The New Plans Have Started Going Up

Many of you who are reading this have probably already seen the new additions to the Lesson Plans that Work web pages. Yesterday I posted the Year A Old Testament plans for Advent and Christmas. Although both sets (Young Children and Older Children) were written by the same author, there are several people writing the plans, so there will be a variety of voices going forward. This is a three year project covering all three years of the Revised Common Lectionary, and I am excited to be able to bring them to you.

The Gospel plans are being edited and updated at the same time, and I will post the updates as I post the Old Testament plans for the same season.

One thing you will see is that there are no Adult plans in the new series. Ruth-Ann Collins, office of Adult Formation and Lifelong Learning, and I have been hearing from educators and formation leaders across the church about their needs for Adult formation programs. What is clear is that the current format is not really meeting those needs for most congregations. The Adult Gospel plans will stay on the web site for anyone to use as is or adapt. Ruth-Ann continues to be in conversation with educators and formation leaders to develop the kinds of programs they are looking for. She is also working with Province IX and the Native Ministries, Latino/Hispanic Ministries, and Black Ministries offices to develop a variety of culturally and contextually relevant curricula and programs for all age groups. We will let you know as they become available. In the meantime, you can take a look at some of the work being done by the Province IX writers on the Adult Formation and Lifelong Learning pages here.

Bronwyn Clark Skov, office of Youth Ministries, has been active in the d365 series of daily meditations, which are a better fit for our youth than the Lesson Plans format. There are also a variety of other resources for youth formation that you can find by looking at the Youth Ministries page.

Together, we hope to provide you with as wide a variety as possible of formation resources for all ages. Some of these we’ll post on the Lesson Plans that Work pages, and others you’ll find on the various Formation and Vocation Ministries pages:

Children’s Ministries
Youth Ministries
Campus Ministries
Young Adult Ministries
Adult Ministries and Lifelong Formation

We look forward to working together to minister to and with the people of God.

What's Going On?

I can't believe it's the end of September. And it's been four weeks since I've written anything here. While I do try to write once a week, sometimes it gets pushed to the bottom of the list. And before I know it, a month has gone by!

What have I been up to?

Lots of meetings.

In the middle of the month the entire Church Center Program Group spent two days together here in New York for an In House. It gave us a chance to see each other face to face, especially those whose offices are in other parts of the country. It also gave us the opportunity to meet around projects that involve staff members from different teams. I'm now involved in a couple of projects that I'm really excited about. I'll tell you more as things unfold.

The Formation and Vocation Ministries team spent the day after the In House having our own retreat and meeting.

That was followed by a two day meeting where Ruth-Ann Collins (Adult Formation and Lifelong Learning), Bronwyn Skov (Youth Ministries), and I (Children's Ministries) met with representatives of various Christian Formation and Education organizations. We had lots of good conversations and look forward to closer collaborations in the future.

Oh. And Lesson Plans.

The process of getting the first Old Testament plans for Year A written, edited, and posted on the web site has been like any remodeling or construction job. It's taking half again as much time as I planned. I've been working out the glitches, and the plans for Advent and Christmas should be posted shortly.

I've also been talking to a variety of folks to seek out writers for future sets of plans. This is a three year process. I'll keep you posted.
Sabbath time? Yes, I did actually take a whole weekend.

A group of us took over a retreat center in Northeastern Connecticut for two days to celebrate a friend's 50th birthday. We had a lot of time, and I returned to work ready to get back to the variety of projects on my desk.

What's going on in your world?

Planning Ahead

It seems like we never stop planning. Just as we get everything into place for the beginning of the program year, we start working on Advent and Christmas. And then Epiphany. Lent. Help, Easter's around the corner! After Pentecost we'll take some time to breathe and renew. Except by that time there's a VBS, and we're back to the beginning of the program year again.

STOP! BREATHE!

Just as important as planning for the program year is planning rest and renewal for yourself and your staff, including your volunteer staff. If you don't plan for it, it won't happen.

This was brought home to me yet again when I spent three days last week at the Holy Cross Monastery in West Park, NY for Education for Ministry (EfM) Mentor training. I haven't been to Holy Cross for more than a decade, when I went there for an individual retreat. I always intended to go back, but it just never seemed like the right time. Given the pattern of life at the monastery, we did have some time to ourselves. And because the theme of our formation training was Transitions, there was time when we were doing individual work. Although it wasn't truly a retreat, it felt a lot like one, especially in the mornings before breakfast.

Stop. Breathe. Take care of yourself.

It's a cliche image these days, but remember the flight attendant spiel about the oxygen masks. Put yours on first, then assist others who need help with theirs. If you don't take care of yourself, who's going to do it? And if you don't take care of yourself, how will you be able to continue to care for your staff, and more importantly, your learners?

My original intention had been to write about planning in terms of supplies for your program. Planning for self care seems more important.

Stop.

Breathe.

Renew.

Thank You, Helen

As we work through the editing process for the first sets of the new lesson plans, there is someone we need to thank.

Helen Barron has played a major role in bringing Lesson Plans That Work into fruition. Beginning in 2002 she worked with Robyn Szoke, then Staff Officer for Children's Ministries and Christian Education, and me, then Program Assistant for Children's Ministries and Christian Education, to produce the current set of plans, which replaced an outdated existing curriculum. We based the new plans on the Gospel readings of the Revised Common Lectionary because every indication was that General Convention 2003 would approve it for use in the Episcopal Church. As it turned out, we were way ahead of the curve. The Revised Common Lectionary was not approved until General Convention 2006.

Throughout the three year process of preparing the lesson plans, Helen never missed a deadline and kept a sense of humor, which made it easy for me to maintain the pace of my work getting the plans edited and delivered to Gary Williams, who was the primary web person for the Ministries with Young People Cluster.

Once the first plans were up for all three years of the lectionary cycle, Helen went back and wrote lessons for the Sundays of Epiphany and after Pentecost that we needed for future years. From there she went on to develop and pilot the first intergenerational plans, followed by completing the other intergenerational plans. We were just beginning to talk about next steps when the Church Center reorganized in 2008.

When I became the Program Officer Trainee for Congregational Life (and then for Children's Ministries) with overall responsibility for the Lesson Plans, Helen and I once again began talking about next steps. Even before my Director suggested we might want to have "different voices" for the Lesson Plans, Helen herself had suggested we might want to have different people writing for the different seasons. Helen and I bounced ideas around, and I polled my networks. Helen served as my sounding board as the department figured out the best way to move forward with a set of plans based on the Old Testament readings. Once we had a framework in place, Helen worked with us to develop Writers Guides for the Lesson Plans.

Not only has Helen been a major part of the Lesson Plans project, she has been a great support to me in my work throughout my eight plus years in Children's Ministries at the Episcopal Church Center. She has always had time to listen as I talked through things. She has sometimes been the "squeaky wheel" that kept some of our projects on the right track.

For all of this, Helen, and much more, I thank you. Blessings on your continued ministry.

Jeff

Feedback, Please

Advent will arrive before we know it! Here in the office we are busy working on the lesson plans for Year A. As you know, we will be releasing a new set of plans based on the Old Testament readings of the Revised Common Lectionary. We hope to have them up in early September.

As part of the process of adding the second set of plans, our web person has been reworking the Lesson Plans web pages. While the look won't be all that different, we hope that you will find them a little easier to use. I'll remind you again, but when the new format appears, please let us know how it works for you. In fact, tell us what works and doesn't work for you right now on the Lesson Plans web pages!

And while I'm at it, and since this post is titled "Feedback, Please", let us know which plans you use most often and which ones you find the most helpful. And which ones don't you use. And why.

We want to make this resource as user-friendly and as helpful as possible. We can only do that with your help.

So thank you.

Begin Again

Some school districts begin their school year this week. It seems early to those of us who grew up in places where school usually didn't begin until the week of Labor Day. Summer isn't over for another six weeks, and already we find ourselves reflecting back on what we did over the "Summer." For me, this time of year always brings a sense of restlessness. For 19 years of my life this time of year was the time to prepare for school--often moving not just into another grade or year of college, but into new spaces and locations. I've ever quite been able to shake that rhythm. And so it is with our so-called "western" culture, and even our church. We become more and more separated from the rural/agricultural rhythms of our forebears, yet we can't quite shake it. The harvest is underway, and there is time again for education and other things. Are we ready for the return of Sunday School? Of our Adult Forums? Christian Formation Hours? Supplies laid in for the year? Volunteers recruited and trained? Fall is coming. It's time. Begin again.

Why We Do What We Do

Here at the Church Center we have Morning Prayer three days a week during the summer. The psalm appointed for this morning was Psalm 78:1-39, and while most of it talks about the Israelites and their behavior in the Wilderness ("a stubborn and rebellious generation"), the opening verses caught my attention:

1 Hear my teaching, O my people;*
incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

2 I will open my mouth in a parable;*
I will declare the mysteries of ancient times.

3 That which we have heard and known,
and what our forefathers have told us,*
we will not hide from our children.

4 We will recount to generations to come
the praiseworthy deeds and the power of the Lord,*
and the wonderful works he has done.

5 He gave his decrees to Jacob
and established a law for Israel,*
which he commanded them to teach their children;

6 That the generations to come might know,
and the children yet unborn;*
that they in their turn might tell it to their children;

7 So that they might put their trust in God,*
and not forget the deeds of God,
but keep his commandments;

To tell the story from generation to generation. That is part of our work, and it is part of the Children's Charter for the Church, the framework of the Office of Children's Ministries' work in the greater church. In part, it states:

THE CHURCH IS CALLED:

• to proclaim the Gospel to children, in ways that empower them to receive and respond to God’s love;
• to give high priority to the quality of planning for children and the preparation and support of those who minister with them;

What are some of the reasons you are involved in this ministry? Post a comment and let us know.

Looking Ahead

We've been working on the Old Testament set of plans, which should debut in September with the Year A Advent and Christmas plans for Young Children and Older Children. These are the most used based on our statistics, so we're beginning with them. Introducing a second set of plans requires more than just having them written. We are in the process of reworking the Lesson Plans that Work web pages to accommodate the new plans while still retaining the plans for the Gospel readings. We've set up an editing process for both content and grammar. We are contracting writers to produce plans for the Old Testament readings through all three years of the Revised Common Lectionary cycle. And we've started planning for intergenerational plans for selected Sundays and Feast days that will begin with Year B, which begins in November 2011. We appreciate your feedback and input. Jeff Harre is the general editor for Lesson Plans that Work, and he can be reached at jharre@episcopalchurch.org.

The Lord's Prayer

The Notation for This Week’s Gospel (Proper 12: Luke 11:1-13):

The Lord's Prayer. We have said it so many times the words may have lost some of their power. What if we chose to really search and knock, expecting the door to open? What is the Holy Spirit longing for us to request?

Sometimes I wonder why some of these passages were assigned to the Summer months. Especially like the one for this coming Sunday, which is about what is probably the most well-known prayer in Christianity.

Well-known, but known in may different versions.

When I attend services with my brother's family at their Roman Catholic Church, I have to remember that the Roman Catholic mass splits what Episcopalians consider a whole. The Compline service in the Book of Common Prayer also ends the prayer after "and deliver us from evil." Some protestant denominations use "debts" and "debtors" instead of "trespasses" and "those who trespass against us." And then there's the contemporary form from our own Book of Common Prayer, which uses "sins" and "those who sin against us."

Which version is used most often in your church during Sunday worship?

Rite I gives only one option--the so-called traditional version ("Our Father, who art in heaven..."). In Rite II we have a choice: the traditional version or the contemporary version ("Our Father in heaven..."). It depends on which introductory phrase the priest uses. "And now, as our Savior Christ has aught us, we are bold to say," prefaces the traditional version, and "As our Saviour Christ has taught us, we now pray," the contemporary. Many congregations now add some sort of invitation to pray it in the language or form most comfortable for the individual. This often results in a wonderful cacophony of language.

Which version do you use during your private prayers?

At some point, saying and hearing the traditional version--at least in Episcopalian circles--became jarring to my ears when said in the midst of a Rite II Eucharist or Daily Office prayer. So I started using the contemporary version as often as possible. For a long time I stumbled over it. Even growing up unchurched, the traditional "Our Father, who art in heaven" version was the one that I learned and steeped itself in my consciousness. Now, however, I find myself stumbling over that form and have to look at the Prayer Book for the words.

Which one do you teach your children?

The priest that introduced regular use of the contemporary version of the Lord's Prayer in our congregation, when asked, admitted that he was teaching his children the traditional version at home. Most people probably do because that one is ingrained in their memories.

Here are versions of the Lord's Prayer taken from the various Books of Common Prayer. Note the changes that have taken place over the years.

1549 (the very first BCP)

Let us praye.

As our saviour Christe hath commaunded and taught us, we are bolde to saye. Our father, whyche art in heaven, halowed be thy name. Thy Kyngdome come. Thy wyll be doen in yearth, as it is in heaven. Geve us this daye our dayly breade. And forgeve us our trespaces, as wee forgeve them that trespasse agaynst us. And leade us not into temptacion.

The aunswere. But deliver us from evill. Amen.

1552 and 1559

OUR Father, which art in heaven, hallowed by thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy wylle be done in earth as it is in heaven. Geve us this daye oure daylye bread. And forgeve us our trespasses, as we forgeve them that trespass against us. And leade us not into temptacion. But delyver us from evyll. Amen.

1662

Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen.

Episcopal Church: 1786 Proposed, 1789 (First TEC BCP), and 1892

OUR Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name; Thy kingdom come; thy will be done in earth, As it is in heaven; Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

1928

OUR Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, As it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil. Amen.

1979

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.

-or-

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those
who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial,
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.

How many different versions of the Lord's Prayer can you find?

How do those different versions speak to you as a Christian?

How do they enrich your understanding of the Prayer?

Summer

The preface for the next set of Lesson Plans that Work (After Pentecost - Late Summer, Propers 11-17):

Even on a sultry summer day, the wind of the Spirit hovers — almost imperceptibly. Our lives rarely accommodate a slower pace for the summer. Yet, we are invited to notice, again, the priorities that drive us. We are invited to stop, however briefly, the manic activity and consider options Jesus offers us.

Here in the Northeast the past couple of weeks have been hot and humid. This week looks to be more of the same. The breeze has indeed imperceptible at times. And during last week's official heat wave I watched even New Yorkers slow down as they navigated the streets.

This week's Gospel is Luke 10:38-42, the familiar story of Mary and Martha.

A number of years ago I was part of the logistics team for a large conference. I'd been told by the organizers that I'd be able to hear most of the keynote speakers and participate in worship. Obviously, as anyone who has worked the logistics side of a conference knows, that didn't happen. I got frustrated early on.

As I walked through one of the exhibits to get to my room to find some notes, one of the women responsible for the exhibit asked me how things were going. Some of my frustration leaked out. After listening, she took my hands in hers and said, "Sometimes we have to be Martha."

Sometimes. Not always.

When do you take time to "sit at the Lord's feet and listen to what he is saying"?

How do you put what I frequenlty refer to as "Martha Mode" aside so that you can sit and listen?

Telling Stories

The Lesson Plans note for next Sunday's Gospel Reading (July 11, Proper 10) says in part:

Often our task as we explore the Word, is to listen to a story we have heard before — maybe even many times before — and listen to it as if for the first time.

Sunday's reading is the story of the Good Samaritan. We've all heard it a hundred times. We've all told it a hundred times. And we're always looking for new and different ways to tell the story.

But do we really need to? There's something to be said for hearing a familiar story with a familiar message. Isn't that what tradition is all about?

Of course, we will hear it differently each time, or we'll find something new that we hadn't heard in it before. That happens because we have had different life experiences since the last time someone told us the story. But we still love to hear the old story...

Summer Begins

Next Sunday is July 4th. In spite of the fact that the "summer season" more often than not begins with Memorial Day weekend, this is the first true summer holiday. And as with most three-day weekends, we can pretty much be guaranteed it will be a low Sunday, and this one may be lower than most. From now until Labor Day, our churches will be emptier than usual. And most congregations will provide no formation or education opportunities beyond Vacation Bible School. Since our program year usually runs from September to June, do we really need lesson plans for July and August? In spite of our program year, the church calendar runs from December to November. There are congregations that use Lesson Plans That Work year round. I know of several folks that use them as part of their sermon preparation. A couple of people have told me that they've used the Lesson Plans as the basis for planning their Vacation Bible School. Formation and education happen year round in a variety of ways--both formal and informal, personal and communal. Isn't it nice to have a resource that continues through the entire year? By the time you read this, I'll have been on vacation for three days already. The wonders of technology allow me to write ahead of time and schedule publication for a future date. Hmmm... perhaps that's a topic for a future post or two. Technology and the Lesson Plans.

Where do we go when we follow?

Here is the Notation for the Gospel reading for the June 27 Lesson Plans (Luke 9: 51-62):

Rejection. To the disciples' horror, the people of the village did not receive Jesus. Retribution, they insisted! “No,” said Jesus, moving on. Follow, they decided. But what would follow mean? Maybe to follow is to hold focus. Staying on focus involves choosing the important and not getting bogged down in the urgent. What is the important that we follow?

The theme for Sunday's Lesson Plans is "Where do we go when we follow?" There are two distinct issues in this passage from Luke: (1) What do we do when someone rejects us because of our faith? (2) What does it mean to follow Jesus? These are not easy concepts for adults, let alone children. And there will be questions. What are some ways to handle these questions? With adults? With older children? With young children? Are we willing to follow where the questions lead?

Wonderings

The Notation for This Week's Gospel (Proper 7, Luke 8: 26-39):

Demons. Not a likely topic for a meeting of psychiatric medical professionals. And the prescription — tossing demons onto the back of pigs and subsequently driving the pigs off a cliff — is equally unlikely. Yet who among us has not been taunted by a demon in some other disguise? ("I am not qualified, I can't do it, it is too hard." etc.) And, oh, the delicious relief when the wind blows the demons away.

This is one of those passages that always makes me wonder about whether or not Jesus thought beyond the immediate results of his actions. I wonder what became of the swineherds who watched the livestock in their care run over the cliff and drown in the lake. I wonder about the people who owned the pigs and lost most or all of their livelihood. I wonder about their children.

The children we teach will come up with these wonderings on their own, so we need to in our own wondering to be prepared to encourage their wonderings and their conversations.

Forgiveness

The Notation for This Week's Gospel (Proper 6, Luke 7:36 – 8:3):

Luke's Gospel accompanies us on the rest of our journey this year. Luke fleshes out the parables and adds rich details not found in the other gospel accounts. Today, it is the story of the woman who is self-convicted of sin. Her relief at encountering forgiveness flows out of her in an extravagant display of gratitude. Are we so able to confront our transgressions, confess them, and then believe they are truly forgiven, that we, too, can dance our gratitude?

Who are the Pharisees in our lives? When are we the Pharisees? Is it easier to forgive others, or forgive ourselves? What does it mean to "dance our gratitude"? As we wind down the "school year," if we haven't already, are we focusing on what went wrong? Or are we celebrating the moments of grace? What would happen if we planned next year in the context of dancing our gratitude?

Healing

The Notation for This Week's Gospel (Proper 5, Luke 7: 11-17) reads:

Luke focuses on the powerful gentleness of Jesus. A young man is about to be buried. Jesus knows the devastation this man’s death will bring to the man’s widowed mother. A stunned crowd watches as Jesus gives the now obviously alive son back to his mother.

Yet the theme of the lesson is "Unexpected Healing." How does this connection of healing with bringing someone back to life affect how we think about healing? Or death? What are some of the things we need to think through when talking about healing, especially healing and prayer? Are Healing and Curing necessarily the same thing? What does it mean when we pray for someone to be healed and they die? How will you discuss these questions if they come up in your group on Sunday?

Entering Ordinary Time

Our church program year is winding down, though some formation and education activities continue through the Summer, mostly in the form of Vacation Bible Schools. But our formation as Christians never stops. The preface to the Season after Pentecost-Early Summer lesson plans says:

We remain Easter people, now with the wind of the Holy Spirit in our sails. Our task for the months ahead in this season of Ordinary Time, which extends to the end of November, is to look at what Jesus so tenaciously taught his disciples and see what is in these teachings for us as we carry out the work we have been given to do. Jesus promised his disciples a helper, an Advocate, who would stand with them making the work possible. This same helper, the Holy Spirit, hovers over us still eager to quench the fire of fear and replace it with the powerful energy of love.

Most of you will spend time this summer reviewing the past year, looking at what worked and what didnt' work. And many will be planning for the new program year that begins in the Fall. How have Lesson Plans that Work worked for you over the past year? Any changes you might make? Things you plan on doing differently in the Fall? And what went well? We are always looking at ways to make Lesson Plans that Work more effective for those of you who use them.

Easter to Pentecost

We're moving from Easter to Pentecost. College seniors have mostly all graduated. High school seniors are about to graduate. The weather--somewhat haphazardly this year--is moving toward summer heat. This Sunday around the world our churches will celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit. Here is the Notation for This Week's Gospel:

In today's Gospel passage we find Jesus gently preparing his disciples for the coming of the Advocate who will continue the teaching Jesus has begun and reminding them of all they had done together. In today’s passage from Acts the disciples are waiting huddled in the upper room fearing that the authorities would come and get them before the Advocate showed up. What might they have been expecting? Sure enough, God remains true to form: God is a surprise. What they get is a wind that blows into the room, chases away the cobwebs of fuzzy thinking, and fills the disciples with fire. How is that same wind blowing in our lives as we look at the work we have been given to do?

Before we can ask that question of our students--of whatever age group--we have to answer it for ourselves. What's your answer?

24 Things

Yesterday Tim posted 24 Things I've Learned About children's Ministry from "24" on his Kidservants Log.

With the television series 24 coming to an end, I started to have a little fun with some of the plot devices, themes, and "quirks" of the show. Although other authors, speakers, and bloggers have tackled spiritual principles from 24, I thought I would find some applications to the world of children's ministry.

And before you write me, yes, some of the points are a bit of a stretch. Okay, some of them are huge elastic tethers of credulity! But I figure if Jack Bauer isn't dead or in SuperMax prison by now, I can get a little leeway for my nuggets of wisdom.

Most of his 24 Things are things we've already read, heard, or been taught. However, we Christian Education/Formation folks tend to forget some of them (like #5: Rest), so reinforcement isn't a bad thing, especially when done with some thoughtfulness and humor. Go read and enjoy.

Monday Discussion Starter: A Piece of Our History

Last week during the National Organization of Episcopal Resource Centers meeting in Philadelphia we toured the historic area with a focus on the Episcopal Church. We spent the morning at the Diocese of Pennsylvania's Church House learning about new resources from Church Publishing. After lunch we set off on our tour.

Our first stop was the Bishop White House, which is part of the historic area owned and maintained by the National Park Service. Henry Carnes, of the Diocese, arranged for a special tour for the group with the curator of the historic house as our guide. In the picture you can see her standing on the front steps of this unassuming brick house.

Who is Bishop White, and why was he important. William White was the rector of Christ Church Philadelphia (the next stop on our tour) and served as Chaplain to the Continental Congress. An important figure in our U.S. history, but that isn't what makes him so important for the Episcopal Church. William White became the second bishop for the new American church after the Revolutionary War, the first consecrated by English bishops after an act of Parliament made it possible for him to be consecrated without swearing allegiance to the King of England. Our first Bishop, Samuel Seabury of Connecticut, had been consecrated in Scotland by non-juror bishops. Bishop White also served as the Episcopal Church's first Presiding Bishop and made major contributions to both the structure of the church and our first Book of Common Prayer.

You can read the Wikipedia entry on William White here (remember to read it critically and with a grain of salt!). A more detailed description of his work in the Episcopal Church is here.

How much of the history of our church do we teach our children? Or our youth and adults, for that matter? Why is it important that we do so? What are some of the ways you teach our history to your congregations?

Thursday Discussion Starter: More on Bibles

Since I last wrote about looking at Bibles available for children, I've run across a couple more versions written at about a third grade reading level. At least one is a translation I wouldn't touch with the proverbial 10-foot pole, but others appear to be all right. So far I haven't found an New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) written at that level. When we had a thriving Sunday School at my parish, children were usually given a Bible when they finished the fourth-grade class. It was always the NRSV. But it doesn't do much good if you can't read it and understand what you're reading. I dread the thought of a 10 or 11-year-old trying to wade through the King James Version! So how do we make sure the Bible is accessible to our children of all ages and reading levels? Where do we find good translations with notes and supplemental material that are in line with our theology? Thoughts, anyone?

Monday Discussion Starter: It's Lifelong!

Last week I spent most of my time on the road. On Wednesday and Thursday I attended a meeting of the National Council of Churches Committee on Public Education and Literacy, and on Friday I had the pleasure of addressing the Diocese of West Missouri's College of Presbyters--their clergy gathering. After conversation with the chair of his Christian Formation Commission, Bishop Howe graciously allowed an hour for me to talk to the clergy about lifelong formation. While the two may seem to have nothing in common, I did see a common theme in the discussions about both public school reform and our church education and formation programs. We have allowed the language of the marketplace to frame our discussions and business models to inform our practices. As I asked the clergy on Friday, why are we so eager to embrace marketplace language and business models in our churches? Look what they've done for our economy! Just as there are no quick fixes for our public schools, there are no quick fixes for our churches. What we need are vision and long range thinking. That is what the Charter for Lifelong Christian Formation provides. It is a framework on which to build and move forward, not necessarily a teaching tool in and of itself. What are some of the ways you think in terms of lifelong formation, vision, and long range thinking?

Monday Discussion Starter

What are some of the humorous moments you've experienced using the Lesson Plans?

Thursday Discussion Starter

Have you used the intergenerational plans? What do you like best about them? Where could they be improved?

Monday Discussion Starter: How Do You Use Them?

We originally developed Lesson Plans That Work as Lesson Plans for Small Congregations. We hoped to provide a scripture-based, easy to use, low cost, quality set of plans for use in small congregations. Over the years, we have found that churches of all sizes use the plans, so we changed the name to Lesson Plans That Work.

We also know that people use the Lesson Plans in a variety of ways. People use them as them for weeknight programs outside of their church's regular Sunday School program. They have served as a starting point for VBS programs. And occasionally I hear from someone who uses them as part of their sermon preparation process.

What are some of the ways that you use the plans outside of the traditional Sunday School model?

Monday Discussion Starter: Holy Week

It's Kill the Choir, Clergy, Educators, and Office Staff Week. How are you taking care of yourself in the midst of the busy-ness of Holy Week? Are you making time to have a Holy Week experience yourself?

Thursday Thoughts: Bibles, Bibles Everywhere

Yesterday afternoon I spent some time in a nearby Barnes & Noble. This particular B&N has one of the larger children's sections in the area, and I thought it would be a good way to check what is generally available in terms of Bibles for children. Their children's religion section had about 20 Bibles and bible storybooks. I glanced through several, including ones that fall in the category of "Baby's First Bible," and took a stack of likely prospects to the cafe to peruse with a sugar-free vanilla latte.

One of the first things I looked at was the illustrations. If everyone depicted looks like me (in other words, Northern European), then it's not a version I would recommend. The worst of that category is Daryl Lucas' (writer) and Daniel Hochstatter's (illustrator) Eager Reader Bible: Stories to Grow on. Adam has blond hair and is even paler than I am, and Eve has red hair. Another otherwise good selection, Kenneth Taylor's My First Bible in Pictures (15th Anniversary Edition), had illustrations that looked like they came right out of the 1950's and 1960's, and you know the type I mean.

Next, what stories did the writer or editor decide to include, and how were they presented? I was actually surprised by the number of them that included the story of David and Bathsheba. Granted, some of them should have left the story out once it had been watered down so as to be nearly incomprehensible, but some did a good job for the targeted age groups. Other sections worth checking when looking at children's Bibles include Cain and Abel; Jacob and Esau; Samson; Ruth; the Psalms; Herod and the Slaughter of the Innocents; the Epistles; and the Book of Revelation. What is included and how it is presented will often reveal the theological bias of the author/editor/publisher.

Finally, how is the text itself? Is it a simplified translation or a paraphrase? Is the reading level appropriate? The one glaring absence was anything based on the New Revised Standard Version.

Here is what I found at Barnes & Noble that you might want to review yourself when choosing bibles for your younger and elementary-age children:

American Bible Society. Read and Learn Bible: Stories from the Old and New Testaments. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1994, 2008. Age level: 4-7.

Hastings, Selina and Eric Thomas (illustrator). The Children's Illustrated Bible. New York, NY: DK Publishing, Inc., 2005. Age level: 9-12. "Color photographs and illustrations of the people, places, plants, and animals of the bible... Prepared with the help of scholars, religious advisers, and education experts." (From the back cover.) This is the Bible I would have loved to have had as a kid.

O'Malley, Kathleen (illustrator). NIrV Discoverer's Bible for Early Readers. Grand Rapids, MI: Zonderkids, 2002. Age level: 6-10. "...a simplified version of the NIV created specifically for children. It's not a bible storybook, but rather the complete Bible text written at the third-grade reading level..." (From the flyleaf.) Here's an example of how the NIrV compares with the NIV for Genesis 1:1-2:

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth didn't have any shape. And it was empty. Darkness was over the surface of the ocean. At that time, the ocean covered the earth. The Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. (NIrV)

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. (NIV)

Pulley, Kelly (illustrator). The Beginners Bible: Timeless Children's Stories. Grand Rapids, MI: Zonderkids, 2005. Age level: 4-8.z,pz.This morning I did some checking online and found that there are NRSV children's Bibles. Our bookstore (Episcopal Books & Resources/Catalyst) had the "deluxe gift cover" edition (there's also a hardback edition with a Noah's Ark illustration on front cover) from Abingdon Press (affiliated with the United Methodist Church) so I checked it out. Unlike the NIrV, the text is the NRSV with the addition of some pronunciation helps, callouts, maps, a dictionary (adapted from Abingdon's Young Reader's Bible Dictionary), and illustrations by Dennis Jones. Abingdon says it is geared toward 8-12 year-olds.

So what are some of your favorite and not-so-favorite Bibles to use with children?

Monday Discussion Starter

Some familiar stories, such as Jonah and the fish, do not appear in the Revised Common Lectionary. If you are using a lectionary-based curriculum, do you work those stories in? And if you do, how? Or do you stick with the lectionary?

Thursday Thoughts

What are your plans for Palm Sunday? How might you be using the Lesson Plans in your program?

Monday Discussion Starter

What would make Lesson Plans That Work an even better resource?

Thursday Thoughts

What are some of the ways you adapt Lesson Plans that Work for your church?

Monday Discussion Starter

What do you like about Lesson Plans That Work?

Welcome

Lesson Plans That Work.

We know you use them. We know you like them. We know you adapt them.

We know there's a community out there willing and eager to share their experiences with each other and with us.

Let's have conversations. Use the comments to carry them on. If there's something you'd like to begin a conversation about, email me at jharre@episcopalchurch.org, and I'll post it.

A few basic rules:
1. Stay on topic.
2. Respect others' opinions. It's okay to disagree, but respectfully.
3. Use "I" statements.

For now comments are unmoderated for posts less than 14 days old. However, I will delete any inappropriate comments, and I will turn on comment moderation, if necessary.

This can be a lively place, so join in.

And Welcome!