When worship is done right, it connects teens with God and each other like nothing else. But it can be difficult for teens to overcome their insecurities and inhibitions to enter God's presence. Now, with Uncommon Worship Experiences, you can invite students to trade their self-doubt for confidence in God's love and acceptance! This comprehensive resource will help you create a culture of worship in your group by fostering an atmosphere of freedom and leading by example. Inside you will find articles and Bible studies that explore every facet of worship - what it is, what it is not, why we do it, how to do it right, and much more. Also included are reproducible planning and evaluation sheets, creative group prayers, biblical meditations and activities, sample worship service plans, a sample camp worship booklet and tons of helpful suggestions for creating a worshipful environment at your next group meeting, Sunday School class, retreat, camp, lock-in or outreach program. With Uncommon Worship Experiences, you will have all the tools you need to enter God's presence and bring your group along! Includes CD-ROM with easy-to-print files of every article and additional responsive readings.

Offering helpful suggestions on how to avoid the common problem of restricting liturgy to words being spoken in the front of the church, "Creating Uncommon Worship" is filled with ideas on how to enrich the liturgy by creating a context of action, movement, and symbolic expression involving the whole assembly.

Why do you need this book? Because there are treasures in tradition. In stark contrast to the common belief that youth workers require nothing less than a light show, smoke machine, and sweaty punk-rock band to reach teenagers' souls, more and more youth have actually been moving toward depth and quiet---and away from fluff and noise. Creeds, candles, silence, and ancient spiritual practices are all gaining understanding and popularity among students who're passionately seeking otherworldly and mysterious fragrances. They're realizing that there are treasures in tradition. The Book of Uncommon Prayer is your tool for unearthing, dusting off, and tapping into these treasures---but in ways that are completely contemporary and, more importantly, completely relevant to students. It's personal. The prayers and worship services inside are written for youth ministry---for students and for youth workers! They tell the from-the-gut truth about what you and your kids face every day---and in language that won't leave anybody scratching their heads. It's practical. These tools are for just about any situation you can think of. Need a prayer for a lock-in? For family? For loving enemies? For final exams? How about a mind-blowing 'Dumpster' Christmas service? An eye-opening service for All Hallows Eve? Or the most intense service for Good Friday you've ever experienced? They're all here---along with many other innovative vehicles for bringing your students into communion with God. It's unparalleled. This book is for all denominations. It doesn't matter if you're mainline or evangelical, Protestant or Catholic; The Book of Uncommon Prayer is geared for all teenagers and youth workers in Jesus' church! There's also an entire section of devotions and prayers written specifically for you, the youth worker, to renew and strengthen you when times are tough. Plus...we've included a bonus music CD in the back---Eucharist---an at-once moody and energetic, ancient-postmodern collection of songs straight from the 'alternative worship' movement in the United Kingdom. Many services inside use songs from the Eucharist CD, and there's even an entire service that uses the CD from start to finish. Mysterious. Practical. Treasure-filled. (Yes, uncommon, too!) The Book of Uncommon Prayer is a rich source of God-revealing worship and a one-of-a-kind guide for personal renewal that youth workers, camp counselors, Sunday school teachers, adult volunteers (and even students) will love.

The Book of Uncommon Prayer 2 extends the tools offered in The Book of Uncommon Prayer by providing more experiences that bring students into a deeper awareness of God. This collection of scripted services, blessings, rites, and prayers meets the growing desire of young people to step outside the “noise” of their lives and linger in a slower, quieter place. Inside you’ll find:• A service to start the new school year• Blessings for a new youth room • A modified Seder meal• Hard Communion• Many blessings for everyone from babies to waiters• Lots of prayers for Advent, politics, sunsets, and more• A comprehensive guide for engaging the five senses in worshipThe Book of Uncommon Prayer 2 is an essential resource that can provide you with step-by-step instructions for meaningful services while also providing you an indexed reference for prayers and blessings that can be accessed at the drop of a hat. Geared toward all denominations and all levels of ministry involvement, The Book of Uncommon Prayer 2 creates an accessible, essential set of worship and prayer experiences that will draw your students to the still, quiet, love of Christ.

This collection of scripted services, blessings, and prayers meet the growing desire of students to step outside the “noise” of their lives and worship in a more settled way. Geared toward all denominations and all levels of ministry involvement, The Book of Uncommon Prayer 2 creates an essential set of worship experiences that will draw your students to the still, quiet, love of Christ.

Uncommon Youth Parties, part of a series of resources and group studies developed by youth ministry veteran Jim Burns, will help youth leaders find a number of timesaving ideas for planning outreach, fundraising, fellowship, birthday events and holiday celebrations all year round. This easy-to-use resource, developed and field-tested by veteran youth workers, includes message and activity ideas, promotional tips and comprehensive outlines to not only build fellowship within the group but also serve as an outreach tool to bring others into it. All the tools leaders need to celebrate any occasion are right at their fingertips!

Lays out the plan for a collection of readings from Scripture designed for the needs of seekers and the unchurched. The church has used lectionaries–lists of scriptures to be read on particular Sundays throughout the year–across its long history. Yet most lectionaries are inward-looking: they presuppose hearers who are familiar with the biblical story and accustomed to gearing their lives around the Christian year. Yet in the increasingly pagan world of North America, the church’s task is to reach out to those who are spiritually hungry, yet unfamiliar with the Christian story. In this important new work Tom Bandy has given those who plan and lead worship a new lectionary, specifically geared to the needs of seekers. He lays out a plan for a trip through the central biblical narratives, the purpose of which is to provide seekers with a basic understanding of the gospel, and to call disciples to a deeper experience of Christian faith.