CreativePastors Blog & Podcast

Valentine's Day Idea

Instead of another box of chocolates this year, why not choose a gift that will strengthen your marriage? Consider this...order a copy of The Creative Marriage (it's on sale!) and give it to your spouse with a commitment to read it together. Then, schedule time as a couple to discuss your reflections and ideas you'd like to implement, whether it's inspiration for creative communication, removing roadblocks to intimacy or finding ways to master the money monster.

We'd recommend express shipping to ensure that your delivery arrives on time. And, okay, a little chocolate might not be a bad addition to your gift !

Joy Book Featured as Top Pick

Ed Young's latest book, Outrageous, Contagious Joy, was selected as the Top Pick in the January 1, 2007 edition of Christian Retailing Magazine. Here's a look at the review, written by Christine D. Johnson:

In Outrageous, Contagious Joy: Five Big Questions to Help You Discover One Great Life, Ed Young, TV personality and pastor of a Dallas megachurch, appeals to readers who think they are missing something in life.

With enthusiasm, the author guides his readers to consider five foundational questions, starting with “Does God want you to be happy?” and ending with “What are you working for?” He asserts that happiness is a myth and a poor substitute for what God really intended – joy. Sidebars offer examples, mainly of contemporary men and women who tell of how they began to experience joy, and Stop and Think sections encourage readers to apply each chapter’s major truths.

Young not only brings energy to his topic, but also meaningful, biblically based content. Honest about the process of finding joy, he writes that it does not come automatically with salvation, but must be cultivated. The book concludes with a prayer leading readers into relationship with Jesus as their source of true joy.

Youth-Targeted Small Group Studies

Quite a few churches have let us know that Ed's sermon series have been particularly helpful in developing services for their youth ministries. Now you can reinforce this teaching with the latest of our small group studies containing notes specially targeted for student groups. These points offer alternate questions and activities designed to help each discussion time speak to the unique needs and issues of youth. 

Here's how it works: You will notice a special icon used several times in each session.  This indicates that there is a comment or question especially for youth included in the leader’s guide for that part of the study. When you see that icon, simply turn to the leader’s guide for that session in the back of the book and find the corresponding and letter (for instance, Y-b).

You can check it out in the attached pdf, the first chapter and corresponding leader's notes from the Forgiveness - the Real F Word Small Group Study. The youth notes are also included in our Snapshots of the Savior Small Group Study, and will be featured in several upcoming studies.

Important News about Bundle Kits

We're improving our series products to give you more choice and flexibility - Ed Young's series CDs and DVDs are now sold separately from our Bundle Kits.  Starting today, each Bundle Kit includes the resources you need to develop the series for your church, including the Pastor's Kit, Media Kit, and Print Kit, based on availability. To make these incredible tools even more accessible, we're also lowering the price of all Bundle Kits!

If you're eager to watch or listen to the latest message series, now you can grab the series DVDs and CDs right away and then pick up the series development kits as they become available. And if you're a subscriber to our weekend messages, you can purchase the Bundle Kit without duplicating resources.

Feel free to shoot us an email or give us a call if you have any questions about our new Bundle Kit packages!

And for a quick refresher, here's a brief overview of our kits:

Pastor's Kit: Text, audio, outline and mind map of the weekend message, along with helpful service elements.

Media Kit: Graphics and videos shown on the side screens during the weekend service.

Print Kit: Art for the weekend bulletin, with supporting graphics and text.

Bundle Kit: Save 10% when you purchase a Bundle Kit, which includes the Pastor's Kit, Media Kit and Print Kit (where available).