SPECIAL OFFER: Get a calendar autographed by artists Alan and Aaron Hicks! Quantities are limited to the first 100 copies sold of each calendar. Sorry; the autographed calendars are now sold out. Regular calendars are still in stock, so order today!

For more information about these calendars, read our press release:

Chicago, IL—October 28, 2011: Chicago artists Alan and Aaron Hicks are partnering with Urban Ministries, Inc. (UMI) to present their acclaimed religious paintings in two new inspirational 13-month wall calendars for 2012.

The twin Hicks brothers are renowned in the African-American community for their culturally relevant representations of people of color in the biblical experience. According to their website, “Their spiritual and family-oriented motifs have been exhibited throughout the country and in numerous publications such as Ebony, Jet, and Upscale magazines.”

Executed in the medium of airbrush on canvas, the Hicks twins’ paintings portray themes that include family life, religion, prayer, and Bible stories. This positive cultural representation of African Americans has drawn a devoted following.

The newly released 2012 wall calendars from UMI are the first to feature the Hicks brothers’ artwork in this format. Two titles are available: “Faith,” which features illustrations of Bible stories and scriptural themes, and “Hope,” which inspire through its images of children and family life.

As well as 13 full-color paintings, the calendars include Bible verses for each month and the birthdates of notable figures who have made African-American history. These features make each calendar an attractive purchase for the holidays and for the new year.

UMI is excited to partner with the Hicks brothers to release this combination of fine artwork and scriptural inspiration.

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Order your calendars today in UMI’s online store, or contact our customer service representatives.

Are you among the growing number of people joining the digital revolution by reading books using a Kindle, iPad, NOOK, or other electronic reader? If so, there’s good news for you! UMI is keeping up with the latest technology by publishing its annual Sunday School commentary, Precepts for Living®, in the leading eBook formats: Kindle (Amazon), NOOK (Barnes & Noble), and iBooks (Apple).

Precepts for Living® is one of UMI’s most-popular titles for personal Bible study and Bible teaching. You can read all about this premier Bible commentary on its official website. We’re excited to offer innovative ways to use technology and new media to help even more people access the timeless truths of God’s Word.

Here are the links to download your copy of Precepts to your electronic device:

If you’ve purchased Precepts for Living® for your eReader, be sure to leave a rating and a review at the iTunes, B&N, or Amazon store sites to tell others what you think. Also, spread the word on your favorite social networking sites, and follow Precepts® on Facebook and Twitter.

Do you need more detailed instructions for downloading Precepts®? No problem; we’re here to help! Our web editor has assembled step-by-step tutorials to make it easy to get your electronic copy of Precepts for Living® onto your device. (Now UPDATED with instructions for NOOK.) Here they are:

How to Purchase the Kindle Edition:

(For all Amazon Kindle devices, including Kindle apps for Mac, PC, iPad/iPhone, Blackberry, Android, etc. The file is in Amazon’s format.)

1. Make sure your device is connected to the Internet and WiFi is turned on.
2. Press the “Menu” button to go to the “Home” screen.
3. From your Kindle’s “Home” screen, click the “Shop in Kindle Store” button.
4. When you see the Amazon store content, enter “Precepts for Living” in the search field to find our book. Alternately, you can click this link to go directly to it: Precepts for Living® 2011-2012.
5. Once you’re on the page for the Precepts® book, press the button that reads: “Buy Now with 1-Click.” If you have more than one Kindle device, make sure that the one you want to download Precepts® to is selected in the menu below the button. (If you haven’t set up “1-Click purchasing” on your account, a screen will appear to help you through the process.)

You’re all done! Precepts for Living® will be automatically downloaded to your device, and you will be billed based on the settings you’ve made on your account.

For more information on setting up or troubleshooting a Kindle, visit this link from Amazon.

How to Purchase the iBooks Edition:

(For all Apple iOS devices, including iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. The file is in EPUB format.)

You can purchase eBooks either directly through the iBooks app on your device or through the iTunes program (10.3 or above) on your computer. (Note that you can’t read eBooks directly in your iTunes library; a device with iBooks is still required.) If you don’t have the iBooks app, it’s a free download in the App Store. Here’s a link to it.

iBooks method:

1. Open the app and tap the “Store” button in the upper corner. The bookshelf will flip to reveal the iBookstore.
2. In the iBookstore, search for “Precepts for Living®.” Alternately, you can use this link to go directly to it: Precepts for Living® 2011-2012.
3. Tap on the cover to see more details and download a sample lesson.
4. When you’re ready to order, select “Buy.”
5. You’re all done! Precepts for Living® will be automatically downloaded to your device, and you will be billed based on your account settings.

iTunes method:

1. Launch iTunes (10.3 or later).
2. In the sidebar menu, navigate to “iTunes Store.” The store will load in your iTunes window.
3. From the iTunes Store, search for “Precepts for Living®.” Alternately, you can use this link to go directly to it: Precepts for Living® 2011-2012.
4. Select the book cover to see all the details.
5. When you’re ready to order, click “Buy Book.”
6. Precepts for Living® will be automatically downloaded to your iTunes library, and you will be billed based on your account settings.
7. Note that you can’t read eBooks directly in your iTunes library. Connect your iBooks-enabled device (iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone) to your computer, then drag-and-drop the book from your iTunes library onto the device’s library to sync it.

For more information and additional support for Apple’s iBooks, refer to the FAQ section on Apple’s site.

How to Purchase the NOOK Edition:

(For all Barnes & Noble NOOK devices, including NOOK apps for Mac, PC, iPad, iPhone, Android, etc. The file is in EPUB format.)

1. On your computer or mobile web browser, click this link to find Precepts for Living® in the Barnes & Noble NOOK store: Precepts For Living® 2011-2012.
2. When you’re ready to order, click the “Buy Now” button to purchase the book.
3. If you are not already logged into your Barnes & Noble account, you will be prompted to sign in with your username and password. (If you don’t have a B&N account, you’ll be guided through the process of setting one up.) You will be billed based on your account settings.
4. Precepts for Living® will be added to your NOOK library! This synchronizes the book across all your NOOK devices or apps, and you can download it at any time.
5. To download Precepts for Living®, navigate to the Library screen on your NOOK device or app. You may need to refresh the view to see your latest purchase. Touch the cover to open the book, and the download will begin automatically.

Once the download is complete, you’re all ready to read Precepts for Living®. The library will save your place in the book and synchronize it across any NOOK devices you use.

For more information or troubleshooting your NOOK, visit the support page from Barnes & Noble.

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In the coming days and weeks, we’re hoping to add even more new features, including regularly updated blogs with resources, tips, and inside looks at our many biblical products. If there are any features or kinds of things you’d like to read about, feel free to let us know! Keep checking back for updates and news about.

The UMI Staff

That’s why church educators use learning centers to start the Sunday School session or to focus attention during the lesson. Learning centers help individualize lessons and keep kids involved. But learning centers should really promote learning in a fun way, rather than providing fun that will get interrupted by learning! To make sure your centers keep learning on track, develop a variety of centers which address the weekly theme. A toy box makes a great learning center where children can play and pretend about the lesson theme, or engage with items mentioned in the lesson.

Centers can engage children in art or music to help younger learners express themselves and give feedback on their world and the Bible lesson. Each week you can create centers that are standard (like a book center) and add other areas that focus on different ways children learn about the same topic.

2. After they have read it dramatically, allow them to act out the events, especially if the Scripture lesson is a story. Assign roles to people, irrespective of gender. Sometimes, that makes room for a lighter atmosphere and calls for more creativity.

3. If students have a difficult time internalizing the series of events, encourage them to translate Scripture into their own words.