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2022 VBS Resource: Forward Toward Freedom

Jun 1, 2022
Taking inspiration from acclaimed book, The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones, “Forward Toward Freedom” offers historical accounts of black experiences in America alongside biblical stories that help illustrate consideration of the following themes: freedom of culture, freedom of body, freedom of mind.

2022 VBS Resource: Forward Toward Freedom

by Brian Frederick-Gray

Vacation Bible Study Resource: Three Days, Three Ways

The Office of Christian Education has designed a three-day summer resource with Luis Gierbolini, Chesla Nickelson, Olivia Updegrove and Monique Crain Spells.

Taking inspiration from acclaimed book, The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones, “Forward Toward Freedom” offers historical accounts of black experiences in America alongside biblical stories that help illustrate consideration of the following themes: freedom of culture, freedom of body, freedom of mind. Each day in the curriculum offers activities to support learning.

You may engage all the lessons or just one at a time over the summer. Download and share “Forward Toward Freedom!”

Keep Tabs on the Spirit

Apr 13, 2022
As we move forward into healthier hybrid realities, we have created a few deskside guides to encourage you in developing ministry for today and tomorrow. Feel free to download, print, and share! 

Keep Tabs on the Spirit

by Brian Frederick-Gray

Desktop Guide

As we move forward into healthier hybrid realities, we have created a few deskside guides to encourage you in developing ministry for today and tomorrow.

Feel free to download, print, and share! 

Bee Disciples in the World

Apr 13, 2022
As we move forward into healthier hybrid realities, we have created a few deskside guides to encourage you in developing ministry for today and tomorrow. Feel free to download, print, and share! 

Bee Disciples in the World

by Brian Frederick-Gray

Desktop Guide

As we move forward into healthier hybrid realities, we have created a few deskside guides to encourage you in developing ministry for today and tomorrow.

Feel free to download, print, and share! 

Romans 12 Mindfulness Map

Apr 13, 2022
As we move forward into healthier hybrid realities, we have created a few deskside guides to encourage you in developing ministry for today and tomorrow. Feel free to download, print, and share! 

Romans 12 Mindfulness Map

by Brian Frederick-Gray

Spiritual Worship is how we live, renew our minds, and discern what is good.

As we move forward into healthier hybrid realities, we have created a few deskside guides to encourage you in developing ministry for today and tomorrow.

Feel free to download, print, and share! 

2022 Lenten Devotional: “Who Do You Say That I Am?”

Mar 1, 2022
We have designed a concise 2022 Lenten Resource for you to enjoy across the church. Included are litanies, daily affirmations, meditations, reflections, a playlist, and prayer. Let us remember Jesus together!

2022 Lenten Devotional: “Who Do You Say That I Am?”

by Brian Frederick-Gray

We have designed a concise 2022 Lenten Resource for you to enjoy across the church. Included are litanies, daily affirmations, meditations, reflections, a playlist, and prayer.

Our beloved guest contributors are Reverends Bere Gil Soto, Deenabandhu Manchala, Kristen Peters, and Tyler Thompson. Let us remember Jesus together!

Unforeseen Glory: A Journey with Simon of Cyrene

Jan 1, 2022
As you start the year, these resources will aid you in doing so thoughtfully. Simon of Cyrene was a North African man we find supporting the enfleshed church in Matthew 27, Mark 15, and Luke 23.

Unforeseen Glory: A Journey with Simon of Cyrene

by Brian Frederick-Gray

Week of the Laity downloadable resource. We celebrate the love and strength of laity across the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). It is our hope you will gather in safe ways to affirm lay leaders and edify their ministry in the world. As you start the year, these resources will aid you in doing so thoughtfully. Simon of Cyrene was a North African man we find supporting the enfleshed church in Matthew 27, Mark 15, and Luke 23. We only know him because of what he did for another. Let’s journey with Simon together!

Kwanza 2021: Affirming Culture and God’s Creation

Dec 1, 2021
Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration held in the United States and also celebrated in the Western African Diaspora in other nations of the Americas. The celebration honors African heritage in African-American culture, and is observed from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a feast and gift-giving.

Kwanza 2021: Affirming Culture and God’s Creation

by Brian Frederick-Gray

Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration held in the United States and also celebrated in the Western African Diaspora in other nations of the Americas. The celebration honors African heritage in African-American culture, and is observed from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a feast and gift-giving.

Kwanzaa was created to introduce and reinforce seven basic values of African culture which contribute to building and reinforcing family, community and culture among African American people as well as Africans throughout the world African community. These values are called the Nguzo Saba which in Swahili means the Seven Principles. Developed by Dr. Karenga, the Nguzo Saba stand at the heart of the origin and meaning of Kwanzaa, for it is these values which are not only the building blocks for community but also serve to reinforce and enhance them.

Many congregations and other organizations observe Kwanzaa following Christmas, during the Sunday morning worship service, Watch Night service or a special Kwanzaa program. However, more and more congregations, communities and families are beginning to celebrate the principles of Kwanzaa throughout the year with youth groups, children’s ministries, Rites of Passage.

Climate Solutions for Your Workplace or Congregation

Sep 1, 2021
We can all make our workplace or congregation better. The most important thing to do is to get started. Pick one or two actions from the list below and do them now. The rest will follow more easily. 1. Make sure climate and community well-being are part of your organization’s mission. 2. Involve others. 3. Focus on the benefits. 4. Make 100% clean renewable energy your goal, with a target date. 5. Start with the easy, obvious successes. 6. Move beyond your walls. 7. Engage other organizations and the community.

Climate Solutions for Your Workplace or Congregation

by Brian Frederick-Gray

We can all make our workplace or congregation better. The most important thing to do is to get started. Pick one or two actions from the list below and do them now. The rest will follow more easily.

  1. Make sure climate and community well-being are part of your organization’s mission. 
  2. Involve others. 
  3. Focus on the benefits. 
  4. Make 100% clean renewable energy your goal, with a
    target date. 
  5. Start with the easy, obvious successes. 
  6. Move beyond your walls. 
  7. Engage other organizations and the community.

The Jesus Way – Listening to God

Apr 1, 2021
This third installment of the Jesus Way material is somewhat unique in that it does not require a teacher to impart information to the others in the study. This material assumes that the Spirit of God is among the people of God. Therefore, the answers we seek are already within us. We discover those answers […]

The Jesus Way – Listening to God

by Alex Ruth

This third installment of the Jesus Way material is somewhat unique in that it does not require a teacher to impart information to the others in the study. This material assumes that the Spirit of God is among the people of God. Therefore, the answers we seek are already within us. We discover those answers as we do the things that allow us to connect with the Spirit of God already present.

In this study you will use an ancient form of prayer called Lectio Divina to engage the Spirit of God through repeated readings of scripture, times of silence and dialogue with the other men in the group. This method of connecting with the Spirit of God within us has proven its worth over many centuries of use. Each week the men in the group will unfurl their sails a little more as confidence and trust in the process and the men in the group grow. Each week the Spirit of God will be captured more and more by the ever-billowing sails of the men’s own spirits and God will guide the men in the group to their own self-discoveries as how to fulfill their God-given potential as citizens of the realm of God

Advent 2020: Green Chalice

Nov 15, 2020
Each year we observe the season of Advent as an opportunity to prepare for the coming of our Lord in a fresh and meaningful way. It seems that, while we’ve been mired in the realities of the coronavirus and the mass destruction here in Southwest Louisiana, the year has slipped past and now we’re standing at the door of Advent. More than ever, we need to be very intentional in our preparations.

Advent 2020: Green Chalice

by Brian Frederick-Gray

Advent 2020: Preparation Amid the Devastation

Friends in Christ,
None of you need to be reminded that 2020 has been a most unusual year. In our “neck of the woods” we’ve dealt with the global COVID 19 pandemic, direct hits by two major hurricanes, and all the other curveballs that “normal” life has thrown our way. And now, suddenly, it’s Advent!

Each year we observe the season of Advent as an opportunity to prepare for the coming of our Lord in a fresh and meaningful way. It seems that, while we’ve been mired in the realities of the coronavirus and the mass destruction here in Southwest Louisiana, the year has slipped past and now we’re standing at the door of Advent. More than ever, we need to be very intentional in our preparations. There are so many things that distract us. It is my prayer that these Advent devotions may be one part of your personal preparation for the coming of the baby Jesus into the world and the coming of our Lord Jesus into our lives anew this year.


In Christ,
Rev. Dr. Bobbie Yellott, Pastor
First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

The Jesus Way – The Bible

Apr 1, 2020
The Jesus Way study materials are divided into five sections of five sessions each. There are twenty-five sessions in all. The sections are:

The Jesus Way – The Bible

by Alex Ruth

The Jesus Way study materials are divided into five sections of five sessions each. There are twenty-five sessions in all. The sections are:

  • Section 1 – What Is It – The Bible comes with a lot of cultural baggage. In this section we help set aside some of that baggage and focus on the basics of the Bible and its importance to us.
  • Section 2 – 1st Testament – The 1st (Old) Testament is Israel’s faith history, which makes it our faith history. This is the tradition from which Jesus came. He saw himself as the fulfillment of this history, not its replacement. Here, we will spend time gaining a brief historical overview of the 1st Testament and its importance to Christians today.
  • Section 3 – 2nd Testament – The 2nd (New) Testament is the story of Jesus and the early church. Here, we will explore the different kinds of literature that make up the 2nd Testament and each type’s importance to our faith development.
  • Section 4 – A Deeper Dive – Here, we will actually take a deeper dive into one of Paul’s letters, The Letter or the Philippians, as a way of demonstrating how to actually engage the richness of the Bible to deeper and develop our faith.
  • Section 5 – The Psalms – The Psalms is the largest book of the Bible. It’s importance to the faith of Jews and Christians alike is hard to overstate. For centuries the Psalms has been the meditative, go-to resource of the Judeo-Christian tradition. Many use the Psalms as the bedrock texts for daily prayer. Here, we explore the richness, diversity, and power of this treasured book.
Flat lay of a notebook planner with a handwritten to-do list for effective organization.

General Assembly Resolutions Concerning Ecology

Aug 1, 2017
The following is a list of resolutions from the General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) concerning issues associated with the environment. Categories from the Yearbook and Directory include ecology, hazardous and toxic materials, and development (world). The resolution number consists of four digits: the first two are the Assembly year and the second two are the Resolution number from the docket. Full texts of the resolutions are available below as PDF files and in the Yearbook and Directory in the issue published the year following the General Assembly in which the resolution was approved.

General Assembly Resolutions Concerning Ecology

by Scott Hardin-Nieri

Flat lay of a notebook planner with a handwritten to-do list for effective organization.

The following is a list of resolutions from the General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) concerning issues associated with the environment. Categories from the Yearbook and Directory include ecology, hazardous and toxic materials, and development (world). The resolution number consists of four digits: the first two are the Assembly year and the second two are the Resolution number from the docket. Full texts of the resolutions are available below as PDF files and in the Yearbook and Directory in the issue published the year following the General Assembly in which the resolution was approved.

  • 7122 Concerning Investment Policies of the Christian Church (attention to ecological and social issues around investments);
  • 7134 Concerning World Population Growth;
  • 7326 Concerning the Negative Impact of Strip-Mining;
  • 7338 Concerning Ecology;
  • 7546 Concerning World Hunger and Development; and
  • 7546 Concerning a Response to the World Food Crisis on the part of Congregations and Members of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ);
  • 7555 Concerning support of farmworkers;
  • 7561 Concerning Christian Stewardship of Food and Farm Land;
  • 7730 Report Concerning World Hunger and Response to 1975 General Assembly Resolutions 46, 47, and 61;
  • 7754 Resolution Concerning a Task Force on Ecology;
  • 7767 Resolution Concerning Energy;
  • 7957 Report on Resolution;
  • 8124 Report on the Task Force on Christian Lifestyle and Ecology;
  • 8315 Resolution Concerning an ecologically responsible Christian Lifestyle;
  • 8731 Resolution Concerning Seal Hunting;
  • 8742 Resolution Concerning Hazardous and Toxic Materials;
  • 8744 Report on the Task Force on Christian Lifestyle and Ecology;
  • 8932 Resolution Concerning Recycling;
  • 8940 Resolution concerning Energy Conservation;
  • 9123 Guidelines for the Ecumenical Sharing of Resources (Operational Business Item);
  • 9134 Report on the Task Force on Christian Lifestyle and Ecology (the Alverna Covenant emerged from this report);
  • 9135 Concerning a Period of Worship and Study of Environmental Stewardship (Operational Business Item);
  • 9320 Resolution for Sustainable Community (Sense of the Assembly Resolution);
  • 9327 Concerning Future Generations (Sense of the Assembly Resolution);
  • 0122 Concerning “Green” Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) events (Sense of the Assembly Resolution);
  • 0531 Protecting the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (Emergency Resolution);
  • 0720 Concerning a Movement to Reconnect with our Food and the Natural World;
  • 0921 Statement on Global Climate Change;
  • 1520 Concerning Environmental Racism;
  • 1723 Resolution Regarding Carbon Neutrality.