It has been too long since I have posted. I’ve got some exciting updates from the last few months to share! Early in May I finished my certificate in Deacon studies from Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary. It took four years to complete nine classes, but I could not have enjoyed it more. Garrett is offering a …
We need to find the meaning-filled place between a cute (but spiritually meaningless) Easter bunny and retellings of the cross that with potential for spiritual harm.
My oldest is a high school junior, which means we’ve been logging lots of miles on the road visiting colleges. I’ve discovered that some schools welcome prospective students in the way I remember from my own experience: watch a video, take a tour, offer a few minutes to ask current students questions. These visits are …
Recently a colleague remarked that Christian education isn’t rocket science. Hmm. I’ve never been a rocket scientist. But, I did spend two years in chemical engineering school and I can tell you that while there may be less math, children’s and youth ministry is still wonderfully challenging. I was pleased to see a recent article …
If you give a youth leader a book… chances are she’ll want to read it right away. But, she’ll need some time away from school and work to get to it. Thank goodness for time off after Christmas! For the next three Fridays I will share short reviews of the books I’ve read over break. …
When I was a teenager, we lived on a lake, deep in the country. On summer nights I would retreat to our small dock, lie on my back and look up at the stars, marveling at the unimaginable prospect of infinity. I felt a sense of dizziness, others might call it awe, when confronted with …
On sharing stories with Kenda Creasy Dean, learning a TON about innovation, and a free tool for starting Bible discussions with youth.
Having been a part of several congregations where children were in worship on Communion Sunday, I wanted to share a note of encouragement this week. Check the end of the post for a couple of ideas for having children create art for Christ’s table. Dear Mom of Young Children, I had known you all of five minutes …
This is the most visited post at Bless Each One. I hope you enjoy this quick & fun craft. What a great way to keep a highlighter handy to mark scripture passages!
Summer Faith Formation is both an opportunity and a challenge in a church of our size (weekly worship attendance between 60-80 and Sunday school attendance from 5-20). Earlier this week I asked our leadership team for feedback on four curriculum options for summer. I named what we wanted to be intentional about our annual reprieve … Continue reading
When my kids were little we didn’t observe Holy Week. I simply didn’t know how to share this part of our faith with my girls. Back then there weren’t many mommy blogs, and even fewer resources for learning to share faith at home. At some point I found a book, Mitten Strings for God, that … Continue reading
Saturday: My daughter shares that a lockdown drill has been announced for her high school. It will happen sometime in the coming week, not on Wednesday because of the Walkout, but during a passing period. Curious, I ask what students do when they are in the hallways. I learn a lot about safety procedures that … Continue reading
Spring break aligns with Holy Week for us this year, meaning many families will miss part or all of the most important story of our faith. Which means, we need to be creative about finding time to tell the Easter story. This year we’ll be handing out Holy Week Boxes, which are small enough to … Continue reading
Sunday evening we had a multi-generational event about the realities of teen life today. The plans have been in the works for months, stemming from an idea one of our youth, who is also a community leader, developed. Adults, youth and the Holy Spirit showed up in the most beautiful ways. We started with a … Continue reading
I stand in awe of the youth today. My colleagues Emily Heitzman and Melissa Cooper have written eloquently on the prophetic voice of the students leading a movement for change in the aftermath of the Parkland tragedy. While the youth are busy organizing, planning, and making their voices heard on a local and national state, … Continue reading
How is the violence portrayed? Why did Jesus have to die? Does the story match the Bible text? Even the simplest children’s Easter story has deep implications for how we understand God. Continue reading
