Uncommon Youth Parties, part of a series of resources and group studies developed by youth ministry veteran Jim Burns, will help youth leaders find a number of timesaving ideas for planning outreach, fundraising, fellowship, birthday events and holiday celebrations all year round. This easy-to-use resource, developed and field-tested by veteran youth workers, includes message and activity ideas, promotional tips and comprehensive outlines to not only build fellowship within the group but also serve as an outreach tool to bring others into it. All the tools leaders need to celebrate any occasion are right at their fingertips!

Your Onramp to Launching an Extraordinary Youth Ministry This comprehensive and practical resource about relational youth ministry is designed to help youth leaders build active, healthy youth groups that lead students to commitment to Christ through genuine relationships with their peers and youth workers. Theoretical enough to be used as a youth ministry text, yet practical enough for lay leaders to use effectively. Includes information on relational ministry, understanding youth culture, developing student leadership, building youth staff, discipling for lasting commitment, stimulating individual faith, effective counseling, promoting a sense of mission and evangelism, creative teaching of God's Word, interrelating with parents and the whole church, fundraising, emphasizing authentic worship and so much more!

Draws on first-person interviews and other primary sources to trace the life and infamous 1973 abduction of the Getty Oil founder's grandson, offering insight into J. Paul Getty III's questionable social life, his family's abandonment and the audacious increasing random demanded by the kidnappers.

This acclaimed graphic memoir that Kirkus calls “cathartic and uplifting” is the tale of losing a parent and what it feels like to grieve and to move forward. “I can’t recommend this kind, funny, and poignant memoir enough. It’s an intimate, life-affirming story of resilience that feels like a good friend.” —Mari Andrew, author of Am I There Yet? Tyler Feder had just white-knuckled her way through her first year of college when her super cool mom was diagnosed with late-stage cancer. Now, with a decade of grief and nervous laughter under her belt, Tyler shares the story of that gut-wrenching, heart-pounding, extremely awkward time in her life—from her mom’s first oncology appointment to her funeral through the beginning of facing reality as a motherless daughter. She shares the sting of loss that never goes away, the uncomfortable post-death firsts, and the deep-down, hard-to-talk-about feelings of the grieving process. Dancing at the Pity Party is a frank and refreshingly funny look at what it’s like to grieve—for anyone struggling with loss who just wants someone to get it.

In this collection of original essays, thirteen country specialists working within a common comparative frame of reference analyze major examples of long-term, single-party rule in industrialized democracies. They focus on four cases: Japan under the Liberal Democratic party since 1955; Italy under the Christian Democrats for thirty-five or more years starting in 1945; Sweden under the Social Democratic party from 1932 until 1976 (and again from 1982 until present); and Israel under the Labor party from pre-statehood until 1977.

The single greatest lesson parents teach their kids isn't anything they say--it's what they do. And while most parents would say they want to raise compassionate kids, they might be surprised to discover just how little they're actually modeling the behaviors they hope to pass on--qualities such as unconditional love, gentleness, forgiveness, patience, gratitude, humility, and more. In this unique book, Sami Cone shows parents a new way to look at molding their children, one in which focusing on adding good behaviors and attitudes is more powerful than eliminating bad ones. Grounding her advice in Scripture--specifically the twelve characteristics found in Colossians 3:12-17--Cone offers plenty of stories from her own life to show these principles in action. And she offers practical things parents can do right now to create a home and family that exhibits love, harmony, and generosity of spirit in a self-centered world.

Want to throw a magical and unique birthday party that your child will remember forever? Keen to find a party theme that's different from their classmates' parties? Happy to create your own decorations, activities and party food, rather than simply out-sourcing everything? Then this is the book for you! Covering 20 different themes for kids aged one through to 12, this book truly caters to every child's fantasy, from dinosaurs and fairies, to science experiments and glamping. Wherever possible, the party ideas in this book use natural materials, such as leaves, flowers, wood, yarn, paper and stones. Each theme gives suggestions and instructions for decorations, activities, party food, the cake and party favors. With Let's Party!, you can give yourself over to the party spirit with confidence, and impress your guests as much as your child.