Core Articles & Blog
What does it mean to stir souls?
If you are engaging with people outside the church you will want to know.
The articles in the Beginners Guide to Stirring will break it down for you.
Start here
Beginners guide one
Why is it so difficult to share faith?
In our ministry to youth outside the church, we grew tired of answering questions nobody was asking. We felt like giving up. Why was everyone so indifferent to God?
As we searched for clues, we finally understood why we felt so stuck and found that we were not alone.
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Beginners guide two
Should we try a new starting point?
As we reached out into our schools and community, we felt that unless we found a different way to present the gospel, we could not keep going.
We finally learned the questions people today are asking and the way they decide what answers ring true.
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Beginners guide three
How Do We Stir Curiosity?
We wondered if we could stimulate spiritual interest by helping our teenagers experience their soul in action. We experimented by stirring up several emotions and longings, called attention to them as spiritual and highlighted the desire to connect with Someone greater.
It sparked curiosity and we were soon starting by stirring.
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Beginners guide four
WHEN WILL WE TALK ABOUT JESUS?
Simply helping people to become aware of their true spiritual nature was not enough. It was only a starting point. We had to learn how to use this awareness to introduce them to God, help them encounter Jesus and then invite them to make a faith commitment.
Could this new approach actually work?
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Newest insights
Feel Connection: Help Your Child Experience Their Soul in Action
Part 4 of 4
We all desire to know there is Someone bigger than ourselves that is connecting everyone together and giving us a purpose that is bigger than ourselves. Help your child feel the longing of connection and experience their soul in action.
Longing for Justice: Help Your Child Experience Their Soul in Action
Part 3 of 4
Secular culture tells our children that they are nothing more than matter and energy. But your child's longing for justice is a clue that they are spiritual beings. Learn how to have conversations about their longing that the world is good and people are kind.
Awe & Wonder: Help Your Child Discover Their Soul in Action
Part 2 of 4
As parents we can help our children learn to identify the presence of their soul. This article contains practical advice of how to use moments of beauty and awe to show your child they are more than a body and brain. They are a spiritual being.
Your Are More Than a Body and Brian: Help Your Children Discover Their Soul in Action
Part 1 of 4
“Do not say, ‘Bless You!’ You do not have souls!”
Our daughter’s physics teacher was probably a little exasperated by his fourteen-year-old students and the disruption that was brought to the class every time someone sneezed. But it still did make us raise our eyebrows when she told us that this was something he yelled at the whole class.
If, like ourselves, you are raising children in the midst of a secular culture, you'll no doubt be aware of the battle around these most basic of questions, "What does it mean to be human? Am I just a body and brain? Or am I spiritual being?"
3 Ways to Have Different Faith Conversations with Family
Are you feeling stuck or unsure of where to go next when it comes to talking about God and faith with members of your extended family?
How to Stir Using Longings for a Just and Kind World
You many have conversations where people say, "I don't believe in God because there's too much bad stuff in the world." Keep reading as we learn how to keep the conversation going and possibly even stir up spiritual curiosity.
How to Keep the Conversation Going When Friends Say "I believe in Science"
These types of situations make us feel like we have to enter a debate about the existence of God or show that science and faith are not at odds, both of which can feel overwhelming. Is it possible stir spiritual curiosity in these situations? We think it is. Listen in and learn questions you can ask to probe for hidden spiritual longings.
How to Stir Using Longings About the Afterlife
Recent national events has many people thinking about what happens in the afterlife. Darin shows you how to have stirring conversations around the the topic of "what happens when we die?"
The Stir Process in Two Minutes
Have you read the Beginners Guide to Stirring Souls? Here's a summary of all you've learned about how to keep stirring in our everyday conversations and relationships.
Will Stir work for me?
How to use Stir in a Café setting
If your church is running a café, The Stir Course can be a great way to stimulate spiritual conversations at individual tables and also create opportunities to invite individuals to explore faith even further, beyond the set café times.
How to Use Stir at my Youth Club or Drop-in
Stir has been used in several youth group, club and drop-in settings. Your approach will depend on whether you have a slot where everyone stops and listens to input from the front or if you have no set structure and teens freely come and go.
How to Use Stir in School Assemblies
The Stir material is great for School Assemblies. The sessions can help you meet the school’s PSHE/RSHE requirements, inform students about the Christian faith and serve as an opportunity to invite students to a follow-up Stir group.
How to Use Stir with Children
Stir can be adapted for children by introducing it's most basic concept, that we are more than a body and brain.
How to run Stir in 20 minutes
Do you run a school lunch-time group, a rowdy youth club or a small breakout at youth group for teens who are uncertain about faith? Stir can work in these settings. Keep reading to hear how other stirrers have done it.
How to run Stir in 12-14 weeks
The format of a 12-14 week course is a well-worn pathway in churches that have used the Alpha Course or Christianity Explored. Here we break down how you can adapt the Stir Course to a 12-14 week format.
The Stir Course
Explore the Stir Course
Explore the Stir Course