Youth and Family Resource Center

The Youth and Family Resource Center is available on the patio after services most Sundays. The books, compiled by the Youth and Family Institute in Minneapolis, MN are chosen for their high quality from various publishers. The books are for children, youth and adults on various topics from a Christian perspective. This Center is a service to the congregation making high quality books readily available. If the books are not on hand, they can be ordered and usually received in a week

Cultivating the contemplative spirit at home, strengthening your family identity nurturing the spiritual life of your children, creating a circle of peace; these are some gifts you can give your family during this advent season. Here are some books that tell you how to give such gifts to your family

Families Creating a Circle of Peace compiled by Jim McGinnins, Ken and Gretchen Lovingood and Jim Vogt. This book addresses the concerns of parents and family members who wish to take a stand for peace and justice. It includes 40 pages of stories, suggestions, activities and other resources to help people live each component of the Pledge of Nonviolence in their day-to-day lives.

Making a Home for Faith, Nurturing the Spiritual Life of Your Children by Elizabeth F. Caldwell -- this book helps parents address hard issues and questions related to faith.

Seasons of a Family’s Life, Cultivating the Contemplative Spirit at Home by Wendy M. Wright. Every chapter in Wendy M. Wright’s thoughtful book is a lesson in gaining an awareness of the joy in our experience as families and letting the sacred be more present in our frantically paced daily lives. Wright shows us how to pay attention to the silence that underlies our lives and encourages us to be sensitive to the ordinary moments that connect us.

Family Traditions. Practical, Intentional Ways to Strengthen Your Family Identity by J. Otis Ledbetter and Tim Smith. Family traditions are an exciting way to bless your children and begin the pattern of blessing future generations as well. Included are over eighty practical traditions to try with your family.

A Decembered Grief, Living with Loss While Others Are Celebrating by Harold Ivan Smith — With keen perception, A Decembered Grief provides illustrations and insight for those facing grief-impacted holidays-while emphasizing God’s ability to miraculously transform the season into a time of grace and healing.