Category: Blogs from other sources

Christian education topics and resources from other blogs or social media

The Church Finding a Voice

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Von Clemans offers these important insights on how the ways we communicate information in the church are changing. This is a reblogged post from the APCE Adovocate via Kaye Bledsoe.

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Goldfish Have Eight by Von Clemans (copied from APCE ADVOCATE Journal)

On a recent Sunday I passed through the narthex and noticed the large pile of bulletins left by departing worshipers. At least three-quarters of all the bulletins printed for that day were destined for the recycling bin. In each folded paper were dozens of carefully crafted announcements designed to engage and attract people to essential opportunities for their growth in faith. I’d like to think church people had memorized all the pertinent details for future reference. But the truth is many of them did little more than scan them. I know that because our weekly email newsletter is opened by less than half of the recipients, with a click-through rate of less than five percent.  Messages are going out but not being received.

Why?  Because communication patterns have changed. Information hits us from every direction in every possible media…

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It’s Planning Season!

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Sharon Ely Pearson shares some excellent ideas here on planning for next academic year’s educational ministry programs. I thank her for permission to reblog this post from earlier this month.

Sharon Ely Pearson's avatarRows of Sharon

540281_10152022877675252_1946054493_nAll the planning, implementation, and celebrations of Holy Week and Easter Sunday are now a joyful memory, and those of you working in a congregation have hopefully had a quiet week of reflection and rest. But there is no rest for the weary . . . it’s time to begin evaluating this past year and begin planning for the next program year.

A checklist for the coming weeks:

  • Collect feedback from volunteer leaders and teachers about what worked and what needs improvement. Plan how you will be recognizing and giving thanks to all those who have given their time and talents this past academic year.
  • Begin the discernment process for calling new teachers and volunteers for next year.
  • Evaluate the programs and the resources you have been using. Do they need tweaking or refreshment? Poll participants, including children and youth, about what they have found memorable and life-giving over the past…

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Preach This, Tweet That (Part I): What Black Millennials are Looking for from the Preacher

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Dominique Robinson begins a series based on her Doctor of Ministry research on preaching and teaching for “Black Millennials.” Thanks to Columbia Connections for sharing of the beginning of her series. There is much here for all to contemplate in addressing this digital generation.

Here is the link to Part II. She has also done a public presentation on this and is willing to share her bibliography for this event.

Robinson iHomiletic Presentation Bibliography

Earth Education Resources

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Cindy Coe, Episcopal Educator and member of the Hope4CE Facebook group is generously sharing her resources on earth education from a spiritual perspective with Hope4CE. She is especially interested in partnering with churches and camps who may want to pilot these resources currently in draft form and then give her feedback as they move toward publication. Thank you, Cindy for your generosity.

Curriculum Resources for Episcopal Organizations.

Burying the Alleluia: A Lenten Spiritual Practice

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Another Lenten practice to either think about for next year or if you are doing this already to live more deeply into this practice

faithumchurch's avatarJourney into Faith - Learning, Loving, Leading at Faith United A United Methodist Church

Burying Alleluia SanctuaryFaith’s worship and spiritual formation staff is introducing our congregation to the Lenten spiritual practice of Burying the Alleluia this Lent. While the practice of Burying the Alleluia might be new to Faith UMC, it is an ancient Christian tradition practiced in many faith traditions. Read on to learn more about this Lenten spiritual practice.

Alleluia is a word heard throughout the Christian world regardless of language. Alleluia is the Greek and Latin form of the Hebrew word Hallelujah, a word meaning praise the Lord. In the Western world, Alleluia came to be associated with the celebration of the most important season of the Church year, Easter. The association of Alleluia with Easter led to the custom of intentionally omitting it from liturgy during Lent.  It’s a kind of verbal fast, not with the intention of depressing the mood of our worship services, but instead to create a sense of anticipation…

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Holy Week Box

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This is a wonderful idea for sharing the story of Holy Week with young children. Thank you Camille LeBron Powell and Linda LeBron.

Camille LeBron Powell's avatarCamille LeBron Powell

This is an idea that my mom, Linda LeBron (a fabulous retired church educator), came up with a few years ago. We’ve used it with our moms’ Bible study group. It’s something that families could make together at home, in a class, or even as part of a worship service with interactive prayer stations.

Our family made one with my daughter when she was 3 1/2 years old. It led to some great conversations about communion and ultimately to her taking communion for the first time that Easter.

Here it is:

All of the supplies can be found at a regular craft store: cardboard box with lid (approximately  2″x2″x3″), marker, white fabric, green paper, scissors, simple wooden doll (they came in a bag of 12)

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Cut the green paper to resemble 2 or more palm branches. Shout “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna!”…

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21st Century Resources for Lifelong Learners

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It can be a challenge to keep up with the variety of resources out “there” in cyberspace – whether on “insert name of large online bookseller & purveyor of all sorts of things,” various social media outlets, websites, wikis and the like. I’m even having a time keeping up with all the GREAT information being shared on this new, dynamic, social-media integrated hope4ce platform!

Today I offer some resources for 21st Century learners – and leaders of learners. One is an approach to evaluating the resources that come your way. The other is a list of some of my current favorite resources. Perhaps you’ll have others to add to share – I hope so.

In the future, I’ll share some other collections of resources assembled around various topics that just may be of interest to this diverse, energetic group of folks who care passionately about nurturing faith among children of God of all ages.

21st Century Resources for Lifelong Learners

Rev. Sarah F. Erickson, D.Ed.Min.
Director
The Center for Lifelong Learning, Columbia Theological Seminary