Faith Practices | Encountering Scripture (Downloadable PDFs)

Please know this resource may contain web links that are either broken or out of date. Much of the information referenced by the links can still be found via a Google search. About Faith Practices Using distinctive practices of faith -- such as "Keeping Sabbath" or "Playing and Living Joyfully" -- Faith Practices is a set of versatile, all-encompassing resources designed to revolutionize the way congregations equip their members for lives of faith. Faith Practices' non-linear, activities-based approach can be used with a wide variety of age groups or church settings. The sessions and practices for each faith practice were developed by a team of UCC writers from various churches across the country. The role of the leader in Faith Practices is to be a pilgrim guide. A leader does not need to be an "expert" on the particular faith practice being explored, but is someone who can honor the capacity of all participants to be interpreters of the faith and of faith stories. Faith Practices is designed to be a "living curriculum" that invigorates congregational life in worship, learning, and serving. The twelve practices can be engaged in any order. Giving and Receiving Hospitality Living Stewardship Praying and Making Ritual Playing and Living Joyfully Keeping Sabbath Giving Testimony and Witness Encountering Scripture Working for Justice Experiencing Beauty Discovering Gifts of Ministry Honoring the Body Blessing and Letting Go Each practice can be purchased as a whole set or as individual components (for specific groups or ministry purposes). The components all provide six ways to explore a practice of faith: Discovery, Scripture, Discipleship, Christian Tradition, Context & Mission, Future & Vision. Available components are:  Worship, Music, Arts, and Story Seekers and New Church Participants Intergenerational Workshop Rotation Adults (ages 35 and above) Young Adults (ages 18-35) Older Youth (ages 15-19) Youth (ages 11-15) Older Children (ages 7-11) Young Children (ages 3-7) Multiage (ages 5-14) Denominational Identity and History In addition, each practice offers a "Daily Life" PDF for individual and/or household use.  Components can also be purchased as sets; for example, the twelve practices of faith for intergenerational use can be purchased as one set. Permissions With purchase, permission is granted for use by a single congregation for one (1) year from the purchase date. No part of this download may be reproduced or transmitted--beyond the group using the materials--in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher.  PDF Download All PDFs will be emailed to you as a download. Nothing will be shipped. Once you place your order, you will be sent a link to download your Faith Practices lessons. Putting Faith Practices to Use Imagine: 12 spiritual practices, crafted for 12 diverse groups and purposes, with 100s of activities, able to be used over and over in exciting ways ... and your congregation can have them all for only $300. No passwords. No renewals. No expiration dates. What might your congregation do with such a resource? Invite all those interested to meet at a coffee shop or café to engage Daily Life with the twelve practices. Have your leadership choose a spiritual practice to engage together for one year.  Use prayers and other worship ideas to inspire choir practices, mission activities, youth group gatherings, church work days, and more. Compile activity suggestions for use at home, and share them with every household in your congregation. Use the Living Stewardship materials for a year to engage stewardship holistically and creatively as a faith community. Pick a practice and use that resource to plan an all-church retreat or annual meeting. Use the Scriptures from Faith Practices to plan Bible study sessions ... for a group and/or for yourself. There are many fantastic ways to make Faith Practices work in your community! Think outside the box – there’s no wrong way! Writing Team for Encountering Scripture Jeremy McCleod Sidney Fowler Karen Wagner Peter Olsen Alyson Huntley Martha Peck Carol Wehrheim Donna Rose Heim Aubra Love Denise Mason Patrice L. Rosner