Our library in Hewett Centre is open every Sunday after service during Coffee Hour in Hewett Centre, and our Library Team offers related reading lists based on the topic of Sunday service. Here is their list for the upcoming service featuring Rev. Shawn Gauthier, on Sunday, April 13, 2025 at 11 a.m. All are welcome in Hewett Centre after the Sunday service to check out some books and to have coffee and conversation.
VanU library books related to this Sunday’s sermon:
1. Guide My Feet: Prayers and Meditations on Loving and Working for Children, by Marian Wright Edelman, 1995, 242.6 EDE [Published by Beacon Press. From LibraryThing: “… presents prayers and meditations to inspire all those, such as parents, teachers, and ministers, who work on the behalf of children. Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Children’s Defense Fund … continues her crusade for the well-being of America’s children by providing a counterweight to the lesson society is teaching this generation of children–to be soulless takers instead of empowered givers. Guide My Feet is a collection of prayers and meditations gathered from Edelman’s own holiday rituals and experiences and the writings of such inspiring leaders as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, and Frederick Douglass. It urges readers to commit to and pray for strength and patience, and offers solace and direction for parents troubled by the commercialism and violence running rampant in today’s society. Filled with wisdom, compassion and understanding, it provides an important spiritual and moral resource all caregivers can turn to as they strive to instill values, integrity, self-discipline and faith in children.”].
2. Do Children Need Religion?: How Parents Today Are Thinking About the Big Questions, by Martha Fay, 1993, 248.8 FAY [From LibraryThing, the book jacket: “… Drawing on her experience with her own daughter and interviews with believers, non-believers, and those struggling to define their beliefs, Martha Fay explores the questions most often raised about religion’s benefits and its limitations. How do parents answer their children’s questions about the origins of life and the meaning of death outside the framework of a religious system of belief? How do they instill a moral code? How do they convey a sense of community? For a psychologically sophisticated generation of parents there is the concern of balancing the structure and comfort religion provides for children against the rewards of making sense of the world on their own. …”].
3. The Seven Spiritual Laws for Parents: Guiding Your Children to Success and Fulfillment, by Deepak Chopra, 1997, 649.1 CHO [From LibraryThing: “… After a general discussion of parenting and the gift of spirit, this book explores specific ways to practice the Seven Spiritual Laws as a family, how to convey these laws to children depending on their ages, and how to embody them in age-specific activities each day, beginning on Sundays with the Law of Pure Potentiality. …”].
4. The Measure of Our Success: A Letter to My Children and Yours, by Marian Wright Edelman, 1992, 649.1 EDE [Published by Beacon Press. From LibraryThing: “A message for parents trying to raise moral children, an open letter to all of America, a timely message of hope and purpose.”].
5. Something More: Nurturing Your Child’s Spiritual Growth, by Jean Grasso Fitzpatrick, 1992, 248.8 FIT [From LibraryThing: “… Something More offers parents of all faiths, even those who don’t consider themselves religious, everyday ways to make family life more meainginful. Jean Grasso Fitzpatrick reminds us that spiritual nurturing is not something we “do” to our child but is a journey that parent and child take together. This powerful book integrates spiritual insights, current child-development theory, and, in their own words, the experiences of parents. It features advice on how to answer your child’s often difficult questions on everything from death to religious holidays to homelessness and includes lists of suggested books, music, and videos that will help you explore your own and your child’s spirituality. …”].
6. What If Nobody Forgave, and Other Stories of Principle, by Colleen McDonald, 1999, 268.89 MCD [Published by Skinner House Books. From LibraryThing: “… Nineteen stories that focus on justice and other virtues. Each story is followed by discussion questions, activity suggestions and a reading list These stories bring to life for young listeners the virtues of compassion, idealism, justice, responsibility and respect. Resources include advice on storytelling techniques–including introducing the story, tips on relating your own experiences, harnessing audience participation, using props, and more. Ideal for a variety of occasions, including family story time, worship, home schooling, camp programs and more.”].
7. Generation to Generation: Family Process in Church and Synagogue, by Edwin H. Friedman, 1985, 261.8 FRI [In memory of Jerre Partridge. From LibraryThing: “… shows how the same understanding of family process that can aid clergy in their pastoral role also has important ramifications for negotiating congregational dynamics and functioning as an effective leader. Clergy from diverse denominations, as well as family therapists and counselors, have found that this book directly addresses the dilemmas and crises they encounter daily. …”].
8. Spinning Inward: Using Guided Imagery with Children for Learning, Creativity & Relaxation, by Maureen Murdock, 1987, 155.4 MUR [Gift of Denise Neireda. From LibraryThing: “… simple exercises in guided imagery designed to help young people ages three through eighteen to relax into learning, focus attention and increase concentration, stimulate creativity, and cultivate inner peace and group harmony. The use of guided imagery has been internationally recognized as an effective method of “whole brain” learning. The author’s approach will have special appeal to parents and teachers who are frustrated by an educational system that seems to reward only those children who excel at verbal, linear learning. With the exercises in this book, young people can discover learning styles that are effective and enjoyable for them. …”].