Subject: A New Year Brings New Resources to IRMSSent: Tue 1/19/2016 4:56 PM
Iowa Religious Media Services
eNews / January 2016
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January 25-27 - Disciples Ministers Institute 2016, Christian Conference Center, Newton, IA - display
IRMS is 30!
Iowa Religious Media Services (IRMS) is having a special celebration and we want your church to be a part of it. This year, we mark 30 years of service to the churches in our covenantingdenominations!
As a beneficiary of our services, we invite you to join our30 for 30 CAMPAIGN to maintain and enhance this ministry. If each user of our services contributes $30 - or a multiple of 30 - imagine what we could do for you!
You may send your checks to Iowa Religious Media Services,2400 86th Street, Suite 15, Urbandale, IA 50322-4306
Thank you for letting us serve you for the past 30 years.
Stream your Leadership Development Resources for the New Year
Stream our most relevant leadership development resources directly to your device. Call us at (515-277-2920) to learn how you can start streaming today!
Celebrate! Change Your Lens, Change Your Life (ST1)Celebrate What's Right with the World (ST2)Everyday Creativity (ST3)Focus Your Vision (ST4)For the Love of It (ST5)New Business of Paradigms, Second Edition (ST6)
/ FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
As we launch into 2016, this edition of our eNews is filled with resource information for a variety of uses to help you in your ministries! The New Resources section includes five resources that were successfully vetted at the November Preview Committee. At a time when our society is becoming more divided, the documentary Facing Fear (DV1397)(NEW)is a powerful exploration of reconciliation. The Resources in Use section tells about an exciting and rigorous new program based out of St. Timothy's Episcopal Church in West Des Moines for youth and adults who want an understanding of urban poverty. While we had expected to fill this eNews issue with new Lenten resources, we have encountered a glaring lack of new video studies from our regular publishers. Only Adam Hamilton has come through with John: The Gospel of Light and Life (DV1395)(NEW). Finally, we shine a light on the growing tragedy of modern human trafficking.
IRMS has thousands of resources to energize your faith exploration in the New Year. If you aren't sure what you need, please check in with us. We meet our "service" emphases through thoughtful client consultations! Happy New Year and good studying!
Peace,
Sharon
Sharon E. Strohmaier, Executive Director
NEW RESOURCES - November Preview Committee
6 Decisions that Will Change Your Life (DV1388)(NEW)asks us to evaluate whether all the decisions that fill our busy liv es are important decisions. In this simple but inspiring six-session study, Tom Berlin talks with us about six key decisions in our lives and lets us know what Jesus has to say about those decisions. Listen to real people tell their authentic stories about how they met God, and be encouraged to also walk with Christ. Tom Berlin's
6 Things We Should Know About God (DV1314) from his
6 Blocks Bible Study Series is also available at IRMS. (Young Adult-Adult)
Ask: Faith Questions in a Skeptical Age (DV1390)(NEW)addresses hard questions that all of us face whenconsidering faith, religion and the church. In this thoughtful eight-week study, Bishop Scott J. Jones partners with his son, Rev. Arthur Jones to present an honest discussion with a diverse group of young clergy addressing hard questions with honesty and biblical integrity. Responders are Lisa Yebuah, Matt Miofsky, Scott Chrostek and Amy Wagner. (Young Adult-Adult)
Counterfeit Christianity: The Persistence of Errors in the Church (DV1389)(NEW)addresses major heretical controversies that originated ages ago and continue to circulate through congregations today. These errors and myths may plague the church and undermine the good news of Jesus. In this five-session study, Roger E. Olson and his former student, Adam Hamilton, engage in substantive theological conversations about what all too often passes for Christian faith. In user-friendly language, they remind participants that preventing heresy is not about judging or condemning people for imperfect theology. Instead, it is about defending the good news of God's saving love in Jesus by identifying teachings, and teachers, that undermine the gospel by spreading distorted versions of genuine faith. (Young Adult-Adult)
Facing Fear (DV1397)(NEW)is a powerful Academy Award-nominated short documentary that retraces the accounts of a f ormer neo-Nazi skinhead and the gay victim of his hate crime 25 years ago. Together, they embark on a journey of forgiveness that challenges both to grapple with their beliefs and fears, eventually leading to an improbable collaboration and friendship. The film delves deeply into their backgrounds, identifying the roots of the ideologies that shape how they handle the reconciliation process. Self-doubt, anger and fear are just a few of the emotions the two struggle through as they come to terms with their unimaginable situation. (Senior High-Adult)
Stories of Jesus in Luke (DV1393)(NEW) is the newest addition to our collection of the popular Speed Sketchseries. This title uses accelerated video illustration to depict six engaging Bible stories that bring to life the stories of Jesus as related in the Gospel of Luke. These short videos are narrated in both English and in Spanish and are accessible by all age groups. Other titles available in the Speed Sketch series include
Stories of Jesus in Mark (DV1396)(NEW),
The Story Begins (DV1391) and
The Story of Advent (DV1325).
The Story of Lent (DV1307) is also available and would make a great addition to your Lenten programming. (Pre-K-Adult)
RESOURCES IN USE: Time for an Urban Immersion
"Change the way we live from our head to our heart. Go and do." This is the goal of Jeanie Smith, Director of Christian Formation at West Des Moines St. Timothy's Episcopal Church, and Susie Tierney, of the Center for Social Ministry. They created the Urban Immersion program in June of 2015 and plan to host another Immersion weekend April 1-3, 2016. After participating in theJust Faith program, Jeanie concluded, "Stories don't transform our lives. We must do what Jesus has called us to do. When we are being the hands and feet of Jesus, we begin to integrate what the Gospel is and that is what will change lives."
The Immersion weekend begins on a Friday night with basic teaching about poverty, primarily how it relates to the Des Moines area. On Saturday, experiential programs are planned in cooperation with urban agencies such as an exercise in recycling and care for the earth through Waste Management, learning about the plight of an undocumented teen while eating at and cleaning up after the feeding program at Trinity UMC and an outing facilitated through Joppa Outreach to the area homeless camps. The experience is heightened by relying only on public transportation, which poses a significant problem for those in poverty in metropolitan areas.
A Place at the Table (DV1173), a documentary highlighting the epidemic of food insecurity in America, and Any Kid Anywhere - Sex Trafficking Survivor Stories (DV1290), a film that shatters the myth that the sex trafficking of teens is just a big city or third world crime, are among the films that may be shown at the end of the day on Saturday. Sunday morning, participants are asked to gravitate toward the cause that they feel most passionate about and create an action plan.
As well as showing the IRMS films to further illustrate the issue of poverty, Smith shared that the resources available at IRMS are invaluable in her preparation for the Urban Immersion weekend. These resources can also be used by the participants to gather more information to help finalize their action plans. She will continue to incorporate IRMS resources into the Urban Immersion weekends planned for 2016 and hopes to continue to grow her program to include up to 20 participants. This meaningful exercise is open to anyone from middle school through adult. If you and/or your family would like to experience an Urban Immersion weekend, contact Jeanie Smith at St. Timothy's Episcopal Church at 515-225-2020 ext. 202.
MEETING THE CHALLENGE:
Q: I want to get a head start on planning our Lenten programming this spring, and I'm looking for something new. Do you have any suggestions?
A:Yes, we just added Adam Hamilton's John: The Gospel of Light and Life (DV1395)(NEW) to our collection. Filled with rich images and profound truths, the Gospel of John do es not ask readers to simply believe in Jesus Christ, but rather to "have life in his name." This six-week DVD series follows the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus through the Gospel of John so that participants will come to understand the context of some of the best-known verses in the New Testament. This resource series also includes John: The Gospel of Light and Life (BK1907) (NEW),John: The Gospel of Light and Life Children's Leader Guide (BK1908)(NEW) and John: The Gospel of Light and Life Youth Study Book (BK1909) (NEW).
For an experiential Lenten practice, our Labyrinth (KT219) makes a deep and lasting impact on those who walk it. Call to reserve our 36' x 36' hand-painted canvas indoor labyrinth or its smaller cousin Children's Chartres Intuipath(KT271) which is a double finger labyrinth. While marketed for children, adults will enjoy it as well.
IRMS NOTE: While our regular publishers have not published any new media for Lent 2016, we still have a vast number of Lenten resources to make this season more meaningful.
FEATURED RESOURCES: Spotlight on Human Trafficking
January has been designated Human Trafficking Awareness Month. IRMS has several resources that paint a picture of modern day human trafficking.
Any Kid Anywhere - Sex Trafficking Survivor Stories (DV1290) spotlights a few of the stories of the 100,000 American kids who are victims of sex trafficking each year. This short film shatters the myth that sex trafficking is just a big-city or third-world-country crime. Revealing the reality of sex trafficking in Cedar Rapids, the Quad Cities and Dubuque, this video tells the dramatic and harrowing stories of three brave young women. Their true accounts of survival send a message of hope to those already in "the life" and provide a sobering cautionary tale that may help other young people avoid victimization. (Junior High-Adult)
Truckers Against Trafficking: TAT Phase II Training (DV1386) is a film produced by Truckers Against Trafficking, a non-profit organization, that educates,equips, empowers and mobilizes citizens to combat domesticsex trafficking. While illegal, human trafficking is a booming business. Traffickers find victims in our schools, online, in shopping malls, as well as on the streets and other locations. A large percentage of the people trafficked are women and children. Many of them are victimized in the sex industry. They are the prostituted people on the street and in private homes, and in legitimate businesses, like restaurants, truck stops and motels. They need to be identified and rescued. (Junior High-Adult)
Chosen Plus (DV1280) shares the shocking true stories of two "All-American" teenage girls tricked into trafficking. Eighteen-year-old Brianna was an honor-roll student, cheerleader and worked at a local café. Thirteen-year-old Lacy was an active member of her youth group, and a volunteer in her community. Both were manipulated. Both were exploited. Both were chosen. While these teens live in Washington State, it is easy to picture how this could happen in Iowa. This comprehensive resource equips teens to recognize the warning signs of sex trafficking and to protect themselves and their peers from being recruited. (Junior High-Adult)
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