Digital Formation Library

A guide to previous services, studies, conversations, and more activities. You can access this week’s line-up here.

Worship & Music

Watch previous worship services and find previous sermons.

Service of ordination and installation for the Elder Class of 2023

Wednesday Vespers

The Prophets amid a Pandemic

- Jonah – Rev. Dolly Jacobs
- Haggai – Rev. Neil Dunnavant
- Hosea – Rev. Alexandra Mauney
- Nahum – Kevin Murray
- Joel – Rev. Keith Dove
- Zechariah – Rev. Neil Dunnavant
- Amos – Matt Logan
- Ezekiel – Kevin Murray
- Micah – Donna Chase

Check the Vespers playlist for earlier series on Sayings of Jesus in the Gospel of John and the Parables.

Special musical offerings

“Beautiful City” musical offering from a Rejoice! ensemble.
“Death Be Not Proud” featuring James Keith and Anne Albert.
“Wondrous Love” featuring Kate Musselwhite Tobey and James Keith.

Reflections on hymns from Lane Ridenhour, music leader for the Young Men’s Bible Class.

Holy Week services and activities.

Blog

Check the First Elm Notes blog for thoughts from our pastors & staff. Recent posts:

- Rev. Alexandra Mauney: Reverence outside the sanctuary walls
- Lisa Witherspoon: Grace in the in-between
- Rev. Neil Dunnavant: Focusing on the rules for life

Special features

Thank God on Friday: Brief video devotionals updated each week.

Deconstructing Race at FPC: This study interweaves the histories of FPC and Greensboro with a lens toward racial justice. It begins at the founding of FPC and ends by envisioning what is possible for our future. We celebrate the points in time that our community did the right thing, but we spend most of our sessions in lament and confession for our missteps and where we have strayed from the gospel of Jesus Christ.

FPC Friend Friday: In this video series, pastoral residents talk with church members and families about what have been up to during the pandemic and how they have stayed connected to their faith.

Rev. Neil Dunnavant study, “Christian Virtues for Personal Growth.”

30-Day Journey to understand and address issues of power, privilege, and systemic racism.

Life hasn’t been the same, and won’t be the same, for months. Rev. Doug McLeroy from our Pastoral Care ministry offers “10 Ways to Cope with No-End Grief.”

A Service of Repentance and Lament for racism. More info here. Bulletin here.

2020-21 selections of the Currie Library book clubs.

Spiritual Formation for adults

Current Series

Sheroes in Scripture: Playlist here.

Paul’s Letter to Romans: led by Professor Sandie Gravett. On the Adult Church School playlist.

Previous classes & features

Ezekiel, Professor Sandie Gravett – Part 2, Part 3, Final

“I am being crucified with Christ,” Rev. Charles Howell – Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

The Book of Ruth, Rev. Danny Massie

2020 Summer Devotional

Introduction
Week one: Come and have breakfast
Week two: I am the vine
Week three: A new commandment
Week four: Come and see
Week five: I am the bread of life
Week six: Receive the Holy Spirit
Week seven: I am the way, the truth, and the live
Week eight: I am the gate for the sheep
Conclusion: My hour has not yet come

“6 Lessons to be Learned When the Storms of Life Come,” video study led by guest teacher John Willett. Scripture: Mark 4:35-41.

Resident Check: Discipleship director Matt Logan and pastoral residents Keith Dove, Alexandra Mauney, and Nate Sell discuss the past, present, and future of the Church.

The Cross and the Lynching Tree, a discussion of James Cone’s important work on race and the church, by Matt Logan and Rev. Keith Dove.

TED Talks Earth Care: Curated by our pastoral residents. Watch a video and reflect with the leader’s guide.

Rachel Sussman’s talk, “The world’s oldest living things.” Matt Logan, curator. See the guide.
Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim’s talk, “Indigenous knowledge meets science to solve climate change.” Rev. Alexandra Mauney, curator. Her guide.
“What’s motivating Hayes,” selected by Rev. Keith Dove. Reflection guide.
Kenny Coogan’s talk, “Vultures: The acid-puking, plague-busting heroes of the ecosystem.” Rev. Nate Sell, curator. His guide.

TED Talks Faith

Keith Dove shares Heather McGee’s talk “Racism has a cost f o r every one” and talks about improving whole communities by addressing racism. Get the class guide here.
Alexandra Mauney curates Yifat Susskind’s talk, “In uncertain times, think like a mother.” See Alexandra’s class guide.
Nate Sell discusses Stephen Cave’s talk “The 4 stories we tell ourselves about death,” with some discussion questions here.
Matt Logan shares Kayla Montgomery was a cross country, indoor, and outdoor track state champion from Mount Tabor High School. During her 8th-grade year, she was diagnosed with MS. Kayla’s courage is inspiring and her perspective gives us an example of how to think about bad news. Watch Kayla Montgomery’s talk “Multiple Sclerosis Made Me a Better Runner.” Then consider these questions:
- - Kayla collapses after most of her races. Coach Cromwell is there to catch her. Who or what do you rely on when you ‘need to be caught?’
  - What is the balance of avoiding making bad news some sort of opportunity and understanding the tender network of reliance when you receive bad news?
  - Is the Church somewhere you can go when you receive bad news? Do you feel that our church is a web of connectedness that can catch you?
  - And close with the prayer:All praise and thanks to you, eternal God of life, for the wonders of creation and all the possibilities that emerge through new patterns of connection. May we always rise to the invitations of your grace to us the gifts of knowledge and healing for the good of the human community. Bless us with the spirit of justice and love. We ask this in your name. Amen.
Rev. Keith Dove leads on Anjali Kumar’s talk “My Failed Mission to Find God — And What I Found Instead.” With discussion questions.

Sandie Gravett: The Way of The Wise: Proverbs as a Guide to a Good Life

Sandie Gravett, Christ Crucified and Risen: Stories of the Faithful

Working Through Tough Theological Issues, the conclusion of a Sandie Gravett series

Creation-friendly ideas from the Green Team.

Reading suggestions from the staff, curated by Nancy Fuller, Director of Currie Library.

For youth

TED Talks Youth

Andreea S. Calude: Does grammar matter? Reflection guide.
Ric Elias: “3 Things I learned while my plane crashed.” Reflection guide.
Noah Zandan: “The Language of Lying.” Reflection guide.
Iseult Gillespie: “The myth of Pandora’s box” Reflection guide.
Akshita AgarwalL “The Paradox of Value.” Reflection guide.
Martha Minow: “How forgiveness can create a more just legal system.” Reflection guide.
Stefan Dombrowski: “The dark history of IQ tests”. Reflection guide.
Ava Echard: “Why labeling students as ‘gifted’ isn’t working.” Reflection guide.
Nadya Mason: “How to Spark Your Curiosity Scientifically.” Reflection guide.
Rich Benjamin: “My road trip through the whitest towns in America” Reflection guide.

Evening Prayer with Youth

Previous activities

Journal Prompts for Teens: Download here.

Lenten Yoga: Our member Nathan Vercaemert led this experience for youth.

For children

Ongoing series

Godly Play videos

Older Elementary Devotion and Spiritual Practice videos

Previous activities

Summer Storytime – Let’s Read about Race Together.

The Youngest Marcher by Audrey Faye Hendricks. Recommended for parents: Raising White Kids: Bringing Up Children in A Racially Unjust America by Jennifer Harvey. Rev. Harvey is a professor of religion at Drake University. Here is an interview with the author. “How to not raise a racist white kid,” column by the author.
Let’s Talk about Race by Julius Lester. Recommended for parents: So You Want to Talk About Race by parent and best-selling author Ijeoma Oluo. Watch the author’s 8-minute video, “On Talking about Race and Racism.” Here is an interview with her from ParentMap.
She Stood for Freedom: The Untold Story of a Civil Rights Hero, Joan Trumpauer Mulholland, by Loki Mulholland. Recommended for parents: Robin DiAngelo’s White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism. Her talk, “Deconstructing White Privilege,” is available here. An interview with Teaching Tolerance is available here.
Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down by Andrea Davis Pinkney. Recommended for parents:The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander.
Ruth and the Green Book by Calvin Ramsey. Parent resource: The original pamphlets, The Negro Motorist Green Book, free downloadable resources from New York Public Library Digital Collections.
Freedom on the Menu: the Greensboro Sit-Ins by Carole Boston Weatherford. Parent resource: Belles of Liberty: Gender, Bennett College and the Civil Rights Movement in Greensboro, NC. by Dr. Linda Brown
Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford. Recommended for parents: The video, Underground Railroad Tree Tour at Guilford College and the movie Harriet on Netflix, Amazon Prime, RedBox, itunes and HBO.
Something Happened In Our Town by Ann Hazzard, Marianne Celano, and Marietta Collins.
The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles. Parent Resource: Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Dr. Beverly Tatum.

Compassion Camp VBS: Playlist

Vacation Bible School Re-PLAY

Cavequest: Jesus Gives Us Love. See the video here.
Cavequest: Jesus Gives Us Hope! See Lisa Witherspoon’s intro.
Cavequest: Jesus Gives Us Courage. See the video here.
Cavequest: Jesus Gives Us Direction. See the video here.
Cavequest: Jesus Gives Us His Power . See the video.

Story Time

Lisa Witherspoon reads Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andrae.
Rev. Alexandra Mauney reads 1-2-3 Church by Gail Ramshaw.
Rev. Keith Dove reads Old Noah’s Elephants by Warren Ludwig.
Lana Burske reads The Napping House by Audrey Wood.
Lisa Witherspoon reads Maybe God Is Like That Too by Jennifer Grant.
Donna Chase reads We Are the Gardeners by Joanna Gaines and kids, and takes you on a tour of FPC’s Giving Back Garden!
Lana Burske reads The Invisible String by Patrice Karst..
Kevin Murray reads Home by Carson Ellis.
Lisa Witherspoon reads When God Made Light by Matthew Paul Turner.
Lisa Witherspoon reads The World Is Awake by Linsey Davis
Lana Burske reads All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon

Godly Play

KDC Playlist: A weekly devotional and spiritual practices for Kids Disciple Club (grades 3-5).

Genesis 1, Psalm 139: 1-2, with Lisa Witherspoon.
Eating Together, Luke 10, with Rev. Alexandra Mauney,
Nature Walking, Job 12: 7-10, with Rev. Keith Dove
Pentecost, Acts 2 with Lisa Witherspoon

Other

Virtual Field Trips: Thirty of the world’s most spectacular sites in God’s creation, available right here.
Color fruits of the spirit!
Prayers for When You Feel Anxious coloring pages. Share your finished version on Facebook or Instagram!
Pentecost at home liturgy
Pentecost coloring sheet one and two