November 2025 News
Season of Gratitude
National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Month
November is National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Month. For those looking for resources to support youth struggling with these issues, see our resources here. Also, you can watch videos on homelessness, read a relevant Bible passage, and answer the reflection questions which are listed in Section 7 of Tending to the Mental Health of Adolescents here.
Community Service Project Ideas
Each Thanksgiving is an opportunity to teach youth and children how to be thankful. By showing our gratitude to others, it reveals to youth how important it is to serve those in need. How are you addressing gratitude with your church? How is your church giving back to their community?
Advent Resources
Take one of our past Bible Studies on Advent. You can choose to work through each video or podcast with members of your church or on your own. We recommend Casting the Pageant: Meeting the Characters of Christmas Bible Study and INCARNATION — Fleshing Out the Bible’s Christmas Stories: An Online Yale Bible Study with the Rev. Dr. Allen Hilton.
Check out our upcoming Bible Study on the Gospel of Luke, which offers our most extensive biblical look at the anticipation of Jesus’s advent. Register here.
Looking for Advent inspiration on a specific bible verse? Listen to our podcast, Chapter, Verse, and Season, where you can search “Advent” and find relevant readings.
For youth and children, try one of our lessons.
From the YMI Director: How does your organization show gratitude?
Dear youth ministry friends,
In this month, where colorful leaves dot our lawns and handprint turkeys adorn our walls, I have a very November-ish question: How does your organization show gratitude?
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The Anticipation and Arrival of Jesus in Luke 1 and 2 with the Rev. Dr. Allen Hilton
Zoom | December 4, 11, and 18 | 7:30 pm | 3 SessionsThe Gospel of Luke offers our most extensive biblical look at the anticipation of Jesus’s advent. Through angel visits, the enthusiastic response of faithful women, the lowly circumstances of the birth, and the earliest days of the incarnation, the Gospel trumpets the significance and shape of God’s appearing among us in Bethlehem.
Conflict Management for Innovators with Ryan Dunlap
Zoom | December 9 | 12 – 2pm Eastern
In partnership with Berkeley Divinity SchoolInnovation in ministry often disrupts the status quo, creating resistance rooted in fear, uncertainty, or a sense of loss. This workshop will equip church leaders with the skills to transform conflict into collaboration, helping individuals and teams move from actively resistant to active participants in innovation. This program empowers leaders to lead with wisdom and compassion, transforming resistance into collective action that drives meaningful innovation and lasting ministry impact.Learn more and register here.
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A Scholarly Stroll Through the Sermon on the Mount Zoom | January 5 – February 23 | 7:30 pm Eastern | 8 Sessions The Rev. Dr. Allen Hilton will lead us through the “Sermon on the Mount” for both academic insights and spiritual applications. This course will see it through ancient eyes first, then move it toward our 21st century, lives, churches, and world. Join us! |
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God’s Dream: Children, Justice and Faith with the Rev. Jyrekis B. Collins What does it mean to raise children in the spirit of justice, rooted in faith? Join us for God’s Dream: Children, Justice, and Faith—a thoughtful conversation exploring how families, educators, and faith communities can nurture young hearts to live with compassion, courage, and a commitment to a more just world. Together, we’ll reflect on the role children play in God’s vision for justice—and how we can walk alongside them in love and hope. |
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Advent 4 and Christmas Eve Sermon Prep Intensive Preparing for Christmas can be a major source of stress for preachers. With so many tasks on the to-do list at church and home, plus wanting the sermon to be “good” for regulars and visitors, the pressure can be intense! But what if it wasn’t stressful? What if your sermons were done in advance and you felt confident that they would “preach?” |
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If you’d like to help support our mission, you can make a donation here. There is joy to be found in practicing generosity. Your gift will enable us to continue to provide the necessary tools and resources that support life changing ministries. |
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