The Stories We Live
The Stories We Live: Finding God's Calling All Around Us
An Eight-Session Gathered Adult Faith Formation Program
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The Stories We Live reframes vocation through eight prepositions. I am called:
by God, to follow, as I am, from grief, for service, in suffering, through others, within God. “We are called by God, who is the source of our callings. We are called to follow the way shown by Jesus and taken up by his disciples; this calling we share with each other. We are called as unique persons with a particular history and circumstance. We are called from the losses and grief we suffer over time, so that we can embrace life again. We are called to give our lives for others, not simply for our self-improvement or fulfillment. We are even called in our deepest suffering to carry out God’s purposes in mysterious ways. We are called through the people in our lives, because vocation takes root in community. And, finally, we are called together to live within God’s loving embrace, both now and in the life to come.” (Kathleen Cahalan) This is an eight part program of 60-90 minute sessions designed around the content of the book, The Stories We Live. The sessions are designed for a large or small group gathering led by one or more facilitator(s) leading the sessions and using small groups for discussion. The program can be organized in a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly series. It can also be designed as retreat experience in a one-day or overnight timeframe. It is recommended that each person purchase a copy of The Stories We live by Kathleen Cahalan (Eerdmans, 2017). Session 1. Called by God in Multiple Ways Session 2. Called to Be Followers of Christ Session 3. Called as We Are Session 4. Called from People, Places, or Situation Session 5. Called for Service and Work Session 6. Called through Each Other Session 7. Called in Suffering Session 8. Called by the God Within Gathered Design Sessions
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The Stories We Live Book - Spanish Translation
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The Stories We Live: Finding God's Calling All Around Us
An Eight-Session Online Adult Faith Formation Program
The Stories We Live: Finding God's Calling All Around Us
Adolescent Faith Formation Program
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This adolescent faith formation program uses the book, The Stories Will Live, as the primary content for the eight sessions. The sessions do not follow the book chapter-by-chapter like the adult program, but both programs draw upon the same foundational content. The one hour activities are designed for a large group gathering led by one or more facilitator(s) leading the sessions and using small groups for discussion. Activities can be combined in a multi-hour program, full day program, and overnight and retreat program.
Leaders should be familiar with the content in The Stories We live by Kathleen Cahalan (Eerdmans, 2017) to lead the sessions. All of the leaders will need a copy of The Stories We Live by Kathleen Cahalan (Eerdmans, 2017). Preparation and resources needed for each session are included with the session Activity 1. Discovering the Ways We Are Called Activity 2. Calling Stories of People in the Bible Activity 3. Calling Stories of People Today Activity 4. Called to be Followers of Christ Activity 5. Discovering Your Calling as a Young Person Activity 6. Called by the God Within [The PDF version of the program (below) includes resources for Activity 6 from Living Well: Prayer.]
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The Stories We Live Retreat Experience
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This retreat was a 2 hour experience, using content from The Stories We Live book and the Visual Faith "Calling" photos. It has three components: Called by God, Called As We Are, and Called to Follow Jesus. The files below include the retreat design, handout, and PowerPoint presentation with the videos embedded. (Note: the PowerPoint is 151MB and will take several minutes to download.
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