ADVOCATE
VBS- Together We are God’s Family
Vacation Bible School, those words can bring excitement, anxiety, stress and worry as churches look for ways to share the stories of faith with our children. Last year, an idea was born when Eastminster Presbyterian of Simpsonville, SC, Fountain Inn Presbyterian of...
Easter Greetings from the Advocate!
By Ann Weems I think on Easter morning we should throw confetti in church! No? What about a little fanfare? A deafening drum roll? A three-minute standing ovation? What? Have we had the drums beaten out of us That we in the celebrative community can’t...
A Prayer for Holy Week
A Holy Week Prayer for Educators Lord, we are ready to walk with you to Easter. Unless we are not. We have services planned, events prepared. Unless we do not. Our hearts are ready for the up and down, the cross and tomb, the sorrow and joy. Unless they are not....
Partners in God’s New Creation
Bringing Generations Together in Partnership Back in 1989, the One Great Hour of Sharing program adopted the theme: Partners in God’s New Creation. A member of the congregation I served suggested we build on this theme with congregation-wide OGHS activities that...
Prayer Stations for the Generations
Are you and your congregation interested in providing more intergenerational ministry, but are not yet ready to commit to any ongoing programs? If so, then testing the ground with a Prayer Station experience might be a way ahead for you. A Prayer Station is a...
The Labyrinth, A Prayer Practice for All Ages
Meg Scott-Johnson and Glynden Bode offered a workshop at APCE 2019 Annual Event on creating your own labyrinths. Participants first practiced drawing three-circuit and seven-circuit designs, then walked across the street to the beach where they created these...
Intergenerational Morning of Mission
by Corrie Berg An intergenerational day of community service. All hands needed. All ages welcome. What could be better? It punches all the Christian education tickets. It mixes the young and old, includes our children in the gospel-mandate to care for others, and...
8 Ideas to Try With Intergenerational Small Groups
by Karen DeBoer “Profoundly moving.” “Beautifully chaotic.” “An incredible gift.” Those are the words I heard again and again when I asked people to describe their intergenerational small groups. Something else they say frequently: “It’s difficult to find Bible study...
Intentional Intergenerational Ministry
By Tori Smit If I could attribute one tagline to Dr. Rodger Nishioka, past professor of Christian education at Columbia Theological Seminary, it would be “Our faith is communally constructed.” It is through rubbing shoulders with one another, telling stories of our...
What We are Reading Now
What are you reading these days? Educators seem to have the most fascinating and diverse books on their nightstands and desks. The Advocate ministry team wanted to share what we are reading these days, in the hopes it might spark some new ideas for you: "Right now I'm...