05/10/2021 - What Is the Best Age for Confirmation?
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Faith Formation and Christian EducationOR: Is Our Confirmation Model Still Valid for the 21st Century?
Blogs
Blogs
04/06/2021 - Let Anyone with Ears To Hear — Sowing the Seeds of Faith
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Faith Formation and Christian EducationSome [seeds] fell into good soil, and when it grew, it produced a hundredfold. (Luke 8:8, NRSV)
03/24/2021 - What We've Learned from the Pandemic - Moving Forward
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Faith Formation and Christian EducationWhat will be the best ways to be the Body of Christ post-pandemic?
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03/08/2021 - Post-Pandemic - The Many Faces of Faith Formation
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Faith Formation and Christian Education Leadership DevelopmentThe question to ask is, "How do we pass on the faith knowing what we know now?"
02/09/2021 - Youth Ministry in Pandemic Times (and Beyond)
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Faith Formation and Christian Education Leadership DevelopmentWalking alongside teens on their spiritual journeys remains our focus.
01/20/2021 - Faith Formation Classes Offer Adaptive Skills During the Pandemic
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Faith Formation and Christian Education Leadership DevelopmentHow do we navigate uncertainty while ministering to our congregations?
11/10/2020 - The Twelve Days of Christmas - At Home This Year
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Christmas Faith Formation and Christian EducationPerhaps the biggest Christmas gift was can give ourselves will be the gift of experimentation, and being allowed to fail at designing “the perfect Christmas.”
10/13/2020 - What To Do with the 400th Anniversary of the Mayflower Landing
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Faith Formation and Christian EducationThis fall is a perfect opportunity for confirmation programs to look back at our history.
10/07/2020 - Breathing Life Into Theories and Practices
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Conference programming Faith Formation and Christian Education Leadership DevelopmentHow will you most effectively walk the path of faith with your congregation?
09/16/2020 - Boundary Training for Faith Formation and Youth Ministry Leaders
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Faith Formation and Christian Education Leadership DevelopmentBlurred boundaries can result for lay staff who are also members of that congregation.
08/20/2020 - An Adult Education Model for Churches, with a Twist
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Faith Formation and Christian Education Leadership DevelopmentIn 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.
08/17/2020 - Lifelong Faith Formation Thrives with Trained Leaders
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Conference programming Faith Formation and Christian Education Leadership DevelopmentWe owe it to our congregations to offer high quality faith formation and youth ministries, particularly during these uncertain times.
06/09/2020 - Can Children Be Racist?
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Faith Formation and Christian Education Justice and WitnessChildren can exhibit racist behavior as early as the age of five.
05/22/2020 - Guidance for Returning to In-Person Faith Formation
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Faith Formation and Christian EducationMany faith formation and youth ministry leaders are wondering just how safe it will be to gather the children and youth in person.
03/12/2020 - Faith Formation Leadership Training Is For Today’s Congregations
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Conference programming Faith Formation and Christian EducationI 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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01/07/2020 - Youth Can Thrive in the Southern New England Conference
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Faith Formation and Christian EducationWe are fortunate in the Southern New England Conference to have a wide variety of support for local church youth ministries.
11/19/2019 - What To Do with the 400th Anniversary of the Mayflower Landing
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Faith Formation and Christian EducationWhat do we do with the parts of our congregational history that include colonialism and slavery?
11/12/2019 - What's a Pray-Ground?
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Faith Formation and Christian EducationA Pray-Ground in a service of worship allows children to feel connected to the rest of the Body of Christ.
10/23/2019 - Faith Formation & Youth Ministry for All
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Faith Formation and Christian EducationThe classes offered through the Faith Formation Leadership Training Program are open to ANYONE who wishes to further their education of the Church.
10/09/2019 - Youth Help Super Saturday Attendees Assemble 275 CWS Hygiene Kits
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Conference programming Faith Formation and Christian EducationTwenty-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 ...
06/18/2019 - Children and Racism
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Faith Formation and Christian EducationThis is a true story of how church educators stood up to a large publishing company to stop perpetuating racism through our children.
05/29/2019 - Many Voices, One Mission: It's All About Relationship
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Conference programming Faith Formation and Christian Education Many Voices, One Mission Together, As One"Faith is more caught than taught." —Debbie Gline Allen
04/03/2019 - Faith In the Home
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Faith Formation and Christian EducationEmpower the parents, grandparents, and caregivers in your congregation to take back their role as Christian educators and faith-formers in the home.
03/19/2019 - Talking with Children After a Tragedy
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Faith Formation and Christian EducationWith the news of last week’s shootings in New Zealand I again offer these resources for talking with children.
02/27/2019 - Retreat!
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Faith Formation and Christian EducationCome outside with us to meet God through Christian community.
02/18/2019 - 7 Ways to Support Your Church Educator and Youth Ministry Leader
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Faith Formation and Christian EducationHere are 7 key ways that can ensure your congregation will receive the best from its faith formation staff person.
02/06/2019 - Lent Is For Families
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Faith Formation and Christian EducationParents are the primary and most effective faith educators for their children. So let's help them to celebrate Lent at home!
01/16/2019 - Many Voices, One Mission: This In-Between Time
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Conference programming Many Voices, One Mission Outdoor Ministries Together, As One"What do we do in this in-between time where the answers are not readily apparent, let alone within reach?" —Debbie Gline Allen
01/08/2019 - What Does Effective Intergenerational Worship Look Like?
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Faith Formation and Christian EducationEach congregation has a unique culture, and the process used to transition children into corporate worship will need to be an individualized one.
12/12/2018 - Children and the Christ in Christmas
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Faith Formation and Christian EducationIt is my hope that our children will grow up knowing the true reason we celebrate Christmas. Let's get intentional!
11/13/2018 - This Is How We Grow Christians
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Faith Formation and Christian EducationChildren are constantly taking in what is going on around them, even when they don’t appear to be paying attention.
10/24/2018 - It’s All About Relationships…and Networking…and Resources
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Faith Formation and Christian EducationChristian Education Youth Ministry Communities of Practice provide opportunities to gather monthly to share resources, ideas, and support.
09/18/2018 - Spiritual Development - Children Are "Smarter" Than We Think
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Faith Formation and Christian EducationChildren are capable of understanding way more about God than we tend to give them credit for.
09/05/2018 - Best Practices for Staffing Your Faith Formation Ministries
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Faith Formation and Christian EducationYou have discerned that your congregation needs to hire a Christian educator and/or youth ministry leader. So now what do you do?
08/22/2018 - Three Christian Educators Provide a Legacy
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Faith Formation and Christian EducationThe season of retirement has come for three longtime Christian educators: Merrill Noble, Ruth Ann White, and Nancy Sides. Well done good and faithful servants!
08/01/2018 - Many Voices, One Mission: Forming the Faith of 21st Century Congregations
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Church History and Identity Conference programming Faith Formation and Christian Education Many Voices, One Mission"We need to stop believing that teaching the Bible in an educational setting will bring ...
06/19/2018 - Summer Offers a Little Extra Time to Look at Your Curriculum Materials
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Faith Formation and Christian EducationBefore you head to the beach, bookmark this blog to use when you review the curriculum materials you're using.
05/29/2018 - Talking with Children About Difficult Topics
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Faith Formation and Christian EducationWhile advocates speak out for child safety, who is paying attention to how the children are processing the violence they see in the news?
04/10/2018 - Curriculum - Which Resource Is Best For Your Church?
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Faith Formation and Christian EducationThere are so many Sunday School curriculum resources out there — how do you even begin to choose the best one for your church?
04/04/2018 - Children's Messages - Helpful or Harmful?
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Faith Formation and Christian EducationI 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 ...
03/14/2018 - Seeking and Supporting a Faith Formation Staff Member
By: Debbie Gline Allen - Faith Formation and Christian EducationNew and updated resources now available: "Seeking a Christian Educator or Youth Ministry Leader" and "Youth Ministry Handbook"