https://network.crcna.org/ The Network en Thu, 18 Apr 2024 11:30:37 +0000 Mon, 30 Jul 2018 19:01:30 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/children-youth/childrens-ministry/sunday-school/toy-story-how-we-used-lego-summer-childrens Summertime is a wonderful annual break in the routine of the school year, so for summer children’s ministry lessons I usually do something a little different. Since we use people who have not taught during the preceding year, I plan lessons that don’t require additional training. Laura Keeley https://network.crcna.org/topic/children-youth/childrens-ministry/sunday-school/toy-story-how-we-used-lego-summer-childrens Mon, 30 Jul 2018 19:01:30 +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/children-youth/childrens-ministry/children-worship/how-use-family-devotional-your-church When our kids were younger, family devotions were often a challenge. Getting everyone to sit and have a meal and then do devotions together is itself a major task. When our kids were very young we had the problem of getting the little ones to sit still long enough. Laura Keeley https://network.crcna.org/topic/children-youth/childrens-ministry/children-worship/how-use-family-devotional-your-church Tue, 16 May 2017 14:30:46 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/children-youth/childrens-ministry/children-worship/reminder-kids-come-church-baggage-too This week in Sunday School was one of those weeks. I ended up leading the singing when I wasn’t expecting to because the regular leader didn’t show up — and neither did one of the classroom teachers so I also covered her class. Laura Keeley https://network.crcna.org/topic/children-youth/childrens-ministry/children-worship/reminder-kids-come-church-baggage-too Tue, 04 Apr 2017 20:22:12 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/children-youth/childrens-ministry/children-worship/found For generations, Psalm 23 has been a favorite Psalm for Christians. It is perhaps the one Psalm that people can recite from memory. It isn’t hard to see why it is so well loved; the words of this Psalm speak words of comfort and peace. We can almost feel God’s arms around us as we read it. Laura Keeley https://network.crcna.org/topic/children-youth/childrens-ministry/children-worship/found Mon, 27 Feb 2017 21:02:09 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/children-youth/childrens-ministry/children-worship/jenga-towers-connect-generations A couple of years ago, our congregation remodeled and built an addition on to our church. After using the new space for four weeks, parents noticed that sometimes they couldn’t find their 4th to 6th-grade boys. After the adults had spent time talking over coffee, they would be looking f Laura Keeley https://network.crcna.org/topic/children-youth/childrens-ministry/children-worship/jenga-towers-connect-generations Thu, 09 Feb 2017 13:47:16 +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/children-youth/childrens-ministry/sunday-school/blessing-reminding-us-gods-story In June I heard two of the women from the group Rain for Roots sing at the Children’s Spirituality Conference. Laura Keeley https://network.crcna.org/topic/children-youth/childrens-ministry/sunday-school/blessing-reminding-us-gods-story Mon, 01 Aug 2016 16:23:00 +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/children-youth/childrens-ministry/sunday-school/sunday-school-thing-past “Only 50% of the kids in my church come to Sunday School. What do I do?”    Laura Keeley https://network.crcna.org/topic/children-youth/childrens-ministry/sunday-school/sunday-school-thing-past Thu, 07 Apr 2016 00:59:10 +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