by Michael Novelli | December 11 2008 12:27 PM
A few years ago I stitched together this narrative about the Birth of Jesus. Click on the links to download a pdf with dialogue questions or an mp3 audio. Peace to you during this season of hope and anticipation.
JesusBirth.pdf
JesusBirth.mp3
by Michael Novelli | December 09 2008 11:49 AM
I am really excited about the new
YS Oneday focused youth ministry training (formerly called Core). Not just because I really like the people that lead Youth Specialties, but because I think the workshop is really good. And they are being led by gifted presenters who care about youth workers.
Ok... I need to come clean... I wrote one of the sessions for this! ! Yeah, this is a bit of self-promotion. Here is the basic schedule: (can you guess which session I wrote?!)
SCHEDULE ( typcally 8:45am-2:30pm on Saturdays)
Session 1: The Word is More than Words
The bible is the living and active word of God. It has authority, power and value in the lives of youth workers and students
Session 2: Digging Deeper: Uncovering the Riches of Scripture
Digging deep into the word doesn’t have to be daunting or overwhelming. There are tools and techniques that anyone can use to understand the bible, apply it to their own lives and teach it to the students in their ministry.
Break
Session 3: Chronological Bible Storying: Leading Students into a Fresh Encounter with God’s Word
For thousands of years, stories were the key means for Jewish and Christian people to learn and experience God. Help students to enter into the entire panorama of God’s story
Lunch/Dinner
Session 4: Ideas, Ideas, Ideas: More Ways for your Students to Experience Scripture
The bible is not simply a school book, a text book, or an encyclopedia. The bible is a life book, with deep implications for our lives. We desire to help students experience the Word, not just hear it and we’ve collected hundreds of practical tools and ideas to help you do just that.
Check
HERE to find a location near you this spring!
by Michael Novelli | November 30 2008 09:09 PM
In the last year my family and I have begun to explore the rich traditions of the christian calendar. We are grateful to be a part of a congregation whose worship and celebration connect to the historical practices of the Church.
This is a first for us... we both were not a part of homes or congregations in the past that honored the christian calendar. So we feel a bit like we have just opened a door to a entirely new world of possibility in our faith, and we are learning and soaking in the beauty and mystery of these practices.
Today we began our celebration of Advent. Our pastor, Joel Kline from the
Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren, did a wonderful job of leading us toward thoughtful reflection this morning. I loved how he lit the first Advent candle with children from the congregation, and took time to explain to them the true meaning of this season.
For years I have struggled with getting caught up in the business of the season... in the gift buying, party planning, and travel plans. I have desperately needed a structure or rhythm to help me slow down and focus on the significance of Jesus’ birth.
Advent is a word that means "coming" or "visit”. At certain times each day my family will be taking a few minutes to slow down, share, pray, read and reflect. Each week we will light a candle symbolizing an aspect of Jesus incarnation: hope, peace, joy, and love. These special activities will remind us of how Jesus’ entered our world, showed us a new way of living, and continues to indwell our lives.
Here are some of the resources that are helping us in our journey:
TOGETHER WITH MY FAMILY (MY WIFE AND 3-YEAR-OLD)
Advent Guide from author Mark Roberts
Advent Nativity Book from Usborne Publishing
WITH MY WIFE AND ON MY OWN:
Advent and Christmas Wisdom from Henri J.M. Nouwen
Daily Readings from Mars Hill Church
Lily Lewin’s Blog
Please share how your family and faith community celebrate Advent!
by Michael Novelli | November 21 2008 10:37 AM
I am in Nashville for Youth Specialties'
National Youth Workers Convention. Above is a picture from my hotel room – not a great photo, but you get the idea.
On Saturday I will be leading a session for youth leaders called
Shaped by the Story that will be an interactive workshop exploring Bible storying and interactive learning.
It should be fun!
Here is a link to download the handout for the workshop (requires login):
Nashville Workshop. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the resource list to find it. This handout is somewhat different than the one I used at the convention in Pittsburgh.
If you are able to attend this workshop, please leave a comment and let me know what you think!
by Michael Novelli | November 18 2008 09:16 PM
At a recent conference in Dallas I met Bryan Thompson, a great guy who runs a ministry called
Story4All. Bryan and I immediately connected because of similar interests – using story to reach younger generations – and a similar sense of humor! Story4all is based in Ireland and is part of a growing network of believers throughout the world who are committed to bringing the Story of God to all peoples through oral and visual mediums. This amazing ministry connects people from every continent to Bible Storying through resources and a stellar weekly podcast!
Bryan just posted part of an interview I did with him
HERE.
I don't know if I will ever like the sound of my own voice, but hopefully it encourages you!
by Michael Novelli | November 17 2008 03:41 PM
"It is extraordinary to me that you can find $700 billion to save Wall Street and the entire G8 can't find $25 billion to save 25,000 children who die every day of preventable treatable disease and hunger," the U2 lead singer told Clinton's fourth annual philanthropic summit in New York.
"That's mad, that is mad."
From Reuters article, "
Crisis no excuse to ignore poverty", Wed. Sept. 24, 2008
To help make a difference go to: http://www.one.org/
by Michael Novelli | November 10 2008 11:29 AM
I like text messaging and email. It is quick... and it makes me feel like I am in control. I can conserve my relational and emotional energy – something very important for an introvert.
But are those tools making me more shy and less willing to initiate more personal forms of communication?
I stumbled upon an article from last year entitled,
“Gadgets blamed for making the world a shier place” from The Raw Feed, a technology and culture blog. Here is the post:
Psychologist, Harvard Business School researcher and etiquette columnist Robin Abrahams said in a recent interview that cell phones, iPods and PCs are casing a worldwide epidemic of shyness. She said nearly 50% of people say they're shy in social situations, up from about 40% "in the past."
"People shop online, they listen to their iPods rather than the radio -- and they e-mail or text each other rather than talk. What we have is an increasingly complex social environment, combined with less practice at dealing with it because of technology."
I can picture you rolling your eyes right now... thinking,
“Please... we communicate more now! I am tired of people trying to find something or someone to blame for everything. Now we are blaming our cell phones!!”
I hear you, I hear you. I agree. But I am curious about this idea.... I have worked with teens for more than fifteen years now, and without question technology has radically changed the way they communicate over the last decade.
It does seem to me that more and more teens seem to be unfamiliar and restless with face-to-face and voice-to-voice communication. Obviously my work with teens predates our compulsive
cell-phone-as-an-appendage, texting-more-than-blinking era. And I know that talking with most teens is awkward because THEY are awkward... uncomfortable and unsettled with who they are. Insecure. (Come to think of it, so am I...) Yes... developing social skills is part of their development.
Is our obsession with technology impeding social development? I am sure it is helping in some ways, and hurting in others.
I wonder, as one who mentors and works with teens, will I need to focus more and more on helping them learn how to interact with each other in-person? ...to learn how to be “a community”? What do you think?
by Michael Novelli | November 04 2008 01:11 PM
I had a great week at Youth Specialties' NYWC in Pittsburgh. The highlight of the week for me was the workshop I got to lead with Mark Novelli (my brother) and Kelly Dolan. My part was focused on Bible Storying, while they brought context to how communication and learning have changed in our culture. I also got to meet with old and new friends. It was so encouraging!
If you were able to attend this workshop, please leave a comment and let me know what you thought!
As promised, here is a link to download the handout from the workshop (requires login):
Pittsburgh Workshop
by Michael Novelli | October 30 2008 07:41 AM
I am in Pittsburgh for Youth Specialties'
National Youth Workers Convention. On Saturday I will be leading a session for youth leaders called
Shaped by the Story that will be an interactive workshop exploring Bible storying and interactive learning. Kelly Dolan and my brother Mark Novelli from
Imago Media will be helping me facilitate this time.
It should be fun!
by Michael Novelli | October 23 2008 03:24 PM
I was searching iTunes for kid's podcasts for a trip we just took, and I found this audio story of Joseph.
To download it,
CLICK HERE.
The podcast is called
"Storynory." It contains many childrens stories with moral lessons that are really well narrated. Another reason I like it is my love for British accents!
You can also read the scripts for the stories on the website:
http://storynory.com/2008/10/05/joseph-and-his-coat-of-many-colours/
by Michael Novelli | October 21 2008 11:03 AM
Just posted 3 more narratives. I hope I caught all the typos!
Enjoy.
by Michael Novelli | October 13 2008 10:55 AM
My friend Jen Howver are celebrating the release of our new books with a party!
Imago Media is hosting this party for us this
Thursday, October 16th from 7-9pm at their office in Elgin, Illinois,
73 S. Riverside Drive.
This promises to be a fun evening with good food and great books! If you would like to drop by please RSVP now by
emailing michele.
Learn more about my book
here, and learn more about Jen and her book,
Secret Survivors, by clicking
here.
by Michael Novelli | October 01 2008 07:24 PM
I came across a great website called
Nerdbots.
Description from the website:
“Oddly obsessed with all things robot, married couple Nicholas and Angela from Kansas City, Missouri, decided on a whim one day to do nothing other than to build one themselves.
After piecing together parts found at their favorite antique and thrift stores, they created their first robot friend. Since that first day, Nicholas and Angela have added many fabulously geeky robots to their beloved robotic collection.”
What a concept… taking something considered to be junk, mixing it together, and restoring into something creative, fun and valuable. This is what we should be doing in our communities… and in our lives.
by Michael Novelli | September 30 2008 06:13 AM
My book is finally available for purchase! Wohoo! It was a long and rewarding process to bring it to completion. You can pick up a copy online in many locations, but I would prefer you buy it from MY Amazon store 'cause I get a small cut!
Click here: http://astore.amazon.com/echothestory-20/detail/0310273668/102-5802111-6312922
