Are You Thoughtful? - Youth and Adult Sunday School Lessons on Today's Topics

New This Week - Make Love Not War: A History of Valentine's Day

noreply@blogger.com (The Thoughtful Christian Staff) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 08:41:53 PST

Dear Thoughtful Christians,

At stores around the nation, Christmas ornaments have been replaced by red roses and candy canes have changed to heart-shaped chocolates. That’s right, it’s almost Valentine’s Day! And just as Christmas is more than ornaments and trees, Valentine’s Day has a rich tradition in the Christian faith. In this week’s new study “Make Love Not War: A History of Valentine’s Day,” participants will learn the history of Valentine’s Day, explore the power of romantic love, and find that Valentine’s Day is about a love that embraces all.

This is an excellent study to use on its own, but also fits in wonderfully with the following studies for four weeks of materials on relationships and love of all God’s people.

Make Love Not War: A History of Valentine’s Day (one session)
The Gift of Friendship (one session)
Hospitality—Loving the Stranger (two sessions)

We also have a Valentine’s Day study for youth—“B My Valentine! What Is Love?”—that you can use by itself or as a kick-off for discussing relationships with youth using the following studies. If you use all of the studies below you will have four weeks of materials.

Last Week's Top Five
Learning Forgiveness: A Lenten Study (Lenten Study Pack)
Reflections on the Lord's Prayer: A Lenten Study (Lenten Study Pack)
Meet George Washington (Bible and Theology - Historical Figures - Adult)
Gospel Portraits of Jesus: A Lenten Study (Lenten Study Pack)
Where Is God When Disaster Strikes? (Bible and Theology - Theology - Adult)

Visit us again next week for our new youth study titled “The Dating Game: How to Survive the Roller Coaster.”

Peace,

Andrew Yeager-Buckley

Click on any of the links above to be redirected to the site for more information.

Join the conversation by reviewing a favorite study. Follow us on twitter and facebook.

New This Week - Meet George Washington

noreply@blogger.com (The Thoughtful Christian Staff) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 06:51:13 PST

Dear Thoughtful Christians,

Last Wednesday marked the one-year anniversary of the monumental inauguration of the United States’ first black president. A few weeks from now, President Obama will celebrate his second President’s Day as president. To help you celebrate this President’s Day (February 15) and Washington’s birthday (February 22), we’ve put together this one-session adult study about George Washington, his faith life, and religion’s relationship with political offices, titled “Meet George Washington.” While this is a great stand-alone study, there are two additional ways to use it with other Thoughtful Christian studies.

Study it with other studies on historical figures to take a trip back in time. Used in the following order, you will work your way from past to present. If you use all of the studies listed below you will have six weeks of studies.

Meet Martin Luther (2 sessions)
Meet John Calvin (2 sessions)
Meet George Washington (1 session)
Meet Martin Luther King Jr. (1 session, youth study that can be easily adapted for adults)

You can also use this study with the following to take a deeper look at the relationship of religion and politics. If all studies are used you will have five weeks of materials. We suggest the following order.

The History of Religion and Politics in America (2 sessions)
Meet George Washington (1 session)
Separation of Church and State (1 session)
Christians and Patriotism (1 session)

Of course, our nation’s presidents are not the only leaders worth recognizing. This week we will be in Nashville, Tennessee, for the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators (APCE) annual event. We look forward to meeting some of you thoughtful Presbyterians! Drop by our booth to say hi, give us your thoughts, and to take a sneak peek at our new Web site.

Last Week's Top Five
Learning Forgiveness: A Lenten Study (Lenten Study Pack)
Where Is God When Disaster Strikes? (Bible and Theology - Theology - Adult)
Finding God in Times of Tragedy (Bible and Theology - Theology - Youth)
Where Is God Leading Me? (Retreats)
Reflecting on Our Lifelong Journey with God (Retreats)

Visit us again next week for our new adult study titled “Make Love Not War: A History of Valentine’s Day.”

Peace,

Andrew Yeager-Buckley

January Highlights from The Thoughtful Christian.com

noreply@blogger.com (The Thoughtful Christian Staff) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:24:48 PST

January, 2010

Dear Thoughtful Christians,

Were you successful at being thoughtful this Christmas season? In your shopping, driving, cooking, toasting, praying, giving, receiving, hosting, eating, talking, listening, waiting, pushing, did you live up to your image of how a thoughtful Christian should be and act? Just how should a thoughtful Christian be and act?

We receive many positive comments about the name of this program. Christians resonate with the title. It seems to represent our earnest desire to faithfully engage our messy, complex world in a way that demonstrates the best Christian practices. I spent some time this Christmas looking over some notes I have taken from some of your comments over the years. According to you, a Thoughtful Christian is someone who

Breaks down barriers that divide
Tolerates differences of opinion while striving to understand others
Articulates a position on an issue after sincerely listening to all sides
Humbly learns from others and admits what is unknown
Acts on belief and is willing to take risks
Seeks to be part of God’s reconciling plan to heal the whole world

Thank you for the inspiration! May our 2010 New Year resolutions include these goals to be more thoughtful Christians! Our staff promises to work with our talented group of authors to pick issues and themes to help us meet our resolution. We may not always live up to our goals, but hey, who ever lived up to their resolution of going to the gym five times a week? Hopefully, we’ll stick at this more important goal for longer.

New Retreat Essays for Planning any Retreat
These four FREE essays will help retreat planners understand the basic purposes for retreats and how to go about creating a plan.

Church Retreats and Faith Formation
Essentials of Retreat Planning
Ideas for Worship, Play, Community Building

New Retreat Designs
This new feature allows leaders to download a document that includes specific plans for leading a one-, two-, or three-day retreat for your church group using Thoughtful Christian studies. Five retreat designs are offered to begin this new feature and new ones will be posted regularly. Below are the titles for the first five.

Reflecting on Our Lifelong Journey with God—A two-day retreat for older adults
Developing a Green Action Plan for Your Congregation—A three-day retreat for church leaders
Where Is God Leading Me?—A three-day retreat for youth
Exploring Spiritual Practices—A two-day retreat for adults

January Editor’s Pick—What Our Christian Neighbors Believe

We often make jokes about different denominations based on a thin slice of truth. But can you really explain the difference between a Lutheran and an Episcopalian? The United Church of Christ and the Presbyterian Church? Take some time to learn about the backgrounds and beliefs of some of the most well-known denominations in our country. We’ve thrown in a fun two-session study on the Shakers as well. If you use all of the studies listed below, you will have sixteen weeks of study material. You may use these in any order.

What do Baptists Believe? This two-session study addresses some of the major beliefs most Baptists hold dear and traces the history of the major groupings of Baptists from their beginnings until today.

What do Episcopalians Believe? In session 1, participants are introduced to Episcopalian belief through examining the history and development of the Episcopal Church within the Anglican Communion. Session 2 will discuss belief as actively revealed in the worship of the church through the American Book of Common Prayer, the central organizing element of the Episcopal Church.

What do Lutherans Believe? This two-session study examines the life of Martin Luther and the theology of the denomination.

What do Presbyterians Believe? In session 1, participants are familiarized with Presbyterians and learn what they believe about God, sin, and the Bible. The goal of session 2 is to educate participants about the Presbyterian understanding of salvation.

What do Shakers Believe? In this study, participants will learn about some of the more interesting aspects of the Shaker religion and will discuss the Shakers’ dedication to the concepts of equality, simplicity, and constant devotion to God. And yes, we’ll touch on that celibacy issue as well!

What do United Methodists Believe? The first session reviews the importance of Scripture, tradition, reason, and experience for Methodists. The second session introduces participants to the core beliefs of the Methodist tradition.

What does the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Believe? This two-session study traces the history and beliefs of this denomination through the generations.

What does the United Church of Christ Believe? This two-session study acquaints participants with the all-American denomination the United Church of Christ (UCC), an amalgamated denomination begun by the Pilgrims.

Recent and Upcoming Studies

Learning Forgiveness: A Lenten Study—Adult study
Meet Martin Luther King Jr.—Youth study
Meet George Washington—Adult Study
Make Love Not War: A History of Valentine’s Day—Adult Study
The Dating Game: How to Survive the Roller Coaster—Youth Study

We wish you a very good New Year! And thank you for your support!

Peace,

David L. Maxwell, Editor
The Thoughtful Christian

Click on any of the links above to be redirected to the site for more information.

Join the conversation by reviewing a favorite study. Follow us on twitter and facebook or subscribe to our blog.
Connecting with Women in the Bible—A three-day retreat for womenWhat's the Point of Church Retreats?Reaches out to others in need

New This Week - Retreat Guides for Youth & Adults - FREE Retreat Essays

noreply@blogger.com (The Thoughtful Christian Staff) — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 11:37:52 PST

Dear Thoughtful Christians,

This is a big week for us! After months of work, we’re launching an entirely new set of resources for church educators—comprehensive retreat guides and FREE retreat essays. And best of all, you need not look any further than the Thoughtful Christian for the resources you will need to plan and lead all of your congregation’s retreats. Skilled retreat leader, Nancy Ferguson, answers your questions about planning and leading retreats in the free retreat essays and provides five retreat designs. To begin planning your first Thoughtful Retreat, click on the new “Retreats” tab on the home page. Once here you will see three categories of materials.

FREE Retreat Essays—How long should it take to plan a retreat? How many leaders do we need? How much will it cost? You will find the answers to these and many more questions in these free essays. Read through these before using one of the retreat designs below and you are certain to have a successful retreat!
Retreat Guides—With Studies—Here you will find our retreat designs packaged with all of the Thoughtful Christian studies needed for the retreat. If you have already purchased some or all of the studies needed for the retreat, please see the next section, “Retreat Designs—Without Studies,” to purchase only the retreat guide. And as always, these are free to subscribers.
Retreat Guides—Without Studies—Here you will find our individual retreat designs. This is the perfect section for the user who has already purchased some or all of the studies needed for a retreat. And as always, these are free to subscribers.

From practical advice to creative suggestions, the four free essays include

Each retreat design interprets Thoughtful Christian studies into a one-, two-, or three-day retreat format. Schedules and step-by-step instructions are given to guide even the most novice retreat leader. Additionally, teaching alternatives are provided, allowing for creative freedom and room to adapt each retreat to your participants. With more to come throughout the year, our first five retreats include

Connecting with Women in the Bible—A three-day retreat for women.
-Retreat Guide Only
-Retreat Guide with Studies

Reflecting on Our Lifelong Journey with God—A one-day retreat for older adults.
-Retreat Guide Only
-Retreat Guide with Studies

Developing a Green Action Plan for Your Congregation—A three-day retreat for church leaders.
-Retreat Guide Only
-Retreat Guide with Studies

Where Is God Leading Me?—A three-day retreat for youth.
-Retreat Guide Only
-Retreat Guide with Studies

Exploring Spiritual Practices—A two-day retreat for adults.
-Retreat Guide Only
-Retreat Guide with Studies

We hope these materials will allow for worry-free retreat planning for your church’s educators and leaders. We look forward to your reviews of and comments about this new feature of our site as we work toward our goal of being your one-stop shop for all of your church’s educational needs.

Last Week's Top Five
Learning Forgiveness: A Lenten Study (Lenten Study Pack - Adult)
Where Is God When Disaster Strikes? (Bible and Theology - Theology - Adult)
Finding God in Times of Tragedy (Bible and Theology - Theology - Youth)
Meet Martin Luther King Jr. (Bible and Theology - Historical Figures - Youth)
Reflections on the Lord's Prayer: A Lenten Study (Lenten Study Pack - Adult)

Visit us again next week for our new adult study “Meet George Washington.”

Peace,

Andrew Yeager-Buckley

Click on any of the links above to be redirected to the site for more information.

Join the conversation by reviewing a favorite study. Follow us on twitter and facebook or subscribe to our blog.

Beyond Rebuilding 2

beau.weston@centre.edu (Gruntled) — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 12:51:19 PST

Reply to "What Can the Presbyterian Church Do to Turn Around Its Long Decline?" by Rev. Carol Howard Merritt

This is the second in a series of responses to the five articles in Beyond Rebuilding, which were written in answer to my Rebuilding the Presbyterian Establishment.

My primary focus is rebuilding a structure of authority within the church so that we can actually solve some of the denomination’s endemic conflicts. The main job of an establishment is to articulate a coherent vision for the whole organization and stick relentlessly to the practical steps needed to realize it. After more than a generation of drift and decline, the Presbyterian Church (USA) has forgotten that problems actually can be solved, and that healthy organizations grow.

Carol Merritt approaches the problem of decline in the PC (USA) as a pastor, which is appropriate; that is her job. She wants to evangelize young people and build new churches, with which I entirely agree. She wants to focus on choosing leaders in her congregation who are an ethnically diverse group of young men and women interested in spiritual traditions and social justice ministries. This is the niche of Western Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC, of which she is the pastor. I think her approach is a sensible strategy for her congregation.

I do not think it is a sensible strategy for the entire denomination.

Merritt takes it for granted that the niche of the entire Presbyterian Church is to draw people like her - “writing as a woman who grew up a conservative Baptist and converted to Presbyterianism.” Her strategy for contextual evangelism is “in this particular time we can especially minister to those who are leaving politically conservative evangelical megachurches.”

Yet when we look at the entire denomination, the politically conservative evangelical churches, mega- or wishing to be mega-, have been the main sources of growth in the whole denomination. We have been driving out evangelicals – that is, people who actually evangelize – faster than we have been growing them. In the past decade, we have been driving out entire congregations of evangelicals and conservative proponents of Reformed spiritual traditions.

The core of Generation X, who count as “young” in the PC (USA) though some are now in their 40s, are famously concerned with rebuilding basic institutions, most especially strong marriages and strong families. Churches that have approached social justice by promoting strong marriages and clear standards of childrearing have been the most successful at evangelizing the younger generations. This includes churches that encourage people to have more children, a strategy Merritt dismisses as unrealistic.

The way we find leaders for the whole denomination is not simply like finding committee members in a local church. The establishment is not a bureaucratic structure that a nominating committee chooses. An establishment is not made by choosing “those with the most authority, influence, and power in our society.” An establishment is not chosen at all. An establishment, if there is to be one, comes from the people of the denomination recognizing the influence, granting the power, and accepting the authority of those in the church who have made themselves its best leaders and most effective guides. The problem for the church is finding such leaders and not hampering them with counter-productive bureaucratic structures.

This post first appeared in The Gruntled Center.

Beyond Rebuilding 1

beau.weston@centre.edu (Gruntled) — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 12:51:10 PST

My essay, Rebuilding the Presbyterian Establishment, was published by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) as an occasional paper of the Re-Forming Ministry project, led by Barry Ensign-George. It generated some responses. Barry has gathered five of these responses into a new Re-Forming Ministry paper, Beyond Rebuilding? Shaping a Life Together. For the next six Sundays I will respond to these essays. (None of what I say is Barry's fault).

The first essay, "Another Possible Church for a New Day," is by José Luis Casal, General Missioner [Executive Presbyter], Tres Rios Presbytery. He does not take up my argument for a Presbyterian establishment directly. He makes a general case for a missional church, one that is responsive at the local level and not centralized power. In this we agree.

Casal says the basic question is simple: "are we to save a system (structure) or humankind?" I think this is a false distinction. The church, like any social structure, is a tool for getting a job done. I don't think saving humankind is the church's job (that is a little above our pay grade), but I agree with Casal, as he says elsewhere, that the church is meant to proclaim God's salvation of humankind. Christians can't do the job God set for us without the church. We have to "save the structure." The real question is how.

Casal supports the proposal that is now before the church for a simpler, more mission-oriented Book of Order. I support this, too. He believes this will mean "less book and more order." I do not think human organizations work that way. The church is not a spontaneous order like a flock of starlings, made by each individual following simple rules. It is an enormous project that derives much of its ability to serve the world from the fact that it is organized to do things decently and in order.

Casal believes that what has been crippling the PC(USA) is that too much power has accumulated in the center. I think the problem is that we have evacuated most of the authority that the center used to have. Instead we have tried to fill the vacuum with procedures of participation without any coherent vision of what we are trying to do. Articulating the vision and convincing the church that it is just and godly is what an establishment is for.

It has been my experience in these discussions that people who say that the church should get rid of its constraining centralized structures turn out in practice to mean "tear down all the structures, except mine." José Casal does want the church to keep its centralized ethnic advocacy groups. In fact, he wants to expand them, centralize their coordination, and create more paid staff to run them. And General Missioner Casal wants the church authorities to insist on the biblical mandate of tithing to solve the church staff's funding problems.

I do not think that Rev. Casal has described another possible church for a new day. I think he has described the church we have now, with more money and more advocacy structures. That is exactly the program of the vestigial establishment that we have now.

This post first appeared in The Gruntled Center.

New Lenten Study Pack - "Learning Forgiveness: A Lenten Study"

noreply@blogger.com (The Thoughtful Christian Staff) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 10:37:14 PST

Dear Thoughtful Christians,

Today is the launch of our special 2010 Lenten study titled, "Learning Forgiveness: A Lenten Study" written by Marjorie J. Thompson. Marjorie is a writer, teacher, retreat leader, and consultant in Christian spiritual formation. In this six-session study, we’ll consider the various aspects of forgiveness, a concept perhaps more central to Christianity than to any other religion. This six-session study pack is available for order now and subscribers can download immediately.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Haiti. The 7.0 magnitude earthquake that hit the island nation yesterday has devastated the country and left thousands homeless. When natural disasters like these occur we often question God's presence. We hope these studies below will assist you in having these tough conversations.

Finding God in Times of Tragedy (Bible and Theology - Theology - Youth)

Where Is God When Disaster Strikes? (Bible and Theology - Theology - Adult)

Here is this week's new study as well as other highlights.

New Adult Study

Learning Forgiveness: A Lenten Study

Repentance is at the heart of our Lenten journey. Can we learn to forgive with open hearts?

Staff Lenten Study Picks

Ash Wednesday: The Importance of Confession (Youth)

Gospel Portraits of Jesus: A Lenten Study (Adult)

Pausing on the Road to Jerusalem: A Lenten Study (Adult)

Reflections on the Lord's Prayer: A Lenten Study (Adult)

Last Week's Top Five

Meet Martin Luther King Jr. (Bible and Theology - Historical Figures - Youth)

New Year's Resolutions (Christian Living - Holidays - Adult)

Reflections on the Lord's Prayer: A Lenten Study

(Lenten Study Pack - Adult)

Gospel Portraits of Jesus: A Lenten Study (Lenten Study Pack - Adult)

Children in Worship (Bible and Theology - Worship - Adult)

Visit us again next week for the release of the new Retreat section of our site.

Peace,

Andrew Yeager-Buckley

Click on any of the links above to be redirected to the site for more information.

Join the conversation by reviewing a favorite study. Follow us on twitter and facebook.

New This Week - "Meet Martin Luther King Jr."

noreply@blogger.com (The Thoughtful Christian Staff) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 07:56:54 PST

Dear Thoughtful Christians,

In 1986, the third Monday of January was established as a national holiday. This means that for the young people of today, the holiday recognizing and celebrating civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. has been in existence longer than they have been alive. Like many national holidays, however, there is a danger of it becoming part of just another long weekend. In this week's new study, "Meet Martin Luther King Jr." participants will explore the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and then discuss the continuing impact of his life on the civil rights movement in the United States.

New Youth Study
Meet Martin Luther King Jr.
Honoring a Christian leader by practicing nonviolent action in service to others.

Staff Study Pick
The Racism Study Pack
Why is it so hard for Christians to talk about race?

This premium study pack provides a tour through the biblical and historical realities of race and racism as a foundation for asking difficult yet necessary questions about where we stand today—and where we must go from here.

Study Titles Include

Why Is it So Difficult to Talk about Racism?
Racism 101
The Bible and Racism
A History of Racism in the United States
White Privilege
Is Affirmative Action Still Needed?
Do Segregated Churches Imply Racism?

Studies may be purchased individually, but we strongly encourage you to use the entire pack in the order listed above.

Last Week's Top Five
New Year's Resolutions (Christian Living - Holidays - Adult)
Children in Worship (Bible and Theology - Worship - Adult)
Reflections on the Lord's Prayer: A Lenten Study (Lent Study Pack)
Pausing on the Road to Jerusalem: A Lenten Study (Lent Study Pack)
Understanding God's Grace through Parables (Bible and Theology - Thematic - Youth)

Visit us again next week for our new Lenten study pack titled “Learning Forgiveness: A Lenten Study.”

Peace,

Andrew Yeager-Buckley

Click on any of the links above to be redirected to the site for more information.

Join the conversation by reviewing a favorite study. Follow us on twitter and facebook.

Happy New Year Thoughtful Christians!

noreply@blogger.com (The Thoughtful Christian Staff) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 11:28:16 PST

Dear Thoughtful Christians,

Can you believe that it's almost 2010? Maybe this year we'll finally get those flying cars! This first Sunday in 2010 is the perfect time to use our study called New Year's Resolutions. In this one-session study, author Jason Byassee shares some ways Christians might celebrate New Year’s. The Leader’s Guide invites participants to reflect on the past and coming year and offers some guided prayer as the new year begins.

Top Ten Studies of 2009
1. The Shack (Popular Culture - Books - Adult)
2. The Theology of The Shack (Popular Culture - Books - Adult)
3. Gospel Portraits of Jesus: A Lenten Study (Lenten Study Pack)
4. Rejoice! Reflections on Four Seasonal Hymns (Advent Study Pack)
5. Preparing the Way: An Advent Study for Youth (Advent Study Pack)
6. Reflections on the Lord's Prayer: A Lenten Study (Lenten Study Pack)
7. Twilight: A Study for Youth (Popular Culture - Movies - Youth)
8. Advent Through the Eyes of Those Who Waited (Advent Study Pack)
9. Repentance, Faith, Holiness, and Love: An Advent Study (Advent Study Pack)
10. Health-Care Reform: The Moment Is Now! (In the News)

Peace,

Andrew Yeager-Buckley

Click on any of the links above to be redirected to the site for more information.

Join the conversation by reviewing a favorite study. Follow us on twitter and facebook.

New This Week - "Children in Worship"

noreply@blogger.com (The Thoughtful Christian Staff) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 09:08:17 PST

Dear Thoughtful Christians,

The Bible is clear about how Jesus viewed children in worship: “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.” But what does that really mean for Sunday morning services? This week's new adult study titled, "Children in Worship," will help congregations work through the questions and concerns. Also included are practical and illuminating tips for integrating children into worship.

If your group is interested in revitalizing the involvement of children in your congregation, we suggest you also use the studies “Children’s Spirituality” and “Tween Spirituality.” These studies describe the spirituality of children and tweens, and suggest spiritual practices appropriate for various ages. These studies are for adults who are involved in nurturing children's faith so that they may assume active roles in supporting the spiritual lives of children and preteens. Most of all, however, these three studies will help your group answer the question, what do we want the future of our church to look like?

New Adult Study
Children in Worship
How does your congregation include children in the worshiping community?

Last Week's Top Five
Understanding God's Grace through Parables (Bible and Theology - Thematic - Youth)
Rejoice! Reflections on Four Seasonal Hymns (Advent Study Pack)
Preparing the Way: An Advent Study for Youth (Advent Study Pack)
Repentance, Faith, Holiness, and Love: An Advent Study (Advent Study Pack)
Advent: Why Do We Celebrate It? (Bible and Theology - Thematic - Youth)

Peace,

Andrew Yeager-Buckley

Click on any of the links above to be redirected to the site for more information.

Join the conversation by reviewing a favorite study. Follow us on twitter and facebook.

Last minute gift ideas from The Thoughtful Christian...

noreply@blogger.com (The Thoughtful Christian Staff) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 06:30:45 PST

It's December 15th and Christmas is just TEN DAYS AWAY!

Need some inspired last-minute gift ideas for a thoughtful Christian in your life?

TheThoughtfulChristian.com subscribers receive 35% off each volume;
all others receive a 20% discount.

You must order by 5:00 p.m. Friday to enjoy this special offer!

50 Ways to Help Save the Earth
How You and Your Church Can Make a Difference
Rebecca Barnes-Davies
Timely tips on reshaping our lives to honor rather than destroy our planet
$14.95 Paper 9780664233709

We Get to Carry Each Other
The Gospel According to U2
Greg Garrett
Foreword by Brian D. McLaren
An exploration of the spiritual themes found in U2's music
$16.95 Paper 9780664232177

99 Things to Do between Here and Heaven
Kathleen Long Bostrom and Peter Graystone
An action-packed manual to a lively spiritual life
$16.95 Paper 9780664233242

The Discipleship Study Bible
New Revised Standard Version including Apocrypha
Bruce C. Birch, Brian K. Blount, Thomas G. Long, Gail R. O'Day, and W. Sibley Towner, editors

A comprehensive volume including introductory essays for each book of the Bible, a chronology, a concise concordance, and eight pages of color maps
$39.95 Hardback 9780664223717

Call the TheThoughtfulChristian.com at 1-800-554-4694 this week for great discounts and to ensure prompt shipping!

TheThoughtfulChristian.com subscribers receive 35% off each volume; all other receive a 20% discount.

But you must order by 5:00 p.m. Friday to enjoy this special offer!

December Highlights from The Thoughtful Christian.com

noreply@blogger.com (The Thoughtful Christian Staff) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 06:26:51 PST

December, 2009

Dear Thoughtful Christians,

The lights have gone out twice for over a week in recent years due to weather disasters in our town. Despite the obvious inconveniences, both times I spent considerable time hanging out with neighbors, catching up on their lives, playing checkers with kids by flashlight, discussing headline news at a deeper level, and eating everything in our freezers! Unfortunately, our usual, frantic life pace flickered back on as instantly as the lights when they returned.

As critical as I am about the secular invasion of Christmas, I’m grateful that the year’s regular rhythms are interrupted for a couple weeks. Many of us get some extra time off, even if it’s after the holidays for church staff. Yearly family newsletters arrive in the mail, holiday gatherings with friends from church, work, neighborhoods, and other social groups provide necessary opportunities for more casual conversations.

The Thoughtful Christian staff wishes you and your churches a wonderful Christmas. Just as our studies attempt to dig a little deeper than news sound bytes to encourage understanding and discernment, so we hope this celebration of God’s breaking in our lives to be with us offers you the chance to dig a little deeper with friends and family.

The “New” Deal Is Now The Deal!

The price reduction for subscriptions and renewals earlier in the year was really no gimmick. We meant to offer a temporary price reduction given the recession and difficult economic times experienced by many churches. Of course we were pleased to see a spike in subscriptions, but more meaningful were the words of thanks and witness by new and renewing members about the use they are getting from this resource.

Since the economy is not rebounding as quickly as some expected, we have decided to maintain the special price for now. New subscriptions will remain at $195, with renewals remaining at $150. Churches qualifying for the Small Church Discount (weekly worship attendance under 100), may subscribe at the $150 rate. Merry Christmas!

If your church happens to have extra money in the budget that needs to be spent this year, renew early! 365 days just get added to your subscription deadline, whenever that is.

Retreat Study Designs

Most churches find periodic retreats to be invaluable experiences, impossible to repeat in the normal church setting. Stepping away from our normal activities for a weekend or even a day, retreats offer space for relationships, discernment, play, worship, and spiritual growth.

In late January, 2010, four free essays on the elements of planning a retreat will be available in addition to a number of retreat designs using particular studies.

Spanish language Thoughtful Christian Studies—Summer 2010

Yes, it’s true! In July, 2010, twenty studies will be available in Spanish! The Thoughtful Christian is working with two other organizations to offer studies for Spanish speakers. The Seminario Evangélico de Puerto Rico and the Congregational Ministries Publishing Office of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) are partnering with The Thoughtful Christian on this project.

We need you Spanish speakers’ help! The name of "The Thoughtful Christian" really does not translate well into Spanish. We need a name for this part of the site. What do you suggest? A small prize will be given to the person who suggests the winning name!

December Editor's Pick—The Gospels

Could you explain to someone in a few minutes what the differences are between the four Gospels? Why do we even have four? What is unique about Matthew? What primary audience was Luke written for? What stories are in John that are not in the others?

We often spend time in Bible study moving through a particular book of the Bible during a quarter or even a year. The four gospel studies offered by the Thoughtful Christian are fourteen sessions in all. Consider moving through all four gospels this spring or summer and learning the similarities and differences between them.

Introduction to Matthew (4 sessions) stands at the beginning of the New Testament canon, the first text readers encounter when they pick up the New Testament. Judging from the attention it has received since ancient times, it has often been considered the first Gospel in importance as well. In this four-session study, participants will learn about the structure of the book, the original audience, and the major themes the author wished to convey to us in the way he tells the story of Jesus’ life and ministry.

Introduction to the Gospel of Mark (4 sessions). The first session explores some basic questions readers have of this book. The second session discusses the question of what Mark means when he says Jesus is the Son of God. Session 3 examines Mark’s understanding of a life of discipleship. Finally, the fourth session compares the different ending of Mark with that of the other Gospels and discusses the importance of the events of the passion and resurrection, which take up almost half the book.

Introduction to Luke (3 sessions). It seems clear that Luke used Mark as an outline. He also used a document, now lost, called Q, as did Matthew. Luke also seems to have had a special source, which we now call L. L contains some of the most beloved of Jesus’ parables, such as those of the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son.

Certainly Luke did not just paste sources together. He not only used sources, he did his own writing as well. Both in his own writing and in his use of sources we begin to see what Luke’s special interests were. In this study, we’ll be looking at three of those areas of special interest: (1) who Jesus is, (2) salvation to the outcast and marginalized in first-century society, and (3) questions of wealth and poverty.

Introduction to John (3 sessions). The Gospel of John has often been handed out to new converts to Christianity, or even to nonbelievers, as an evangelizing tool because it insists so forcefully on Jesus’ identity as the divine Son of God and on the need for faith in him. Yet a case can be made that John is really more useful for those who already have some experience of Christian faith and are ready for some advanced reading about Jesus. Either way, there is no denying the central role of this Gospel in shaping both the church’s faith and the beliefs of many individual Christians.

Upcoming Studies

Children in Worship—Adult Study
Learning Forgiveness: A Lenten Study—Adult study
Meet Martin Luther King Jr.—Youth study
Retreat Essays and five retreat designs
Meet George Washington—Adult Study
Valentine’s Day—Adult Study

On a final note, here’s a Christmas present idea for a church down the road from yours. Buy them a study or gift them a subscription! To order a gift subscription or study pack, call customer service at 1-800-554-4694.

Merry Christmas! And thank you for your support!

Peace,

David L. Maxwell, Editor
The Thoughtful Christian

Click on any of the links above to be redirected to the site for more information.

Join the conversation by reviewing a favorite study. Follow us on twitter and facebook.

New This Week - "Understanding God's Grace through Parables"

noreply@blogger.com (The Thoughtful Christian Staff) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:47:54 PST

Dear Thoughtful Christians,

God’s gift of grace as illustrated in the Bible seems to go against our sense of justice and economy in the world, yet perhaps that contradiction is what makes it such a critical element of our Christian faith. The goal of this week's new study "Understanding God's Grace through Parables" is to assist youth in understanding God’s grace, which illuminates how we are called to love others. Just as Jesus did when he lived among us, this study uses two parables to help illustrate this abstract concept: the parable of the lost sheep and the parable of the lost coin, both from the Gospel of Luke.

New Youth Study
Understanding God's Grace through Parables
The parable of the lost sheep and the parable of the lost coin offer prophecies of hope.

Related Staff Study Picks
Parables of the Lost: Luke 15 (Bible and Theology - Thematic - Adult)
Introduction to Luke (Bible and Theology - Books of the Bible - Adult)
Imagining Heaven (Spirituality - General - Youth)

Last Week's Top Five
Rejoice! Reflections on Four Seasonal Hymns (Advent Study Pack)
Preparing the Way: An Advent Study for Youth (Advent Study Pack)
Repentance, Faith, Holiness, and Love: An Advent Study (Advent Study Pack)
Advent Through the Eyes of Those Who Waited (Advent Study Pack)
Advent: Why Do We Celebrate It? (Bible and Theology - Thematic - Youth)

Visit us again next week for our new adult study titled “Children in Worship.”

Peace,

Andrew Yeager-Buckley

Click on any of the links above to be redirected to the site for more information.

Join the conversation by reviewing a favorite study. Follow us on twitter and facebook.

New This Week - "Attack of the Drones! The Ethics of Remote-Controlled Warfare"

noreply@blogger.com (The Thoughtful Christian Staff) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:30:52 PST

Dear Thoughtful Christians,

The Bible is filled with stories of battles great and small, but they were all waged face to face. Today, unmanned weapons shield us from having to face the carnage of war and allow us—physically and emotionally—to keep our distance. But will that disconnect make it easier for us to wage war? This months new "In the News" study titled, "Attack of the Drones! The Ethics of Remote-Controlled Warfare" addresses this conversation.

Also in the news this week, as the new installment of the Twilight saga hits movie theaters, is an interview with one of our Thoughtful Christian authors. The Institute for Youth Ministry at Princeton Theological Seminary's most recent Youth Church & Culture podcast is about the Twilight series. It features Thoughtful Christian author Katie Douglass. Katie wrote a Twilight study for Youth, Adults and Parents of Teenagers. To listen to this interview, click here.

Last Week's Top Five
Rejoice! Reflections on Four Seasonal Hymns (Advent Study Pack)
Preparing the Way: An Advent Study for Youth (Advent Study Pack)
Repentance, Faith, Holiness, and Love: An Advent Study (Advent Study Pack)
Advent Through the Eyes of Those Who Waited (Advent Study Pack)
Pausing on the Road to Bethlehem: A Spiritual Journey through Advent (Advent Study Pack)

Visit us again next week for our new youth study titled “Understanding God's Grace through Parables.”

Peace,

Andrew Yeager-Buckley

Click on any of the links above to be redirected to the site for more information.

Join the conversation by reviewing a favorite study. Follow us on twitter and facebook.

November Highlights from The Thoughtful Christian.com

noreply@blogger.com (The Thoughtful Christian Staff) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:13:22 PST

November, 2009

Dear Thoughtful Christians,

‘Tis the season when our church and personal mailboxes are stuffed with annual appeals (or it seems monthly) for giving, renewing, and subscribing. I don’t need to tell you that in this type of economy especially, our financial decisions are faith statements about what we deem most important.

However, since subscriptions to The Thoughtful Christian take effect from date of purchase, we don’t have an annual membership renewal drive; instead, we’d like to take the chance to fill you in on what you can expect to receive from us next year. Consider this our annual offer to renew your interests.

We are busy preparing another year of engaging, relevant studies for adult and youth groups and parents. Some of the 2010 studies in the works already include a study pack on making moral decisions, several studies on the economy, thought-provoking studies on Israel and Palestine from various Jewish and Christian viewpoints, youth studies preparing high school seniors for the next stage in life, and a number of Bible and theology studies.

In addition to adding a new study each week, we will add a new section to the site to help churches planning weekend retreats. Four essays by church retreat design expert Nancy Ferguson will be available in January along with a number of retreat designs using Thoughtful Christian studies.

November Editor’s Pick—“Christmas Study Pack”

While I don’t enjoy finding Christmas decorations in the stores before Thanksgiving, church educators and planners must prepare for the Christmas season well before time. Thus, our Christmas ideas come to you before Thanksgiving!

Many of you faithfully use one of our Advent Study Packs every year. We encourage you to share this year’s new Advent study, Rejoice! Reflections on Four Seasonal Hymns, with your entire congregation. Use it in a group study, but also print it out to place in the narthex for visitors during Advent. For those looking for additional or alternative seasonal studies, we have this Editor’s Pick study pack for you. You may use these in any order. A mixture of serious and lighter themed topics may be appropriate for various groups in your church. They are all one-session studies unless otherwise noted.

Seasons of the Church Year
Accounts of Jesus’ Birth (2 sessions)
Reclaiming Christmas: Seeking an Alternative
Movie Study: It’s a Wonderful Life
Movie Study: Miracle on 34th Street
New Year’s Resolutions

If you use each of these studies you’ll have seven weeks of materials.

As always, thank you for your support!

Peace,

David L. Maxwell, Editor
The Thoughtful Christian

Click on any of the links above to be redirected to the site for more information.

Join the conversation by reviewing a favorite study. Follow us on twitter and facebook or subscribe to our blog.

New Parenting Study - "Learning from Our Teens" by Faye Burdick

noreply@blogger.com (The Thoughtful Christian Staff) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:33:11 PST

Dear Thoughtful Christians,

This week The Thoughtful Christian is taking a road trip to Atlanta, Georgia, for the National Youth Workers Convention. We're so excited to be part of this wonderful gathering of pastors, educators, and volunteers who have been called to specifically minister to the spiritual growth and development of youth. Please stop by our booth and say hello. If you're already a fan, bring a friend or two and share with them how studies from The Thoughtful Christian have supported your ministry.

Here is this week's new study as well as other highlights.

New Parenting Study (Parenting)
Learning from Our Teens
One day we’ll realize that we’re learning from our children. Should parents view this as a breakthrough . . . or a threat?

Last Week's Top Five
Turkey Day or Thanksgiving? Rethinking Gratitude (Christian Living - Holidays - Youth)
The Meaning of Thanksgiving (Christian Living - Holidays - Adult)
Rejoice! Reflections on Four Seasonal Hymns (Advent Study Packs)
Repentance, Faith, Holiness, and Love: An Advent Study (Advent Study Packs)
Advent Through the Eyes of Those Who Waited (Advent Study Packs)

Peace,

Andrew Yeager-Buckley

Click on any of the links above to be redirected to the site for more information.

Join the conversation by reviewing a favorite study. Follow us on twitter and facebook or subscribe to our blog.

New This Week – “Turkey Day or Thanksgiving? Rethinking Gratitude” and Other Holiday Promotions

noreply@blogger.com (The Thoughtful Christian Staff) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 06:48:23 PST

Dear Thoughtful Christians,

As the busy holiday season of 2009 approaches, consider using some of our short, one- and two-session studies that focus on these holidays. Most of these are fun, reflective explanations of the day that provide material for discussion. This week we're launching a new one-session study for youth titled "Turkey Day or Thanksgiving? Rethinking Gratitude."

Studies can be used in more than just groups. Many churches print copies of the handouts and leave them in the church entrance for members to take home. Our Advent studies are especially popular as take home “gifts” for members. Consider these one- and two-session studies in addition to this year’s Advent Study options for youth and adult groups. These studies may be used for all types of groups, both youth and adult, by giving special attention to the activities to make sure they’re appropriate for each group.

The Meaning of Thanksgiving
Gratitude as a Spiritual Discipline
Seasons of the Church Year
Advent: Why Do We Celebrate It?
Accounts of Jesus' Birth
Reclaiming Christmas: Seeking an Alternative
Miracle on 34th Street
It's a Wonderful Life
"The Magic of Christmas Movies," by Greg Garrett (available to subscribers only)
New Year’s Resolutions

Here is this week's new study as well as other highlights.

New Adult Study (In the News)
Turkey Day or Thanksgiving? Rethinking Gratitude
The concept of giving thanks to God is a common one in the Bible, but has the contemporary holiday of “Thanksgiving” been diluted by our secular traditions?

Last Week's Top Five
Rejoice! Reflections on Four Seasonal Hymns (Study Packs - Advent - Adult)
Health-Care Reform: What's in the Way? (In the News)
Advent Through the Eyes of Those Who Waited (Study Packs - Advent - Adult)
Pausing on the Road to Bethlehem: A Spiritual Journey through Advent (Study Packs - Advent - Adult)
Repentance, Faith, Holiness, and Love: An Advent Study (Study Packs - Advent - Adult)

Visit us again next week for our new parenting study titled "Learning from Our Teens."

Peace,

Andrew Yeager-Buckley

Click on any of the links above to be redirected to the site for more information.

Join the conversation by reviewing a favorite study. Follow us on twitter and facebook or subscribe to our blog.

New This Week - "Health-Care Reform: What's in the Way?"

noreply@blogger.com (The Thoughtful Christian Staff) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:21:19 PST

Dear Thoughtful Christians,

Last Thursday, House Democrats unveiled a controversial, $894 billion health-care bill. This is the latest update in this year’s health-care debate. In order to keep on top of this monumental discussion, we’re releasing our third study on health-care reform titled “Health-Care Reform: What’s in the Way?” If you haven’t already used our previous two studies we suggest studying them in the following order:

Health-Care Reform. This three-session study examines the history of health-care delivery in the U.S. and the current challenges and efforts of health-care reform.
Health-Care Reform: The Moment Is Now! This one-session “In the News” study looks at the three basic models of health-care reform being debated.
Health-Care Reform: What’s in the Way? This one-session “In the News” study looks at the five major obstacles lawmakers face regarding health-care reform.

This past Sunday, professor and author Thomas G. Long had an Op-Ed featured in The New York Times on the topic of his new book Accompany Them With Singing—The Christian Funeral. The title of his article was "Chronicle of a Death We Can't Accept." The Thoughtful Christian has a wonderful study on a similar topic titled, "The Christian Funeral." This two-session study explores the history of Christian funeral practices, modern questions for our twenty-first-century context, and practical issues related to funerals and memorial services. You can read chapter one of Tom's book by clicking here.

Here are this week's new studies as well as other highlights.

New Adult Study (In the News)
Health-Care Reform: What's in the Way?
What are the obstacles Congress faces as they debate health-care reform? With so many differing viewpoints, can we as a nation create common ground for the common good?

Last Week's Top Five
Does God Demand Blood? (Bible and Theology - Theology - Adult)
Rejoice! Reflections on Four Seasonal Hymns (Study Packs - Advent - Adult)
Trick or Treat: What Youth Should Know about Halloween (Christian Living - Holidays - Youth)
Trick or Treat: What's Halloween About? (Christian Living - Holidays - Adult)
Did Jesus Always Preach Nonviolence? (Bible and Theology - Theology - Adult)

Visit us again next week for our new Thanksgiving youth study titled "Turkey Day or Thanksgiving? Rethinking Gratitude."

Peace,

Andrew Yeager-Buckley

Click on any of the links above to be redirected to the site for more information.

Join the conversation by reviewing a favorite study. Follow us on twitter and facebook or subscribe to our blog.

New This Week - "Does God Demand Blood?" & "Multiple Intelligences: Understanding the Many Ways We Learn"

noreply@blogger.com (The Thoughtful Christian Staff) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:44:03 PDT

Dear Thoughtful Christians,

At the beginning of November we celebrate All Saints Day, and shortly thereafter we give thanks on Thanksgiving. When we're thinking of these days we think not only of giving thanks for what we're given in life but also of the sacrifices the saints in our own lives have made for us. Still, the greatest sacrifice of all is the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. This leads us to wonder: does true sacrifice demand blood, does God demand blood?

In this new study for adults, "Does God Demand Blood?" we’ll consider images of a vindictive, angry God who demands blood and suffering as the price of redemption and work toward resolving those images with the conviction that God is love. Participants will also be encouraged to contemplate how Christ’s blood sacrifice serves to redeem us. Why was such a violent end necessary to redeem us? And how do such concepts inform our own suffering?

Here are this week's new studies as well as other highlights.

New Adult Study (Parenting)
Does God Demand Blood?
The Bible teaches that at the heart of our Christian faith is God’s requirement of Christ’s death on the cross – the ultimate blood sacrifice. How do we reconcile this with our belief that “God is love?”

New FREE Teaching Tool
Multiple Intelligences: Understanding the Many Ways We Learn
What do crayons have to do with the creation story? What does dance have to do with group devotions? How multiple intelligences can unlock your ability to teach all types of people.

Last Week's Top Five
Trick or Treat: What Youth Should Know about Halloween (Christian Living - Holidays - Youth)
Did Jesus Always Preach Nonviolence? (Bible and Theology - Theology - Adult)
Forming a Healthy Relationship (Christian Living - Relationships - Youth)
Rejoice! Reflections on Four Seasonal Hymns (Study Packs - Advent - Adult)
Trick or Treat: What's Halloween About? (Christian Living - Holidays - Adult)

Visit us again next week for our new "In the News" study titled "Health-Care Reform: What's in the Way?"

Peace,

Andrew Yeager-Buckley

Click on any of the links above to be redirected to the site for more information.

Join the conversation by reviewing a favorite study. Follow us on twitter and facebook.

New This Week - "Forming a Healthy Relationship" & "Did Jesus Always Preach Nonviolence?"

noreply@blogger.com (The Thoughtful Christian Staff) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:17:06 PDT

Dear Thoughtful Christians,

Every week I struggle to highlight just one of our new studies. They all have something unique to offer your church, but occasionally one sticks out as being especially relevant. This week one of our new studies is a four-session study titled, "Did Jesus Always Preach Nonviolence?" This four-session study is particularly relevant given the contentious and often violent nature of the political climate we’re living in today.

Here are this week's new studies as well as other highlights.

New Youth Study (Parenting)
Forming a Healthy Relationship
Helping youth form healthy relationships during adolescence—a critical period of physical, emotional, and spiritual development—is a challenge, but this study helps youth examine their relationships.

New Adult Study (In the News)
Did Jesus Always Preach Nonviolence?
Is Jesus’ claim “I have not come to bring peace, but a sword,” an actual call to arms or a metaphor for addressing conflict? How can we identify the proper context for interpreting the teachings of Christ?

Last Week's Top Five
Help for the Exhausted Parent (Parenting)
Trick or Treat: What Youth Should Know about Halloween (Christian Living - Holidays - Youth)
Trick or Treat: What's Halloween About? (Christian Living - Holidays - Adult)
Rejoice! Reflections on Four Seasonal Hymns (Study Packs - Advent - Adult)
Preparing the Way: An Advent Study for Youth (Study Packs - Advent - Youth)

Visit us again next week for our new adult study titled "Does God Demand Blood?" and our new FREE teaching tool titled "Multiple Intelligences: Understanding the Many Ways We Learn."

Peace,

Andrew Yeager-Buckley

Click on any of the links above to be redirected to the site for more information.

Join the conversation by reviewing a favorite study. Follow us on twitter and facebook.

New This Week - "Help for the Exhausted Parent" & "Assisted Reproductive Technologies: Definitions and Moral Issues"

noreply@blogger.com (The Thoughtful Christian Staff) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 08:17:59 PDT

Dear Thoughtful Christians,

This month we're offering a little help for parents of teenagers and specifically for those going through parental exhaustion. Most of the books and articles on this topic are written for parents of newborns, children, and those with special needs. But what about the parents of teens who suffer from fatigue, weariness, and loss of energy as well? This new study is titled, Help for the Exhausted Parent. This study explores common causes of parental exhaustion and addresses healthier ways of managing the demands that our teens make on our time, our emotions, and our spirits.

Here are this week's new studies as well as other highlights.

New Parenting Study (Parenting)

Help for the Exhausted Parent

What’s a parent to do when he or she is just exhausted? How our faith helps us to parent our teens through challenging developmental transitions.

New Adult Study (In the News)

Assisted Reproductive Technologies: Definitions and Moral Issues

This study balances scientific advances and ethical concerns to help participants formulate a Christian response to assisted reproductive technologies.

Last Week's Top Five

Trick or Treat: What Youth Should Know about Halloween (Christian Living - Holidays - Youth)

Trick or Treat: What's Halloween About? (Christian Living - Holidays - Adult)

H1N1: History, Risk Factors, and Prevention (In the News)

Rejoice! Reflections on Four Seasonal Hymns (Study Packs - Advent and Lent)

Preparing the Way: An Advent Study for Youth (Study Packs - Advent and Lent)

Visit us again next week for our new youth study titled "Forming a Healthy Relationship" and our new adult study titled "Did Jesus Always Preach Nonviolence?"

Peace,

Andrew Yeager-Buckley

Click on any of the links above to be redirected to the site for more information.

Join the conversation by reviewing a favorite study. Follow us on twitter and facebook.

October Highlights from The Thoughtful Christian.com

noreply@blogger.com (The Thoughtful Christian Staff) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:14:34 PDT

October, 2009

Dear Thoughtful Christians,

October always brings pumpkins and Halloween to mind. I’ve never met a person as crazy about pumpkin as Thoughtful Christian production director, Jennifer Cox. She announces October’s arrival with some pumpkin pastry or dessert available in her office. It seems the entire month is about pumpkin.

Speaking of the Great Pumpkin, we have two Halloween studies I highly recommend. One for adults titled “Trick of Treat: What’s Halloween About?” and a new study for youth titled “Trick or Treat: What Youth Should Know about Halloween.” Yes, besides all the candy and masks, there is a Christian connection.

Don’t Forget to Share

The response to the reduced subscription rate until the end of the year has been great and we welcome all you new subscribers! Don’t forget these common tips veteran subscribers have shared with us to get the most out of your subscription.

Name and train the five users. With your subscription you may allow five persons from your church to have total access to the site. Each gets their own login and password. Have someone get familiar with using the site and spend an hour together around a computer together sharing how to use it.
Inform the congregation about your subscription. Don’t limit use of the site to just the pastoral staff. As long as the studies remain within the membership of your church, absolutely every member may read every study. You may download and print all of them and place them in the church library or narthex.
Announce your membership through the church newsletter and Sunday worship bulletin. Name the church secretary as one of the users. Encourage members to browse the site and request copies of the studies from the church secretary. She or he may send the study to the member as an e-mail attachment or print it out for them to pick up at church. The studies do not have to be used in group study.
Send studies to members traveling or at school. What a great way to remind your college students away at school that you are thinking of them. Choose a study you think they’ll enjoy and send it to them in an e-mail.
Create e-mail lists of parents and send them studies. The Parenting studies are short essays on topics relevant to parents of teens. They include questions for the parents to consider on their own. Simply send the study to the parents or plan periodic gatherings to discuss the topics over coffee.

October Editor’s Pick—“Common Theological Questions”

This month we have grouped several studies around some common questions many Christians ask. You may use these in any order. If you prefer another selection, see many other studies provided in the Bible and Theology section.

Who Is God? (2 sessions). Theology means thinking about God. Christians have done this through the centuries and created a number of models for thinking about God. But which model is best? Is only one true? What does the Bible say? Session 1 begins with the Bible and sorts through a number of concepts such as atheism and agnosticism. Session 2 compares and contrasts models, determining which are more or less helpful for developing our concept of God.
Who Is the Antichrist? (1 session). This one-session study explores the three biblical texts that use the term and then how it has been used by Christians throughout history.
Satan: Can the Devil Make You Do It? (1 session). Can Satan compel a person to do anything? Is Satan behind every evil act? What hope does a human being have in an encounter with Satan? One may even wonder, does Satan really exist?
What Happens When We Sin? (2 sessions). The first session examines what is going on with us when we engage in sinful activity, especially violent activity. Just what about our disposition toward daily life leads us to gossip, steal, go to war, murder, or crucify? The second session encourages the reader to trust God and sin less, always remembering the umbrella of grace under which we all live.
Is There Life after Death? (1 session). Just what does the Christian faith teach us about life beyond death? The world’s philosophies and religions offer a variety of options for us to believe: natural death as the end, immortality of the soul, reincarnation, resurrection of the body, and others. Which of these options best express what the Bible says? In this lesson we will survey these various answers and compare them with the central New Testament teaching, namely, resurrection of the dead.
Why Pray? (1 session). If God already knows what we need, why do we need to pray?

If you use each of these studies you’ll have eight weeks of materials.

Recent and Upcoming Studies

Adult Studies (number of sessions if more than one)

October 14       Assisted Reproductive Technologies: Definitions and Moral Issues (2)
October 21       Did Jesus Always Preach Nonviolence? (4)
November 4      In the News—Latest Update on Health-Care Reform

Youth Studies
October 7         Trick or Treat: What Youth Should Know about Halloween
November 11   Turkey Day or Thanksgiving? Rethinking Gratitude

Parenting Studies
October 14       Help for the Exhausted Parent
November 18   Learning from Our Teens

Enjoy the fall and as always, thank you for your support!

Peace,

David L. Maxwell, Editor
The Thoughtful Christian

Click on any of the links above to be redirected to the site for more information.

Join the conversation by reviewing a favorite study. Follow us on twitter and facebook.

New This Week - "The United Nations: History, Accomplishments, and Current Challenges" & "Learning as We Teach"

noreply@blogger.com (The Thoughtful Christian Staff) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:02:25 PDT

Dear Thoughtful Christians,

After all of the studies we’ve released on understanding our world (“Understanding Cuba,” “Understanding Indonesia,” “Understanding Iran,” “Understanding Kenya,” and “Understanding Zimbabwe”), we decided it was time to learn more about the organization that works to unite these nations, among many others: the United Nations. The UN came into being in 1945 and many of us are still unaware of how this organization operates in the world, what accomplishments it has achieved, or even what issues it is currently working on. We suggest you use this three-session study in conjunction with the understanding our world studies listed above or choose some of our social and ethical issues studies to use alongside this one. Focusing on the UN’s role in these issues, your class could begin the course with “The United Nations: History, Accomplishments, and Current Challenges,” then use that insight along with further research to discuss the following studies:

If you use our Basic Study Pack to purchase these five studies, you’ll save $12 versus purchasing them individually.

We Want to Hear from You!

As a friend and customer of The Thoughtful Christian.com, you are our most important critic and commentator. We value your opinion and want to know what we're doing right, what we could do better, what areas you would like to see us grow, and any other words of wisdom you're willing to pass our way. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey by click here.

Here are this week's new studies as well as other highlights.

New FREE Teaching Tool

Visit our new Free Studies/Tools page by clicking the link here, or on the left-hand side of the site. We’ve added new free studies and tools, so check it out for yourself if you don’t have a subscription or pass it along to a friend whose church is looking to subscribe.

Learning as We Teach

A reflection on the temptation to be the teacher who knows all the right answers—and how to resist it.

New Adult Study (Contemporary Issues - Religion and Politics - Adult)

The United Nations: History, Accomplishments, and Current Challenges

Almost a century from the outbreak of World War I, the dream of peace among the nations still seems far away. Is the United Nations the solution, or just part of the problem?

Last Week's Top Five

Preparing the Way: An Advent Study for Youth (Study Packs - Advent and Lent)

Rejoice! Reflections on Four Seasonal Hymns (Study Packs - Advent and Lent)

Understanding Indonesia (Contemporary Issues - Understanding Our World - Adult)

The Theology of The Shack (Popular Culture - Books - Adult)

Health-Care Reform: The Moment Is Now! (In the News - Adult)

Visit us again next week for our new youth study titled "Trick or Treat: What Youth Should Know about Halloween" and our new “In the News” study titled "H1N1: History, Risk Factors, and Prevention."

Peace,

Andrew Yeager-Buckley

Click on any of the links above to be redirected to the site for more information.

Join the conversation by reviewing a favorite study. Follow us on twitter and facebook or subscribe to our blog.

September Highlights from The Thoughtful Christian.com

noreply@blogger.com (The Thoughtful Christian Staff) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:57:17 PDT

September, 2009

Dear Thoughtful Christians,

Is summer really over? School buses on the roads remind us that indeed the different rhythm of summer is coming to a close and scheduled activities are back in full swing.

We’ve had a good summer here. Andrew has been on the road at a number of events meeting many of you. The long awaited “Racism Study Pack” was released in August and has already been positively reviewed by a few groups. We’ve also spent some time looking ahead and considering what we can do to improve the site for you. We recently sent out a survey and we hope you’ll spend a few minutes to provide us with some feedback on how we’re doing. To take the survey, click here.

The first couple of years we were concerned with whether or not we had enough studies for churches. We’ve been steadily producing a new adult study every week for four years now. Since January, 2008, we’ve released two new youth studies a month. And this year we’ve begun offering a new parenting study each month. Now we’re concerned we may be overwhelming some with the amount of studies offered! While this is a nice problem to have, we decided to begin making some suggestions for grouping sets of similarly themed studies together in our study pack section; these can be found in the “Editor's Picks” section of our study packs page. In addition, each month I’ll highlight a new “Editor’s Pick” study pack in the section that follows.

September Editor’s Pick—“Back to Church”

This month we begin the practice of suggesting a group of studies on a theme you might consider for a group in your church. Each month I’ll pick from some of our best studies around a similar theme and we’ll package them in a study pack and place it in the “Editor's Picks” section of the site.

Many of you have been asking for more recommendations and we hope this helps you choose from over 300 studies we now have available. When we began thinking about how to organize these, we decided to create categories based on the most commonly found church school classes. Many of these study packs will be cross-listed in different classes, however feel free to use an “Editor’s Pick” in any class setting you wish.

The ease of quickly downloading these prepackaged study packs will only be available for subscribers. If your church does not have a subscription, you may still purchase these studies individually; but when you see how The Thoughtful Christian is striving to be your convenient one-stop shop for Christian education, we hope you’ll consider subscribing, especially at our reduced subscription rate that only lasts through December 2009.

This month’s suggested collection, called “Back to Church,” might help a group that includes new members or frequent visitors or even old timers that wish to review some of the basic reasons for going to church and why we do what we do in church. Feel free to use them in any order you like.

Why Go to Church? is a two-session study, first looking at the reasons many people now choose not to go to church. The second session looks at the various convincing reasons for remaining in church. It offers a chance for participants to say what they think and is a great chance to reaffirm why we go to church.

Which Bible Should I Buy? is a two-session study that helps participants understand the various types of Bibles and gives helpful suggestions so individuals can pick the right Bible for her or his own use.

Appreciating Spiritual Gifts is a one-session study that both challenges members to examine their own gifts as well as appreciate the gifts of others. This study reminds us that it takes all gifts to build the body of Christ we call church.

How Did Jesus’ Death Save Us? Many Christians are confused about the meaning of the cross and how it saves us. This two-session study examines various atonement theories and encourages participants to appreciate the mystery, the “somehow,” of our atonement through Jesus Christ.

Spiritual Practices for Families. In this two-session study, the first session recognizes the importance of family spirituality in the Bible and our busy lives. It contains practical suggestions for incorporating spiritual disciplines in families. The second session focuses on families made up of adults and ways they can incorporate spiritual practices to deepen relationships with one another and with God.

If you use each of these studies you’ll have nine weeks of materials.

Recent and Upcoming Studies

Adult Studies (number of sessions if more than one)

September 2 Rejoice! Reflections on Four Seasonal Hymns (4)

September 9 In the News: Kickoff! The Ethics of College Sports

September 16 Israel/Palestine: Is a Two State Solution Possible?

September 23 Understanding Indonesia

September 30 The United Nations: History, Accomplishments, and Current Challenges (3)

September 30 Free Teaching Tool Essay: “Learning as We Teach”

October 7 In the News: H1N1

October 14 Assisted Reproductive Technologies: Definitions and Moral Issues (2)

Youth Studies

September 2 Advent: Why Do We Celebrate It?

September 16 Preparing the Way: An Advent Study for Youth(4)

October 7 Trick or Treat: What Youth Should Know About Halloween

Parenting Studies

September 9 Modeling Love for the "Least of These"

October 14 Help for the Exhausted Parent

Have a great fall and as always, thank you for your support!

Peace,

David L. Maxwell, Editor

The Thoughtful Christian

Click on any of the links above to be redirected to the site for more information.

Join the conversation by reviewing a favorite study. Follow us on twitter or subscribe to our blog.

New This Week - "Preparing the Way: An Advent Study for Youth" & "Israel/Palestine: Is a Two-State Solution Possible?”

noreply@blogger.com (The Thoughtful Christian Staff) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 09:15:33 PDT

Dear Thoughtful Christians,

Christmas can seem like a time to put away sadness and doubt, cover over stress and loneliness, and get excited by listening to some good old Christmas carols. But youth, like adults, know that this isn’t real life, and as much as a dose of holiday cheer can do some good, it can’t come at the expense of pretending-away everything else.

“Preparing the Way” is our NEW four-session Advent study pack for Youth that opens up the rich meanings of love, hope, joy, and peace to help teens look beyond the tinsel during the month of December. Celebrating both the fun of the season and the real needs that people bring to church, this study pack offers a multitude of ways for youth to access the themes of Advent in a deeper way. The Leader’s Guide offers options for dialogue, drama, music, movies, in-depth Bible study, meditation, labyrinth-walking, and service.

Customer Satisfaction Survey

Every year we survey our customers to get a read on how we are doing. In past years this has been done by asking you to respond to a list of questions through e-mail. To show how seriously we take your feedback we're stepping it up a notch. This year we're using an online survey tool that will help us pay even more attention to your feedback. Your feedback continues to help us make decisions for the future. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey by clicking here.

Here are this week's new studies as well as other highlights.

New Youth Study (Study Packs - Advent and Lent)

Preparing the Way: An Advent Study for Youth

A Christmas season reality check: sometimes December isn’t a very happy time. There are still wars, parents still fight, and friends still feel depressed. This Advent study pack examines what Love, Peace, Joy, and Hope look like in the real world.

New Adult Study (Contemporary Issues - Religion and Politics - Adult)

Israel/Palestine: Is a Two-State Solution Possible?

An often-proposed answer to long-term strife in Israel/Palestine . . . but it is realistic? Exploring the possibilities and the problems of the two-state solution.

Last Week's Top Five

Kickoff! The Ethics of College Sports (In the News - Adult)

Rejoice! Reflections on Four Seasonal Hymns (Study Packs - Advent and Lent)

Health-Care Reform: The Moment Is Now! (In the News - Adult)

Modeling Love for the “Least of These” (Parenting)

Advent: Why Do We Celebrate It? (Bible and Theology - Thematic - Youth)

Visit us again next week for our new adult study titled "Understanding Indonesia."

Peace,

Andrew Yeager-Buckley

Click on any of the links above to be redirected to the site for more information.

Join the conversation by reviewing a favorite study. Follow us on twitter or facebook.

Links for 2007-11-07 [del.icio.us]

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 00:00:00 PST

World Neighbors
Kathleen Kern, of Rochester, N.Y., serves with Christian Peacemaker Teams.

Links for 2007-11-05 [del.icio.us]

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 00:00:00 PST

With, For and By Youth
News and Celebration of Youth Ministry in the Diocese of Southern Virginia
bear witness to the love of God in this world
occasional reflections, meditations, observations from my place in the world
Ministerblog.net
A Community for Dialogue on Spiritual Formation for ministers.

Links for 2007-10-29 [del.icio.us]

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:00:00 PDT

Jesus Creed
This blogger is exploring the significance of Jesus and the Orthodox Faith for the 21st Century.

Links for 2007-10-23 [del.icio.us]

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 00:00:00 PDT

TiffBits
Personal reflections by a pastor on family, friends and faith.
The Other Jesus
Greg Garrett is the author of short stories, essays, reviews, and editorials in newspapers, magazines, and literary journals, and online.
Theolog
The blog of The Christian Century.