By: Wen Reagan “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1 NRSV). In other words, faith involves more than meets the eye. Yet we are not disembodied souls. The Lord has given us bodies and declared that we need eyes to...
By: Carol Wehrheim In this day when visual images often hold more sway than the spoken word, we ought to pay attention to a spiritual practice that focuses on image: visio divina (divine vision). The same four movements that are found in lectio divina (divine word)...
By: Pressley Cox For centuries, the Church has relied on visual images as touchstones and reminders of key Bible stories and important elements of our faith. From stone carvings and stained glass images to flannel-board pieces, wooden figures and colorful banners,...
By: Statistics tell us that summer camp can be a formative experience for our children and youth. It is also considered a “stepping stone” for college-aged staff as it may be the first time they consider a call to ministry. All of this gives your congregation an...
By: Doodle Harris We started Tween Camp six years ago. It began after a year of successful presbytery events for middle school youth and high school youth. Young people from different churches were beginning to connect. They’d exchanged snap chats and phone...
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 DeBoer My church meets in a community center. We sit on folding chairs most often arranged in a semi-circle but occasionally placed around tables so that we can talk and pray together during worship. We have more babies and toddlers than floor space in the...
