For the months of March and into April, The Resource Center will be open to serve your needs but in a slightly different way. During the very cold days this winter, a pipe burst in the sprinkler system of Kingsley Hall which houses The Resource Center. Our collections were undamaged, but other portions of the building are in need of immediate and substantial repairs and renovations. Thus, the building will be inaccessible to the public through mid-April. The exact date of our re-opening is subject to change a construction progresses. Check back here for updates.

But we are still open to meet your resourcing needs. Here’s how: (1) check our online catalog for the resources you’d like to check out, then (2) send an email to info@resourcingchurches.com with the resources you’d like and your contact information for a call back. (3) Executive Director, Dr. Denise Janssen, will retrieve the resources requested and deliver them to you at your convenience. If you’re not sure exactly which resources you need, send an email with the general topic and your contact information. Dr. Janssen will call to discuss your topic, then deliver a selection of resources to you for your review.

Please know we are doing everything in our power to minimize the inconvenience of this interruption and continue to provide you with the high quality resources and consultation you have come to expect. Please feel free to be in touch – we are here for you!

Experience Tons of Great 2015 VBS Curriculum Options in One Location!

Vacation Bible School is one of the most vital teaching and learning opportunities for many congregations. Selecting curriculum for your church’s VBS program is not an easy task! Many questions are raised: How can leaders find the best resource materials from a wide array of possibilities? How can cost be contained without sacrificing quality? Is it user- friendly? Is it attractive? Will teachers – – and learners – – like it? Will real learning take place as a result?

SO MANY CHOICES – – LET US HELP YOU! FIND DOZENS OF POSSIBILITIES TOGETHER IN ONE PLACE!

 Cokesbury  Group  Morehouse Education  Standard Ministries Publishing

David C. Cook    Urban Ministries, Inc.    And much more . . . .

Also enjoy:

• Free sample packs for various new items
• Free consultation to help, as requested
• Cokesbury representative on-site to help with ordering
• Free refreshments

Friday, February 13, 1-6 p.m.

Saturday, February 14, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

(Preview Day on Thursday, February 12, 1-5 p.m.)

At The Resource Center, Kingsley Hall, 4th floor, Virginia Union University (directions). Questions?

The Excellence in Teaching Colleague Forum is a brand new event sponsored by The Resource Center and the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University. The event, held January 24, 2015, from 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. brings together the region’s most capable and thoughtful Christian Educators for a one day forum based in evocative scholarship to wrestle with its implications for our work in faith formation across generations.

Our leader for this unique event is Dori Grinenko Baker, Theologian-in-Residence at the Forum for Theological Exploration and chaplain at Sweet Briar College. The volume Dori edited, Greenhouses of Hope: Congregations Growing Young Leaders Who Will Change the World, will serve as the jumping off point for our dialogue together. Participants will be expected to have read the book ahead of time. Reflection questions will be sent upon registration to the email provided.

Participants are expected to be experienced Christian educators or pastors who bring their insight and experience to the forum – we will all learn from each other. Cost for the day is $75 with lunch and breaks included. Early bird discounted registration of just $60 for those who register on or before January 12!

Click here to register or contact us with questions!

The Resource Center Presents 

Honoring Excellence Banquet 2014

An Evening to Honor Excellence in Ministry in Our Churches

Friday, November 21 at 7 p.m. at the Greater Richmond Convention Center

Nominate an individual from your church by downloading and completing the nomination form. Nominations must be received by October 24. Make your reservations to join your sisters and brothers in Christ at the banquet on Friday, November 21 as we honor our nominees together. Tickets are just $50 each and a portion of the ticket price benefits The Resource Center. Prepaid banquet reservations must be received by November 3. A silent auction and door prizes, an appearance by the Inclusion Choir, and celebrating our honorees will highlight the banquet festivities.

Additionally, advertisements are being accepted for the banquet program. Ad sizes refer to a 5.5″ by 8.5″ page size. Download and complete this banquet ad form and submit along with copy-ready ad and payment by November 10.

Visit our events page to learn more about the banquet or contact us for further information.

Teachers and educational leaders in local congregations need both a love of God and a “toolbox” of teaching tools. Without either, the important work of making disciples can fall short. Teachers’ Toolbox is designed to help build that toolbox! Whether you’re a brand new teacher or have been teaching for awhile, you’ll gain useful tools to strengthen your ministry!

In the plenary presentation, Dr. Denise Janssen, executive director of The Resource Center and Assistant Professor of Christian Education at the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University, will share insights from her new book, Fostering Faith: Teaching & Learning in the Christian Church (Valley Forge: Judson Press, 2014). An interactive time of dialogue will follow the plenary presentation where participants can share insights and ask questions.

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In addition, participants will choose from four workshops with ideas and strategies for teaching and learning that transform rather than simply inform!

Workshop options include:

Dr. Roberta Young-Jackson – “Sunday School Administration & Teaching Tools for the 21^st Century Church”

What is the purpose of your Sunday School program? Who is the audience? How do you measure success? How do you (ad)minister Sunday School to meet the needs of all generations? The facilitator will explore these questions, guide group discussion and sharing, and offer contemporary teaching tools for those who oversees ministries of education including Sunday School.  

Dr. Mary Young – “Equipping and Energizing Leaders to Lead”

 Have you seen in others the special gifts and callings that often they do not see in themselves? Is it your desire to inspire others toward “good works” in the ministry of education? Is it your conviction that every good leader must also make good leaders? If you can answer “yes” to any of these questions, then perhaps this is the workshop for you! This workshop is designed for the Christian Educator who envisions his/her role as that of empowering others for the work of ministry. 

Dr. Judith Fagalde Bennett – “Big Ideas for Growing Small Groups”

Research is clear: thriving small groups are a key ingredient in growing churches. How can your church develop small groups that are inviting, healthy, and will foster a growing faith and committed discipleship? This workshop will provide a foundation for beginning small groups in your church.

Debbie Baugham – “Building a Youth Ministry from the Ground Up”

Are you building a youth group from scratch? It’s not as difficult as it sounds – every ministry has to start somewhere! Topics explored will include recruiting and retaining volunteers, safe sanctuary policies including background checks for volunteers, devotions and worship with youth, fundraising ideas (plus dos and don’ts), mission trip possibilities, and fun trip ideas.

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Teachers’ Toolbox is co-sponsored by The Resource Center, Presbytery of the James Resource Center Purpose Group, and the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University. We are grateful to our host congregation for their hospitality:

Ginter Park Presbyterian Church, 3601 Seminary Avenue, Richmond, Virginia (parking available in the church lot; enter through courtyard)

Saturday, October 4, 2014

Event begins at 8:30 a.m.; concludes at 12:30 p.m.

Register ONLINE to reserve your space. Registration is just $25/person for up to four from the same congregation. Five or more from the same congregation may register at the discounted rate of $20/person! PLUS each congregation registered by September 29 receives a complimentary copy of Fostering Faith. Morning refreshment break included with registration. Lunch is on your own—grab a bite nearby and share ideas with new friends!

INCLUSION, a choir embodying The Resource Center’s vision of unity in diversity, will present its annual concert on Sunday afternoon, June 8th, 4 p.m. at Anointed New Life Baptist Church, North Run V, 1616 E. Parham Road, Henrico.

Marlene Fuller, Janet Copeland, and Randy Creath serve as musical directors for this festival event, with singers drawn from a number of area congregations and various denominations. Special guests will include the Mime Ministry from Anointed New Life Baptist Church, among others.

Music will include selections from a mix of styles, ranging from classics to contemporary, gospel to traditional hymns, and listeners will be invited to sing along for some selections.  Anyone interested in singing with the choir is invited to contact The Resource Center for rehearsal information.

There is no charge for the concert but a love offering will be received, with all proceeds to benefit the ministry of The Resource Center.

Directions: To get to Anointed New Life Baptist Church, take Parham Road to the J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College campus, just west of Brook Road. The North Run Business Park is located across from the campus, and there are two entrances. If you are coming from the west on Parham, make a left into the North Run Business Park, then an immediate right. Coming from the east on Parham, make a right into the North Run Business Park, then an immediate left. From either direction, when you come to the stop sign, turn the only direction you can turn, and continue to the back of the complex. The church’s facility is on the left, and you may park anywhere.

Contact us for further information.