Category Archives: Resources

Magi Midrash

Book Review, Children's Ministries, Resources, , , , ,

As I was driving back home last night after a long day of working the election polls I saw my first holiday lights near by neighborhood. White lights hanging from the gutters along with windows outlined in white lit up the night, even brighter than the now waning full moon. It’s only November 9th!

But it reminded me that I am overdue in sharing my thoughts on a children’s book I recently received with a request to offer a review. Reading about the wise men in October was not exactly high on my list. However, this latest book would make a wonderful Christmas (or Epiphany) book for preschool or early elementary children. Nicely bound in hardcover with a dust jacket, the illustrations pop right off the page and will surely engage a child at home or in church.

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Annual Planning Calendar Templates: Years A + B + C

Resources, Teacher Training

After phone calls, emails, text messages, and social media queries here are three Educational Planning Calendars for your formation needs following the three lectionary cycles: Years A, B, and C. I have formatted them in Word so you can download and adapt to your own circumstances, adding in the dates each year. I have removed dates, so when you download the document you can add them depending on the year you are constructing.

Since the church calendar is a “movable feast” each year as the date of Easter always changes, each “Proper” lectionary readings are listed during “Ordinary Time” (the Season of Epiphany and the Season after Pentecost). You will need to determine which Proper to begin with day of the season, such as 5 Pentecost / The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost. Note, Just because a Sunday may be 5 Pentecost, it does not mean that Proper 5 is used.

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America’s First Black Priest

Book Review, Children's Ministries, Resources, Thoughts & Ramblings, , , , , ,

It was fitting that I received a copy of Absalom Jones: America’s First Black Priest written by Mark Francisco Bozzuti-Jones in early February, Black History Month. Exactly two years ago I wrote about Absalom Jones, sharing resources for learning about this man of faith, courage, and commitment. So it is fitting that I share a new resource for children (ages 8-12) close to his Feast Day – February 13 – that explores the history of this man and the context in which he lived and came from. The people of God are all people – all colors, all races, all languages – from all over the world.

One is immediately caught by the visually stunning cover of this book that shows what Absalom might have looked like today, surrounded by other people of faith who were instrumental in the Civil Rights Movement, including the first Black woman to be consecrated as a bishop in the Episcopal Church, Barbara C. Harris, who died in March 2020. Illustrator, Christopher Michael Taylor describes his image on the cover as “a modernized and unique interpretation,” while each black and white artwork that begins each of the eight 3-page chapters can be described as “comic book realism.” They pop next to the text, engaging the reader in wanting to read on to see how a man, born a slave in 1746, earned his freedom and was ordained a deacon in 1795 and a priest in 1802.

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Planning Calendar for 2021-2022

Adult Formation, Children's Ministries, Curriculum, Resources, Seasonal Ideas, Youth Ministry,

I have always believed that the Season of Easter is a time to plan and look to the future in all manner of things. Depending on where you live in the northern hemisphere, it is a time to think about planting: mapping out your garden, starting seeds, or actually putting plants into the ground. For me it was also about evaluating the past academic year in secular education or the Church.

I’ve written and shared plenty of ideas on how to evaluate your programming and curriculum. I’ll soon be posting new curriculum charts for children, youth, and adult formation. And by popular demand, I offer the Christian Formation Planning Calendar for 2020-2021 (Pentecost 2020 thru August 2021) in two formats for you to adapt to your own context and needs.

2021-2022 Planning Calendar (docx)

2021-2022 Planning Calendar (pdf)

  • Column 1: Date / Season
    • Date
    • Sunday noted on the church calendar
    • Reading designation (proper)
  • Column 2: Sunday Readings appointed for the day (following the Episcopal version of the Revised Common Lectionary). This is not the same as the ’79 BCP lectionary or the standard RCL. Episcopalians like to tweak and amend! Track 1 and Track 2 are offered when applicable.
    • Old Testament / Hebrew Scripture reading
    • Psalm or Canticle
    • New Testament reading
    • Gospel
  • Column 3: Observances
    • These can be civic (governmental holidays) or religious (Christian mid-week observances)
    • Space to fill in your own local practice
  • Column 4: Church Events
    • For you to fill in with your church’s events or notes for the day
  • Column 5: Notes
    • Space for your notations

Don’t forget to plug-in your teacher trainings and workshops, conference opportunities, seasonal projects for Advent and Lent, pageant and play rehearsals, mission trips, VBS, recognitions and presentations, school vacations and holidays, and social activities. As requested, you can download a pdf version or a Word version.

Stay tuned in the coming days for the updated curriculum charts. A lot has changed in the past year with numerous new resources and a few that have been discontinued. Certainly our lens may have changed a bit in what we choose to use and adapt with new questions to ask: How can I use this resource if/when we cannot meet face-to-face and in person on Sunday (or any other time)? How is this resource adaptable for use at home and online?

Returning Home: Celebratory Grief & Imagining the Future

Adult Formation, Faith & Culture, Resources, , , , , , ,

For many of us, it’s been over a year since we’ve been in our church buildings for any purpose. No indoor gatherings have moved meetings, coffee hours, formation opportunities, and even worship -have all occurred digitally. The pandemic has kept us apart from one another physically in so many ways, especially those of us who live in colder climes who don’t have the space or weather to meet outdoors for worship. As we look to the warmth of spring, more of us armed with our vaccinations and our local map turning from red to orange (will we every see yellow or green?) will be coming out of our hibernation to rise and shine. Easter will take on new meaning; a renewed life in meeting in-person that will be a different/new normal.

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