Rack Shack And Benny

"The retelling of the Bible story of Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego offers a great reminder on how to resist peer presssure and stand up for what you believe." --Back cover.

A retelling of the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, with vegetables as the main characters.

Based on the best-selling video, "Are You My Neighbor?, " follow along with the VeggieTales gang as they learn about "loving your neighbors." Book and audio cassette. Color illustrations throughout.

Through an examination of the literary works of popular ministers Max Lucado, Rick Warren, and Joel Osteen, Todd M. Brenneman offers insight into a previously unexplored aspect of American evangelical identity: sentimentality.

Children develop in so many ways - physically, intellectually, socially and spiritually. Story is just one of the ways to foster and support a child's faith development. They can find role models in the positive characters in literature, and develop empathy for others when they see a different point of view presented. Children's Books that Nurture the Spirit is an introduction to quality children's literature for spiritual development. The most current and readily available children's literature is reviewed by the author. In addition, Granahan suggests ways for leaders to use and extend the literature.

Religion has gone public; and the much-discussed political pendulum has been swinging widely in its effort to keep up with the eruptions of faith swelling the broadband. Private faith finds very public outlets through the media's appetite for voices and choices. Faith-based networks have become media-savvy, urging their members to send barrages of emails, faxes, telephone calls, letters of praise or outrage to politicians. Those same politicians return the volley, using the broadcast media with great skill, wooing the faithful, convincing the cynical that God is on their side. Only a deity could be on so many sides simultaneously. Alice Bach's new book reflects her long-time focus on the Bible, religion and culture. Popular religion is expressed within our culture in rock videos, televangelism, political rhetoric, children's books, films and animations. Every sort of media from print to electronic to broadband is imbued with subtle and blatant religious imagery. The media are new; the message is not. The tightly woven pattern of religion, politics and media has been part of the American fabric since the country was founded. When one examines this cultural cloth, threads of varying colours are revealed, threads whose twists reflect both media coverage of religion and religious views of the media.

Friends are so important to today's tweens, and the good news is that friendship matters to God, too! Now youth workers can teach junior high kids how to have healthy relationships based on respect and acceptance, in ways that make sense for their lives. With David and Jonathan as models of a good friendship, and insights into the peer pressures weathered by Joseph and Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego, younger teens will learn how to build strong friendships and how to resist temptation by applying Scripture and understanding their identity in Christ. UNCOMMON puts it all together for youth leaders, with video teaching clips and reproducible handouts included on the DVD. Friendship has never been so easy!

A sociological examination of the production and audiences of Veggie Tales, a popular evangelical video series for children.