Free 5 Week Social Justice Bible Study

Hey Friends!

I'm super stoked to share this particular resource with you - not only because is free and seriously one of the best social justice Bible study youth group resources I've ever read, but also because it was written by a recent grad - my AMAZING intern, Erin Farrar. It's a super professional and info packed resource for faith leaders, created by a youth.

Erin pulled together some incredible people and resources to create this five week social justice Bible study that focuses on all issues of Hunger; physical and spiritual. There's worship songs, activities, scripture readings and more. It's a great resource especially if you're planning to do the 30 Hour Famine, start it six weeks before your Famine date.

Download it here: 

About me: I live a pretty simple life... trying to love God and treat others as good as myself... I epically fail at this but mercifully God loves me anyway... different cultures inspire me... the outdoors is my passion... I'm pursuing my MDIV / Masters in Counselling at Tyndale... I spent 22+ years in the skate / snowboard / entertainment / marketing / retail industry at the executive level... led the charge at West 49/Billabong for 12 of them... I've worked in youth ministry leadership roles for more years then I can count.. after many moons in the corporate world I switched to the dark side and am currently the Manager of Youth & Student Campaigns at World Vision Canada... but more then anything I love giving my heart to mentoring and helping youth! #lovelife #dreambig #keepitreal #socialjustice #jesusjustice I/T @cindymielke  facebook.com/cindymielke

Things that make you go, "hmmm".

I was meeting with a group of youth workers this week. We are doing a 6 month cohort together and we had our first all day meeting together.

We were all discussing the theme of how we maintain our own spiritual vitality/growth. Realizing that we plan bible studies, review and use curriculum, plan events, etc...

We spoke of sabbath, rest and how most of the time we use ministry bible study as our own personal study time with God. Kind of a 2 for 1 bible study.

One of our cohort members asked a profound question that caused everyone in the room to stop and think because of the truth that the question revealed.

If you were not in paid ministry would your spiritual walk with God look any different?

I'm still chewing on this question. What do you think?

Jeff Smyth is a youth worker who has been involved in both the local church and non-profit areas of Canada for more than 15 years. Jeff lives in Toronto with his wife Heather and son Nathan.
Jeff online: ThinkYouthMinistry.com, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+

Stress Point: Thriving Through Your Twenties in a Decade of Drama

Every so often, we will welcome a ‘friend of Ellen’ to offer one of their own picks! Today my friend and colleague, Paola, offers up her thoughts on “Stress Point” by Sarah Martin!

Paola says...

Being a 20-something female, I’ve noticed a gap in the Canadian Christian marketplace surrounding available resources for young adults. There are so many great resources out there for teens and ladies, but there isn’t much out there for young adults. In response to this gap, Sarah Francis Martin has come out with Stress Point. In the Stress Point study, Sarah discusses ten “stress points” for the 20-something woman and encourages both an internal dialogue through journaling exercises and group discussion by providing thought-provoking questions.

Sarah’s blog also acts as a place for online dialogue and mentoring between her readers. Her online summer Bible study, run through her blog, is a unique opportunity for young women to work through Stress Point together while Sarah guides the discussion and answers their questions. I really feel that it is a great space for young women, like myself, to come together, learn and encourage each other.

Note: We are featuring an interactive blog series of Q & A’s with Sarah on our website, and you could win one of five copies of Stress Point. Be sure to check it out!

About the resource...

Stress Point

Sarah Francis Martin

Paperback • Thomas Nelson • 9781418550790

Want to ditch the drama and thrive through your twenties?

Body image. Friendships. Career. Money. Dating. All these issues and more serve as points of stress for the 20-something woman, and combined they can make for a decade of drama in a girl's life. Sarah Francis Martin is the slightly older girlfriend who’s been there, done that, and got the not-so-cute t-shirt. Through this interactive Bible study, Sarah helps young adult women address each stress point by encouraging them to wait on the Lord, worship Him, and make Him the focus of their lives.

In Stress Point you will:

• Find interactive chapters covering ten stress points for the 20-something woman
• Dig through Scripture to apply truth to each stress point
• Engage with real, raw, and relevant stories from girlfriends just like you
• Journal through each chapter to engage with God in a meaningful way
• Interact with Sarah through her video blogs for each chapter
• Connect with your girlfriends in a Stress Point Survival Group; leader guide included

Sarah Francis Martin has a passion to encourage and relate to women in their twenties, and is honored to do so through She Seeks, the 20-something ministry of Proverbs 31. Her relevant and conversational style will lead young adult readers to live out the Kingship of Christ in everyday life in order to find godly success, purpose, and well-being. Obsessed with pink lip gloss and all things artsy-crafty, Sarah lives with her husband and son in North Carolina. Her ministry, LIVE IT OUT!, is a space for 20-somethings to connect with one another and grow closer to Jesus.

An excerpt...

 See below for more resources:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCJa8NahTLI&feature=related

http://liveitoutblog.com/

http://liveitoutblog.com/stress-point-online-summer-bible-study/

http://liveitoutblog.com/ministry-information/

Born and raised on Vancouver Island, Ellen Graf-Martin now lives in the heart of Ontario’s Mennonite country with her husband Dan, where she continues to work in publishing and ministry.Learn more about her work at www.grafmartin.com

Exploring Blue Like Jazz

Ellen says...

When I read Blue Like Jazz years ago, it was an eye-opening experience. It felt like, in many ways, Don Miller had been able to see into my head and was writing about the same things I thought about. This recently-released curriculum looks like a great opportunity to engage the content of Blue Like Jazz. While I’ve not done this study myself, it looks like an affordable option for older teen & young adult study groups!

About the resource...

Exploring Blue Like Jazz Resource Guide and DVD-Based Study

Donald Miller and Dixon Kinser

Paperback • Thomas Nelson • 9781418549534 • 9781418549510

Explore the themes and questions raised in the major motion picture based on the best-selling book Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller.

Youth workers, parents, and mentors need guidance in order to break through to youth during the critical transition to adulthood. Using the topics, themes, and questions addressed in Blue Like Jazz: The Movie as a means of starting the conversation, Donald Miller and Dixon Kinser offer an extremely frank look at sex, drugs, alternative lifestyles, and other situations youth face when moving from high school to the freedom of college or a work environment.

This very candid resource guide is the first of its kind, providing practical help for youth directors, mentors, and parents, though it is written in the language of today's youth with real world situations and interactions.

User guide features include:

• Complete index of subjects addressed in the video, with useful statistics, conversation starters, and critical questions for youth to consider
• A user-guide for youth workers
• A plan for students and twenty-somethings to manage their new-found freedom
• 5-week study for youth leaders to help groups work through these issues

The accompanying DVD-Based study features interviews with Donald Miller and clips from the movie along with a practical resource guide written in the language of today's youth, this interactive resource helps youth explore the consequences of their decisions without predetermined outcomes.

DVD features include:

• 15 (3-4-minute) video pieces/topical discussion starters featuring interviews with Donald Miller, clips from Blue Like Jazz: The Movie, and behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the film
• 5 (10-12-minute) extended video pieces for optional 5-week group curriculum
• Resource Guide with complete index of subjects addressed in the video and beyond, practical help for youth directors, mentors, and parents, a 5-week curriculum option, and more

An excerpt...

Open publication - Free publishing - More blue like jazz

Born and raised on Vancouver Island, Ellen Graf-Martin now lives in the heart of Ontario’s Mennonite country with her husband Dan, where she continues to work in publishing and ministry.Learn more about her work at www.grafmartin.com

Made to Make a Difference

Ellen says...
The book "Outlive Your Life" challenged me in ways I never imagined. This youth edition is a fantastic counterpart. Youth workers can use this tool to walk their students through the three sections, helping them realize that: they were made to belong to God, made to reach out to others, and made to make a difference in the world. 


I believe lives will be transformed and our communities and our world will be impacted for eternity as teens learn that their God-given role in life is bigger than themselves.


About the resource...

You Were Made to Make a Difference
Max Lucado and Jenna Lucado BishopBible Study • Thomas Nelson • 9781400316007


This adaptation of "Outlive Your Life" for teens offers practical tips youth can take out into their community to make a difference, plus real-life stories about those who have done just that. 


Students learn that God can use them to make a difference right now. He wants to use them today, without waiting for them to be older, stronger, richer, or even more "together." God can use their minds, their spirits, and their hands and feet to make permanent change for His kingdom.

An excerpt... 

More free resources:

Video Trailer Explaining the Book

Another Video About the Book

Select Sample Reading From the Book

Born and raised on Vancouver Island, Ellen Graf-Martin now lives in the heart of Ontario’s Mennonite country with her husband Dan, where she continues to work in publishing and ministry.Learn more about her work at www.grafmartin.com