Education and Faith Formation

Perhaps there is no place that we are freer to use creative means to encounter the word of God than in Educational and Faith formation settings of the church!  Sunday school, youth ministry, confirmation programs, retreats, camp, and intergenerational programs all give invitation to to explore scripture using all our senses!

Educators talk about the "learning pyramid".  While I understand that some of this is now debated, the underlying principal that I took from it when I learned it in seminary was that the more senses we involve in the process, the more likely it is that our learners and worshipers will remember what we are trying to say down the road.  (Plus, as I tell my confirmation classes, I believe boredom is not a good quality in a class or worship service and do my best to avoid it!)

I think Jesus must have known this.  Think about communion -a way Jesus gave us to remember a central story of our faith and to offer deeper understandings than one would usually take from a piece of bread and sip of wine.  "Taste and see that the Lord is good!" - Ps 34:8

So here are a few things I have loved creating and sharing in the spheres of youth ministry, camp, retreats, and intergenerational programs.  I will try to add things!

Program resources to share:

Epiphany Jeopardy which we used in Epiphany parties:
Epiphany Jeopardy

Jonah the Reluctant Prophet - youth drama script

Walk Through Church History Confirmation Program

Confirmation "Journey of Faith" banner partnered with a lesson
on Jesus washing the disciple's feet

Confirmation class telling the story of Jonah in worship - including
Jonah getting swallowed by this giant fish.  We made it from a pup tent and
mounted it on a wagon so it could make an entrance.

VBS - a tree for Zacchaeus

VBS - part of our loaves and fishes lesson
This is a giant pretzel bottle, but used
soda bottles for the kids.