https://network.crcna.org/ The Network en Fri, 19 Apr 2024 18:22:47 +0000 Mon, 20 Jan 2020 01:22:42 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/when-adult-children-leave-church-living-tension In my work with Faith Formation Ministries I support congregations and the grieving parents of “wandering” adult children as together we navigate the important insights from the recent Renegotiating Lesli van Milligen https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/when-adult-children-leave-church-living-tension Mon, 20 Jan 2020 01:22:42 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/praygrounds-and-intergenerational-worship There has been a lot of talk about intergenerational worship of late. Congregations are wrestling with how to engage people of all ages and all learning styles in their worship services. It’s an important discussion.  Lesli van Milligen https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/praygrounds-and-intergenerational-worship Tue, 17 Dec 2019 17:31:10 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/how-ghosting-hurts-your-church-and-what-you-can-do-about-0 In Part 1 of this series we looked at how ghosting behaviours can negatively impact the faith walk of people who have disappeared from a congregation, as well as th Lesli van Milligen https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/how-ghosting-hurts-your-church-and-what-you-can-do-about-0 Thu, 17 Oct 2019 13:32:47 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/how-ghosting-hurts-your-church-and-what-you-can-do-about-it Conversations snippets you might overhear by the mailboxes of Anywhere CRC:  “Wow! Someone should clean out this mailbox!”  “I haven’t seen the Smith family for a while. I wonder what happened to them?”  Lesli van Milligen https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/how-ghosting-hurts-your-church-and-what-you-can-do-about-it Thu, 10 Oct 2019 13:52:00 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/5-ways-your-church-can-help-launch-college-students-well This past July a group of university chaplains and youth pastors gathered via video conference to brainstorm robust ways to strengthen connections between congregational youth ministries and campus ministry. Lesli van Milligen https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/5-ways-your-church-can-help-launch-college-students-well Wed, 28 Aug 2019 19:39:19 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/how-your-church-can-help-launch-college-students-well-part Forty years ago I became the first person in my immediate family to “go away” to university. My grandparents were my caregivers, and the transition was new to all of us. My memory of that first day was emptying the car of my trunk and suitcase and waving goodbye from the front of the dorm. Lesli van Milligen https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/how-your-church-can-help-launch-college-students-well-part Thu, 22 Aug 2019 12:59:18 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/planning-transformative-events How does your ministry, youth group, or congregation as a whole measure the faith formative impact of the events you plan? How do you know when learning has taken root? Lesli van Milligen https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/planning-transformative-events Wed, 08 May 2019 15:23:00 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/power-cross-pollination My daughters are 15 months apart. Because of this they actually spent quite a bit of time together. They shared friends. They were in girls’ club together — the youngest joining early and the oldest sticking around. Lesli van Milligen https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/power-cross-pollination Tue, 09 Jan 2018 14:11:11 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/overflowing-plates-possibly-best-church-potluck-you-will Most congregations love to eat together. I have rarely met a congregation that doesn’t do a bit of righteous bragging about the great food that is shared at their potlucks. Lesli van Milligen https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/overflowing-plates-possibly-best-church-potluck-you-will Thu, 02 Nov 2017 12:46:50 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/lessons-cracker-barrel There are a lot of reasons that my children loved going to Cracker Barrel when we were on road trips: food that they recognized, rocking chairs they could sit in, checker boards ready for a quick game, and even a game you could play at the table while waiting for your food. Lesli van Milligen https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/lessons-cracker-barrel Fri, 09 Jun 2017 19:41:36 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/blessing-summer-time-recalibration I must confess that it was almost always my children who were seen sobbing on the school bus as it pulled out of the parking lot on the the last day of school. Lesli van Milligen https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/blessing-summer-time-recalibration Tue, 30 May 2017 13:22:10 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/fighting-fomo-how-can-churches-invite-folks-life-giving The "fear of missing out" (FOMO) is not a new thing. My 55-year-old self well remembers waiting until the last minute to say yes to a play date because I wanted to make sure I didn't miss out on a possible invitation to see the movie Bambi with another friend who had hinted she mig Lesli van Milligen https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/fighting-fomo-how-can-churches-invite-folks-life-giving Tue, 04 Apr 2017 18:26:13 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/growing-young-not-just-fantasy Remember the 2008 film, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button? Brad Pitt plays a man who is born old and who ages in reverse. At the time I remember basically liking the film, but being bothered by how hard it was to truly believe in a character that was growing young. Lesli van Milligen https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/growing-young-not-just-fantasy Tue, 08 Nov 2016 13:40:11 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/enough-room-everyone At a previous congregation where I served as co-pastor, there was always an unplugged mic on a stand up front next to the piano in our worship space. It was there for a gentleman who loved to worship, but had limited speech. Lesli van Milligen https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/enough-room-everyone Mon, 25 Jul 2016 18:17:48 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/coffee-time-keep-or-toss-3-ways-form-faith-during-coffee For most churches, the thought of not having a gathering time after worship would be unthinkable. Just a few reasons include:  Lesli van Milligen https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/coffee-time-keep-or-toss-3-ways-form-faith-during-coffee Wed, 29 Jun 2016 19:33:32 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/ending-well-good-debrief Here’s the temptation we all face at this stage of the ministry season­­ — setting the date for the year-end celebration, hunkering down, using that last bit of energy to make it a show­stopper, and then immediately crashing as soon as the last student or Coffee Break Leader or Cadet Counselor le Lesli van Milligen https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/ending-well-good-debrief Thu, 19 May 2016 17:38:37 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/maybe-its-time-field-trip I have always loved field trips both as a teacher and a student. I am interested in how other groups or cultures go about the business of life. I wish that doing “field trips” was a more normative practice for adults to perhaps experience how other families navigate meal time or how oth Lesli van Milligen https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/maybe-its-time-field-trip Thu, 10 Mar 2016 13:43:03 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/volunteer-care-supports-faith-formation-and-discipleship The Building Blocks project, based on work done by Bob and Laura Keeley, is one of the recent and exciting initiatives being promoted by Faith Formation Ministries in the CRC. Lesli van Milligen https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/volunteer-care-supports-faith-formation-and-discipleship Mon, 07 Mar 2016 21:09:33 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/inviting-youth-take-lead It was a bittersweet day today. Lesli van Milligen https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/inviting-youth-take-lead Mon, 16 Nov 2015 18:56:41 +0000