Marilyn Burrell
The friendly face that goes with the friendly voice at Maritime Conference AVEL

AVEL VIDEO SUGGESTIONS
FOR
STUDY GROUPS

ALL THAT GLITTERS Parts 1 and 2: 60 mins

January 19/26, 2003 - All That Glitters: Parts 1 & 2 (updated version) The Spirit Connection crew was given rare access to the sites and the people caught in the repeating saga of upheaval caused by gold's allure. Mining operations in the Philippines have caused immense destruction to both the environment and to a way of life essential to the indigenous people. Part one contains interviews with Bern Jagunos, Area Secretary for East Asia, United Church and Marie Hilao-Enriguez, Secretary General for Kapapatan, provide an updated picture of the situation. In the second part, an interview with Joan Kuyek of Mining Watch discusses the affects of mining on development, both in the Philippines, and in other parts of the world. (Updated from the original, aired October 9, 2001).

COMMON SOUL: Connecting Faith and the Economy in 2000 and Beyond

(The 2000 Lenten study but can be used anytime.)

Utilizing readings from the Gospel of Mark, the programs explore and reflect on the relationship of faith to the economy as Bill Phipps hosts Town Hall meetings across Canada. (Each program is 30 minutes).

Program 1: Baptism, wilderness, Kingdom (Mark 1:9-14) The faith that empowers a community in spite of economic challenges.
Program 2: Calling Disciples (Mark 1:16-20, 2:13-14, 10:32) The risks and hopes of pursuing a moral economy.
Program 3: Healing the Ruler’s Daughter & the Poor Woman (Mark 5:32-43) Impact of the growing gap between rich and poor.
Program 4: Transfiguration - Light Before Morning (Mark 9:2-8) Breaking the "tried" ways for God’s way.
Program 5: Whose Coin? Caesar or God? (Mark 12:12-17) Has the Global Market become God?
Program 6: The Journey Continues (Mark 16:1-8) How do we create a sustainable, ecologically sound economy that is inclusive?

DISCOVERING EVERYDAY SPIRITUALITY

An 8-part series with Thomas Moore (Care of the Soul). 4 videos with 2 parts on each. Each part is 25 minutes.

STORY (1 & 2): Stories have the power to heal
ACTIVITY (5&6): Activities enhance our spiritual lives.
PLACE (3 & 4): Discovering the spiritual geography of our lives.
RITUAL (7 & 8) Rituals give order and meaning

FACES ON FAITH

Leading religious and secular thinkers respond to age-old questions of belief and meaning. Each video features a prominent personality - sharing their faith and ideas. (26 to 30 minutes each)

ROBERT MCAFFEE BROWN
RENITA WEEMS
VIRGINIA RAMEY MOLLENKOTT
HAROLD KUSHNER

FAITHFUL EARTHKEEPING: CHURCH AS A CREATION AWARENESS CENTRE

A 3-part video series designed to help congregations learn about the issues related to the care of God’s creation.(total time 90 mins)

Part 1 provides a biblical and theological foundation.
Part 2 describes seven provisions and seven degradations of creation.
Part 3 challenges congregations to take action as earthkeepers in their communities.

GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOOD (90 mins.)

This video is designed as a resource for United Church congregations and groups participating in the study and consultation process on genetically modified (GM) food. This process aims to engage a wide variety of voices in the development of a church policy on the use of biotechnology and genetic engineering in food production. Each segment of the video provides an overview presentation corresponding to a session of the study process outlined in the printed guide on genetically modified food issues. Segments:

- Introducing the Consultation Process (40 mins.)
- Health, Ecology, Regulation, and Labeling (25 mins)
- Justice, Patenting, Responsibility, and Control of Biotechnology (25 mins.)

GREENING OF FAITH (THE) Subtitled "Why the Environment is a Christian Concern"

Each part can be used alone. 27 minutes each.

1. THEOLOGY AND SPIRITUALITY: Biblical Foundations for Ecology
2. ETHICS: Deals with Environment and Justice

HEALING SPIRIT: 58 mins.

Healing Spirit explores the human journey through life and death, illness and healing. It poses the idea that wellness is more than just the absence of disease; that healing goes deeper than simply curing symptoms. Each of us houses our own source of healing. The film shows how different people have connected with that inner spirit. We see women and men suffering from ailments as diverse as depression and AIDS, and physicians practicing both conventional and holistic medicine. Their experience and reflections extend into areas outside the domain of modern "technological" medicine: spiritual healing, the power of love, and the triumph of spirit over matter. Their testimony challenges our comfortable definitions of health and healing, and presents us with powerful new definitions.

THE HEALING RIVER: 38 mins

The Healing River introduces a stream of ordinary people whose passion for being faithful disciples of Jesus calls them to:

• Confront racism on death row
• Care for survivors of sexual abuse
• Live on the streets with the homeless
• Exchange traditional parenting roles
• Care for the earth using solar ovens and bicycles
• Create a mural-maze symbolizing 100,000 war dead

The Healing River and the discussions it creates will help you discover ways you can follow the teachings of Jesus today

JOSEPH CAMPBELL & THE POWER OF MYTH

Bill Moyers interviews Joseph Campbell. A six video series that was shown on PBS. (58 minutes each)

1. HERO’S ADVENTURE
2. MESSAGE OF MYTH
3. FIRST STORYTELLER
4. SACRIFICE & BLISS
5. LOVE & THE GODDESS
6. MASKS OF ETERNITY

LABOUR OF LOVE: 5 STORIES OF CAREGIVING: 44 minutes

Walk through almost any neighborhood, and behind one of those front doors you’ll find a family caregiver. The numbers are staggering. Over 25 million North Americans are currently looking after elderly relatives with health problems. Shot over an entire year, Labour of Love shows the human side of care giving, the loving bonds, the frustrations and heartaches, the mundane tasks and the constant fatigue. This special video takes us to the heart of what it means to be a caregiver, offering hope for everyone who is caring for a family member. A comprehensive handbook accompanies the video.

LENTSCAPE - Series of 7 videos, 29 minutes each

Takes the viewer through the events of Lent, weaving each Biblical story with an issue implicit in the story.

1. The Triumphal Entry "Popularity"
2. The Cleansing of the Temple "Anger"
3. The Footwashing "Leadership"
4. The Betrayal "Will of God"
5. The Trial "Justice"
6. The Crucifixion "Price of Faith"
7. The Resurrection

LISTENING FOR GOD: VOL.1 : 97 mins

Where do you listen for God? Contemporary American literature may not be the most predictable place to listen for God, but it may well turn out to be among the most rewarding. This video presents eight interviews introducing the authors: Flannery O'Connor, Frederick Buechner, Patricia Hampl, Raymond Carver, Annie Dillard, Alice Walker, Garrison Keillor, and Richard Rodriguez. AVEL does not presently own the Reader, but a Leaders Guide accompanies the video.

LISTENING FOR GOD: VOL. 2 : 91 mins.

Where do you listen for God? Contemporary American literature may not be the most predictable place to listen for God, but it may well turn out to be among the most rewarding. This video presents eight interviews introducing the authors: John Updike, Anne Tyler, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Tobias Wolff, Carol Bly, Gail Godwin, Kathleen Norris, Andre Dubus. AVEL does not presently own the Reader, but a Leaders Guide accompanies the video.

LIVING YOUR FAITH (six videos, 25 mins. each)

From the "Faith and Reason Series. Conversations with well-known theologians and writers who wrestle with the following questions:

• What Can We Expert from Prayer? Joan Chittister and Charles Kiblinger
• Don't I Have a Right to My Personal Rights? Forrest Harris and Walter Brueggemann
• How Can Anything Good Come Out of This? Harold Kushner and Phyllis Tickle
• The Bible: Fact or Fiction? Walter Brueggemann and A. J. Levine
Does Christianity Have a Place at the Political Table? Dominic Crossan and Gayle White
• Do We Really Believe in Redemption? Phyllis Tickle and John Holbert

PATHS OF GRACE

"The Broken Relationship" and "Suffering": 30 mins each

February 9th and 16th, 2003 - Paths of Grace - "The Broken Relationship" and "Suffering", Meeting of native and Christian spiritual traditions through the eyes and voices of four aboriginal Canadians. Lenten journey, with host Royal Orr. Guest: Roger Obonsawin a member of the Abenaki Nation at Odanak, QC - (The Broken Relationship). Guest: Pearl Cornell, a member of the Ojibway Nation at Cape Croker, ON - (Suffering).

PATHS OF GRACE- "Forgiveness" and "Grace": 30 mins each

February 23rd and March 2nd, 2003 - Paths of Grace - "Forgiveness" and "Grace", Meeting of native and Christian spiritual traditions through the eyes and voices of four aboriginal Canadians. Lenten journey, with host Royal Orr. Guest: Rev. Maggie McLeod, minister at Cape Croker U.C., Ontario was born in the Cree Nation at File Hills, SK (Forgiveness); Guest: The Very Rev. Stan McKay, former moderator of the United Church and a member of the Cree Nation in Manitoba. Stan is currently working as co-director of the Dr. Jessie Saulteaux Resource Centre. (Grace)

A PLACE TO PRAY: CONVERSATIONS ON THE LORD’S PRAYER: (25-27 mins per program)

(Based on the book by the same title by Roberta C. Bondi). Some of us feel our prayers aren’t going anywhere and that we never experience the presence of God. But can the too-familiar phrases of the Lord’s Prayer help? Roberta Bondi, teacher, writer, and student of the ancient church, thinks so and shares what the beloved phrases mean to her and how they’ve changed her life. In this series, she talks about each of the phrases and with four others discusses a range of personal and social issues, all connected to the Lord’s Prayer. (seven programs on three videotapes.)

PRAYING IN THE MIDST OF LIFE

Led by Ron DelBene, this series is designed to help strengthen personal prayer life. (Approximately 23 minutes each.)

1. Our Questions About Prayer
2. Finding God
3. Knowing God’s Will
4. Praying the Scripture
5. Learning the Breath Prayer
6. Retreating at Anytime

QUESTIONS OF FAITH series

Faith questions are addressed by a variety of contemporary thinkers, well known in both the secular and church worlds. (20 to 30 minutes each)

QUESTIONS OF FAITH II
1. Who is Jesus?
2. What’s the Use of the Bible?
3. Who’s Got the Truth?
4. How Do We Right the Wrong?
5. What Gives You Faith?
6. What Happens After Death?

QUESTIONS OF FAITH III
1. What Do You Mean By Faith?
2. Why Worship?
3. What’s Religion Got To Do With Sex?
4. What Are The Moral Dilemmas?
5. Remember Sin and Salvation?
6. What About Grace and Miracles?

SACRED AND SECULAR

A series of interviews with six Canadians, hosted by Royal Orr. (Each video is thirty minutes)

1. Bill Phipps
2. Gail Reid
3. Anne Cools
4. Paul Henderson
5. Susan Eagle
6. Bill Carr

SACRED STORIES

Frederick Buechner, Maya Angelou and James Carroll share their personal stories and give insights into the use of story in revealing God’s presence in our lives. Four stories on one video. Each story is 20 minutes.

SEARCHING FOR SPIRITUALITY

Five-part series with Joan Chittister in conversation with six others who explore ten attributes that form a Christian spiritual life. She refers to the teachings of the desert fathers and mothers of 1700 years ago because they struggled with the same issues that plague us. There are 5 programs on 2 videos:

Video 1:
Program 1 - Seeing God in Others 24 minutes
Program 2 - Finding God in Daily Life 22 minutes

Video 2:
Program 3 - Understanding Others as God Understands Us 21 minutes
Program 4 - Falling Into the Presence of God 24 minutes
Program 5 - Receiving Others Kindly 22 minutes

SEASONS OF THE SPIRIT

Stories of people in various seasons of their lives are linked with the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter. In four parts on one video. (52 minutes)

SEVEN STORYTELLERS OF FAITH

FACES ON FAITH interviews with introductions by Mardi Tindal and Ken Gallinger. (26 minutes each)

1. John Dominic Crossan
2. Robert Fulghum
3. Madeleine L’Engle
4. Brian Wren
5.Tex Sample
6. Janet Wolf
7. Terry Waite

SIMPLE WAY

It is about voluntary simplicity - a movement that encourages frugality and spiritual fulfillment; Avel has #4 in the series: Environmental Simplicity

SIX LEADERS OF CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN THOUGHT

From the FACES ON FAITH series. (28 min each)

1. Donald Reeves
2. Chung Hyun Kyung
3. William Sloan Coffin
4. Sam Keen
5. Joan Chittister
6. John Spong

SOMETHING IN THE AIR: 25 mins

Prince Edward Island, a rural paradise and a safe haven from the city. But is this image really a mirage? Director Sylvie Dauphinais discovered that living in paradise comes at a heavy cost: the health of her son. He and many of the children on the Island can’t catch their breath. PEI has the highest rate of hospital admissions for asthma in Canada. The last twenty years has seen a 700% increase in the use of pesticides, leaving an invisible cloud of poisons in the air. This documentary is a wake-up call about an environmental crisis.

STEWARDSHIP COLLECTION FROM SPIRIT CONNECTION : 96 mins

A collection of segments from Spirit Connection shows from 1996-2002 that deal with issues of Stewardship.

• November 18, 1996: Work, Money and Meaning, Downtown economic enterprise development. Action for Employment discusses benefits of a 32-hour workweek.
• December 9, 1996: Reclaiming Sabbath, Rabbi Cohen talks with Mardi Tindal about Jewish Sabbath.
• December 16, 1996: Deeds of Love and Kindness: Church-Based Community, Project Genesis in Montreal. Adbusters fight consumerism.

SYSTEM BELONGS TO GOD (THE)

A seven part series with Walter Wink in conversation with Janet Wolf and James Forbes. They offer a new way of thinking and hoping and acting for transformation. (20 to 25 minutes each)

1. The Way Things Are
2. God Won’t Give Up
3. What Jesus Really Said
4. How To Fight Without Hitting
5. What If Nations, Companies, and Churches Had Angels?
6. How You See The World
7. Praying for the Big Picture

TALKING ABOUT GOD

Contemporary Christian and Jewish people of faith - from professional theologians to pastors, to a rabbi, a teacher of disabled children and others - were asked to respond to a series of questions about God. (20 to 25 minutes each)

1. What’s Your Experience of God?
2. How Do You Talk About God?
3. Who Are You to God?
4. Where is God in Your Life?
5. What Is God Doing?
6. Whose Side Is God On?
7. How Can Believers Live Together?

TOWARD JUSTICE & RIGHT RELATIONSHIP: A Beginning

An excellent study for groups: this is a five-session video (66 minutes) to go with the study guide for congregations and church groups as they explore the legacy of Indian residential schools and forge new relationships with First Nations Peoples.

Session 1: The Very Reverend Stan McKay; Mac Saulis; Perry Shawana (10 minutes)
Session 2: Perry Shawana (9 minutes)
Session 3: Wally McKay and Pearl Cornell (32 minutes)
Session 4: The Very Reverend Stan McKay (8 minutes)
Session 5: Rev. Maggie McLeod; and Mac Saulis (7 minutes) November 20, 2002: Changing Church, Stewardship - how ministers start the conversation.

WRESTLING WITH ANGELS

A six-part series, each session is 26 mins. Each session has a well-known author commenting on stories from ordinary people who have faced struggles with some of life’s really tough questions.

• GUIDANCE (Tony Campolo)
• FORGIVING (Lewis Smedes)
• WHY ME? (Philip Yancey)
• DOUBT(Madeleine L’Engle)
• PRAYER (Richard Foster)
• LOVE (Keith Miller)

WHEN A BIRD HAS WINGS/THE HIDDEN STORY (Spirit Connection Programmes) 60 mins

January 5, 2003 - When a Bird has Wings: Haiti. (Broadcast on Wednesday, November 8). Earlier this year Spirit Connection met with church members in Haiti where the struggle continues to bring about social justice in the shadow of free trade liberalization and to reduce the poverty that limits the opportunities of the majority of the people.

January 12, 2003 - The Hidden Story: Confronting Colombia's Dirty War, An analysis of the roots of state terror and Canada's connection to the worsening human rights situation in Colombia, featuring the powerful testimony of men and women who risk their lives each day to build peace with social justice in Columbia.

WHY CHRISTIAN? : 67 mins.

Why Christian? For those on the edge of faith: Dr. Douglas John Hall

Hall probes fundamental religious questions, religious belief, the human predicament, authentic forms of Christianity and about what is missing in human life today. In this video resource, Dr. Hall is interviewed by a young Latino college student who asks probing questions about each chapter of his book by the same title. Avel has one copy of the book "Why Christian" that can be made available upon request. A User Guide with leader suggestions accompanies each video.

Spirit Connection Programmes on the subject of war and peace

ADVOCATING PEACE IN A TIME OF WAR (Feb.2, 2003)

Guests join Royal Orr to discuss the United Church's theology and efforts to nurture a culture of peace.

RESPONDING TO WAR (March 23, 2003)

A visit to St. John's United Church in Halifax where peace activists and military families share the pews, an interview with Maj. Laurelle Callaghan, a United Church chaplain who served in Afghanistan, and an interview with Dale Hildebrand on how people can continue to advocate peace in a time of war.

TOGETHER AGAINST VIOLENCE (January 2002)

A documentary on the innovative work being done by the S-Corner community coalition in Kingston, Jamaica to deal holistically with the systemic problems of unemployment and violence in one neighborhood. The work is now part of the Peace to the City network, Decade to Overcome Violence, World Council of Churches.