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Ohio-Meadville District of the UUA |
Here are links to websites that can provide resources for congregations and individuals who need help with worship.
NEW! DVDs to use to help your congregation! Three new DVDs are now available from the UUA bookstore: "Ideas for Worship" - a DVD of stimulating segments taken from the first UUA Conference on Contemporary Worship. This vital resource offers fresh ideas on worship that you can use in your congregation. Visit the UUA Bookstore to learn more.
Worship Web is a constantly growing, ever evolving website that provides individuals, committees and congregations with assistance in developing worship services. You can find entire services, readings, prayers, sermons and also assistance in how to create a worship service at this site. New materials are being added as the site is developed, so you need to visit often.
www.uuintergenerational.org is a website with intergenerational worship service scripts available for UU congregations to use. Some of the services involve children and youth in the actual service, others are for adults to present for an intergenerational audience.
You can find podcasts of sermons from a number of congregations. Click here to visit our podcast page.
Looking for prayers from different faiths and countries? Try www.worldprayers.org, which contains many prayers from around the world and a prayer wheel.
The UUA's Lifespan Faith Development office puts out a packet of materials titled "FaithWorks" (originally it was the REACH packet). This packet of materials comes out twice a year and is divided into sections, including one on worship. Like Worship Web, you might find an entire service, a skit or play for children and youth to present, readings and songs on a particular theme. The files are available online and can also be downloaded as pdf files. The archives go back several years as well, so there is a great deal of material available. You can find FaithWorks at archive.uua.org/re/faithworks/index.html
Small congregations who need help creating a number of lay led services each month may want to check out the Church of the Larger Fellowship's Church on Loan program. This program provides small congregations, for a fee, the opportunity to borrow or download entire services created by UU ministers, including readings, hymns and a sermon. The program also has a number of other benefits including RE resources.
The new hymnal supplement, Singing the Journey, has a website devoted to information about the hymnal that also has sound files of the songs so music leaders can learn them. You can find the site at www.uua.org/publications/singingjourney/index.shtml
For resources for children's focuses and stories, there are a number of places to look. Try the Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University (OH), or the REC-Room for suggestions. There are also reviews of books included in the FaithWorks packet.
If you are looking for worship resources for youth or young adult program, try the UUA's young adult and campus ministry page of worship resources.
Trying to plan special holiday services? There are a number of calendars on line to help you determine when moving holidays occur as well as sites with suggestions for activities, readings and songs. Holidays on the Net has suggestions for many holidays including in depth descriptions, recipes, crafts and activities. To find out dates, try the Interfaith Calendar or Religious Tolerance site, a site that also offers explanations of the holidays and sacred days. For more calendar links, see the religious education resources page.
Need help with UU Christianity or a UU Christian Fellowship Group? The West Shore UUCF Chapter is willing to help. Click here for more information.
