Nurturing Faith
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Posted on April 30, 2012, 10:41 am
Topics: Nurturing Faith
Our worship services would not be as good if we did not allow our members to learn as they do things. We want to let many people use their gifts – including children and teens – and we want to support them so they do well. That also means that sometimes worship will be less than perfect.
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Posted on April 16, 2012, 10:08 am | 1 comment
Topics: Nurturing Faith
One of the things I like about baptisms is that, in addition to the parents making a vow, the congregation does too. The congregation promises that they will love and support this new child and play a special role in her instruction in the faith. It reminds me that we, as a church, take faith formation seriously.
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Posted on April 9, 2012, 12:30 pm | 2 comments
Topics: Nurturing Faith
85% of Christian kids never hear their parents talk about their faith. God’s Big Story Cards are an easy way to engage in faith talk and Bible study. While these cards can be used to build relationships in the Sunday School classroom they also can be used to connect families to the story and connect to each other.
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Posted on March 27, 2012, 8:33 am | 1 comment
Topics: Nurturing Faith, Spiritual Formation
If your congregation is like many we’re in conversation with, you’re seriously considering Synod 2010’s decision to welcome baptized children to participate in the sacrament of communion. But with change comes challenge—along with the need to replace old processes and practices with new ones. That’s the challenge we’d like to address
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Posted on March 26, 2012, 10:15 am | 1 comment
Topics: Nurturing Faith
Every week in our morning worship service, the children in 3rd and 4th grade bring in the Bible and light a candle in the front of church. At the end of the service the kids come and carry out the Bible and the light from the candle out of church. During Lent, a third child is added to the procession who carries in a cross, holding it up high as the congregation sings “Lift High the Cross”
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Posted on February 11, 2012, 11:56 am
Topics: Nurturing Faith
Sunday school leaders like you disciple children who are at the very beginning of their Christian journey. When the Holy Spirit works in their hearts, these children begin to respond to the call of the gospel.
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Posted on February 6, 2012, 2:41 pm
Topics: Nurturing Faith
The reason we teach Sunday School is to teach kids who God is and to bring them into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. But how do we do that?
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Posted on January 16, 2012, 12:44 pm
Topics: Nurturing Faith
Encouraging parents in their role as faith nurturers doesn’t have to take a lot of time—it can be as easy as getting resources in their hands. Karen DeBoer plans to share resource ideas that families can use at home to talk about faith and read God’s word together.
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Posted on January 13, 2012, 3:45 pm | 4 comments
Topics: Nurturing Faith
How do the church’s elders provide “encouragement, instruction and accountability” for the congregation as they think about welcoming children to the Lord's Supper? Harderwyk Ministries in Holland, MI recognized that some of their families are ready for their children to participate
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Posted on January 2, 2012, 9:45 am
Topics: Nurturing Faith
Faith Formation is something those of us who work in Church education think about quite a bit. But measuring faith is very difficult. Robert J. Keeley suggests that there are four accents that show a vibrant faith: creed, community, call and hope.
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Posted on December 5, 2011, 10:03 am
Topics: Nurturing Faith
One of the cool parts of the new Dwell curriculum from Faith Alive are the picture cards for each lesson. The teachers post these cards on the walls of the classrooms, adding another story card each week. As the year goes on, these story reminders surround the class.
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Posted on November 19, 2011, 2:16 pm
Topics: Nurturing Faith
This Sunday I am taking my camera to church. I will take pictures of the kids singing or working with their teachers. This is a great way to remember the relationships we are building, preserve church memories and build an awareness of the practices of people of faith.
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Posted on October 22, 2011, 2:13 pm
Topics: Network Buzz, Nurturing Faith
Last week I received an email from First CRC of Detroit asking if I had a kid-friendly version of the Ten Commandments. Their pastor had been preaching on the Ten Commandments in worship while the kids have been also learning about the 10 Best Ways to Live in Children’s Worship. When I followed up I found that they had written their own kid-friendly version...
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Posted on September 26, 2011, 8:25 am | 1 comment
Topics: Nurturing Faith
When our kids were younger, we read the Bible as a family at dinnertime. At least we tried. As our kids got older that got harder. Maybe your family is like mine. I recently was asked if I had any idea what percentage of families are doing family devotions. I don’t know the answer but the question got me thinking ...
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Posted on June 6, 2011, 9:45 am
Topics: Nurturing Faith
Faith formation is a daily reality that doesn’t stop for any season. That’s why I’m excited about the new summer articles on the Nurture blog with great ideas for families to use this summer.
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