
12/06/2022 - Advent Blessings
By: Deborah Kirk - Making DisciplesAdvent Blessings from the SNEUCC Faith Formation Team. May the miracle and mystery of this season bring you joy! Debby Kirk Debbie Gline Allen Sean Amato
Advent Blessings from the SNEUCC Faith Formation Team. May the miracle and mystery of this season bring you joy! Debby Kirk Debbie Gline Allen Sean Amato
In my life and work, I am often anxious for change. When starting a new project, I can be in a rush to see immediate results. I can get discouraged when wading through ...
We practice because we value a skill and we want to do it more efficiently or smoothly. We repeat something over and over so that it becomes second nature. Once the mind ...
As we emerge from the isolation of Covid, families have a multitude of activities, demands, and responsibilities competing for their time. We need to re-establish ...
Service experiences are a way to embody faith, to go beyond abstract learning, and practice compassion in tangible and personal ways. Service helps youth to learn empathy...
Instead of waiting for a veteran Faith Formation leader to apply, why not cultivate one who may already be planted in your own backyard? We often look outside our church ...
The disruption caused by Covid has prompted us all to take stock and re-assess. This is a good time for faith formation leaders to step back from the day-to-day details ...
We can help volunteers to gain confidence and move to what John Westerhoff calls “owned faith,” by offering discipleship development in small bites.
What does Faith Formation look like in post-pandemic era? We struggle with how to build relationships and make personal connections when contact is so limited. The ...
The universe is bending, but we cannot leave all the work to God. We are not only invited, but compelled to take part in the work of building a universe where God’s love ...
Evangelism. That is a word that makes many mainline protestants feel uncomfortable. Some are reluctant to talk about faith for fear of being judged as overbearing, or ...
Just like prayer, service, and worship, generosity is a spiritual discipline. It is a practice that can be modeled and taught, it is a habit that, with intention, can be ...
Eighteen months of Covid has taught us that the church is not the building, and that physical distance does not necessarily mean spiritual distance. We have found sacred ...
The edge of the ocean is different every day and there is always some remarkable beauty to discover. It made me think of the quote from Heraclitus, the Greek philosopher ...
The work of faith formation is challenging. It takes more than purchasing the perfect curriculum or implementing the hottest new lesson plan. We are called to bring the ...
The last fifteen months have been stressful for you, your families, and your work as faith formation leaders. Everything shifted, and EVERYTHING related to your work had ...
The Interfaith Exploration was offered as an opportunity for SNEUCC youth to hear various stories of call. “God is persistent, even though we sometimes push God away.” ...
Though they sometimes feel like a rejection of faith, adult mentors are called to honor the questions, to respond with openness, to testify to the mystery and the truths ...
Music is such an important part of the holiday season and church worship planners are going to great lengths to incorporate favorite carols. Some have made use of radio ...
We know that gratitude is central to spiritual well-being, but recently, social scientists in various academic settings have affirmed that this practice enhances mental ...
In a recent interview, Jennifer deSimas, Director of the JP Webster Library related her work to faith formation. "One of my roles is to organize events that explore not ...
Christy Wynveen of Newman Congregational shares reflections on her new position as Minister of Faith Formation and recent youth study group on the book The Hate U Give.
At Silver Lake, campers have the opportunity to tend the community garden. Environmental justice is one of the elements of the mission statement and we teach about the ...
Dear Pastors, Youth Leaders, and Parents, As you celebrate graduates in your congregations, I join you in offering praise for the youth and young adults achieving this ...
Jesus gives us instruction for anxious times in the comforting words found in Matthew 6:25-34, reminding us to let go of worries about the future and suggesting instead ...
Churches are invited to copy this post, add their own information, and disseminate it in their congregations. As the Coronavirus spreads from town to town and schools ...
I remember my first National Youth Event in 2008. I was working as a youth leader at a local church and had gathered a group to go to University of Tennessee. After an ...
"As we dedicate ourselves to building God’s kingdom, we must define what it looks like in the local community." —Debby Kirk
"The blessing of a caring community will be realized in countless ways." — Debby Kirk
"Do you know a young seeker who has an inquisitive spirit? Is there a youth in your congregation who is ready to explore faith at a deeper level?" — Debby Kirk