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 ...
No one stands alone on one side of the bridge.
Each one of us has the ability to offer some support.
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 ...
Welcoming children and families into worshipping as the Body of Christ together!
A healthy approach to one’s sexuality.
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 ...
With careful attention, each situation can be managed with successful outcomes.
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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 ...
Let us experiment - there can be no mistakes!
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 ...
As followers of the Jesus who welcomes children, let us not forget to protect them.
The SNEUCC Faith Formation Leadership Program offers adaptive skills for faith formation.
Emily McKenna, Program Support Associate, interviews Katie Howe. Katie is a Masters of Divinity student at Chicago Theological Seminary, a Woodridge Congregational Church...
In this month's Discipleship Matters newsletter, Emily McKenna interviews Jennifer Kronholm Clark, Silver Lake Conference Center’s Program Director. Learn what's ...
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 ...
OR: Is Our Confirmation Model Still Valid for the 21st Century?
Some [seeds] fell into good soil, and when it grew, it produced a hundredfold. (Luke 8:8, NRSV)
April 2021—Volume 28, Number 3 Copyright @ 2021 by Lauren W. Swanson These are difficult days for the church, but also days of real opportunity. The ...
What will be the best ways to be the Body of Christ post-pandemic?
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.” ...
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The question to ask is, "How do we pass on the faith knowing what we know now?"
How Can We Build Trust in a Vaccine? March 2021—Volume 28, Number 3 Copyright @ 2021 by Dana Horrell The development of a vaccine for the ...
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This is an invitation to plan for the upcoming season and it's important themes with your whole heart and first and foremost, for you! This season is an invitation to ...
Walking alongside teens on their spiritual journeys remains our focus.
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 ...
February 2021—Volume 29, Number 2 Copyright @ 2021 by Dana Horrell Sandra Lommasson rediscovered the value of art in response to violent trauma. In its...
How do we navigate uncertainty while ministering to our congregations?
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 ...
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.”
Discipleship is not a paint-by-numbers! We might wish for clear instructions, a formula to follow, to encourage others to follow Jesus. But our faith is so much bigger ...
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?
Kristin Putney shares two stories of effective youth ministry in RI Congregations during the time of CoVid 19. Youth connections are sustained and deepened through ...
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Alexa Odoy, a ninth grader at Congregational Church of Marlborough shares her creative talents. "The design is inspired by the story of Noah's arc, but the rainbows also ...
Blurred boundaries can result for lay staff who are also members of that congregation.
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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.
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.
Both my church and Silver Lake have had an influence on my involvement with racial justice work. In 2018, upon entering freshman year I felt the need to be doing ...
I started my first semester as a Master of Divinity Student at Chicago Theological Seminary in February. Less than a month later I began working long hours at the Rhode ...
It's comfortable to identify ourselves with the ‘good people’ in the Bible. But what does it mean to identify ourselves with the flawed figures? As humans, we’re not ...
Before quarantine I found my days were full of school, sports, and homework. I barely had time to hangout with friends, let alone a minute for myself.
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 ...
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 hope I’m not alone when I describe the sinking feeling in your chest after another bad day, wondering if God is really listening, and wondering if it’s okay to really ...
by Wendy Parker As the world and this country struggle to cope with the upsetting and ...
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 ...
“The local church exists to make disciples of Jesus” says our mission statement. Simon Peter, “Do you love me?” And of course, Peter responds, “Yes, Lord, you know that I...
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 ...
SNEUCC’s Faith Formation Team attended the virtual InterGenerate Children's Spirituality Conference in May 2021. The team offers us brief reflections on their favorite ...