Pastoral leaders will welcome this parish-proven, highly adaptable, and Christ-centered bereavement program. Created by nationally recognized hospice care and bereavement specialist, M. Donna MacLeod, following the death of her daughter nearly twenty years ago, Seasons of Hope offers twenty-four scripture-based sessions for those who are grieving. These are organized into four six-week seasons that are self-contained and non-sequential. All group sessions follow the same simple format and flow with a comforting blend of commentary, scripture, prayer, simple group exercises, faith-sharing, and Catholic tradition. Seasons of Hope is highly adaptable to fit the individual needs of the grieving in the parish. The comprehensive guidebook and four participant journals, one for each season, give you everything you need from beginning to end.

Lisa Hendey, Catholic social media expert and creator of CatholicMom.com, presents five-minute daily devotions to help Catholic households embrace the spiritual riches of Advent. This daily prayer book is created for use around an Advent wreath in Catholic households of any configuration. It contains twenty-eight devotional services, each designed to last only five minutes--an achievable goal for busy families. The single-page service includes: 1) a simple candle lighting, 2) a brief scripture passage paired with a reflection question for adults and older children and one for younger children, 3) silence, and 4) a closing prayer. Rooted in scriptural images of light, the booklet can be used perennially.

An easy-to-use guide for local leaders working to engage their community in growing a more equitable, healthy, and sustainable future Building Community is the easy-to-use guide that distills the success of healthy thriving communities from around the world into twelve universally applicable principles that transcend cultures and locations. Exploring how community building can be approached by local citizens and their local leaders, Building Community features: A chapter on each of the 12 Guiding Principles, based on research in 27 countries Over 30 knowledgeable contributing author-practitioners Critical practical leadership tools Notes from the field – with practical dos and don'ts A wealth of 25 case studies of communities that have learned to thrive, including towns and villages, inner-city neighborhoods, Indigenous groups, nonprofits, women's empowerment groups, and a school, business, and faith community. Building Community is essential reading for community leaders, activists, planners, policy makers, and students looking to help their communities thrive. Strong local communities are the foundation of a healthy, participatory, and resilient society. Rather than looking to national governments, corporations, or new technologies to solve environmental and social problems, we can learn and apply the successes of thriving communities to protect the environment, enhance local livelihood, and grow social vitality.

Every flower petal is unique, just as each of our life stories is unique. In the blink of an eye, Anne Alexander's world was turned upside down and inside out when her thirty-seven-year-old husband suddenly died of a massive heart attack-in a movie theater-and she was left to raise two young children. If you are looking for some realistic guidelines regarding the grieving process, this book is for you.

After author Shannon Huffman Polson's parents are killed by a wild grizzly bear in Alaska's Arctic, her quest for healing is recounted with heartbreaking candor in North of Hope. Undergirded by her faith, Polson's expedition takes her through her through the wilds of her own grief as well as God's beautiful, yet wild and untamed creation--ultimately arriving at a place of unshaken hope. She travels from the suburbs of Seattle to the concert hall, performing Mozart's Requiem with the Seattle Symphony, to the wilderness of Alaska--where she retraces their final days along an Arctic river. This beautifully written book is for anyone who has experienced grief and is looking for new ways to understand overwhelming loss. Readers will find empathy and understanding through Polson's journey. North of Hope is also for those who love the outdoors and find solace and healing in nature, as they experience Alaska's wild Arctic through the author's travels.

A practical, encouraging guidebook for those searching for hope.

Drawing on the successful national recovery program GriefShare, grief experts offer practical direction and hope in the face of loss.