Witnessing Resources
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Witnessing Disciple Series

The Witnessing Disciple Series is a collection of missionary resources designed to assist members and congregations in their witnessing efforts and to address the questions of members and friends in the discipleship process. Each resource can be ordered separately or collectively in ready-to-use, missionary tool kits from Herald House. One kit is designed to assist members in developing their witness. The other kit is designed for use with friends who are seeking information about Jesus and/or the Community of Christ.

Member Tool Kit:
Resources for Preparing Congregations and Members for Witness

Seekers Tool Kit:
Resources to Share in Small Groups with Seekers

• Seek and Follow: Christ in Community The facilitator’s guide has been developed to be used with the accompanying video and gives direction for using components of the missionary tool kit.

• Seek and Follow: Christ in Community DVD - A three-part video highlighting stories of individuals in the Community of Christ at various stages of their discipleship (seeker, finder, disciple). Also includes facilitator questions for each segment that enhances the DVD as a teaching tool.

• First Steps - A ten-session, intergenerational, small-group study designed to answer the basic questions of people at the Seeker Stage. For example, What Is God Like? Who Is Jesus? What Is Prayer? etc. A variety of activities and scripture support are provided in each session of this facilitator’s guide.

• Seekers and Disciples - A five-lesson student booklet designed for use with people at the Finder Stage—individuals whose interest in the church is beyond the initial stage of seeking. An expanded facilitator’s guide containing scriptures, discussion questions, and reproducible student pages is also available to guide the learning process.

• Understanding the Way - A twelve-session guide that explores doctrinal topics to help readers gain a deeper understanding of the theology and beliefs of the Community of Christ. Each session includes supportive scriptures and significant questions that are answered in this resource but designed for further exploration by those at the Disciple Stage.

• Of Water and Spirit: Preparing Children for Baptism and Confirmation in the Community of Christ is an eight-lesson resource that provides adults the materials they need to prepare children for baptism and confirmation. Topics covered in activity-based lessons include: our relationship to God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit; baptism, confirmation, and other church sacraments; basic beliefs and church history; the nature, study, and use of scripture; commitment as a disciple (generous response); responsibility for sharing our witness; and relationship to others and responsibility for promoting peace and justice in community (Zion). A student journal that provides activities and room to record class discussion ideas, photos, and names is also available to assist the student’s learning. The journal serves as a new members’ manual for the child.

• Of Water and Spirit: Deepening the Journey is a youth discipleship journal designed for teenagers interested in baptism and living out their discipleship in the Community of Christ. Topics covered include: God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit; church scriptures; church history; the sacraments; serving God; discipleship in the community; and sharing our witness and resources in the Community of Christ.

• Witnessing Tracts - Set of informational brochures designed to be used individually, collectively in a set, or in combination with other witnessing tools. Each witnessing tract set contains one of each of the seven tracts and a personal witnessing card packaged in an attractive display folder.

  • Faith and Beliefs—outlines the basic tenets of the church

  • Sacraments—highlights the church’s eight sacraments 

  • Core Values—explores what connects and guides the Community of Christ 

   
  • Being a Disciple—a look at membership in the Community of Christ 
   
  • A Disciple’s Generous Response—outlines the six guiding principles of DGR 
  • Tithing—explains the new understandings of the application of tithing 
  • World Mission Tithes—illustrates the impact of giving for worldwide ministries 

• Personal Witnessing Card - A small business card that contains basic “talking points” about the Community of Christ. It is designed to be customized with personal or congregational information, and can be shared with seekers and friends as a tool of invitation.

• Courageous Witness: A Teenager Shares Jesus is a collection of testimonies from the perspective of a teenager involved in front-line missionary ministry. This is a great resource for everyone, but has particular relevance to teenagers and young adults engaged in mission.

• Walking with Jesus: A Member’s Guide in the Community of Christ is a new disciple’s guide created for those who have recently embarked on the path of discipleship in the Community of Christ. This is a helpful and encouraging resource for all members that may be presented at baptism and confirmation or be used for individual devotion or group study. Eleven easy-to-read chapters offer insight to various areas of participation in the Community of Christ: becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ, learning the sacred story, hearing God’s call, living sacramentally, growing in community, generous sharing of witness and resources, serving in the mission of Christ, and basic beliefs of the church.

• Reflections on Our Journey: A Study Guide for Walking with Jesus is designed for use by new members as well as those who want to explore their own faith walk. In addition to individual study, this guide can be used at retreats, reunions, camps, or within family devotions. It includes hymn suggestions, meditation, and discussion questions.

• Becoming a Generous Disciple: Six Principles to Live By - This book is offered as a formative guide to help Community of Christ members and friends receive God’s generous gifts of love and grace as they respond faithfully as generous disciples of Jesus Christ. It expands upon the new understanding of tithing and explores in depth the six principles of a Disciple’s Generous Response.

• Community of Christ Blue Bag - This professional portfolio features a lightweight navy fabric with nylon handles and shoulder strap. It also has an outside zippered pocket perfect for holding pens and other office supplies.

• Missionary Scripture Set - This set contains paperback versions of the New Revised Standard Version Bible, the Revised Authorized Book of Mormon, and the Doctrine and Covenants.

Resources to Improve My Own Witness

• Empowered to Witness - provides historical review of the elder's missionary calling and an overview of the ministry of the missionary elder

• Personal Witnessing Card - a small business card that contains basic “talking points” about the Community of Christ

• Walking with Jesus - a new disciple’s guide has been created for those who have recently embarked on the path of the disciple in the Community of Christ

• Reflections on Our Journey (study guide) - a study guide that can be used for individual study or in retreat, reunion, youth camp, or family settings

• Vibrant Witness: Who, Me? - a practical, down-to-basics, manual that provides a variety of real-life suggestions and activities to pursue witnessing in the twenty-first century

• My Witnessing Prayer List cards - a small business card-sized reminder for your witnessing prayer stewardship.

Resources to Improve Our Congregational Witness

• Hospitality: Sharing God's Welcome - This new resource focuses on reclaiming the biblical art of hospitality—the obligation of disciples to care for physical, social, and spiritual needs—and of welcoming strangers and guests into individual and corporate fellowship by creating a space for others to enter and be received as a friend.

• A Witnessing Community - a four-phase guide to assist congregations with growth and outreach as they seek to find new ways to become an inviting and nurturing community

• Can I Get a Witness! - a witness support group resource designed for use in a small-group format covering at least six sessions

• Empowered to Witness - provides historical review of the elder's missionary calling and an overview of the ministry of the missionary elder

• Jesus and Me Jamboree - resource containing scripture, story, activity, music, and craft resources designed to assist children in developing a personal relationship with Christ

• Seek and Follow Missionary Resource Set - a combination of resources designed for small-group inquirers meetings

• Walking with Jesus  -  a new disciple’s guide has been created for those who have recently embarked on the path of the disciple in the Community of Christ

• Reflections on Our Journey (study guide) - a study guide that can be used for individual study or in retreat, reunion, youth camp, or family settings

• Witnessing Tract Set - a set of seven informational brochures

  • Being a Disciple - a look at membership in the Community of Christ    

  • Core Values - the values that connect and guide the Community of Christ

  • Faith & Beliefs - outlines the basic tenets of the Community of Christ  

  • Sacraments - highlights the church's eight sacrament

  • Tithing - Explains the new understandings of the application of tithing.

  • World Mission Tithes - illustrates the impact of giving for worldwide ministries

  • A Disciple’s Generous Response - Outlines the six guiding principles of DGR

Pre-baptismal Materials

• First Steps - a ten-step intergenerational small-group study designed to answer questions of seekers

• Of Water and Spirit: Preparing Children for Baptism and Confirmation in the Community of Christ (Teacher's Coursebook) - an eight-lesson resource that provides adults the materials they need to prepare children around age eight for baptism and confirmation

• Of Water and Spirit: New Member Discipleship Journal (Student Journal) - provides activities and room to record discussion ideas, photos, and names to assist the student's learning

• Of Water and Spirit: Deepening the Journey (Teenagers) - a youth discipleship journal designed for teenagers interested in baptism and living out their discipleship in the Community of Christ

• Seekers and Disciple - A five-lesson student booklet designed for use with finders—individuals whose interest in the church is beyond the initial stage of seeking

• Seekers and Disciples Facilitator's Guide - a guide containing scriptures, discussion questions, and reproducible student pages

Study Materials

• Hospitality: Sharing God's Welcome - This new resource focuses on reclaiming the biblical art of hospitality—the obligation of disciples to care for physical, social, and spiritual needs—and of welcoming strangers and guests into individual and corporate fellowship by creating a space for others to enter and be received as a friend.

• Can I Get a Witness! - a witness support group resource designed for use in a small-group format covering at least six sessions

• Empowered to Witness- provides historical review of the elder's missionary calling and an overview of the ministry of the missionary elder

• First Steps - a ten-step intergenerational small-group study designed to answer questions of seekers

• The Sacraments: Symbol, Meaning and Discipleship  - a resource dealing with the sacraments for both personal and class study, written by an international team

• Seek and Follow: Christ in Community (facilitator's guide) - designed to be used with the video, it gives direction for using various components of the missionary tool kit

• Seek and Follow: Christ in Community (DVD) - a three-part video that highlights stories of individuals in the Community of Christ at various stages of their discipleship (seeker/finder/disciple)

• Seekers and Disciple - A five-lesson student booklet designed for use with finders—individuals whose interest in the church is beyond the initial stage of seeking

• Seekers and Disciples Facilitator's Guide - a guide containing scriptures, discussion questions, and reproducible student pages

• Understanding the Way - a twelve-session guide that explores doctrinal topics to help readers gain a deeper understanding of the theology and beliefs of the Community of Christ

• Walking with Jesus  -  a new disciple’s guide has been created for those who have recently embarked on the path of the disciple in the Community of Christ

• Reflections on Our Journey (study guide) - a study guide that can be used for individual study or in retreat, reunion, youth camp, or family settings

• Becoming a Generous Disciple: Six Principles to Live By - This book is offered as a formative guide to help Community of Christ members and friends receive God’s generous gifts of love and grace as they respond faithfully as generous disciples of Jesus Christ. It expands upon the new understanding of tithing and explores in depth the six principles of a Disciple’s Generous Response
   

Personal Stories

• Courageous Witness  - testimonies from the perspective of a teenager involved in front-line missionary ministry in Chattanooga, Tennessee

• Face Your Fears  - a follow-up to Courageous Witness in which the author shares twelve more stories from his life among hard-living people

• Pull Up a Chair and Talk to Me about Baptism - a series of stories about the opportunity to talk about baptism by a seventy, church planter, and pastor from Chattanooga, Tennessee
   

Video and Audio Resources

2006 Archives

• 2006 Video News - Hawthorne Place
• 2006 Video News - Passion, Patience and Prayer (Gardner, Kansas)
• 2006 Video News - Much to be Done (Graceland University students rebuild home damaged by Hurricane Katrina)
• 2006 Video News - Hurricane recovery

2005 Archives

• 2005 Video News - IYF
• IYF 2005
• 2005 Video News - Cary, North Carolina
• 2005 Video News - Living Hope

2004 Archives

• 2004 Video News - WorldService Corps Volunteer
• 2004 Video News - Bolivia Church

2003 Archives

• Hunger Meditation