Tag Archives: Children’s Ministry

A Back to Basics Q & A

Adult Formation, Books Worth Reading, Children's Ministries, Curriculum, Discernment, Teacher Training, Youth Ministry, , , , , ,

Recently I have been invited to give workshops in numerous locations on the basics; the core documents and key websites that I believe anyone involved in Christian formation with children, youth, or adults needs to know about. For January’s Forma Conference workshop, I put together a handout where they are all located in one place.

But for those who want the documents with more of an explanation – here goes. Think of it as a catechism for Episcopal educators: a question with some answers. These are the questions I am frequently asked, and how I respond:

Q. What is the curriculum authorized by the Episcopal Church?

A. The Episcopal Church does not have an authorized, published curriculum for any age. If anything, all of what is taught should be based on The Baptismal Covenant and An Outline of the Faith (also known as The Catechism found in the Book of Common Prayer. However, the Episcopal Church, via a General Convention resolution and Task Force assigned for its implementation, created a seminal text: Called To Teach and Learn: A Catechetical Vision and Guide for the Episcopal Church  (1994). Every church was sent one. Many churches put them on the bookshelf or in a closet and never opened its covers. You can download it here, as well as a companion piece written by The Rev. Canon Joe Russell, Discovering Called to Teach and Learn. The Spanish version is here. Continue reading A Back to Basics Q & A →

A Child’s “Worship Bag”

Children's Ministries, Parenting, Worship, , , , , , ,

IMG_0559This past Saturday I gave a workshop at the annual Spring Training event for the Episcopal Church in Connecticut. My presentation involved sharing ideas of how we can make worship more formational for children as well as how we can help parents make faith conversations and practices part of every day life at home. It occurred to me as I was putting some materials together for a “show & tell” that my process (and examples) make a great example of how to do both.

Basically, I gathered up all the supplies that I would put together in a “quiet bag” that I might bring to church with me if I had a preschooler or 8-year-old sitting alongside me in the pew for an entire worship service. What if we made such bags available to children to pick up before they entered our worship spaces? What if some of these objects were put into a “home box” and given to families for their use in at home or in the car? Continue reading A Child’s “Worship Bag” →

17 Things Technology Has Replaced in Children’s Ministry

Children's Ministries, Faith & Culture, Thoughts & Ramblings, , , ,

I remember borrowing movies from the public library to show children during our annual meeting. I’d pick up the CAN of film and set up the projector, making sure I thread all the film correctly through the machine and then cross my fingers that it did not break during the viewing.

I remember showing filmstrips of the “Holy Land” in class.

I remember teaching with flannelboard – which is still a great thing to use for a visual storytelling experience.

I remember the smell of mimeograph paper, with the purple ink. And typing on a stencil to run the Sunday bulletin off the Gestener machine. What a mess that could be.

But I guess I am really showing my age.

Even in the past five years, how we engage children and youth in our Christian education programs has changed. Toss out those old VHS tapes and even CDs.

What else makes you feel old? What makes you excited about the future? Can you related to any of the following in the article linked below?

17 Things Technology Has Replaced in Children’s Ministry ~ RELEVANT CHILDREN’S MINISTRY.