Sep 5, 2020 |
Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident...
Aug 30, 2020 |
by Brittany Porch Upon canceling our summer mission trips due to Covid-19, the church Session committed to an alternative mission experience for our youth that was safe and offered a meaningful service experience. To pull this off, I had quite the task set before me....
Aug 23, 2020 |
As churches have made adjustments to their regular Christian education programming since the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Advocate blog (and APCE leaders) have offered suggestions for program adjustments. We thought we’d follow up with one congregation who...
Aug 9, 2020 |
by Lakesha Bradshaw Easter Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, our congregation, like many others, listed the names of our elder members and friends of the community who are home-bound due to physical and/or mobility challenges. These beloved friends frequently received...
Aug 2, 2020 |
Many churches mark the back-to-school season with a Blessing of Backpacks for children, families, teachers, and leaders who are returning to the classroom after summer break. This ritual is a tangible reminder that God is present everywhere and accompanies us in every...
Jul 26, 2020 |
by Tori Smit What will we teach this fall? For many of our churches, thinking creatively about how and what our Sunday schools will be teaching this fall as we go online, over Zoom, or become parent-led is a huge and overwhelming concern. As each of us begins to look...
Jul 12, 2020 |
by Sharon Warkentin Short The need to make sense of our lives seems to be a fundamental human drive. We all do it by interpreting our individual experiences in light of some larger controlling story. The “small stories” of our everyday lives take on whatever meaning...
Jul 5, 2020 |
by Christy Williams A youth worker’s spring and summer are traditionally filled with planning meetings, permission form retrieval, special gatherings, conferences, camps, and mission trips. During this spring and summer, in the midst of a global pandemic when churches...
Jun 14, 2020 |
by Kathy L. Dawson I have been observing the amazing work of educators for many years now. What I have seen is people who are creative and resilient in the face of change. In this time, we have been on a steep learning curve regarding online ways of continuing and...
Jun 7, 2020 |
By Kathy L. Dawson As educators, we know that there are certain times in the liturgical year that are busier than others. The cycle of Lent to Holy Week to Easter to Pentecost tends to be one of those periods of intense activity and for good reason, as this is the...
