Up image 1     The Book of Belonging by Mariko Clark      A Family Prayer by Shay Youngblood     God Is Just Like Me     Hope Is a Rainbow by Hoda Kotb          Let's Do Everything and Nothing     Little Prayers for Everyday Life     Picture of Sing, Wrestle, Spin     Sparrow's Prayer     Wherever You Are

Accompanied by this downloadable activity kit for families.

     The Day by Day Deck

Mealtime Prayer Cards Up to 100 Copies image 2Print these Mealtime Prayer Cards on paper or cardstock, then cut them out and place them in a bowl or basket on your table. These cards are designed to print neatly on Avery postcards as well (Avery #8387). If you have special family prayers, write them on the blank cards. At the beginning of your meal, take one out and use it to guide your mealtime prayer. Then, place it back in the basket for the next day! Take turns choosing a prayer each day. You can start by saying "Let us pray." 

Prayer and Conversation Cube image 1Traci Smith's Prayer and Conversation Cubes are easy to download, simple to assemble, and create prayer and story-sharing opportunities in classes, small groups, and family settings.

Help families in your congregation make prayer and conversation at the dinner table fun and easy! You may send out the file as a digital copy or printed file. Cube assembly is simple (requires a scissors and glue); instructions are provided. The prayer cube contains five simple family prayer ideas and one "choose your own or roll again." The conversation starters provide six easy ways to get your children talking! Blank cubes and a tip sheet are also included.

Curricula, Devotionals, & Study Guides

Unearthing Us: Poems and Practices for Discovering Our Fullest Selves     Unearthing Us Facilitator Guide: 21 Sessions Based on the Poetry of Joe Davis

The 21 sessions in the Unearthing Us Facilitator Guide correspond to the 21 poems in Unearthing Us: Poems and Practices for Discovering Our Fullest Selves by Joe Davis. 

  •  Sessions move through stages of planting, growing, and flourishing that connect to the thematic progression of poems in Unearthing Us.
  • Leaders are invited into pre-work activities to prepare their hearts and minds for facilitating each session. 
  • Sessions include creative responses to each poem along with biblical exploration, community connections, and journaling prompts. 
  • Many groups can use these sessions: senior high youth, intergenerational events, Bible study groups, retreat participants, and other gatherings of people who want to explore poetry and faith together. 

 All sessions are written by Rev. Dr. Jia Starr Brown, an educator, activist, and curriculum designer who provides access to education, tools, and community that we all need to live whole and liberated lives.

BL_TNBBOCM_TheNewBigBookOfChristianMysticism_Cover_9781506486840c  Dive deeper with the free The New Big Book of Christian Mysticism study guide—perfect for church groups, book clubs, or individual reflection.

 

BIRTHING THE HOLY PRAYER CYCLE

Christine Valters Paintner created a prayer cycle to accompany her book Birthing the Holy: Wisdom from Mary to Nurture Creativity and Renewal (Ave Maria Press). The prayer cycle includes video, audio, and written guides  for Morning and Evening Prayer. It is a seven-week cycle. The full text and audio for the prayer cycle are available here.

It is available for a free will donation/offering.

Learn more and register/begin to download here.

Illustration of woman in yoga pose

We are humbled to be featured in Living Lutheran's January, 2022 article and study guide, Contemplating the New Year; Lutherans Explore Meditation, Mindfulness, and Contemplative Practices; article by Meghan Johnston Aelabouni; study guide by Robert C. Blezard.

Follow Me: Biblical Practices for Faithful Living is a whole-congregation curriculum that studies the Bible through the lens of biblical practices.

Watch the Follow Me Overview video, visit the website, and/or download the sampler to learn more. Or, read more about each component:

Blogs, Podcasts & Articles

we wonder original.pngWE WONDER

Contemplative Bible Storytelling for Children & Grownups Alike

Open to WonderHosted by Faith Formation, Open to Wonder is a podcast that helps us imagine together what faith looks like in our day-to-day lives by exploring all kinds of faith questions: big ones, small ones, weird ones, and hard-to-talk-about-in-church ones.

 

The Cosmic We: Season 2 — a podcast by the Center for Action and Contemplation

 

Turning to the Mystics with James Finley—a podcast by the Center for Action and Contemplation

The Nap Ministry blog by Tricia Hersey encourages napping as a form of resistance. See especially the August 3, 2020 post.

 

Pedraig O Tuama collects a number of beautiful resources on PLACE.

Krista Tippet interviews Rev. Otis Moss III: The Sound of the Genuine: Traversing 2020 with 'the Mystic of the Movement' Howard Thurman

See Fr. Richard Rohr's comments on Father Thomas Keating:

The Labyrinth Society has a page of resources specifically for children.

Westminster Presbyterian Church

Westminster Presbyterian Church's Thin Places, is a quarterly ecumenical newsletter of writings and individual, small group and congregational prayer opportunities.

Butterfly Prayer — The butterfly prayer in Traci Smith's Faithful Families is a simple practice that anchors us to breath, calm, and movement. She recommended it as a practice to teach children for times of stress and anxiety. This old VIDEO features Smith's boys sharing the practice.

Retreats and Seminars

ARC Retreat Community - Connecting retreat to daily life while fulfilling  inner spirit with community.

ARC Retreat Community offers a wide range of in-person and online individual, family-friendly, and group retreat opportunities. Find their full summer schedule here.

A Minnesota Hermitage Retreat Center

Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth) is a hermitage retreat center in the Franciscan tradition called to serve God through prayer and by providing the oopportunity to retreat into the silence and solitude of a simple hermitage environment.

Abbey of the Arts | Celtic Spirituality Resources

Abbey of the Arts offers Lift Every Voice: Contemplative Writers of Color Video Discussion and Book Group - a monthly conversation on how increasing our diversity of perspectives on contemplative practice can enrich our understanding and experience of the Christian mystical tradition.

Samuel Rahberg logo

Wood & Water offer online retreats throughout the year on topics addressing current events and issues.

iBme's website is informative. Retreats and courses may be life-changing.

Shalem Institute offers: Howard Thurman: The Writing of Jesus and the Disinherited, facilitated by Lerita Coleman Brown, PhD

The Episcopal House of Prayer offers Online Weekly Contemplative Prayer Opportunities as well as other Programs and Retreats and online Resources.

Video & Websites

Book Hub - 600 x 200px - no button (emails) - White-2The Gospel of Matthew is full of implications for how we can live (and even thrive) in the 21st century, but they may not be clear without first understanding the deeper context. Having a complete framework—from the historical and the theological to the cultural and literary—is what brings the teachings of Jesus to life.

Get Instant Access

You get:

  • Eight (8) virtual modules you can enjoy at your own pace
  • Includes course videos, study materials, and instruction
  • A downloadable handbook featuring the art of Steve Thomason
  • A safe place to learn and grow in your faith

Enroll Now

Group Access

The Center for Mindful Self-Compassion offers 10 Self-Compassion Practices for the Crisis in Ukraine.

Barbara A. Holmes' film series with The Work of the People: A Transcendent Leap (on our cosmic identities), Womanist Theology, Release the Fire (on Pentecost and the Spirit), Be the Mystery, Emerging Wholeness (on God's call to love our neighbor), A Contemplative Moment (on how contemplative prayer births prophetic proclamation and action).

Dr. Kristin Neff offers free Tips for PracticesGuided Meditations, and Self-Compassion Exercises

OnBeing's new Poetry Films forum could be great as contemplative prayer prompts, worship elements or small group discussion starters.

A fantastic book. The trailer is a beautiful contemplative practice.

     

A contemplative prayer series of 14 films; featuring seven poetic blessings by Christine Valters Paintner inspired by her book Earth, Our Original Monastery.

Narrative Yoga connects a children's storybook with RCL texts for each Sunday

"Choose Love" connects Elizabeti's School to Matthew 21:23-32 for Sept. 27th.
"Stepping Into the Unknown" connects Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach to Exodus 16:2-15 for Sept. 20.

"Live and Let Live" connects The Grumpy Pets to Romans 14:1-12 for Sept 13.
"Work It Out" connects Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse to Matthew 18:15-20 for Sept. 6.

Personalized Story & Stretch plans for family or community can be obtained by contacting Michel: MICHEL.OMBRELLA@GMAIL.COM.

In Our Library - Children & Family

                                   Words of Gold: A Treasury of the Bible's Poetry and Wisdom     

Sitting Still Like a Frog by Eline Snel     Sitting Still Like a Frog Activity Book by Eline Snel

In Our Library - Adults

     25 Books Every Christian Should Read: A Guide to the Essential Spiritual  Classics (A Renovare Resource): Julia L. Roller: 9780060841430: Amazon.com:  Books          Across the Threshold, Into the Questions by Caren Goldman, Ted Voorhees, Amy-Jill Levine (9780819222558) - PaperBack - Religion & Spirituality Christianity      Cover image: An American Prayer Book     Ancient Paths: Discover Christian Formation the Benedictine Way  -     By: David Robinson          Bless This Home By William R. Nirote Cover Image          1094071     1072481     1289656     Image 1                         Mary: Seeing God through the Eyes of a Mother  -     By: Eugene H. Peterson     Ruth: Discovering Your Place in God's Story  -     By: Eugene H. Peterson     Cover Image     Finding Jesus, Discovering Self: Passages to Healing and Wholeness  -     By: Caren Goldman, William Dols     FEAS-2     Book - Paperback     Growing Souls: Experiments in Contemplative Youth Ministry - eBook  -     By: Mark Yaconelli          In the Sanctuary of Women          Book - Paperback     Picture of Joy Together     Joy Unspeakable: Contemplative Practices of the Black Church (Second Edition)     Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community Bonhoeffer, Dietrich cover image          Listening to God: Spiritual Formation in Congregations  -     By: John Ackerman     Making Crosses Book cover          The Mystic Way of Evangelism eBook by Elaine A. Heath - 9781493410323 |  Rakuten Kobo United States     The Mystic Way of Evangelism: A Contemplative Vision for Christian  Outreach: Heath, Elaine A.: 9780801033254: Books - Amazon          9780819222756: Peanut Butter and Jelly Prayers          Pilgrim Prayers for Grandmothers Raising Grandchildren     Pilgrim Prayers for Mealtime     Pilgrim Prayers for Single Fathers     Paperback Pilgrim Prayers for Single Mothers Book               A Prayer Book for the 21st Century  -     By: John McQuiston II          A Prayerbook for Husbands and Wives: Partners in Prayer     A Praying Congregation: The Art of Teaching Spiritual Practice  -     By: Jane E. Vennard     Sabbath by Wayne Muller     Sabbath_as_Resistance     Sabbath as Resistance, New Edition with Study Guide          Slow Church     Slow Church Study Guide     Smart Compassion: A Handbook for Making a Difference When You Don't Know Where to Start  -     By: Wesley Furlong     9780687030798: Soul Tending: Life Forming Practices for Older Youth and Young Adults     Paperback Soul Shaper Book               9780891098980: Spiritual Storytelling: Sharing Your Journey With Others (The Spiritual Disciplines Series)     Tell It Like It Is: Reclaiming the Practice of Testimony     9781606740507: To Bless a Child          Unbinding the Gospel, Second Edition: (Red ribbon)     Unbinding Your Heart: 40 Days of Prayer & Faith Sharing (purple ribbon)     Unbinding Your Soul: Your Experiment in Prayer & Community          Book - Paperback     Wonder, Fear, and Longing, Paperback