https://network.crcna.org/ The Network en Thu, 25 Apr 2024 12:07:07 +0000 Mon, 26 Mar 2018 17:54:10 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/new-vbs-curriculum-explores-creation-care-kids “Wiggle your toes in your shoes. When you wiggle your toes, can you taste your shoes or socks? No? I’m glad I can’t taste my socks or shoes with my feet!  But did you know that there is a creature that can taste with its feet? Laura Keeley https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/new-vbs-curriculum-explores-creation-care-kids Mon, 26 Mar 2018 17:54:10 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/bringing-faith-practices-home My mother turns ninety years old this week. Long life is in my mom’s genes. Her mother, my grandmother, lived to be 101 years old and my great-grandmother lived to 96. My family always assumed that mom would live a long time. Laura Keeley https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/bringing-faith-practices-home Tue, 06 Jun 2017 00:32:09 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/faith-inspired-star We started an art project for Advent with some volunteers from our congregation in November. Laura Keeley https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/faith-inspired-star Wed, 07 Dec 2016 14:21:38 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/language-faith My granddaughter, Joanna,will be two years old in a month. I enjoy watching her develop and grow. She likes coming to my house, and I like having her over. As a grandparent, I get to play with her and then, when she’s tired, give her a kiss and send her home. Grand parenting is the best. Laura Keeley https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/language-faith Wed, 16 Nov 2016 14:57:11 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/getting-balcony My Granddaughter Joanna is approaching two years old.  After church she loves to run into the sanctuary to hear the processional music. She also enjoys the freedom of the big space. And then she sees the balcony. She stands in the center aisle and points the balcony. Laura Keeley https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/getting-balcony Mon, 03 Oct 2016 14:15:22 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/churches-took-risk Last year thirteen churches took a risk, they joined a cohort of churches willing to work with the Building Blocks of Faith Model. This model answers the question: What do people need for their faith to grow?  Laura Keeley https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/churches-took-risk Wed, 21 Sep 2016 14:10:41 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/building-blocks-faith-toolkit This month marks the release of the Building Blocks of Faith Toolkit online at crcna.org/FaithFormation/toolkits. Laura Keeley https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/building-blocks-faith-toolkit Tue, 13 Sep 2016 13:04:16 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/school-joy-and-tears Even if I didn’t have a calendar or couldn’t see school busses out of my window I’d know that school is starting because of Facebook. I get to see lots of kids I know with backpacks on, smiling as they are off to their first day of this new school year. With social media, we now have pi Laura Keeley https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/school-joy-and-tears Wed, 31 Aug 2016 16:22:34 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/coffee-time-can-we-intentionally-form-faith-while-drinking My congregation loves the coffee time after church on Sunday mornings, even though the coffee isn’t very good. Perhaps it is because I’m on staff and perhaps it is because my husband and I like to talk with people but last Sunday, for example, we were at church for an hour after the worship Laura Keeley https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/coffee-time-can-we-intentionally-form-faith-while-drinking Thu, 07 Jul 2016 14:53:03 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/gods-story-written-walls One of the joys of being involved in Faith Formation Ministries is that people share exciting things that are going on in their church. Check out how New Hope CRC in Lansing, IL is putting their faith into visual art on their walls.  Laura Keeley https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/gods-story-written-walls Tue, 05 Jul 2016 12:54:54 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/fishing-learning-best I’m not much of an outdoors person. At least I haven’t been so far. I go for walks and bike rides but I don’t ski or hunt or fish. Frankly, I prefer a nice warm house. My son, on the other hand, loves that stuff. He’ll even get up really early to go hunting. Laura Keeley https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/fishing-learning-best Tue, 05 Apr 2016 16:24:38 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/faith-formation-community-and-covenant-baby-showers Today I attended a baby shower for River, a baby girl adopted by Jason and Martha. River was just baptized 6 days earlier. The shower was hosted by 5 women with about 10 other women bringing food. About 40 people attended including River, her mother and grandmother. Laura Keeley https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/faith-formation-community-and-covenant-baby-showers Mon, 04 Apr 2016 13:49:34 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/building-faith-building-practices When our youngest daughter was little she watched Barney over and over and over again. She knew the songs and she would sing and dance along with that big purple dinosaur. The rest of us had lost interest in that show weeks (maybe months) before she did but she loved watching it. Laura Keeley https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/building-faith-building-practices Thu, 15 Oct 2015 12:53:05 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/parenting-pew How can an adult help a child enter into worship? Laura Keeley https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/parenting-pew Mon, 28 Jul 2014 14:26:29 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/passing-faith-next-generation Our son got married this summer, the last of our four children to get married. My husband tells people that “now we’re done parenting.” People always laugh with us because they know it’s not true. Parents don’t stop being parents just because their kids move out of the house. Laura Keeley https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/passing-faith-next-generation Mon, 14 Jul 2014 13:51:36 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/seamless-faith-simple-practices-daily-family-life Saturday, my son got married. We celebrated as a family together with a ceremony, music, a dinner with over 200 of their close family and friends and, finally, with dancing. This wedding marks a milestone for me, now all of my children are married. Laura Keeley https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/faith-nurture/seamless-faith-simple-practices-daily-family-life Mon, 30 Jun 2014 15:33:18 +0000