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Grace and Gratitude in Galveston
"Worship and Sacraments" Educator Certification course participants at the 2019 Annual Event Grace and Gratitude in Galveston by Erin Dickerson As educators and ministry professionals, we often forget that we not only have a responsibility for the faith formation of...
Music in Worship
During the 2019 APCE Annual Event in Galveston, Dr. Michael Waschevski taught an educator certification course on Worship and Sacraments. The group reflected on the role, issues, and opportunities involving music in our worshiping communities. The following article...
Six Ways Your Church Can Say “Welcome to the Family!” at Baptism
by Karen DeBoer I dreaded the baptism day of each of our four children. I fretted about what I would wear, when to feed the baby, how to feed extended family, and whether or not the baby’s siblings would start to fight while we were standing at the front of the...
Speaking with Young Adults: Infant Baptism, Believers Baptism, Re-baptism
We apologize for the technical glitch this morning that resulted in requests for Annual Event Ride Shares being mailed out instead of the usual blog post from the Advocate. Technology is wonderful and complex sometimes! We hope to see many of you in Galveston next...
Baptism: God’s Sign and Seal
by Rebecca Davis “Take a moment…in the midst of your fretting over a fussy baby, your nerves of standing in front of the congregation, your worry about family dynamics and the meal after the service, in the midst of all the details of this baptism…take a moment and...
Helping Families Celebrate Baptisms
by Carol Wehrheim Celebrating a child’s baptism anniversary is one way for families to nurture the faith of the child as well as each member of the family. However, I don’t know this from personal experience. I didn’t know my baptismal date until well into adulthood...
Visual Reflections: Epiphany
Art and Reflection by Ann Laird Jones Epiphany is about movement and intersection and angles and people on the move: incarnational theology in all its brightness. It involves a persistent star whose light penetrates the darkest corners and kingdoms. Rather than...
Visual Reflection after Christmas: Seeking Jesus
Reflection by Beth Herrinton-Hodge In the brief days between Christmas Eve and Epiphany, many of us in church work enjoy a bit of a breather. Christmas Eve services have been held, candles lit, favorite carols sung. Luke’s familiar birth narrative has been recited....
Merry Christmas from the APCE Advocate Team
Visual Reflection: The Annunciation to Mary
Reflection by Beth Herrinton-Hodge In 1998, I had the opportunity to travel to Taizé, France on a study tour with Estelle McCarthy and fellow alumnae from Presbyterian School of Christian Education (PSCE). It was a life-changing, soul-deepening journey. I selected a...