Tag Archives: Michael Curry

“Rooted in Jesus”

Adult Formation, Discipleship, Events, Jesus, Mission, Resources, Sermon, The Church, Worship, , , , , , ,

It’s only been a couple of weeks since (reportedly) 1,300 Episcopalians and friends met in Atlanta, Georgia for what was subversively called Episcopalooza or “General Convention with workshops, but no legislation.” The brainchild of Bill Campbell, former Executive Director of Forma: The Network for Christian Formation this conference brought together various cohorts within the Episcopal Church (and beyond) to explore formation, evangelism, preaching, leadership, mission, stewardship, and communications. A massive undertaking with a lot of behind the scenes work from many individuals, it was the Church at its best. Worship was extraordinary, workshops were inspiring and informative, creativity was abundant, and Jesus was proclaimed. Even the hotel staff got in on the action and “rooted for Jesus.”

It was too much to digest and while I got to see LOTS of friends and colleagues, I missed many opportunities to network or attend presentations because I couldn’t be at two (or three) places at once. Thankfully, many presentations were live-streamed via Forma’s Facebook page and many were recorded so that even those unable to be present could be fed by the experience. My take-aways and learnings:

Continue reading “Rooted in Jesus” →

79th General Convention Recap

General Convention, Jesus, Mission, On the Road Again, , , , , , , , , ,

It’s been a little over a week now that I’ve returned from almost two weeks in Austin, Texas where the 79th General Convention of The Episcopal Church was held. This triennial gathering is how The Episcopal Church determines its budget and way forward in living out the mission of the Church (to reconcile all to God in Christ). If you’re an Episcopalian, you know what I’m talking about (hopefully).

It was a convention in which we put our faith into action; there was lots of energy around social justice. And while in Austin, Episcopalians practiced what we preach. In any case, these are my top ten “take aways” from the fifth General Convention that I have attended. I’ll be posting more (with resources) about each in the coming week – check back here! Continue reading 79th General Convention Recap →

The Work Ahead

Children's Ministries, Curriculum, Discipleship, Resources, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

All this week I have been bookmarking articles and resources that have appeared on my news feeds and social media. I wanted to share a curated list of materials that Christian educators and families can use as we attempt to move forward in constructive ways following the neo-nazi and white supremacist violence that occurred in Charlottesville, Virginia on Friday, August 11, 2017.

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry released a video message this afternoon to respond to the continuing rhetoric, violence, and outrage that continues to fester. He asks, “Where do we go from here?” Do we feed chaos or do we build community? He acknowledges the work that is ahead of us, but reminds us that we do have a way – and The Way is to follow Jesus. That is the work that remains ahead of us.

 

So, I am called to return to my liturgical tradition to see what resources might inform our current times, knowing that there is more to be done than reading a book or teaching a Sunday School lesson. Continue reading The Work Ahead →

Pilgrim: A Course for the Journey

Adult Formation, Christianity, Curriculum, Jesus, Resources, The Church, , , , , ,

pilgrimlonglogohiresChristian formation is the lifelong process of growing in relationship with God, self, others and all creation. In this process, we are transformed into the people God wants us to be. The Episcopal Church has gracefully articulated how we answer God’s call in The Charter for Lifelong Christian Formation.

A new resource, now available to congregations who desire to help adults grow in their discipleship as follows of Jesus Christ is now available. The Pilgrim Program is a course for those new to Christianity, seekers, inquirers, and any adult who wishes to return to the basics for the first, second, or twentieth time. Broken into two stages: Follow and Grow, each stage has four units of six sessions each (with the exception that Session One: Turning to Christ, has seven sessions). They would easily fit a Sunday morning adult class of 45 minutes or an evening program, possibly preceded by a light meal. Follow is designed to be led by a facilitator who has been an active member of a faith community for some time, while Grow’s leadership can be shared amongst the group. Continue reading Pilgrim: A Course for the Journey →