Our new electronic resource, Open for Exploration, provides a monthly reminder about current resources. It’s downloadable and can be used as a bulletin insert or in congregational newsletters. It is also a feature in the synod monthly e-news, eQuip. Download this resource and/or subscribe to the eQuip online.

New Curriculum

Fed and Forgiven is a set of print and DVD resources introducing children and adults to the sacrament of holy communion. DVD segments explore the many meanings of the Eucharist in ways that are appropriate for each age level. A feast for all ages! (K168) (DVD279)

SPARK! Curriculum samples (ages 2-Grade 6) are available for preview. We also have SPARK children’s bibles as well as the new Lutheran Study Bible for loan. If your congregation is still deciding which material to use, go to a free curriculum selection tool (external link) from Augsburg Fortress.

Two new Vacation Bible School kits are available for preview. BaobabBlast from Augsburg Fortress (external link) focuses on God’s creation and the community of faith. ReNew from Spark House (external link) uses the Parable of the Sower to address care of creation and a green environment.

For older youth and adults, the LIQUID series invites participants into the Bible by pointing to specific stories and making them come to life with contemporary examples. Crossing features five stand-alone stories from Joshua. Mirror Image brings five well-known parables to life. (DVD316, 317)

For congregations interested in using the Alpha course as a practical introduction to Christianity, we have the “Just Curious Kit” introducing Alpha as well as the dvd set, The Alpha Course (express version and full length version). (K169) (DVD312, 313)

A ten-session dvd program, Living Faith by Tom Wright, explores the essentials of Christianity. The sessions explore scripture, history, beliefs and practices and how Christianity differs from other religions. (DVD315)

The Missional Church is a twelve-session dvd to help a congregation think more intentionally about its calling. Sessions focus on biblical understandings of the missional church in the Old and New Testaments, a Reformation understanding of mission, confessional and theological perspectives, and strategic models for helping lay leaders think about ministry in daily life. (DVD311)

Another excellent resource for rethinking what it means to be a missional church is The Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church. Participants will learn how to recognize six important realities church leaders must face if we are to move beyond “churchianity” to a more authentic and missional Christian faith. This ten-session dvd curriculum includes a leader’s guide, participant guide, and four dvds. (DVD202)

A dvd resource about the history of conflict between religion and homosexuality has been given to the resource center. The documentary, For the Bible Tells Me So provides thoughtful reflection and background and offers clarity, healing, and understanding to anyone struggling with issues of scripture and sexual identity. (DVD 272)

EarthBound: Created and Called to Care for Creation is a cutting edge six-session series that takes Martin Luther’s understanding of justification and vocation and expands it across God’s magnificent creation. It addresses the origins of our misconceptions about scripture’s portrayal of creation and invites viewers to recognize God’s call to us to relate to the whole creation as our vocation. (DVD314)

A PBS special, The Congregation: Questions of Faith in Changing Times is the story of a church struggling with basic questions about being the church in the 21st century. A discussion guide accompanies the DVD. (DVD44)

Nooma films continue to be good discussion starters for all ages. The online catalog includes twenty-four titles including the newest, “Whirlwind” about wanting certainty and answers in a world that is often uncertain. (DVD278)

The ELCA’s Feautor.org (external link) – Check out this excellent open source site for sharing unpublished religious resources. Many resources posted here come from Eastern North Dakota Synod.

We have a large collection of Children’s books for loan. Check them out!

Modern Parables: Living in the Kingdom of God is a DVD-based bible study combining cinema and theology. Short dramatic films explain Jesus’ parables. 12 sessions, 12-20 min. each for older youth, adults. (DVD249)

Down and out: it’s the life God gives us, the life to which God calls us. Down and Out: Where Grace Takes You is a six-part series for adults about rediscovering what Martin Luther made so clear five centuries ago: grace takes us out into God’s world, out of our churches, to co-create with God on behalf of others, for the sake of the world. (DVD204)

LeaderResources (external link) has given us a preview copy of The Many Faces of God: An Interfaith Encounter for Youth and Adults by Denise Yarbrough. For ongoing study of interfaith issues, this provides a very thorough process for learning about other traditions. (PR992)

Logos Productions (external link) is highlighting a recent book by Marcus Borg, The Heart of Christianity together with two very interesting companion resources:

• Experiencing the Heart of Christianity is a twelve session program for small groups led by Tim Scorer and Borg (accompanying DVD) divided into two main parts: Seeing the Christian Tradition Again and Seeing the Christian Life Again.
• Living the Heart of Christianity–also a companion to Borg’s book–is a guide for putting faith into action.

Exploration of Faith and Emerging Church Resources

Many new resources on the topic of the emerging church are available. See our featured collection on the topic of the emerging church as well as the resource sheet called Being Church in the 21st Century: Themes from the Emerging Church.

Check out the following:

• The Future of Christianity: A Startling New Vision of Hope for the 21st Century (DVD262) Go to www.futureofchristianity.com (external link) to learn more about this conversation
• Christianity for the Rest of Us: How the Neighborhood Church is Transforming the Faith by Diana Butler Bass (B3419)
• The Gods Aren’t Angry (DVD243) Rob Bell’s latest presentation on the origins of religion
• The Missional Leader: Equipping Your Church to Reach a Changing World by Alan Roxburgh and Fred Romanuk (B3453)
• A New Kind of Christian by Brian McLaren (B3387)

Alban Institute Resources

Alban Institute’s (external link) free online guide to resources for faith communities is available at www.congregationalresources.org – Check it out it’s a treasure! Alban also offers regular webinars (external link) on topics of congregational life. Call the Resource Center for more information. We also subscribe to the Alban Weekly and have most Alban publications available for loan.

Labyrinth

Our portable labyrinth, Circle of Peace Labyrinth continues to be well-used. This twenty-four foot Circle of Peace canvas labyrinth is a seven-circuit Chartres design. It can be used as a spiritual tool, a way of silencing the noise and turmoil in our busy lives, and for centering and meditative or contemplative prayer. Call the Resource Center to reserve! (K147)

If you are interested in using the labyrinth, you may like to borrow a dvd, Rediscovering the Labyrinth: A Walking Meditation which introduces this ancient practice. (DVD100)

Continuing his series of conversations in spiritual theology, Eugene Peterson’s books and study guides provide stimulating grist for discussion:

• Eat This Book: A Conversation in the Art of Spiritual Reading (B3280)
• Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places: A Conversation in Spiritual Theology (B3487)
• The Jesus Way: A Conversation on the Ways that Jesus is the Way (B3388)
• Tell It Slant: A Conversation on the Language of Jesus (B3648)

The preceding resources are highlighted and recommended for your consideration. If you have questions or would like to reserve a resource, contact Julie Aageson at 701-232-3381 or julie.aageson@ecunet.org

Visit the EaND Resource Center | Search the Catalog

Eastern North Dakota Synod - ELCA: New Curriculum and Resources for the Missional Church

New Star Thrower (external link) leadership resources are now available.   Like Star Thrower’s Dewitt Jones videos (Focus Your Vision, Celebrate What’s Right with the World, and Everyday Creativity), these engaging short films focus on human interest topics. (DVD and print)  (4-10 minutes each)

• A Second Chance (everyone deserves a second chance)
• Differences (differences give us each unique skills and talents)
• Seeing Red Cars (encourages positive decisions, less negativity)
• We Are the Ones (looking to ourselves for leadership, change)

Continuing his series of conversations in spiritual theology, Eugene Peterson’s books and study guides provide stimulating grist for discussion:

• Eat This Book: A Conversation in the Art of Spiritual Reading
• Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places: A Conversation in Spiritual Theology
• The Jesus Way: A Conversation on the Ways that Jesus is the Way
• Tell It Slant: A Conversation on the Language of Jesus

Curriculum for fall and beyond….

We’ve been waiting a long time for this!  Fed and Forgiven is a set of print and DVD resources introducing children and adults to the sacrament of holy communion.  DVD segments explore the many meanings of the Eucharist in ways that are appropriate for each age level.  A feast for all ages!

SPARK! (external link) Curriculum samples (ages 2-Grade 6) are available for preview.  We also have SPARK children’s bibles as well as the new Lutheran Study Bible for loan. If your congregation is still deciding which material to use, go to a free curriculum selection tool (external link) from Augsburg Fortress.

Nooma (external link) films continue to be good discussion starters for all ages.  The online catalog includes twenty-four titles including the newest, “Whirlwind” about wanting certainty and answers in a world that is often uncertain. (DVD278)

Check out excellent ELCA’s Shared Resources (external link) open source site for sharing unpublished religious resources.  Many resources posted here come from Eastern North Dakota Synod.

We have a large collection of children’s books for loan. Check them out!

Modern Parables: Living in the Kingdom of God is a DVD-based bible study combining cinema and theology.  Short dramatic films explain Jesus’ parables.  12 sessions, 12-20 min. each for older youth, adults.  (DVD249)

Down and out: it’s the life God gives us, the life to which God calls us.  Down and Out: Where Grace Takes You is a six-part series for adults about rediscovering what Martin Luther made so clear five centuries ago: grace takes us out into God’s world, out of our churches, to co-create with God on behalf of others, for the sake of the world.  (DVD204)

Book of Faith

Go to www.bookoffaith.org (external link) for regular updates about resources.  Go to www.bookoffaith.ning.com (external link) for social networking and sharing stories of faith.

• New bible studies continue to be added to the Book of Faith offerings:
• Books of Faith studies include Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, John, Romans, Galatians, and I John and each is accompanied by a DVD for leader preparation.
• People of Faith studies include:
  • A Gardener, Two Travelers, and a Cheat (Adam, Abraham, Sarah, Jacob);
  • A Lamenter, A Dreamer and Two Pretty Good Leaders (Rachel, Joseph, Moses, Joshua);
  • A Grandmother to a King, A King-Maker, A King and a Royal Pain (Ruth, Samuel, David, Elijah);
  • A Prostitute, Two Prophets and Poor ‘Ol Job (Gomer, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Job).
  • Together in Faith includes three lectionary studies: God’s Will for Life (Mark); God’s Extraordinary Church (Ephesians); God’s Standard or Gold Standard? (Proverbs).
• David Lose’s new book, Making Sense of Scripture: Big Questions about the Book of Faith is an introductory course focusing on seven questions for people new to bible study.
• Foundational courses include:
  • Opening the Book of Faith introducing four methods of bible study;
  • Rediscovering the Book of Faith, a three-session overview for beginners;
  • the new Lutheran Study Bible;
  • and SPARK bibles and curriculum for faith formation.
• DVDs for leader preparation are also available for preview.

The preceding resources are highlighted and recommended for your consideration. If you have questions or would like to reserve a resource, contact Julie Aageson at 701-232-3381 or julie.aageson@ecunet.org

Visit the EaND Resource Center | Search the Catalog

Eastern North Dakota Synod - ELCA: New Curriculum and Bible Study Resources

» Download: Taste and See! (download pdf file)

Eat this bread, drink this cup. Taste and see the goodness of God. Bread of life, cup of love, we rejoice in your presence. (ELW, #492)

The haunting melody and beautiful words found in “Eat This Bread, Drink This Cup” are for me among the richest and most meaningful for describing the celebration of the Eucharist. You will find the verses of this lovely communion hymn interspersed here with a collection of resources meant to illumine our experience of the Lord’s Supper.

Our core identity and central commitment as Lutherans to word and sacrament ministry is a key component of faith formation. The selection of multimedia and print resources found here represents some classic “takes” on sacramental life and the many meanings of Holy Communion. Please note the use of the word, classic. Several resources have been around for a long time but continue to speak meaningfully the multiple meanings of the Lord’s Supper, the meal around which Christians identify and find themselves sent into the world. Being nourished at the Table of the Lord and being food and drink for one another is at the heart of all these resources.

Julie K. Aageson
Director, The Resource Center
Coordinator, ELCA Resource Centers

I will bless the Lord at all times, praise with heart and voice; in my God I glory forever: listen and rejoice!

6 Books for Small Group Bible Study

Breaking Bread: The Spiritual Significance of Food

by Sara Covin Juengst (Westminster John Knox, 1992)
Food and feasting are major biblical themes. Juengst has taken these Eucharistic themes to create a resource that will enrich readers’ understandings of the spiritual significance of meals, Holy Communion, and rituals of sharing, celebrating, learning, and more. Each chapter focuses on biblical customs related to food and feasting and concludes with brief “recipes” for action. From Walter Brueggemann: “…the book lets us retaste, renotice, and reswallow our life from God.”

Gathering at the Table

by Elizabeth Hoffman Reed (Liturgy Training Publications)
This small booklet is sure to stimulate conversation about the sacredness of meals and the ways in which the communion table is about all the other tables in our lives. Brief reflections in praise of dining, meals, manners, and sharing are interspersed with poignant quotations.

Daily Bread, Holy Meal: Opening the Gifts of Holy Communion

by Samuel Torvend (Augsburg Fortress, 2004)
From the Worship Matters series, this rich treasure offers an ideal format and fertile content for adult study. Beginning and ending with his grandmother’s gift of golden molasses bread, Torvend brilliantly unwraps the gifts of the Lord’s Supper. He invites conversation and reflection that will enrich and deepen every readers’ experience of the Eucharist. This book is a banquet for all who long for a deeper understanding of the generosity of God.

Let Us Break Bread Together: A Passover Haggadah for Christians

by Michael Smith and Rami Shapiro (Paraclete Press, 2005)
This lovely guide for planning and hosting a meaningful seder meal brings together the great themes of the Exodus story as a lens for understanding the Last Supper. In providing a helpful guide to an authentic Jewish Passover meal, Christians will experience a deeper knowledge of the themes of slavery, freedom, and community. Let Us Break Bread Together is an extraordinary learning opportunity for adults and youth.

Sunday Dinner: the Lord’s Supper and the Christian Life

by William Willimon (Upper Room)
Another classic that begins with the ritual of our own Sunday dinners, this book about meals will help groups see the Lord’s Supper as the primary place for understanding Christian identity, sustenance, conversion, and growth.

Take This Bread: A Radical Conversion

by Sara Miles (Ballantine Books, 2007)
Stunning best describes the story that unfolds here. This beautifully written spiritual memoir vividly illustrates the power of the Eucharist to transform and reveal the presence of God. It’s a remarkable telling of meals that are more than meals, communion that goes beyond our own tables and churches, conversion that truly is about being food and drink for one another. Sara Miles’ story captures the wonder of sacramental life and the meaning of radical hospitality. It is nothing less than a vision of the kingdom and will give adult groups much to ponder about the many meanings of Holy Communion.

Look upon the Lord, be radiant, never turn away. God will save in every affliction, hear us when we pray.

Multimedia Resources

For Youth and Adults

Babette’s Feast

This award-winning 1987 Danish film will stimulate discussion about the richness of the ceremony of eating together. The captivating story of Babette and the meal she prepares for a motley band of pious Christians illustrates the power of the Eucharist to transform and shape a people. This multi-layered tale remains a classic for revealing the beauty of a meal not only as nourishment for body and soul but a means of reconciliation, generosity, forgiveness, and new life. Available on video from the Resource Center. View the trailer and more at IMDB.com (external link).

Beneath the Tree of Life: A Communion Service for All the Churches

(Music CD edited by Marty Haugen and Susan Briehl, GIA Publications)
Until the Reformation-and for some time after in a few Protestant denominations-Sunday celebration of the Eucharist was normative. Beneath the Tree of Life was created in the expectation of that day when all liturgical Christians can find common nourishment at the table of Jesus. Available from the Resource Center or GIA Publications (external link) (Download a .pdf of “Beneath the Tree of Life” (external link)).

Communion Ware from Bethlehem

Each synod in the ELCA loans a set of ceramic communion ware made by Palestinian Christians in Bethlehem to Lutheran congregations. A gift from the Division for Global Mission, this sharing of the vessels of Holy Communion is a way of connecting ELCA congregations to struggling Christians in the Middle East. Available from the Resource Center and from the Division for Global Mission.

God is Here!

(Initiatives for a New Century, ELCA, 1999)
These five video reflections on worship in the ELCA are intended for small group study and could be used during the Lenten season. The session on Holy Communion invites viewers to contemplate and meditate on the experience of God in this sacrament. It’s divided into two parts: “We Offer Ourselves” and “No Divisions” using a plate with bread, cup with wine, and a purificator as points of focus. A helpful study guide by Eileen Crowley-Horak is included. Available from the Resource Center or at the ELCA.org Worship Learning Center (external link).

Interview with Sara Miles about Take This Bread: A Radical Conversion

Published by Ballantine in 2007, the impact of Sara Miles’ spiritual memoir (see Books for Small Group Study) is discussed in this live interview about her radical conversion to Christianity. Discussion groups reading the book will find the interview compelling and enriching. This podcast can be found on Steve Brown, Etc., a nationally syndicated internet program (listen to the interview online (external link)).

Angels fold their wings around us, guard through good and ill. Those who seek the Lord will lack nothing; taste and have your fill.

Mosaic: Holy Communion

(ELCA, 2006)
This 31-minute video introduction explores biblical foundations and reviews Reformation history that defines modern Christian understandings of the Eucharist. It reminds adult learners of the gifts of the earth found in bread and wine and the many ways they convey God’s grace. DVD and web resource available from the Resource Center and online at ELCA.org Mosaic (external link).

Say Amen! To What You Are

(Liturgy Training Publications, 1994)
This 18-minute video documentary of the communion rite as celebrated in a parish setting provides deeply meaningful insights into the ways Christ comes to us in the Eucharist and how we are nourished at the Lord’s table. Available for loan from the Resource Center.

Supper at Emmaus

Supper at Emmaus by HeQi (from ELCA.org)

(Art work by Chinese contemporary Christian artist, He Qi)
This liturgical art is reminiscent of the piece commissioned to introduce the Holy Communion section in Evangelical Lutheran Worship. It depicts the supper at Emmaus in Luke 24:28-35. The risen Christ appears to two disciples and is made known to them “in the breaking of the bread.” The two banners are available for loan to ELCA synods from the ELCA (external link). Send requests to worship@elca.org

With Burning Hearts

(Orbis, 1995)
This 25-minute video by Henri Nouwen shows the Eucharist to be an intensely human event that reveals the depth of human experience: sadness and loss, attentiveness and invitation, intimacy and engagement. It reveals the power of the Lord’s Supper to transform Christians in their journey with God. Available from the Resource Center.

These Things ‘Matter: Word, Baptism, Communion

(ELCA, 1998)
These video reflections focus on the ELCA’s Use of the Means of Grace: A Statement on Word and Sacrament. The 20-minute video exploration of Holy Communion invites conversation and reflection on the ways we practice and celebrate the meal. A detailed study guide helps make this an excellent foundation for adult education, small group study, worship committees. Available from the Resource Center, from Augsburg Fortress (external link), and at the ELCA.org Learning Center (external link).

Saints of God, bow down and worship, bless the holy name. Rise to tell God’s greatness forever, wondrous deeds proclaim!

For Children

Davey and Goliath: The Family of God

This timeless classic from the Davey and Goliath series continues to help children understand Holy Communion as the special meal of the family of God. It expresses questions and feelings children may have about communion and helps develop a sense of belonging and community. Available from the Resource Center and for purchase from Augsburg Fortress (external link).

Eating and Drinking in the Word

Most often used for first communion instruction, this 20-minute video presentation for children, especially in grades 4-6, introduces a Lutheran understanding of the Eucharist. Available from the Resource Center on video and DVD and for purchase from Seraphim Communication and Augsburg Fortress (external link).

Grandma’s Bread

Another classic, this 17-minute video and DVD is a story children will remember about the power of relationships and the meaning of sharing bread. Available in English and Spanish, Grandma’s Bread tells a poignant story about the love of family and what it means to belong to one another. Available from the Resource Center and for purchase from St. Anthony Messenger Press (external link).

Table of the Lord

This four-part video resource helps prepare young children and their parents for participating in and receiving the Eucharist. Each program has a dramatic situation to help children understand how Jesus meets them in the sacrament, a gospel story, an activity, and an explanation about how giving, eating, and celebrating are central to communion. The fourth video is directed to parents and gives a clear idea of what children are being taught about Holy Communion. Available from the Resource Center and for purchase from St. Anthony Messenger Press (external link).

The preceding resources are highlighted and recommended for your consideration. If you have questions or would like to reserve a resource, contact Julie Aageson at 701-232-3381 or julie.aageson@ecunet.org

Visit the EaND Resource Center | Search the Catalog

Eastern North Dakota Synod - ELCA: Taste and See!