Experiments in Faith Formation

Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray.

Psalm 22:6

Dear Friends,

You may have picked up on the fact that we have changed the name of our children’s ministry from PowerZone to FLiCker! (You might catch the “FLC” embedded in it!). Our intent in not just to change the name but to deepen the faith formation of our children while developing their abilities and having fun. The structure we are trying out for this Fall is to have a monthly drama around the stories they are learning in FLiCker. With this structure, they can learn crafts, create props, sing songs and act out stories having to do with the particular biblical story being presented in drama.

Like I said, this is an experiment. We’ll present three dramas this Fall:

·         Sept. 28^th – Paul: From Persecutor to Preacher

·         Oct. 26^th – From Chains to Change: The Stories of Paul and Luther

·         Dec. 7^th – Who Will Save Us?: The Infancy Narratives of Moses and Jesus

As we approach the new year, we’ll assess how  effective they are as a structure for teaching our children the stories of the faith.

To aid us in this experiment, there are some things that you can do:

·         If you have children, bring them to FLiCker so they can learn the stories and participate in the dramas.

·         If you don’t have children, make sure you come to worship the Sundays we have the dramas.

·         Whoever you are, give us feedback on your experience!

So this is the experiment for the faith formation for our children. I’m wondering, what other kinds of experiments we can try to deepen the faith of the rest of us? Are there some times other than Sunday mornings where you could gather with other members and talk about life, faith, and the Bible? Are you in a season of life that you are finding challenging where it would be helpful to gather with others who are in that same season of life and support and encourage one another? In the midst of your busy, busy lives, what would make it worth your while to dedicate some time in faithful conversation with others and God?

If you have an idea of a faith formation experiment you’d like to try, share it with others and let us know how we can support you!

And remember… experiments are only a “failure” if you don’t learn anything!

Peace,

Pastor Phil