Angela J Elliott

I love this idea! I think we might just borrow it to use in 2021. Finding ways to connect the church, be Intergenerational and do Faith Formation work is proving difficult in this online world. So this is a wonderful idea. I am wondering what the Faith at Home Conversation Starters are and if you would mind sharing them also or sharing how you came up with them. 

Thank you again for your willingness to share this work. I pray that it will bless your church greatly.

I wish I had been mentored in how do Elder visits. It was simply left up to me to figure out and either didn't go very well a lot of the time or I simply avoided them. I also wish I had had more explicit instruction about how we set up for communion. Maybe a current or just retired Elder doing it with me the first time. 

Thank you for sharing so deeply and honestly. May God continue to strengthen you and your husband in every area of life.

I resonate with you talking about how God spoke to you through academic texts. God is often speaking to me through books. To get the most out of that I find journaling helpful. I also journal when reading scripture devotionally. I especially like the slowed down pace of the ancient practice of Lectio Divina where you read a passage multiple times reflecting on different passages. Another practice I wish I was better at is praying the Daily Offices of morning, mid-day, vespers and compline (breakfast, lunch, dinner and bedtime). Doing that re-orients my life to God during the day. Perhaps the most important spiritual discipline I've learned of lately is Sabbath keeping or day of rest. For me that includes technology most of the day. That is one I think we need to learn and incorporate more.

For congregational events like the Fall Kickoff we use sign-up genius. It really works well by listing an individual task, the number of people required, the amount of time required etc. So instead of saying we need help with the kick-off we send an email to everyone and they sign up for a task. Works well.

The whole conversation on the floor of Synod when the Advisory Committee spoke was amazing to watch. The stories that were shared, the pain that was disclosed and the incredible sense that something needed to be done was so very uplifting. I hope that everyone there goes back to their classes and home church and reports on what happened at Synod.

Linda, thank you for so eloquently sharing your heart with us and encouraging us as we sit in silence with those overwhelmed by grief.

We will be having a kick off Sunday on Sept 9th. It usually is a time of food, fellowship and games for the kids. We hope to invite the other 2 churches that use our building to join us.

Thank you for reminding me that it my life, living with a visible disability, is a ministry to others. It is not based on what I do but who I am. 

Is that webinar archived somewhere? Or will it be?