Here are the files for the Christmas Day Devotion. There is also an extra file to print to use for sermon notes on Christmas Day, if your church has a worship service.
God's peace and blessings! Merry Christmas!
Download Christmas Day HERE
Sermon note HERE
Saturday, December 23, 2017
Christmas Eve
Sorry this is being posted just the day before, on Christmas Eve Eve! I hope this blesses your sermon note taking tomorrow. I will also later post a devotion and readings for Christmas Day. St. John's does not have a Christmas Day service, instead we send home a devotion to read. There will be no section for sermon notes on this one. However, I will upload and extra file for Christmas day notes if you'd like space for notes if your church has a service so you can complete your devotion booklet.
Download Christmas Eve HERE
Sermon note back HERE
Download Christmas Eve HERE
Sermon note back HERE
Monday, December 18, 2017
Monday, December 4, 2017
Happy Advent! Happy New Year!
Yes, Happy New Year! Advent marks the beginning of the church year, not the end. What an awesome way to celebrate new beginnings, with the anticipation of the birth of our Messiah and looking forward to His return.
For many, Advent has already started. But here at St. John's, our Advent series, Name Above All Names, starts this Wednesday evening. This year's devotion focuses on some of the names and attributes given to Jesus in scripture. Yeshua, Immanuel, Yahweh, Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace.
This devotion forms a booklet with a cover, that has a double side for the inside of it, to print on the back of the cover. There are inserts for three Wednesdays, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. There is also a file to print a space for notes on the back of the inserts. We will be using them in church but you don't have to print the note boxes on the back for at home, if you don't want to. There are also a set of ornaments you can print and color to hang on your tree.
Right now I have this Wednesday and Next Wednesdays devotions available, along with the cover, backs and ornaments. I will upload the others as I complete them. As usual, all files are formatted to fit legal size 8.5 x 14 paper.
For many, Advent has already started. But here at St. John's, our Advent series, Name Above All Names, starts this Wednesday evening. This year's devotion focuses on some of the names and attributes given to Jesus in scripture. Yeshua, Immanuel, Yahweh, Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace.
This devotion forms a booklet with a cover, that has a double side for the inside of it, to print on the back of the cover. There are inserts for three Wednesdays, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. There is also a file to print a space for notes on the back of the inserts. We will be using them in church but you don't have to print the note boxes on the back for at home, if you don't want to. There are also a set of ornaments you can print and color to hang on your tree.
Right now I have this Wednesday and Next Wednesdays devotions available, along with the cover, backs and ornaments. I will upload the others as I complete them. As usual, all files are formatted to fit legal size 8.5 x 14 paper.
for file click here
for file click here
for file click here
for Advent Week 1 Yeshua click here
for Advent Week 2 Immanuel click here
Back of weekly sheet notes here
Friday, October 6, 2017
gratitude & grace
Not only is fall my favorite season because of the weather and the pumpkin spice, it is also the time of year when we tend to focus on gratitude. As the holiday season approaches, we start to think about the things we are thankful for. So as the leaves change color and the air becomes crisp, and Thanksgiving is just eight weeks away!, lets take the time to slow down before the Christmas rush and be grateful for what we have.
This is a short, easy, yet profound devotional practice resource I've created. It is simply remembering just a few things a day you give God thanks for. It is called gratitude and grace. There is ample room for coloring, writing in and around shapes and slowing down to reflect. I've included images from Doodle Art Ally and Praying In Color, along with my own wreath design on the front with a short word study and introduction inside.
I thoroughly enjoyed discovering the word connections between grace, thanksgiving and Eucharist, communion. Remembering and reconnecting constantly to our Lord is our joy, which was made complete in Christ. I invite you to spend time giving thanks and experiencing grace. To truly see our living God present in your life and reaching out to you in your struggles.
There are three pages. The cover and inside may be printed back to back or folded to fit inside one another. The third sheet is extra space to record what you are giving thanks for. As always, each document is for legal size 8.5x14 paper.
Here is an example of how to use the word grace from Doodle Art Ally to record your gratitude. This is the word listen coloring sheet that I used in my own prayer time. Feel free to use any of the space around the word grace to write or you may just color as you recall your thanksgivings.
This is a short, easy, yet profound devotional practice resource I've created. It is simply remembering just a few things a day you give God thanks for. It is called gratitude and grace. There is ample room for coloring, writing in and around shapes and slowing down to reflect. I've included images from Doodle Art Ally and Praying In Color, along with my own wreath design on the front with a short word study and introduction inside.
I thoroughly enjoyed discovering the word connections between grace, thanksgiving and Eucharist, communion. Remembering and reconnecting constantly to our Lord is our joy, which was made complete in Christ. I invite you to spend time giving thanks and experiencing grace. To truly see our living God present in your life and reaching out to you in your struggles.
There are three pages. The cover and inside may be printed back to back or folded to fit inside one another. The third sheet is extra space to record what you are giving thanks for. As always, each document is for legal size 8.5x14 paper.
click here to download
click here to download
click here to download
Here is an example of how to use the word grace from Doodle Art Ally to record your gratitude. This is the word listen coloring sheet that I used in my own prayer time. Feel free to use any of the space around the word grace to write or you may just color as you recall your thanksgivings.
Thursday, August 3, 2017
Tending the Flame Confirmation and Ministry Resources
Here are the tools and resources presented at Tending the Flame workshop Confirmation Faith Books and Other Ministry Resources. The worksheets use writing, drawing and creative interaction in the education and personal faith life of the Confirmands. The congregation of St. John's uses various Visual Faith resources throughout the ministry in order to promote deeper discipleship in prayer, worship, bible study and personal devotion time.
All files are free to download, print and distribute. Please do not alter or package for sale in any way.
Click on the titles below to download.
Being a Blessing
God Action Reflection
Discussion Reflection for Faith at Home
Weekly Prayers Basic
Weekly Prayers side 1
Weekly Prayers side 2
Service Reflection side 1
Service Reflection side 2
Sermon Notes side 1
Sermon Notes side 2 questions
Key for Bible Journaling
Bible Margin Samples
Older Worksheets
Sermon Reflection
Worship Reflection
Sample Sheets
Coloring Page
Illustrated Sermon Note
For more resources click on the Faith Book and Sermon Notes tab above. You can also find information on how to teach Visual Faith under the Visual Faith Resources tab. For a blog post about sharing and using Visual Faith click HERE
All files are free to download, print and distribute. Please do not alter or package for sale in any way.
Click on the titles below to download.
Being a Blessing
God Action Reflection
Discussion Reflection for Faith at Home
Weekly Prayers Basic
Weekly Prayers side 1
Weekly Prayers side 2
Service Reflection side 1
Service Reflection side 2
Sermon Notes side 1
Sermon Notes side 2 questions
Key for Bible Journaling
Bible Margin Samples
Older Worksheets
Sermon Reflection
Worship Reflection
Sample Sheets
Coloring Page
Illustrated Sermon Note
For more resources click on the Faith Book and Sermon Notes tab above. You can also find information on how to teach Visual Faith under the Visual Faith Resources tab. For a blog post about sharing and using Visual Faith click HERE
Tuesday, July 25, 2017
My Life Manifesto
Over the last several months I have been reading about simplifying life and setting goals. Being constantly in a state of busyness and feeling overwhelmed, has lead me and my family on a search for rest. I've discovered that having a clear vision of your passions, talents and priorities is important.
Thom and Art Rainer challenge their readers to write out their typical day and then list their priorities in the book Simple Life. They also encourage them to explore what are those barriers that keep the reader from their priorities and simplifying. At the end of a chapter the reader must write out an action plan, a mission statement, that helps them to move towards their simpler life. After all, "Time was meant to be a blessing, not a burden." - Rainer, Simple Life.
In Breaking Busy by Ali Worthington, she shares with the reader the fruits of being overwhelmed, how to edit out the distractions in life, and how knowing our worth in God can help us to slow down and find our purpose.
Wanting to have a more focused motivation for my days I wrote out a mission statement and answered the tough questions in both books. It did help to clarify how I wanted to better structure my time, but it still felt off. My intense task oriented type A personality took it as a challenge which lead to my mission statement feeling more of a burden than a blessing. It was not simple and it didn't even crack busy. This was not the fault of the books, though. They are both very well written. This was totally the result of my brain being accustomed to constant chaos.
In addition to reading these two highly recommended books, I had been enjoying my new favorite magazine, The Magnolia Journal. You know, from that ever so loved and popular show, Fixer Upper. I noticed that on the last page of each issue there is printed something they call the Magnolia Manifesto. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a manifesto is "a written statement declaring publicly the intentions, motives, or views of its issuer."
OK, now that clicked with me. It made more sense. It wasn't just another 'to do' list. A manifesto gives the reasoning behind why you are doing what you are doing. I needed to keep focused on the who I was, whose I was, why I do and how I do, what I do.
Here is what I came up with based on the priorities and values I affirmed while reading the books mentioned above.
This is my vision. This is who I am. And how I want to live out my days. Maybe a manifesto is right for you to help find focus and simplicity in your life.
Thom and Art Rainer challenge their readers to write out their typical day and then list their priorities in the book Simple Life. They also encourage them to explore what are those barriers that keep the reader from their priorities and simplifying. At the end of a chapter the reader must write out an action plan, a mission statement, that helps them to move towards their simpler life. After all, "Time was meant to be a blessing, not a burden." - Rainer, Simple Life.
In Breaking Busy by Ali Worthington, she shares with the reader the fruits of being overwhelmed, how to edit out the distractions in life, and how knowing our worth in God can help us to slow down and find our purpose.
Wanting to have a more focused motivation for my days I wrote out a mission statement and answered the tough questions in both books. It did help to clarify how I wanted to better structure my time, but it still felt off. My intense task oriented type A personality took it as a challenge which lead to my mission statement feeling more of a burden than a blessing. It was not simple and it didn't even crack busy. This was not the fault of the books, though. They are both very well written. This was totally the result of my brain being accustomed to constant chaos.
In addition to reading these two highly recommended books, I had been enjoying my new favorite magazine, The Magnolia Journal. You know, from that ever so loved and popular show, Fixer Upper. I noticed that on the last page of each issue there is printed something they call the Magnolia Manifesto. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a manifesto is "a written statement declaring publicly the intentions, motives, or views of its issuer."
OK, now that clicked with me. It made more sense. It wasn't just another 'to do' list. A manifesto gives the reasoning behind why you are doing what you are doing. I needed to keep focused on the who I was, whose I was, why I do and how I do, what I do.
Here is what I came up with based on the priorities and values I affirmed while reading the books mentioned above.
God is my first conversation of the day. He created me, gave me life, and
gave me passions. He comforts me and guides me. He longs to spend
time with me. I want to be more aware of His presence in my life.
I will pray for my spouse and children everyday. I will ask God to guide and
protect them. I pray that they may sense God’s presence in their lives.
May they remember that He is always with them.
I will also pray for the ministry, mission, and town God has placed me in.
My health and well being is very important. Processing my emotions,
eating healthy, and moving my body are how I will care for what
God has given me. When I take care of myself, I can care for
others. I am able to share God’s love.
My relationships are very dear to me. I find joy in nurturing them.
My spouse is the most important human in my life. It is good for us
to pray together and go out together. I cherish our children
and am privileged to be able to help mold them into amazing
human beings. Our time together as a family is valuable and is filled with
adventures, lessons, grace, and love.
My friends are wonderful people. We give each other support
and mercy. It is good to listen and work together.
My community and neighbors are a gift. I want to know them
and bless them, and have a positive impact on them.
I will use my gifts and talents to the best of my ability. I will show
respect and kindness to others. I will strive to make good decisions.
I know that I am valued and safe. That Jesus has defeated
sin, death and the devil. And God has already WON!
This is my vision. This is who I am. And how I want to live out my days. Maybe a manifesto is right for you to help find focus and simplicity in your life.
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