Media Resource Center Newsletter
August 2019 J
Welcome to the Upper New York Media Resource Center
If you've never used the Media Resource Center before, I invite you to give us a try. Funded by your Shared Ministry dollars, we can supply you with small group discussion materials, Bible studies, children and youth curriculum, adult curriculum, and a myriad of subjects such as stewardship, evangelism, social issues and VBS materials, just to name a few. Our quick and easy online ordering is just a click away. You can add things to a "shopping cart", then once submitted, you'll receive an email with your invoice attached. We send your order through the USPS and we'll supply the mail back envelopes and label with instructions on mailing. Your only cost is the postage to return it. Please feel free to search our online catalog below.

If I can assist you in any way, please don't hesitate to give me a call at 315-898-2027 or email me at [email protected].
It's time to plan for a new year - why buy it when you can borrow it?
Are you a new Pastor or Christian Ed Director? Are you in a new appointment? Would you like to try something different in your church? When making plans for the fall, remember to check with the Media Resource Center for what is available to borrow before you purchase something. Your Shared Ministry dollars have already paid for the resources we have in the library, so why pay twice! Give me a call (315-898-2027), email me, or check out the online catalog.

What is available to borrow?
  • Sunday School Curriculum for all ages
  • Confirmation Curriculum
  • Resources on Church History/United Methodism
  • Advent/Lenten Studies
  • Resources for Leadership, Worship, Stewardship, Outreach
  • Small Group Studies on the Bible, Spiritual Formation, Faith, and Discipleship
  • Resources for Social Justice Issues and Mission
  • Studies for Men and Women
  • Small Group Studies for Parenting, Marriage, Relationships,
  • Aging, Grief/Loss, and Heath/Wholeness
What's New
Faith Lessons/That the World May Know -Vol. 16 Cultures in Conflict:
Life Among Pagans - How do you live in a culture where the worldview conflicts with Christianity? Learn from Paul as he presents his beliefs to the most powerful court in Athens and settles among the Greco-Romans of Corinth, who valued wealth and class, worship of multiple gods, and decadent pleasure seeking above all else. In this sixteenth volume of That The World May Know®, discover how to live in your own Athens or Corinth, a de-Christianized Western world, in a way that glorifies God. This discovery guide will take you on an interactive journey.

Sessions include:

  1. Engaging the Mind: Paul in the Stoa of Athens
  2. Engaging the Heart: Paul Before the Areopagus
  3. Turning Weakness into Strength
  4. The Lord's Supper: Discerning the Body
  5. Transforming the Chaos

Join renowned teacher and historian Ray Vander Laan as he guides you through the land of the Bible. In each lesson, Vander Laan illuminates the historical, geographical, and cultural context of the sacred Scriptures. Filmed on location in the Middle East and elsewhere, the That the World May Know ® film series will transform your understanding of God and challenge you to be a true follower of Jesus.

Click here f or preview. Go to our online catalog to order K305= , then choose the component(s) you wish to borrow to add to your shopping cart.
Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely - In this six-session DVD Bible study Lysa TerKeurst digs deep into God's word to help you explore the roots of rejection, overcome the damage past hurts can inflict on your relationships today, and fully grasp what it looks like to live loved. With biblical depth, vulnerability, and refreshing wit, Lysa will take you on a visual journey in the Holy Land to experience Scripture. Each teaching is presented in a unique location that will speak to your soul. 

The 6 sessions are:
Session 1 - Living Loved - Mount of the Beatitudes: Stay connected daily to the Source of Love because the world cannot meet the needs of our souls. Our hearts must be aligned to God's before our hands can do service. 

Session 2 - Empty of Full - While standing on the steps leading to Caiaphas' house TerKeurst reads our Bible lesson about Peter denying Jesus three times and then the story of the resurrected Jesus inviting Peter to "Feed my Sheep." You can choose to bring your emptiness or God's fullness into any situation you face. Bring an inviting and welcoming spirit to any place you come to. 

Session 3 - The Yoke of God Is Freedom - As we stand in the cave of Adullum hearing the story of David hiding here from Saul, we also hear the story of Abigail and Nabal and how David is persuaded to let go of his anger towards Nabal, who has treated him disrespectfully, by the healing words of Abigail reminding David of his destiny. Remember the peace of our souls needs to be tethered to God's acceptance not to people's rejection or ill treatment of us. Pay Attention - Remember your true intention - Enter into Prevention. 

Session 4 - Set Apart - We hear our story from Shiloh, the first capital of the Hebrews where the Tabernacle stood. The story is of Hannah praying to God unceasingly for a child. We are never forgotten by God. We are not set aside; we are set apart. 

Session 5 - Remembering God's Presence - Resisting God's promises will make us forget God's presence. But resting in God's promises, and reciting God's promises, will help us remember God's presence. We hear the miracle stories of the feeding of the 5000 and Jesus walking on the water and calming the storm from Mt. Arbel by the Sea of Galilee. If we don't apply and implement what we have learned, our faith will fail us in times of need. Don't let fear destroy faith. Inspiration and information without application will never lead to transformation. 

Session 6 - Lessons From The Olive - The oil is coming and where there is oil, there is the potential for light. Our lesson is taught from the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prayed. Jesus felt deep rejection when his disciples deserted him after the Passover meal .From the olive we can learn valuable lessons about life and our life in Christ. Don't let early human rejection cause you to expect rejection in all of life's relationships. But trust God's eternal invitation to each of us.

Click here for preview. Go to our online catalog to order K306=, then choose the component(s) you wish to borrow to add to your shopping cart.
Called: Hearing and Responding to God's Voice - Susan Robb
Throughout the Bible, God interrupts the lives of ordinary men and women, calling and empowering them to lives of service they never could have imagined on their own!

Discover how to hear and respond to the unique call God is placing on your life through the stories of ordinary people found in the Bible. Called will examine the lives of Abraham, Samuel, Esther and Mary Magdalene, Jonah, and the beloved disciple.

The same God that called these unlikely characters calls you too, to bring hope and transformation to the world.

The six-session DVD features Susan Robb guiding participants through the study. The video sessions are approximately 10-12 minutes in length and, when combined with the six book chapters, make an ideal six-week group study. All videos sessions are closed captioned.

1. Father Abraham (9:44)
2. Here I am! (10:03)
3. A Time Such as This (10:04)
4. A Most Reluctant Prophet (8:27)
5. I Have Seen the Lord! (8:01)
6. Leaning in (8:45)

Click here for preview . Go to our online catalog to order K307= , then choose the component(s) you wish to borrow to add to your shopping cart.
Redeemed: How God Satisfies the Longing Soul
In this five-session video Bible study, Will Graham, the grandson of renowned preacher Billy Graham, shares stories and teachings from his life about what it means to be redeemed in Christ. As Will has traveled the globe, he has observed that deep inside each of our souls, we are all hungering for something. Some of us try to satisfy that need by throwing ourselves into relationships, jobs, or hobbies. Some try to fill the hunger by engaging in destructive vices. Others pursue good deeds, social work, or donating money to worthy causes. But as the psalmist writes, only God "satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness" (Psalm 107:9 NKJV).

As we experience this redemption and walk in God's ways, He leads us to a new understanding of His love, helps us to let go of our past, gives us a new heart and outlook on our trials, and opens our eyes to see the eternal needs of those around us.

Sessions include:

  1. A New Understanding of God's Love
  2. A New Sense of Freedom from the Past
  3. A New Heart and Purpose
  4. A New Outlook on Difficulties
  5. A New Longing to Share Christ

Click here to preview . Go to our online catalog to order K308= , then choose the component(s) you wish to borrow to add to your shopping cart.
New Resources coming to Media Resource Center
There are lots of new resources that will be coming to the Media Resource Center in the next few months, however, these titles have been pre-ordered and are not available until a later date. Below is a list of those new items that I've ordered for the Resource Center and the dates that they will be available from Cokesbury. Shipping dates may vary as to when I actually receive them and they will not show up in our catalog until that time.

Coming in July

Coming in August

Coming in September

Coming in October

Coming in December
Calendar - August 2019
  • August 9 - Media Center will be closed

Please note: I will be on vacation from Sept. 16 and return to the office on Sept. 24. Please order accordingly.
If you have any suggestions for our new format of the Media Resource Center newsletter or have ideas that we may include in the future, I'd love to hear from you. Just drop me a line at [email protected] .
Upper New York Conference | 315-898-2027 | [email protected] | www.unyumc.org