Summer (Maybe not an official season of the church but relevant nonetheless!)
SING! PLAY! SUMMER!
Look no further: your “summer soundtrack” is here! This beautifully designed, twenty-page guide includes over 50 summertime activity ideas, all organized around six Butterflyfish songs (MP3s of the songs are included in the download!) that’ll put pep in your step and faith in your heart. Each song brings a biblical story or theological idea to life, making it a springboard for activities that individuals, congregations, families, and children of all ages can enjoy. What’s more, “Sing! Play! Summer!” includes the lyrics to all the songs and an editable page on which you can enter key events in your congregation's summer schedule. 
God on the Go-From Pastor Julia Seymor and inspired by Take Out Church, she made "God on the Go" kits for the faithful Alaskan family with kids. The kits and all their contents fit into the 64 ounce Ziplock containers with the lid snapping snugly. This should keep things watertight and just-right-sized for throwing in a duffle bag, backpack or suitcase. Or pushing under the seat of the camper. Or having at the foot of a sleeping bag.
Faith Fix - For families or churches you can order a Faith Fix box and have intentional interactive faith activities and devotions at home. Created by an ELCA Children's minister, each box covers a variety of themes.
Storyboard by Heather Roth Johnson. "I am storyteller, public speaker, workshop leader, writer and in general just a creative soul. At her website you can find many creative ideas FOR ALL SEASONS.
From Pastor Chris Duckworth -- “Stir up the gift of your Holy Spirit …” Tags are individualized, with their name and Confirmation verse. And a few charms are attached to the end of the spoon.
Baccalaureate? Graduations?
Here is a collection of what churches are doing as compiled by Peer Ministry:
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Mother's Day Mileston Moment The Mother’s Day Milestone Moment is a wonderful and easy-to-use resource when family and friends gather together to celebrate the gift and blessing of mothers in our lives. It helps us to bring God into this special time when people gather together to honor and recognize their mothers and other women who served a maternal role in their lives. It includes a one page Discussion Guide with a time for highs and valley lows, caring conversation questions for discussion, a short scripture reading, and a closing prayer and blessing for mothers.
Father's Day Milestone Moment Father’s Day is held in the United States on the third Sunday in June of each year. This Milestone Moment provides an opportunity for family and friends to gather together to celebrate the gift and blessing of fathers in our lives. It includes a Four Key Faith Practices outline which encourages growing in our faith by recognizing the home and family gatherings as church, too. A simple five-step structure is also included to establish a solid base for faith formation and development.
Happy Fathers Day from Sesame Street!
To all the fathers and father figures raising amazing kids, thank you for being there. Sing along with your favorite families from the neighborhood in this very special parody song, presented by @ProcterGamble and @PlanInternational!
Back to School Milestone - FREE from Milestone Ministry. Extended family and friends can support students this year with the Back to School Milestone Moment. This Moment provides desired outcomes, suggestions, and a discussion guide to use for both online and face to face conversations, prayer, and support for the beginning of a new school year.
From Rabbi Irwin Kula’s Wisdom Daily Piece in memory of September 11th, published September 11, 2014 - Perhaps, as we remember those who were killed – workers in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, passengers and crew on American Airlines Flight 11, American Airlines Flight 77, United Airlines Flight 175, United Airlines Flight 93, heroic first responder Firefighters, EMS workers, and Police – on that day that apparently really did change America, we should be humble about our certainties.
My annual memorial practice is to listen to some of the words of the final cell phone conversations of those who perished – words of husbands to wives and mothers to daughters and parents to children. A few months after 9/11, I set some of these sacred words to an ancient mournful Jewish chant of the Biblical book of Lamentations – a book which mourns the destruction of Jerusalem and the Holy Temple in the 6th century BCE. Jewish practice is to chant the book once a year, the saddest day of the year, in the heat of the summer. The first word of the book is in Hebrew – Eicha, which means Alas, How? – and invites the community to be introspective and to reflect together on how and why such destruction happens. In the dearness of the vanishing moment, not one of these conversations showed any anger or any desire for revenge. Instead, each simply, and heroically, witnessed a yearning to love and the faith that love, ultimately swallows up death. |
