Rejoice! Building Faith Continues
For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace. The mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Isaiah 55:12 Greetings and...
View ArticleKnow Before You Go – Is it a Mission Trip or a Pilgrimage?
It’s the time of year when youth ministers shift into high gear preparing for summer adventures. While the details and mechanics often take center stage – budgets, van rentals, permission slips –...
View ArticleThat Empty Feeling – What to do when nobody shows up for Sunday School
You know the feeling. You’ve spent several hours reading the coming week’s curriculum session, putting together a lesson plan, gathering materials, and arriving early to make sure everything is in...
View ArticleA Youth Curriculum That Works – Youth Emmaus
“That was fun!” “That was a great lesson!” I had always hoped to hear comments like these from the youth of the church where I serve. But I only began to hear them when I implemented a curriculum...
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How to Reinvent Your Easter Egg Hunt *for good*
Like many churches, Good Samaritan offers a traditional egg hunt for children on Easter Sunday. It’s one of those things that we just always do, though no one knows exactly when it started. Also like...
View ArticleChoosing a Children’s Curriculum for Faith Formation
Here at Building Faith we are continually grateful for the work and ministry of Sharon Ely Pearson. Some years ago she developed clear and effective charts for comparing various curricula....
View ArticleReady to Take the Step as a Christian Formation Leader?
Forma to Offer New Certificate Programs Forma, a dynamic community of Christian educators, formation professionals, and their institutional partners in the Episcopal Church, is now offering a...
View ArticleGod on Youtube – How to Find and Use Videos for Christian Formation
One of the overall themes here at Building Faith is that Christian Formation can happen anytime and anywhere (almost). As leaders, we can understand what our folks are already interested in and begin...
View ArticleThanking Sunday School Teachers – When, How, and What
Thanks are the highest form of thought and gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder ~ G.K. Chesterton No education program would be possible without the dedication of our teachers. As the...
View ArticleThe Good Book Club – How to Run Intergenerational Sunday School in the Summer
The Good Book Club Adam is in the fourth grade. He and his parents are in church every Sunday. In the summer they come to the Good Book Club. We offer a continental breakfast and Adam eats a lot –...
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Live from e-formation: Easter People podcast
The Building Faith team has spent the past few days in community with formation and communication leaders from across the Church at the 3rd Annual E-Formation Conference. We hope you have caught some...
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Forming Faith at a Spanish Wedding
I recently had the privilege of traveling to Spain for the wedding of our dear friends Megan and Jorge. The bride is American, the groom is Columbian, the wedding was Spanish, and the happy couple will...
View ArticleFunny (and impactful) Video Skits for Churches and Youth Groups
These are two of my favorite resources for Christian video skits. The Skit Guys and One Time Blind. You may have heard of them. And if not, you are in for a treat! The videos are funny, well produced,...
View ArticleSummer Camp Formation – Why Does it Work SO Well?
I write this post having just completed another inspiring, exciting, boisterous, reverent, and one-of-a-kind day at Christian summer camp. Here I am serving as a chaplain for a session of 89...
View ArticleA Website to Bookmark – Working Preacher
At Building Faith, one of our goals is to equip church staff and volunteers with the resources they need for effective ministry. This includes online resources. There are some web pages that everyone...
View ArticleWhy do we say that? A Priest Gets a Congregation Excited about Learning Liturgy
A Creative Approach to Liturgical Catechesis One of the responsibilities we carry as clergy is not only to preside at worship services but also to facilitate the spiritual formation of our...
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This Church Had to Close its Sunday School Wing – The Positive Effects...
Like many churches, ours has Church School space in the basement. Like many churches, our Church School space has unhealthy mold. And in the way most things happen in the Church, we found this out...
View ArticleWhy Sunday School Still Matters – And Why it Still Works
The goal of Christian formation is not to create churchgoers; the goal of Christian formation is to raise up disciples of Jesus Christ. Corporate worship is a key component to a lived Christian faith…...
View ArticleFaith Formation Explained in 66 Words
Faith is formed by the power of the Holy Spirit through personal, trusted relationships – often in our own homes. This past weekend I had the extreme pleasure and honor of attending the...
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A Church Reinvents Adult Education with a Bible and a Blog
“This challenge is examining my mind, quenching my thirst, and digging deeply into my inner being.” I wanted to share something my parish is doing that is breathing a lot of life into our adult...
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