Children

Fall 2008

Fall is in the air.  That means your church Sunday School has gotten going for the autumn session.  Hats off to all of you who are heading up the new programs and/or teaching in one of the many slots that have been filled.  You’ll want to make your programs as engaging as possible, and the Media Resource Center can help you with curriculum choices and lots of program options to enhance your choices.  We do have samples of the new curriculum “Rock Solid”, as well as “Gather Round,”  “We Believe,” and “Live Big.” 

Many thanks to those of you who filled out the survey sent to you earlier this spring.  We received a number of thoughtful ideas and recently had a meeting to discuss some of them.  Several groups have been set up to address some changes.

The staff here plans to spend time this fall doing some culling of our resources, removing videos that are out of date.  The changes will be reflected in next year’s catalog.   Speaking of the catalog, Pat has been working hard on this year’s edition and it is nearing completion.  We’ll be sending out CDs this fall, but the newest material is already on the website.

Some of you have asked about using the “fishing license” for Bluefish resources.     Bluefish has hundreds of downloadable illustrations on video covering 80 different topics  usable for youth and adult small groups.  The Media Resource Center has purchased a “fishing license” and you, as members of the MRC, can have access to 25 free video downloads.  To get to the material, you need to phone us at 408-378-2532, or e-mail us at emrcvideos@aol.com.  We will give you the code to use at the checkout screen, instead of paying.

Listed below are some of the newest resources we have available here at the Media Resource Center.

For children:
    DVE-314     Storyteller’s Café:  Beyond the Manger   27 min.
    DVC-310.4  Torchlighters Series:  The Eric Liddell Story   30 min.
    DVF-839      Parenting:  The Early Years  (6 DVDs), 20 min. each
    DVW-539    Baptism in the United Methodist Church (suitable for all denominations),  50 min.

For youth:
    DVY- 548      Artist-driven Bible Study  - Storms     (Bible studies that connect music to the Message featuring SONICFLOOd,                                         Superchick, Anthony Evans)  8-10 min each
    DVY-546       Surviving School  (Bluefish TV)   Helping kids think and talk about the issues they face in the hallways of today’s schools.
                                4 sess. 1-2 min. ea
    DVY-545        Identity: 4 Powerful Video Illustrations about the Search for Self  (Bluefish TV)  4 sess., 1-2 min. ea.
    DVY-544        Teens vs. Parents  A 4-part Bible study for youth groups  (Bluefish TV) 9-12 min. ea.
    DVY-542        Sex.Dating   A 4-part Bible study for youth groups (Bluefish TV)  11-13  min. ea.
    DVY-543        I Am Getting to Know God  (Bluefish TV)  4 sess., 11-15 min. ea. 
    DVB-518        Liquid  series:  Crossing – five studies from the book of Joshua
                                               Mirror Image – five of Jesus’ parables set in modern day Orange County, CA    5 sess. ea,  6-10 min. ea.

For youth/adult:
    DVV-555         Simply Enough with Tony Campolo and Shane Chaiborne – straight talk on simple, just living.   6 sess., 12 min. ea.
    DVG-512         NOOMA  -   You, Store, Today, Name, Open   around 15 min. ea.
    DVW-855        Tex Mix – Stories of Earthy Mysticism with Tex Sample  (stories and storytelling pointers)  91 min.

For adult studies:
    DVN – 825        Eclipsing Empire:  Paul, Rome, and the Kingdom of God with John Dominic Crossan  and Marcus Borg    12 sess.,
                                   200 min. total
    DVW-847.2       Forgiveness  (Living the Good Life Together Series)  6 sess.,  12 min. ea
    DVI-513            Lighten Up:  A Religious Response to Global Warming  40 min.
    DVN-826          Invitation to Romans Kit (Disciple Bible Study)  8 sess., 25 min. ea.
    DVW-853         Streams of Living Water with Richard Foster  13 sess., 325 min. total
    DVW-856         Just Walk Across the Room:  Simple Steps Pointing People to Faith with Bill Hybels    8 sess., 18-26 min. ea.
    DVB-813          Countering Pharaoh’s Production-Consumption Society Today with Walter Brueggemann   5 sess., 60min. ea.
    DVW-850         Living the Questions 2:  An Introduction to Progressive Christianity  21 sess., 20 min. ea.
    DVW-852         Prayer by Philip Yancey     6 sess., 90 min. total
    VCI-805.1-.3    Science and Religion with Lawrence Principe  3 videos, 12 lectures
    DVC-817          Lost Christianities by Biblical Archaeological Society  12 lec. 1 hr. each
    DVC-819          Christianity’s Family Tree with Adam Hamilton   An inspiring vision of 8 Christian denominations and faith traditions. 
                                   8 sess., 131 min.

This is a sampling of the new resources we’ve added to our collection.  We look forward to serving you as you serve in your faith communities.

Summer 2008 - Environmental Resources

For Older Children through Adult:

Clean Water for  All of God’s Children (DVI-516) tells how over one billion people lack access to clean water.  Living Waters for the World, the mission project of the Synod of Living Water, PCUSA, trains and equips mission teams to share the gift of clean, sustainable water with communities in need.

For Youth and Adults:

Through Kilowatt Ours:  A Plan to Re-Energize America (DVI-515), follow filmmaker Jeff Barrie as he searches America’s cities, towns, and countryside for solutions to great energy problems of today.  Along the way you’ll meet power companies, schools, businesses, and everyday Americans finding ways to meet our energy needs using conservation and green power.  The DVD shows how to save hundreds of dollars on your energy bills.

The DVD kit A Religious Response to Global Warming (DVI-513) contains materials from Interfaith Power and Light for a “Global Warming” event.  The Interfaith organization works with congregations to educate people of faith about the important issue of reducing global warming pollution.

In DVD 1, Lighten Up, Sally Bingham, an Episcopal priest who founded The Regeneration Project, challenges viewers to fulfill their Christian moral responsibility to do everything in their power to combat global warming.  Bingham shows evidence from tropical seashores to Alaskan glaciers of the disaster that global warming can be as burning fossil fuels upsets the balance of nature.

In DVD 2, Too Hot Not to Handle, several of the United States’ most learned scientists from our prestigious universities guide the viewer through a statistical tour of the terrible disasters that are increasing in America and throughout the world because of global warming.  They show how thousands of people have been killed because of the increasing number of serious heat waves. Individuals and governments are challenged to get behind measures dealing with the “greenhouse effect.”  The scientists show that positive things are happening in areas in which the challenges are being met.

Also check out www.cstones.com/ecolessons.htm for eco lessons on caring for God’s creation.

Spring 2008

We just got Christmas put away and right on its heels this year comes the Lenten season.
The Media Resource Center has a number of excellent Lenten studies you can use in your church to prepare hearts and minds for Easter.  You might do a study on the 6-part series “God is Closer than You Think” with John Ortberg, or “God at 2000:  How Do You See God?” an 8-part study with different internationally known scholars.  Another possibility is the excellent scholar Ken Bailey’s series “Jesus Interprets His Own Cross”, or perhaps “Jesus Christ:  The Fulfillment of the Promises of God” with Dr. James Edwards.  Be sure to check your catalog CD or our online catalog at www.gbgm-umc.org/emrc for a number of other possibilities.  Remember to reserve any titles you will need for your Sunday School soon.

We are beginning to plan our annual VIDEO PREVIEW.  The date this year will be Friday, April 4.  The time is 9:30 -4:00.  Have you recently seen or heard about a DVD you would like to borrow from the Resource Center?  Let us know the information so we can include it in the preview if at all possible.  You can fax any interesting titles to us at 408-378-2652 or email us at emrcvideos@aol.com.  Please join us for the preview as your input is important as we strive to acquire resources that are timely and usable. We hope to see you on Friday, April 4, and remember we provide goodies!

VBS kits are beginning to come in.  We have samples of Cokesbury’s “Beach Party -  Surfin’ Through the Scriptures” and the Augsburg Fortress kit “Rainforest Adventure – A Tree Top Bible Blast.”   Soon to be here as well are Concordia and Standard samples.  Come in and take a look at what is being offered this year. 

Here is a new online learning website we recently found out about.  It’s from the Presbyterian Educational Partners called “Opening Doors to Discipleship.  It is now live with six sessions in Course A:  Teaching Skills. The address is:

www.openingdoorstodiscipleship.com. The log-in code for Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is 31627.   Also, we have signed up for a subscription to the youth ministry resource “Bluefish.”  You will be able to contact us for the code and then have the ability to download 25 features per year.   The emphasis this year is on relationships with parents, friends, and with God.                                            

We look forward to helping you find the right resource for your ministry.  Happy  Easter!

Fall 2007

We’re looking forward to the fall season here at the MRC.  Our summer was a bit on the dark side this year due to the unfortunate accident of a car backing through our front door in the late spring.  Finally the insurance has come through and we have a new front entrance, glass top to bottom and nearly complete.  It’s tinted glass thankfully and, though we feel a bit like we’re in a fish bowl, the effect is a big improvement over plywood!  We’re thankful no one, not even the driver, was hurt in the accident and that the church has taken care of the repairs.

Pat is in the middle of producing the CD ’07-’08 catalogs to send out to all paid up members.  When you receive it, be sure to let all those who might need it know where it is kept.  Feel free to copy it to more than one computer.  They should be in the mail in the next week or two. Our staff will be happy to talk to anyone who needs help.  Don’t forget to check out our website for the latest up-to-date information about out collection -  www.gbgm-umc.org/emrc.  We also have examples of the latest Sunday School curricula available including  “LIVE BIG” by Cokesbury, “Exploring Faith” and “One Room Sunday School” by Abingdon,  “gather ‘ROUND” by United Church Press, “Seasons of the Spirit”  and “The Present Word” which are multi-denominational, “Bible Quest” and “We Believe” which are put out by the Presbyterians.  There are lots of possibilities here for exploring different approaches for your Sunday School.  Come in and take a look or call us with questions.
 
By now, you will have your programs for the fall up and running.  We would like to be a part of your ministries.  Below you’ll find a listing of some of our purchases this year which can be used to enhance or provide great studies for various age groups in your church.  

For children:
        DVE-311, “How Can I Celebrate the Passover? A Young Christian’s Intro. to the Seder” (25 min.) 
More of the Max Lucado series Hermie and Friends:
        DVW-306, “Milo: The Mantis Who Wouldn’t Pray”
        DVP-351, “To Share or Nut to Share”  (60 min. ea.)
Three DVDs in the “Torchlight Series”: 
        DVC-310, John Bunyan, William Tyndale, and Jim Elliot  DVC-310  (30 min. ea.)
        VCZ-317, “Mary & the Rosary” (12 min.) and
        VCZ-318, “The Angel’s Sacrament Lesson” (30 min.)
        DVC-311, “Martin!  God Loves You” about Martin Luther  (30 min.)
 
For youth:
    DVY-535,  “Thermostat” – high school curriculum about peace, war, & Christian conscience 
    DVY - 536, “Agent Abbey” – about the persecuted church in China  (30 min.)
    VVY-537, “Teen Help Series” – eating disorders, abusive relationships, child abuse  (30 min. each)
    DVY-538 & 539, “Blue Fish Series”  Revolution 2 and Stories – a ministry for students  (9 DVDs @11 – 22 min. ea.)
 
For youth/adult:
    VCD,515, “Native American Spirituality” (50 min.)
    DVC-550, “Hymns of Praise:  The Story of Hymnwriter Charles Wesley” (90 min.)
    DVJ-529 & 520, “Parables of Jesus” & “36 Parables Series” (58 min and 30 min. ea)
    DVP-539,  “For the Love of It” - beautiful photography by Nat. Geographic photographer stresses doing what you love (25 min.)
 
For adult studies:
    DVG-809, “Living Fully, Dying Well” (26 min.)
    DVJ-826, “The Historical Jesus Then and Now” with John Dominic Crossan (filmed at Stone Church, San Jose)  (312 min. total)
    DVJ-827.1 & .2, “Saving Jesus” (from “Living the Questions”)  (240 min. total)
    DVJ-828, “The Astonishing Jesus:  Through the Lens of Luke” with Dr. Kenneth Bailey  (4 sessions, 213 min. total)
    DVM-810, “Salt of the Earth: Palestinian Christians in the Northern West Bank”  (175 min.)
    DVM-811, “Confronting the Controversies” with Adam Hamilton (113 min.)
    DVN-822, "Invitation to the New Testament" - short-term Bible study   (8 sessions, 18 min)
    VCN-823, “Breaking the Code:  Understanding the Book of  Revelation” (127 min.)
    DVO-811, “Invitation to the Old Testament” - short-term Bible study  (8 sessions, 18 min)
    DVW-846, “Bill Moyers: On Faith and Reason Series”  (7 DVDs - 57 min each)
    DVW-848, “Serious Answers to Hard Questions” (10 sessions, 26-33 min. ea.)
    DVW-849, “Simply Christian” with  N.T. Wright  (10 session, 16-20 min. each)
    DVW-850, “Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth”  (2 DVDs, 6 sessions, 3 hrs. ea.)
      
We look forward to helping you find just the right resource to make your programs meaningful and special.  Don’t forget to order your Christmas resources early so you can be assured of getting just what you want, when you want it.  We do have multiple copies of a number of the more popular items.