NEW PAGE!
SEASONS
OCCASIONAL SERVICES FOR:
CHURCHES
PASTORS
BISHOPS +
RENEWING THE
CHURCH
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
DONATIONS
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NEW PAGE! |
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SEASONS
OCCASIONAL SERVICES FOR:
CHURCHES
PASTORS
BISHOPS +
RENEWING THE
CHURCH
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
DONATIONS |
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|
Renewing the Church
Parish Renewal begins with the
spiritual engagement of
the people of God with the God who leads, inspires and guides our
lives and our churches.
Therefore Parish Renewal is
always a spiritual task before anything else.
It can never just be a program, although there are many who
would try to sell you on that idea.
Nor is Parish Renewal simply an organizational reordering,
although organizational reordering might come out of a
congregation's spiritual
renewal.
Nor can Parish
Renewal ever
As far back as the 1970s, Pastor
Don Abdon of Parish Leadership Seminars was teaching, “If Parish
Renewal does not center on the spiritual renewal of all of God’s
people, then all you’re going to do is move the chairs around.”
I have spent much of my ministry working Parish Renewal from
this starting point and teaching pastors and congregations how to
find new direction for their ministries through
spiritual renewal
and discernment.
The following links will lead you to things that
I have written on Parish Renewal and Discernment.
There is also a link to other articles to consider regarding
the place of Worship and Liturgy. Donations are gratefully received if you find something useful.
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Writings & Videos by Pr. Weitzel That Renew God's People
Renewing God's People
for God-Led Ministries
This is the foundational book that analyzes for pastors and parish
leaders how it is that renewal works and why it is always first and
foremost a spiritual task. This book
examines how it is that God motivates ministries through the
loving and trusting relationship of the people of God with God. It
also spends time on how it is that ministries go wrong when that primary
relationship is not in place. The
three additional books in this series are renewal sermons for
each of the three years of the lectionary that pastors can use for
examples of teaching and preaching from faith and faithfulness.
These can also be used as devotional
reads by the people of a congregation. Paperback and
Kindle.
Be Faithful Bible Study & A Day with God
Two books in one! 1. The Be Faithful Bible Study for adults
explores the biblical foundations of the10 items in the "Be Faithful"
list that is recommended for congregations in Renewing God's People for God-Led Ministry. 2. A Day with God is a Guided Personal
Retreat with Prayers & Reflection for congregational use. This guide
offers a way to take a whole parish on retreat without going anywhere. Paperback and
Kindle.
A
Spiritual Season
I prepared this year-long
Spiritual Season for four small parishes in Ohio in 2023 to assist them in
drawing closer to God prior to discernment and planning for their future.
This was accompanied by
A Spiritual Season Litany
that was prayed by all at various times and gatherings throughout the
year.
The Story of God: Outlines for Teaching Bible Series
This is a teaching Bible Study in eight 60-70 min. sessions covering the
basics of Christianity -- Salvation History from Creation through the
Covenant, the Prophets and Christ, including a session on Faith and on
using the Bible in positive ways to discern God in the world. The last
session ends with a "Prayer of Commitment," thus showing the intention
of the study to deepen faith and commitment in the individual Christian.
The material is presented in outline form for teaching and is designed
to be used by pastors or lay teachers of the Bible. Public domain art is
included with the material as visual aid. Instructions for teaching and
classroom settings are included in the Introduction. Paperback and
Kindle.
The Story of God:
YouTube Video Series
My YouTube Channel has videos of me teaching this 8-session Bible Study.
It was prepared in 2023 for use by the four churches of the Wabash
Valley Cooperative Ministry in Ohio. You are
welcome to use these videos to teach this course in your congregation --
no book needed, only the NRSV Bible. Each sessions is followed by
a series of discussion questions that the Pastor or Bible Study leader
would use to drive home the points of the video. Email me from the
home page for the discussion questions.
The Rise & Fall of Israel:
Vol. I: The Rise (1-2 Samuel)
Vol. II: The Fall (1-2 Kings)
Two more books in the Outlines for Teaching Bible series
for pastors and lay teachers. This is a good follow-up to The Story
of God, leading people into deeper study of a significant part of
Old Testament history, from the rise of the monarchy to the fall of
Israel and Judah. A Bible Study in two volumes of 16 one-hour
sessions each (i.e., equivalent to two semesters). A companion
book of Maps and Art goes with each volume to flesh out the
biblical story. Paperback and
Kindle.
The Restoration of Israel
Another in the Outlines for Teaching Bible series, this Bible Study is a follow-up to The Rise & Fall of Israel.
It
explores the books of Ezra and Nehemiah as they narrate the
return of the Jews to Judah from their captivity in Babylon and their
efforts to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple. 14
one-hour sessions with a great deal of art to illustrate. Paperback and
Kindle.
The Story of Angels: The Changing Development of the Angel Narrative in
the Bible
Available in a
Reader’s Edition (in paragraph form) for individual study and in
a
Teacher's Edition as part of the Outlines for Teaching Bible
series for use in teaching classes. This intriguing study follows the
changing narrative regarding Angels (and God for that matter) from the
beginning of the OT to the end of the NT, charting how their traits
change over the 1500 years of the written biblical material. Eight
one-hour sessions. Paperback and
Kindle.
Renewing God's
People YouTube Channel
My YouTube Channel was started to share videos of me teaching and
preaching from the materials that I write for the spiritual renewal of
God's people. Videos are added regularly.
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Renewal through Discernment
- Teaching & Learning Discernment
Worship
and Spiritual Renewal
- Articles to help
with Worship and Liturgy