By: Beth Herrinton-Hodge I can think of few more life-changing experiences for youth than the opportunity to develop a healthy self-esteem and appreciation of one’s person and body as a precious gift from God. The church is in a particularly opportune position to...
By: Arlene Decina For the past five summers at Burke Presbyterian Church (BPC), we have taken a leap—from the traditional Vacation Bible School (VBS) that had always been a highlight of our children’s programming—into something that has been, for us, new and...
By: Jacob Sorenson Too often, people think of confirmation as a class. Those in the Reformed traditions seem to have a particular knack of reducing confirmation ministry to a transfer of knowledge. When lessons come after busy school days, it reinforces this notion....
By: What is it about getting away from our normal routines and into a camp setting that makes it easier to hear the voice of God? The Advocate will explore that question and others like it over the next few weeks as we share stories of faith formation in camp...
By: Karen-Marie Yust For decades, we have operated with certain developmental beliefs about preschool faith formation. Now, with the advantages of new research methods, it is time to reexamine our assumptions. Yale University’s Paul Bloom and Harvard University’s Paul...
