There's something about back-to-school that makes everyone feel the possibility of a fresh start. For students leaving behind the grades of prior semesters, becoming an A student feels like a possibility once again. Getting new school supplies is fun (at least for kids) and that new pencil box, markers, and notebooks gives the feeling of starting with a clean slate. A new window to the world is open and anything seems possible. Back-to-school can ignite these feelings in adults as well - it's almost like a mini-new year!
Back-to-school season is also a time of refocus for the church, bringing people together to start new spiritual disciplines. Christian educators create sign-up lists for classes that meet congregational context, and create hospitable environments for the Holy Spirit to flourish. Teachers prepare in study and prayer for the work that lies ahead.

"A Fresh Start," the latest multimedia bundle from United Methodist Communications, encourages congregations to look at the back-to-school season as a chance for all persons to begin anew, as a time of refocus for the church, and a way to create that hospitable environment for the faith community.

This four-week series addresses the following topics:

Week 1: Backpack Blessings: taking God with you to face fear, uncertainty and dreams
Week 2: Fitting In, or Becoming Fit: self-acceptance, peer pressure and self-worth in God
Week 3: When the Lead Breaks: dealing with disappointment
Week 4: Each Day a New Beginning: learning how to begin again

Outbound challenges are included to help the congregation take faith to the streets and show the love of Christ.

This "Fresh Start" multimedia bundle includes:

-5 Worship Videos
- Worship Slide and Bulletin Cover Graphics
-Direct Mail, Door Hangers, Newspaper and Invitation Card artwork to invite others

Craig Groeschel, founding and senior pastor of LifeChurch.tv, takes you on a nine-session video journey to discover the powerful presence from God that he calls IT at work in many churches. Each video session is approximately ten-minutes long and focuses on the many facets of 'what is IT and where did IT come from.' Craig will explore the necessary contributions to IT such as vision, divine focus, unmistakable camaraderie, innovative minds, willingness to fall short, hearts focused outward and kingdom-mindedness. He concludes the video experience with a session on 'do you have IT and how to keep IT once you have IT.' This video is designed for leadership groups and church groups and includes discussion questions on the DVD at the end of each session.

Sessions include:

1. What is IT?
2. Vision
3. Divine Focus
4. Unmistakable Camaraderie
5. Innovative Minds
6. Willingness to Fail
7. Outward Hearts
8. Kingdom Mindedness
9. Getting It Back

10 minutes/session

This video examines the growth of the Meserete Kristos Church in Ethiopia. In 1982 the Marxist government closed all of their congregations and put their leaders in prison. The church went underground and continued meeting in homes. After the overthrow of the Marxist government in 1991, the church resurfaced to discover that they had grown tenfold, from 5,000 to 50,000 members. The film uncovers the secret of this amazing survival and growth under oppression. This is a great program on church growth, small groups and faithfulness in times of trial.

How do we really welcome others into our lives and our congregation? What helps does the Bible offer to help us understand hospitality? How can we help our congregation view welcoming, not as a program, but as a way of living within the body of Christ. This seven-session video based curriculum invites us to look beyond the 30-second television commercials produced by the United Methodist Church. Each session is comprised of a biblical study, discussion question, video segments, and practice lessons.
Seven Sessions are:
1. What is Welcoming?;
2. Classifieds: "Trying To Fill the Hole in the Soul";
3. Good Works: "Putting Faith Into Action";
4. Diversity: "Understanding What Unites Us";
5. Breaking News: "Coping With the Unexpected";
6. Rain: "Seeing God in the Everyday";
7. Love Letters: "Mending a Lost Relationship"
Recommended companion for this study: Igniting Ministry Planning Kit.

This seven-session small-group video series is for all local congregations wanting to go beyond the 30-second length of the national television commercials to explore what may block our ability to welcome others. This group resource is designed for any congregation wanting to sharpen its welcoming skills. The seven study sessions are built on the themes of the United Methodist national television advertising campaign, which explores a basic principle. Each session explores how individuals or a small group can assist a congregation to view welcoming, not as a program, but as a way of living within the body of Christ.
Session 1. What Is Welcoming?
Session 2. Classifieds: Trying To Fill the Hole in the Soul; Session 3. Good Works: Putting Faith Into Action;
Session 4. Diversity: Understanding What Unites Us;
Session 5. Breaking News: Coping with the Unexpected;
Session 6. Rain: Seeing God in the Everyday;
Session 7. Love Letters: Mending a Lost Relationship
(7-10min/ session)
Recommended companion for this study: Igniting Ministry Planning Kit.

Hosted by Charles (Chuck) Colson, this video examines what the church is and is not - and what that means for Christians in this post modern society.
This curriculum provides you with two study options.
Option #1 is designed for a 3 session series using the three video presentations. Option #2 incorporates the 3 video presentations into a 13 week study of the reproducible worksheets.

Tape 1 of 2.
Session 1: Christians in a post- Christian culture (58 min): Over the last twenty years, American culture has turned against Christianity. Viewers are challenged to re-evaluate their ideas of what the church should be and do, and how real Christianity functions in the body of believers.
Session 2: The Marks of the Church (61 min): Colson defines the character of the true church. Showing the meaning of true salvation, he goes on to illustrate how the church must be rooted in preaching the Word, fellowship, administration of the ordinances, prayer and worship, and the work of the Holy Spirit.

Charles (Chuck) Colson is your host.
Tape 2 of 2
Session 3: What in the world is the church supposed to do? (62 min): Colson talks about training, equipping and discipling the Body of Christ and making sure our faith has an impact on every aspect of our lives. As he discusses the celebrity syndrome that cripples true evangelism, Colson highlights the characters and commitment of believers who live as salt and light in the real world.

"Celebrate What's Right with the World" teaches what a powerful force having a vision of possibilities can be. In this resource, Dewitt Jones offers seven key concepts that can help each of us find ways to celebrate what's right with the world. He asks: Do we choose to see possibilities? Do we really believe they're there? The kie concepts in this program are: believe it and you'll see it; recognized abundance; look for possibilities; unleash your energy to fix what's wrong; ride the changes; take yourself to your edge; and be your best for the world. Stunning photography and powerful dialogue also help us see how we can approach our lives with celebration, confidence and grace.
CD Rom (CD 0025) includes power point presentation, video transcript, and power point viewer.

This video is a story of a person, Bob, who likes the status quo, and resists change. Bob is changed and transformed when he hears the story of a young lady, Lydia, who thought that God and the church would not want someone who had done the terrible things that she chose to do in her young life. Lydia tells Bob of her experience of a church that reached out to her through their music and worship styles, and welcomed her into the church fellowship and, as a result, has strengthened and renewed her faith in Jesus Christ.
(Includes discussion guide; 21min.;

Renowned for preaching and the growth of his church, Cathedral International, from 125 members to over 7,000 today, Bishop Donald Hilliard shows church leaders how to grow spiritually healthy congregations. He begins by offering an understanding of healthy church growth, defines the mega-church phenomenon, and alerts leaders to the need to be aware of healthy vs. unhealthy church growth. In his section on having the right foundation, issues such as vision, the centrality of Christ, biblical preaching, the priority of holy living, sound doctrine, being people-oriented rather than program-oriented, the importance of tithing, and good Christian education are lifted up and discussed as tools.