Promoting Healing and Wholeness
Sacred Space as Metaphor
Sacred Space as Metaphor follows an earlier resource,
Sacred Spaces. Since we know God creates a sacred space within each of us, we can live into this metaphor, embracing all that is ours in Christ and the question, “In what ways am I experiencing the life of Christ?” This resource will help you engage the sacred work of growing into Christ as a bearer and reflector of God’s grace and love for the world.
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Planting Seeds for a Healthy Tomorrow
This resource can be used to introduce your unit—or better yet, all the women in your congregation—to the Women of the ELCA health initiative, Raising Up Healthy Women and Girls. It includes 17 easily adaptable program ideas that have been created and used by congregations just like yours from around the country. Programs include health and wellness fairs, healthy eating education, exercise and fitness programs, health retreats and more.
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Understanding and Responding to Human Trafficking
Human trafficking is the third-largest criminal industry in the world after drugs and arms trafficking. It is a much wider problem than most of us realize because it is often so well hidden. This program will help you understand what human trafficking is, what is being done to stop it and how you and your church can participate in those efforts.
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Resurrection: A Holy Discipline
In Luke 20:36, we are called “children of the resurrection.” What does this mean? Is it a reference to a future event, the resurrection of our spiritual selves? Or might it have implications for our lives and the lives of others here and now? Consider how resurrection might appear in our everyday lives here and now with this multi-session program.
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Women Over 50 and HIV/AIDS In the United States, the number of new cases of HIV among women 50 years of age and older has been increasing at an alarming rate. This is a population well represented within our organization and denomination, and among our friends and family. This short program addresses the need for people over 50 to know how to protect themselves and help their neighbors learn how to protect themselves.
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Also see our
HIV and AIDS section for more on women's unique vulnerabilities, the ELCA's commitment and response, and how you can respond.
The Faces of Grief
The Faces of Grief is a new three-session resource designed to help you find wholeness and peace after loss. Loss comes in many forms: miscarriage, trauma, natural disaster, goodbyes, death, foreclosure, to name just a few. Discover your own grieving process, explore how grief can transform you, learn to feel the feelings of grief. The Faces of Grief is filled with questions for reflection, discussion or journaling.
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JournalingJournaling can open up pathways to new thoughts, new insights and new energy. If you're intrigued by the idea of journaling but need some guidance on how to get started, this resource will show you the many benefits of regular journaling and set you on your way. This resource is primarily for individuals, but it would also be good for a small group that wants to come together to learn about journaling and then support one another along the way by sharing tips, struggles, inspiration and success stories.
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Living a Life of Daily Bread
A reflection on the phrase “Give us this day our daily bread” that explores what you can learn about by baking bread: patience, community, how to be intentional and attentive, and the joy that comes from wide-eyed anticipation. Can easily be used as a one-day retreat, complete with bread-baking!
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Act Boldly for Health Bible study This three-part Bible study supports Women of the ELCA's Raising Up Healthy Women and Girls initiative. Each approximately one-hour session is designed for group use but can also be used by an individual.
Session One: Act Boldly with Balance Session Two: Act Boldly in Crisis
Session Three: Act Boldly toward the Goal
Paths to Wholeness
How is your spiritual life? Do you sometimes find it hard to connect with God or let God connect with you? Would like to try some new things? Take a journey in spirituality and learn about the many different paths to God.
Paths to Wholeness is a retreat experience that offers a holistic approach to spirituality. You will recognize your own spiritual paths as well as the spiritual paths of others. This retreat resource can be conducted over a period of several weeks and is ideal for a one-day retreat.
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Sacred SpacesThis is a helpful guide to creating a personal sacred space that enriches and supports your practice of regular worship within a community of faith. Learn how to select and create a sacred space, whether that space is a whole room, a quiet corner of a room, or your garden.
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Our Journey to Wellness This resource is your starting point for participating in our health initiative, Raising Up Healthy Women and Girls. It is a guide to having healthy dialogue in your community about women's total health: physical, emotional, and spiritual. Use it with your women's group, as part of a cluster or conference event, or as part of a synodical convention. Try it with a confirmation class or with young adults. The program can be used over several sessions or as a one-day retreat.
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Listening to God: A Guide to Discernment
This resource was written for Women of the ELCA by Debra Farrington, a popular author and motivational speaker. It consists of six flexible hour-long sessions exploring what it means for an individual to discern God's hopes and desires for her life and what it means for a group to discern what their God-given gifts are for ministry. Ideal for a small group in either a retreat or workshop setting.
Order this resource from the ELCA Resource Catalog: Phone 1-800-638-3522, ext. 2580 or online at www.elca.org/resources.
Living from the Heart of God: A Journal for Life’s Stages
This journal for women of all ages offers reflections, devotions, and prayers on the many life stages and experiences of women, from first friends to marriage and family life, from buying a home to chronic illness. Each section also includes space for the reader to record her own thoughts, prayers, and experiences.
Order this resource from the ELCA Resource Catalog: Phone 1-800-638-3522, ext. 2580 or online at www.elca.org/resources.
Called to a Global Perspective:
Passport to Your HeartThis resource helps women to see themselves as a part of a global community in which all can play leadership roles. For group use; 60-90 minutes.
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Called to Deal with Difficult Issues:
A Challenging Ministry With this resource you'll learn a process for thinking theologically as we face difficult issues in our daily lives. For group use; 60-90 minutes.
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Stand Up for Justice This is a good first step in your journey toward tackling tough issues. Working for justice is not a quick and easy process but a long-term commitment involving both reflection and action. In this justice journey, your actions emerge after Bible study, prayer, reflection, listening, research, and careful planning. This resource can be used by individuals as well as by groups.
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Who? Me? Women of Faith Making a Difference Individuals and groups can use this 8-step process for addressing justice issues that affect women, children, and families. Learn how to gather information from those with firsthand experience, welcome new partners in your work, identify issues, and develop action plans. This program can be conducted over 6 sessions of about one hour each.
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