ELCA FAITH FORMATION
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Ordinary Time (Summer)

Summer (Maybe not an official season of the church but relevant nonetheless!)

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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.

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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. 

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​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.

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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.

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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: 

  1. Connect graduates with a monthly prayer partner
  2. Quilts (very popular with lots of variations)
  3. Afghans knit or crocheted (also very popular)
  4. Little bags of m&ms in the class colors
  5. Devotional books
  6. Coffee cup along with free church refills 
  7. Fleece tie blankets
  8. Tool boxes with an assortment of helpful tools 
  9. Monogramed church logo on a blanket
  10. Sweatshirt blankets with the logo on it 
  11. Key chain with name, graduation year and Jeremiah 29:11
  12. Pillow case signed on reverse with members of congregation
  13. Contigo brand travel mugs."Contigo" in Spanish is "with you”
  14. Laundry bags with the youth names
  15. Crocheted prayer throws
  16. Leatherman, multi-tool 
  17. Overnight bag with initials
  18. Cross pen
  19. Colored crate with various supplies
  20. Prayer squares, small quilt style
  21. Oh The Places You’ll Go - Dr. Seuss
  22. Blue jean quilts embroidered with their name
  23. Bath towel with embroidered name, church logo, a fish, or a bible verse
  24. Prayer crosses
  25. A certificate with church name and Psalm 147:4 on it.
  26. A memory and prayer stick.
  27. Quillows, (blanket folding into a pillow) 
  28. Engraved bookmark
  29. Framed quote
  30. Framed picture of youth ministry memories 
  31. Power strip. Sticker inviting us to stay plugged in. 
  32. Lutheran Book of Prayers
  33. Invite graduating Youth Ministry leadership team members to mentor next years HS leaders continuing valued connections
  34. Computer flash drive with “Congratulations name, with love from your church family”.
  35. Photo book of the class growing up in the church through the years.
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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. 

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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! 
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Illustrated Ministry - Back to School stickers, bag tags and more!
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. 
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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.
We offer curated Christian faith formation resources,
so you don't have to scour the internet yourself.
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  • Home
    • About
  • Education
    • Curriculum >
      • Bibles
      • Books
      • Devotionals & Prayer
      • Fun & Games
      • Las Programas en Español
      • Podcasts
      • Schools & Early Learning Centers
      • VBS
  • Ministry
    • Lutheran Identity >
      • Language for God & People >
        • Ecumenical, Jewish & Muslim
    • Worship Resources >
      • Labyrinths
      • Lectionary
      • Music & Musicals
      • Nursery
      • Synod Assemblies
    • Development & Mental Health >
      • Death & Dying
    • Nurturing Faith Filled Families
    • Social Justice (Race and more) >
      • Advocacy
      • Books >
        • Books/Discussion Guides for Adults
      • DEI
      • Disability Ministry
      • Hunger
      • Immersion Experiences
      • Native American
      • Sexuality >
        • Books-Queer
      • Young Adult Missions
    • Stewardship >
      • Apparel
      • Artists For Hire
      • Creation Care
      • Training & Safety >
        • Journi
        • Safety
        • Sample Job Descriptions
        • Volunteers >
          • Spiritual Gifts
  • Seasonal Resources
    • Winter >
      • Advent & Christmas
      • Epiphany
      • February: African-American History Month
      • Valentine's (Feb 14)
    • Spring >
      • March: Women's History Month
      • Lent & Easter >
        • Earth Day
    • Summer >
      • Pentecost
      • Pride Month (June)
    • Autumn >
      • Blessing of the Animals
      • Reformation
      • All Saint's
      • Thanksgiving
    • *Intergenerational*
  • GRANTS
    • CCC