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?