1. Storytelling and talks using film, music and TV clips

a. The Damaris Trust resources

A fabulous and vital resource for anyone wishing to communicate their faith in the language of contemporary popular culture – particularly using films, music and TV.

Assemblies

Assemblies based on Scripture references that are engaging, enjoyable and effective – these link the latest films, music and TV to biblical stories.

RE Lessons

Detailed RE lesson plans that fit with the school curriculum and use the latest films, music and TV.

Tools for Talks

With many facilities such as:

• illustration finder – suggests illustrations to enhance your theme, subject or issue from the latest films, music and TV – updated every week.
• passage picker – suggests relevant bible passages for your theme.
• bible commentary – Helps you to understand your bible passage.

Talking About… – DVD talks series

1. Talking About Jesus
2. Talking About Prayer
3. Talking About Forgiveness

b. Nooma DVDs

Rob Bell has created over 20 short films (no longer than 14 mins) called Nooma. These are on biblical themes for discussion groups/home groups/personal reflection or use as inspirational talks that get you thinking.

Here are some of the titles with synopses of themes. You can see a short online clip for each title on the Nooma website. The Nooma films are available on DVD, streaming video or mp4 downloads. Each DVD includes a 32-page booklet.

1. RAIN: Where is God when it really hurts? (11 mins)
2. FLAME: What it involves to really love somebody. (11 mins)
3. TREES: Meaning. Destiny. Purpose. Do our lives matter? (13 mins)
4. SUNDAY: God wants our hearts. (12 mins)
5. NOISE: How do we ‘hear’ God? (12 mins)
6. KICKBALL: Do we really trust God? (12 mins)
7. LUGGAGE: Does revenge ever truly satisfy? (13 mins)
8. DUST: Does God have faith in us? (14 mins)
9. BULLHORN: How do we love others? (12 mins)
10. LUMP: How do we deal with things we’re ashamed of? (12 mins)
11. RHYTHM: What does it mean to have a relationship with God? (12 mins)
12. MATTHEW: Understanding times of grief and bereavement. (14 mins)
13. RICH: When enough is enough. (12 mins)
14. BREATHE: Understanding how God ‘breathed’ his ‘spirit’ into us. (14 mins)
15. YOU: What really matters in our lives? (13 mins)
16. STORE: Understanding anger. (14 mins)
17. TODAY: Longing for the past, for the ‘good old days’? (11 mins)
18. NAME: Do we really accept who we are? (11 mins)
19. OPEN: Does God answer prayer? (12 mins)
20. SHELLS: Is life one big busy ‘to do’ list or appointment schedule? (10 mins)
21. SHE: Is God male or female? (13 mins)
22. TOMATO: Dying to ourselves in order to truly ‘live’. (13 mins)
23. CORNER: Why do we often feel empty, even when we get what we want? (12 mins)
24. WHIRLWIND: What do we do when there aren’t nice, neat answers? (12 mins)

2. Complete resource books for café style

a. Multi-Sensory series books

There are now ten books in the Multi-Sensory series: Church; Message; Parables; Prayer; Prophets; Scripture; Seasons; Together; World; Worship. The series can be found on the Scripture Union website.

Sue Wallace, Multi-Sensory Scripture.

This collection of 50 innovative and creative ideas that explore all the senses will breathe new life into engaging with Scripture. Practical and easy-to-follow directions will help you make the most of teaching times. This invaluable resource includes varied ways for exploring the senses to expand understanding of the Bible.

Ian Birkinshaw, Multi-Sensory Parables.

15 ready-to-use sessions on the stories Jesus told – for creative churches and small groups. Uses a flexible menu approach, including options for experiencing study, worship, meditation, drama, art, craft, games, worship, prayer, liturgy.

b. Living Well – Complete Resource Book – Susan Sayers

Living Well is a community partnership approach to exploring what it feels and looks like to live God’s way and be content. Created as a series of 15 sessions over 12 months, it is relaxed, affirming and flexible. It is centred around a Fairtrade, café-style weekend breakfast or lunch, and designed across the full age range so as to encourage practical community building. It runs weekly for four weeks, then once a month for the rest of the year, so there are 15 sessions in all. Each session lasts for an hour and a half, including refreshments.

The activities for each session are described in detail and all instruction sheets and handouts – attractively designed and in full colour – are included on the free CD-ROM, ready to personalise where appropriate and print out.

Rather than teaching directly about the Christian faith, the course aims to offer people from a diversity of backgrounds a fresh way of looking at ordinary daily living, affirming our humanness in the context of God’s love. It meets people where they are, opens up possibilities and celebrates the privilege of being alive.

Session titles:

1. Exploring who we are;
2. The planet and the universe we inhabit;
3. What’s good about being human;
4. What’s hard about being human;
5. How God loves us in our humanness;
6. How we keep in touch with one another and God;
7. How we treat one another;
8. How we deal with pain, evil and change;
9. How we can live contented lives;
10. Living in two dimensions at once;
11. Living well as God’s human ‘family’;
12. Living well in working and playing;
13. Living well as spenders;
14. Health of body, mind and spirit;
15. Exploring who we are.

c. Imaging the Word

One of the best sources of images for liturgy/worship is a series called Imaging the Word. There are three volumes (volume 1, volume 2 and volume 3) that follow the lectionary with prayers, reflections and images from art/photography round the world.

They are big books and quite expensive, but they are one of the best resources we have seen. All three volumes are really worth getting.

3. Online bible resources

a. WordLive

Scripture Union daily downloadable online Bible podcast and other resources. This is a brilliant resource!

WordLive invites you to step into a multimedia Bible reading experience and deepen your relationship with God. It offers a fantastic range of creative approaches you can follow to engage with God’s word. WordLive is designed to be intuitive and simple. Each day when you log on you will be prompted to pray and then read the Bible. The next step is up to you.

Using the revolving carousel that sits underneath each day’s Bible passage, you can watch a video, listen to the Bible passage, dig deeper into further Bible study, dip into creative prayer suggestions and explore other activities. Choose from: Podcast; Pray First; Today’s Reading; Close Encounters; Further Study; Video; Illustrations; Worship Song Audio Track; Daily Question; Talk; Series Overview; Main Point; Audio Bible Passage; Group Discussion; Topical Thoughts From Today’s reading; Speak Lord.

You can sign up to receive a daily WordLive email or podcast. Or you may prefer to access WordLive through your mobile or pda.

b. Glo Bible software

Glo is an interactive Bible with a world of media, resources and tools to help you get closer to the word of God. It brings the Bible to life through HD video, images, animations, maps, reading plans, 360 degree virtual tours and more. It uses the New International Version (NIV), the King James Version (KJV) and the Contemporary English Version (CEV), with more translations due in updates.

Explore the world of the Bible through volumes of interactive content. Glo provides simple intuitive ways to browse biblical content through five main lenses:

• bible;
• atlas;
• timeline;
• media;
• topical.

Once into the pages of Scripture, it displays resources and media related to each verse. You can also see the where the major stories of the Bible happened on an atlas along with map overlays, tours, photos and expert video.

4. Utilising drama/storytelling

a. The Comprehensive Dramatised Bible

Ideal for reading aloud and group dramatisation; a fresh and imaginative approach to the Scriptures. The Comprehensive Dramatised Bible uses the actual narrative text primarily from the easy-to-read Good News Bible. It allows the Bible to speak for itself and makes the dramatisation of passages and reading aloud really easy. Church groups, schools and religious education programmes can now access the Bible in a vivid and lively way, making the positive participation of religious study truly interactive. Through this approach the Scriptures are brought to life in a contemporary and effective way to provide greater access and enjoyment of the Bible’s message.

Using the established modern texts of the Good News Bible and the New International Version, with the additional Jubilate liturgical psalms, The Comprehensive Dramatised Bible will be of immediate assistance to all who want church worship, group studies, youth events, school assemblies and religious education programs to come alive.

The Comprehensive Dramatised Bible includes:

• all the Bible narrative dramatised;
• Bible teaching arranged for choral speaking where appropriate;
• major worship psalms set simply for reponsorial use;
• full cast listing with each reading;
• denominational liturgical responses;
• indexes to characters, subjects, worship themes and seasons.

b. Inspired by the Bible Experience: New Testament or whole Bible

Inspired by the Bible Experience is a fully-dramatised reading of the Bible performed by an unprecedented ensemble of distinguished African-American actors, musicians and personalities. The cast includes such recognisable voices as:

• Denzel Washington
• Angela Bassett
• Blair Underwood
• Juanita Bynum
• Shirley Caesar
• Kirk Franklin

and more.

The dramatisation is further enriched by an original music score, composed by Grammy award-winning producers. The recording is truly contemporary, using the accessible and trusted Today’s New International Version (TNIV) of the Bible. The features of Inspired by the Bible Experience provide a rich listening experience, helping you hear the words of Scripture as if for the first time.

c. the word on the street – Bible paraphrase

(formerly known as The Street Bible)

Rob Lacey’s ‘dangerously real’ retelling of Scripture vividly demonstrates that the Bible is packed full of stories/poems/images that resonate with the big issues of today. This fresh paraphrase with running commentary brings the text alive: Bible stories are retold as mini-blockbusters, psalms as song lyrics, epistles as emails, and Revelation as virtual reality. Out with stale religious terms, here’s a ‘Bible’ that talks today’s language – gritty, earthy, witty. Enough of starting at Genesis with good intentions, but getting lost in Leviticus. Lacey focuses on the big picture: fast-forwards through the ‘slow moving’ bits with pace, passion and energy to make the Bible a page-turner again. What’s more, Lacey’s award-winning tour de force was created during a remarkable personal journey through terminal cancer, the stuff the Bible stories are made of. This life-experience injects Lacey’s take on Scripture with authenticity and authority – resonating with Bible characters who also wrestled with the big questions. Purist alert: This is not the Bible … but it might just get you reaching for one.

d. the essential word on the street – audio CD

The stories, poetry, and music of the Bible come alive as never before in this 60-minute performance based on award-winning British actor, the late Rob Lacey’s book, the word on the street. Inspired by his Book of the Year award in the UK and based on his live performances, Lacey retells Bible stories as mini-blockbusters, psalms as song lyrics, epistles as emails, and Revelation as virtual reality.

Features:

• performed by award-winning British author, actor, and broadcaster Rob Lacey;
• based on the late Lacey’s live performances of the word on the street;
• includes original music and sound effects by UK artists Bill and Rachel Taylor-Beales.