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Who is The
Thoughtful Christian?
You are! ...along with many UCC members who want to wrestle with the
questions that inform the way we live out our faith in everyday life.
Jesus called us to love God with our minds, as well as our hearts and
souls. “This,” Jesus said, “is the greatest commandment. You shall love
God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.”
(Matt. 22:37)
What is
TheThoughtfulChristian.com?
The Thoughtful Christian is a web-based resource center located at
TheThoughtfulChristian.com. It is filled with studies for youth or adults
ranging from one to four sessions each for groups and individuals. Each
session is designed for forty-five minutes to one hour and comes with a
Participant Handout and a Leader’s Guide. The studies may be downloaded as
Acrobat .PDF files, printed out, and photocopied for use in classes or for
personal study and devotion.
In addition, leaders are able
to e-mail the Participant Handout to students in advance of the next
meeting. New studies, including rapid responses to current events, are
added to the site on a regular, ongoing basis. The adult studies come with
a four-page Participant
Handout and a two- to five page
Leader’s Guide with lesson plans and resources.
Youth studies come with a multiple page Leader’s Guide filled with
information on the subject and a lesson plan that engages youth from the
moment they enter the session. A two page participant handout has plenty
of room for reflection. No homework is ever required!
What topics does The
Thoughtful Christian cover?
The studies are grouped into six categories:
 | In the News |
| Contemporary Issues |
| Popular Culture |
| Bible and Theology |
| Christian Living |
| Spirituality |
These studies may be used in the following settings,
among others:
| Adult Sunday school |
| Weekday evening discussion
groups |
| Young adult classes |
| New member classes |
| Lay leader training |
| Weekend retreats |
| Personal study and devotion |
Is The Thoughtful Christian
affiliated with any religious organization?
The Thoughtful Christian is maintained by Westminster John Knox Press,
the publishing house of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). However, The
Thoughtful Christian is an ecumenical site with writers from a variety of
denominational affiliations and experiential backgrounds. It is our goal
to help Christians, from a wide variety of perspectives, find resources to
help them understand, share, and practice their faith. The United Church
of Christ is a partner in making the resources available to UCC
congregations and participates in the Advisory Board. UCC churches should
be sure to identify their denomination when ordering resources from the
web site.
How much does it cost?
Individuals, churches, and other organizations have some options from
which to choose for purchasing studies from The Thoughtful Christian:
Individual purchase: The rates
for downloading individual studies on TheThoughtfulChristian.com are:
| One-session unit – $5 |
| Two-session unit – $10 |
| Three-session unit – $14 |
| Four-session unit – $18 |
Save money with a Basic Study
Pack! You may purchase a pack of five units, of any length, for just $40.
These five units may be downloaded at any time.
Annual subscription
When you sign up for an annual subscription, you save money, have
unlimited access, and may add additional users to your account. The annual
subscription rate is $350 and renewals are $225. For more information
about the benefits of an Annual Subscription, visit:
www.TheThoughtfulChristian.com.
Small-Church Discount
Program
Specially designed for churches with total weekly worship attendance
under 100 people, the Small-Church Discount Program allows smaller
churches to take advantage of our Twelve-Month Subscription Plan at a
reduced cost of $250. Renewals are $225.
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