Resources for Faith Leaders

Funeral Resources

Worship Resources


Prayer of Confession

Lord we confess…
·We have been in trouble and yet told no one
·We have felt desperate and not asked for help
·We have isolated ourselves in our pain instead of reaching out
·We have suspected others are suffering but we did not ask
·We have observed lives falling apart but we did not inquire
·We have been nudged to invite conversation but we have feared the connection
·We have been quick to speak and slow to listen
·We have told our stories, when others needed us to hear theirs
·We have discouraged others from talking by our strong opinions and quick solutions
·We have kept secrets we should not have kept
·We have left people in danger that we should have offered sanctuary
·We have allowed communities to form with many pathways to violence, but few pathways to peace


Soul Shop Benediction  

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths and superficial relationships so that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression and exploitation of people so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, and isolation so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in the world so that you can do what others claim cannot be done:  to bring hope and kindness to all God’s children.

Books for Church Leaders

  • Preventing Suicide: A Handbook for Pastors, Chaplains and Pastoral Counselors

    by Karen Mason

  • Dancing in the Darkness: Spiritual Lessons for Thriving in Turbulant Times:

    by Rev. Otis Moss III and Greg Lichtenberg

  • The Essentials of Suicide Prevention

    by Karen Mason

  • Too Heavy a Yoke: Black Women and the Burden of Strength

    by Chanequa Walker- Barnes

  • Preaching Hope in the Darkness

    by Scott Gibson and Karen Mason

  • Making Space at the Well

    by Jessica Young-Brown

  • African American Pastoral Care and Counseling: The Politics of Oppression and Empowerment

    by Edward Wimberly