Pastoral Care

Do The Right Thing

An ethics course that uses challenging case studies to engage participants about what they would do in a given situation and what ethical principles they would use to make their decisions. The 21 scenarios were originally created by older adults for older adults. However, they work well for mid-life and younger adults who also face end-of-life decisions, decisions about sex and sexuality, the costs of long-term care, the relationships between family members and more!

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Eucharistic Visitors

THREE PROGRAMS: BASIC TRAINING, REFRESHER, & ADULT EDUCATION

The EV Training Program teaches the history and theology of the ministry and the use of home communion kits as well as basic pastoral care skills. This program is full of practical aids for home, hospital, and nursing-home visits and includes everything needed to train, commission and certify new EVs.

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Growing Toward God: Sacred Stories

Three noted writers, Maya Angelou, Frederick Buechner and James Carroll, recreate stories of their own lives, telling of their personal triumphs and tragedies in this presentation. Through their storytelling, they invite viewers to discover for themselves the presence of God, the healing power of memory, the value of telling secrets, and the possibilities of changing the future by forgiving the past. In the accompanying resource, you will learn to tell your faith stories, your community's stories and the sacred stories of the Bible.

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Growing Toward God: Understanding Why

Dr. Bernie Siegel uses his trademark humor and examples from his patients to stimulate belief in God and to examine our beliefs about ourselves. He looks at the ways our spiritual lives have an impact on health, and encourages the audience to “follow your heart, not your head."

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Guiding Children Through Life's Losses E-Book

PRAYERS, RITUALS AND ACTIVITIES 

by Phyllis Vos Wezeman, Jude Dennis Fournier and Kenneth R. Wezeman
 
One of the most delicate and difficult things a teacher, pastor or parent has to do is be present to a child at a time of loss. This book provides a way for adults to help children through major losses such as the death of a grandparent, separation or divorce of parents, death or loss of a friend or pet, etc. It also provides ways to help children deal with life's "lesser" losses such as a broken promise, theft or change.

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In the Time of Trouble

STORIES FOR CAREGIVERS

This resource is designed to provide case studies for clergy and other caregivers to discuss some of the most difficult pastoral issues in the church today. Sexual misconduct, unexpected death and other pastoral situations are made real by powerful stories that transport you into the situation. Through the process of reading, discussing and reflecting on the stories, participants can allow identify issues, discuss personal feeling and develop effective strategies to respond to similar situations in their contexts. Ideal for pastoral care givers and/or groups but also useful with congregational leaders.

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Love One Another

LISTENING FOR THE SACRED IN THE FAITHFUL COMMUNITY 

Help your members learn to listen in a loving way. This program explores the advantages of operating from a reconciling rather than an adversarial model when dealing with controversial issues. An orientation session introduces group members to concepts and skills they will need throughout the process. The next section describes the process used for each subsequent session. This process can be used to discuss a variety of issues in a way that honors all members of a congregation. It was originally designed to help congregations talk about abortion -- it would be useful in discussion the role of gays and lesbians in the church, immigration policies and other current issues. This resource includes Leader's Guide and handouts.

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Mentoring the Marriage Journey

EQUIPPING LAITY TO SERVE AS MARRIAGE MENTORS 

Develop a marriage ministry in your congregation! Support newlyweds in forming healthy, loving relationships. While this mentor training program could be used to train mentors for any situation, it is specifically designed to prepare laity to work with couples preparing for marriage or lead a marriage enrichment program.

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Reiki and Christian Healing

by The Rev. Alice Mindurm

What is Reiki? And what, if anything, has it got to do with Christian healing? 

Alice Mindrum, Episcopal priest and Reiki master teacher, shares the story of Reiki and her own journey from being healed to becoming a healer. You will be introduced to how Reiki “works,” as well as the ways in which Reiki is taught, learned and practiced, particularly in the Christian context.

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The Marriage Journey

PREPARATIONS AND PROVISIONS FOR LIFE TOGETHER

by The Rev. Linda L. Grenz and Dr. Delbert C. Glover

The two authors of this book, Linda Grenz and Del Glover, say at the outset that they are ordinary Christians writing for ordinary Christians and ordinary congregations. So why has this book become a classic for couples about to marry, couples already married, and the congregations that support them? Because they approach the ordinary issues couples face in marriage from the life-experience perspectives of an Episcopal priest (Linda) and a former corporate executive (Del) who worked with people as they faced various family-related issues. They invite readers to use the book in ways that speak most directly to them and offer questions for the couple to discuss and others that engage a congregation. The book is filled with probing questions for the individual to consider and couples to discuss.

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