Perhaps the biggest Christmas gift was can give ourselves will be the gift of experimentation, and being allowed to fail at designing “the perfect Christmas.”
This fall is a perfect opportunity for confirmation programs to look back at our history.
How will you most effectively walk the path of faith with your congregation?
Blurred boundaries can result for lay staff who are also members of that congregation.
In this time of polarized opinions and beliefs, an attitude of humility toward our approach to the Bible and to each other is surely what God is desiring of us.
We owe it to our congregations to offer high quality faith formation and youth ministries, particularly during these uncertain times.
Children can exhibit racist behavior as early as the age of five.
Many faith formation and youth ministry leaders are wondering just how safe it will be to gather the children and youth in person.
I have been wrestling with the term “Sunday School” for almost as long as I’ve been a Christian educator. I sometimes even take issue with being called an “educator” in ...
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We are fortunate in the Southern New England Conference to have a wide variety of support for local church youth ministries.
What do we do with the parts of our congregational history that include colonialism and slavery?
A Pray-Ground in a service of worship allows children to feel connected to the rest of the Body of Christ.
The classes offered through the Faith Formation Leadership Training Program are open to ANYONE who wishes to further their education of the Church.
Twenty-three youth from five Southern New England UCC churches and their leaders gathered for a Youth Program at the Super Saturday event on October 5th ready to put ...
This is a true story of how church educators stood up to a large publishing company to stop perpetuating racism through our children.
"Faith is more caught than taught." —Debbie Gline Allen
Empower the parents, grandparents, and caregivers in your congregation to take back their role as Christian educators and faith-formers in the home.
With the news of last week’s shootings in New Zealand I again offer these resources for talking with children.
Come outside with us to meet God through Christian community.
Here are 7 key ways that can ensure your congregation will receive the best from its faith formation staff person.
Parents are the primary and most effective faith educators for their children. So let's help them to celebrate Lent at home!
"What do we do in this in-between time where the answers are not readily apparent, let alone within reach?" —Debbie Gline Allen
Each congregation has a unique culture, and the process used to transition children into corporate worship will need to be an individualized one.
It is my hope that our children will grow up knowing the true reason we celebrate Christmas. Let's get intentional!
Children are constantly taking in what is going on around them, even when they don’t appear to be paying attention.
Christian Education Youth Ministry Communities of Practice provide opportunities to gather monthly to share resources, ideas, and support.
Children are capable of understanding way more about God than we tend to give them credit for.
You have discerned that your congregation needs to hire a Christian educator and/or youth ministry leader. So now what do you do?
The season of retirement has come for three longtime Christian educators: Merrill Noble, Ruth Ann White, and Nancy Sides. Well done good and faithful servants!
"We need to stop believing that teaching the Bible in an educational setting will bring ...
Before you head to the beach, bookmark this blog to use when you review the curriculum materials you're using.
While advocates speak out for child safety, who is paying attention to how the children are processing the violence they see in the news?
There are so many Sunday School curriculum resources out there — how do you even begin to choose the best one for your church?
I have a love-hate relationship with children’s messages. I love that the offering of a children’s message provides a time for talking about God with children within the ...
New and updated resources now available: "Seeking a Christian Educator or Youth Ministry Leader" and "Youth Ministry Handbook"