Today’s guest blogger is Teri Valente, Youth Ministry Coordinator for the Episcopal Diocese of Delaware & Program Director for Camp Arrowhead. Teri blogs at Youth Ministry in the Episcopal Diocese of Delaware.
I’m not sure I could be more excited for The Youth Cartel‘s the 2013 digital edition of Every Picture Tells a Story.
Quite Simply – it’s a collection of 48 evocative black and white images and a Leader’s Guide with 18 prompts for reflection, journaling, processing or discussion springboards.
The first edition was published in 2002 and has been out of print – a very sad story for anyone who lost an image or their original leader guide years ago… :/ oops.
I know tons of youth leaders who used to (and sometimes still) have file folders full of clipped magazine images and collected images from online…. I’m claiming that this is new. It’s not.
BUT – for those who don’t find leading contemplative exercises doesn’t come naturally it sets you up well to succeed (with or without really trying).
Reasons I Love It:
It’s so easy to use. The images are all the same size. The prompts are varied and simple to follow. It sets the thermostat for your discussion. It’s easy to plan to use and easy to use in a pinch when your other plan falls through.
The first edition helped me lead a large group in a contemplative exercise as I was learning to be more contemplative myself. It’s one of my standard experiential prayer stations and a rich go-to activity to help facilitate reflection and introspection.
The artwork is simple, yet complex, beautiful and weird. Your students (and leaders) will see things in a picture that no one else did – and in their explanations you will come to get so much more of who that person is. It’s like the exercises trick them into being far more honest than usual. 🙂
It’s digital. You can make as many copies as your heart desires in whatever size you want. If another leader is going to “borrow” this resource you never have to worry again about getting your copy back. And it means that as soon as you purchase it – you can immediately download it.
AND!!! For a limited time – when you purchase the new edition, they’re throwing in the old one as a free gift. That’s 96 images!!
Check out a sample.
Filed under: Curriculum, Misc