The Daily Voice

June is National Audiobook Month

Thu, 27 May 2010 15:40:00 GMT

In my house, there's an ongoing debate. After finishing an audiobook, should you say you have "read" the book or "listened" to it (or both)? Regardless of where you come out on the question (I'm a fan of "read"), audiobooks are a terrific way to pass the time, learn something new, and have fun while you drive, exercise, or work around the house. I almost never leave the house without at least one audiobook on my phone and/or iPod, and I frequently have one checked out on CD from the library as well. Here are some great sources for audiobooks, including several that charge little or nothing, plus a peek at the last two audiobooks I listened to (and loved!)

Take a Summer Sabbatical

Tue, 25 May 2010 13:00:00 GMT

For many church staff members and leaders, summer provides a bit of a breather and gives you an opportunity to do a few different activities. Sure, there may be VBS or a youth mission trip to plan and lead, but most of the Christian educators I know do have some down time for at least a couple of weeks. If that's true for you, consider doing what I'm about to do: take a Summer Sabbatical.

Room 1228: A Curriculum Series for Young Adults & Youth (Review)

Thu, 20 May 2010 13:00:00 GMT

In last week's email I linked to a hilarious video about contemporary worship that I highly recommend you watch (or watch again) right now. The video points out a common trait of more contemporary styles of worship: the "flow" tends to be the same from week to week ("Opening song, opening song..."). Further, there are often secondary, less obvious meanings ("...but we're tracking it.") The video pokes fun at contemporary worship, but a similar critique could be made of traditional worship and of a lot of Christian education curriculum. As one who frequently writes curriculum for publication, I know well that there are many good reasons for developing lesson "rubrics" or outlines that flow in a similar fashion from one week to the next. It's easier to write to a pattern, and it requires less preparation effort on the part of the teacher, to name just a couple of the reasons. When you review curriculum, one of the decisions you need to make is whether or not you like the "formula" or pattern that material uses, and be aware of it so that you don't get stuck in a rut in your educational settings.

A small curriculum publisher called Wayfarer puts out a downloadable youth/young adult ministry curriculum called Room 1228. I discovered it via a Facebook ad and decided to take a closer look. There are a number of things I really love about it, and I think it's a good representative example of where a lot of curricula is headed, but there also are features that just don't work for me. I'll tell you more in just a bit (and provide you with a special offer code so you can get a discount on purchases!) First, though, it's good to remember that there are MANY ways that a youth or young adult group can look, and you don't have to follow a prescribed pattern or flowchart. Some youth groups meet only once a month, while others meet weekly or even more frequently. Some college ministries provide a highly varying blend of trips, projects, lessons, speakers, and fun nights, while others follow a structured, predominantly large group/small group format. When you evaluate a particular curriculum for your setting, it's easy to immediately reject it because it doesn't fit your style, theology, or personal interests. My hunch is that many readers of this review will not typically use the format of Room 1228. If that's true for you, I hope you'll take a close look at the material as a way of reflecting on what you understand to be true about how youth and young adults learn, what your group's purpose is, and why you structure your group the way you do. Now, on to the review...

Scatter some books in your youth room

Wed, 19 May 2010 13:00:00 GMT

The odds are good that your youth room is probably the coolest space in your congregation, filled with all sorts of technical gadgets, games, photos, and the like. But what about books? Have you considered having several books in the room that can be used for conversation starters, shared browsing, and time-fillers? Books are great for those youth that are visual or verbal/linguistic learners, and they can give the more shy kids in your youth group a way to interact with one or two others. Scatter them around the room, especially near where youth like to sit and hang out. Here are some suggestions...

Please take this 1-question survey

Wed, 12 May 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Please vote for the day you'd prefer to receive our daily email. It'll just take a few seconds to choose your answer.

Cast your vote here. Thanks!!

~ Tim

Progressive Christianity on Facebook

Tue, 11 May 2010 13:00:00 GMT

One of the places where I get the best tips about news, books, curriculum, videos, and other items of interest to progressive Christians is on Facebook. Here are 22 of my favorite pages you might "Like", and groups to "Join." You'll find many great people on these groups who you should also know, so poke around and meet some new folks! And if you know of a great group or page I missed, please add a comment below with the Facebook link.

Why I'm (probably) switching to Springpad

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Anyone who spends a lot of time on a computer has likely encountered the problem of how and where to store website addresses, bits of text, names of books or movies, and all of the other "stuff" one comes across on a daily basis. The bookmark or favorites tool in your browser works fine for websites you use regularly and occasionally, but they really aren't generally well-designed for holding a lot of entries. Storing notes in Stickies clearly has space limitations, and To Do applications are generally ill-equipped for data storage and retrieval.

There are countless other tools that have been developed for storing and searching your "life-text," and many of these are quite good. For example, the products from Devon Technologies are just superb, if you're a Mac user. I've previously written about Instapaper, a free service that works pretty well for saving web addresses, and (until recently) I used that on an almost daily basis. Evernote, which I've also encouraged readers to check out, is my tool of choice for taking notes, doing drafts of blog posts, storing quotes, keeping lists of books I want to read, and much more. But while Evernote's an amazing tool, it just has never fully grabbed me. Partly, this is because I couldn't justify the cost of the Premium version, and partly it's because I just find it's clunky for certain purposes. But after testing Springpad, an even newer, totally free web-based service, I think I'm about to be a convert.

3 faith-related memoirs progressive Christians will enjoy

news@differentvoice.com — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 13:00:00 GMT

The library in the church where I spent my teenage years didn't have many books—and practically none that were intended for teens—but since I was a voracious reader I polished off a few of them one year. They would have fallen into a category I'd call “faith memoirs,” and they were stories of persons whose evangelical faith had been the driving force as they worked with gang members, were imprisoned in a dark prison cell in some Asian country, or survived the Holocaust. Thinking back on those books now, I realize that they played an important role in shaping my theology at that time. After all, I thought, the people in those books actually seemed to live their faith in profound ways, not just go through the motions like many of the adults I knew.

My theology has changed quite a bit since then, but not my love for reading. The faith memoir genre—and memoirs in general—have not been high on my reading list for some time, though. Nonfiction books seem to capture my attention the most these days, but I still love the power of a good story. When I realized I'd saved three memoirs to my Amazon wish list, I knew it was time to give the genre a go again, so in a bit I'll share three brief reviews with you of three really great memoirs.

Memoirs are a sub-genre of autobiographies, and the primary difference is that they tend to focus on a smaller time-slice of a person's life. The faith memoir tends to contain not only recollections about particular events, but it also reflects on the spiritual significance of those events. Thus, it's common in faith memoirs for there to be long sections of theological reflections which surround the personal stories. These reflective passages, I find, tend to keep my interest in the book higher because I find the author's stories to relate more to my own life.

An age of sharing

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 13:00:00 GMT

We live in the age of sharing…at least in certain spheres of our life. If I open iTunes to listen to music or podcasts when I visit my local wireless-enabled coffee shop, I often can see the music playlists of the other persons who are also listening to their tunes. As long as they leave their laptop open, I can "stream" their music through my computer to listen to anything that catches my interest. I'm always surprised at the eclectic mix of tunes most people have on their computers; showtunes sit next to electronica, and country hits appear in playlists with classic rock. In reality, I almost never actually listen to the music, but I occasionally do browse the lists just to get a peek at someone's personality, a window into someone's soul.

We participate in the age of sharing. Ever noticed this little image before on a website like ours?

When you click on the icons, you become an evangelist of sorts. Whatever page, product, song, or article you happen to like is instantly shared on your favorite social network with your friends, or even just through email if you prefer to "kick it old school." Click on the Twitter icon from one of our daily emails, and you can immediately Tweet the world, "Hey, you really should see this."

Two Words

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 13:00:00 GMT

When Tim and I were initially creating the Different Voice website in the fall of 2008, we spent quite a bit of time coming up with our Core Values. The core value I have found myself thinking a lot about lately is Change. “We believe God is continually active in the world and that God is still speaking. Change is critical to growth.” I would add to this statement, that change is inevitable. (Change is the only constant, as I remind myself frequently.) Change, however, even when it is a positive change, is rarely easy.

It is with mixed feelings that I write this, my last scheduled email for Different Voice. I am excited and energized by the possibilities of the future. And yet, Different Voice has been a wonderful experience on my journey, and the decision to move on has been a difficult one. As I have pondered these things, two words have repeatedly popped into my head – Thank You.

A special message from Different Voice

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 16:00:00 GMT

DifferentVoice.com officially got its start way back on June 21st of 2000. Yep, that's right. We predated just about every single website for progressive Christians out there. This was the logo that was thrown together by Tim—who had the dream of creating a website for progressive Christians—for the original website. (Yeah, a career for Tim in graphic design is probably less than likely!)

The original website featured about 25 articles and blog posts altogether, mostly on topics related to youth ministry. For a variety of reasons, the site languished and was eventually removed. But the dream remained.

Flash forward to 2008, when Different Voice, LLC was recreated. There were still almost no websites for progressive Christian educators, though a few general websites for spiritual progressives had finally sprouted here and there. Facebook was just starting to become a place where progressive Christians got connected to one another. We started Different Voice together to offer resources, information and training to clergy and laity, volunteers and professional educators.

Trust Walk (no blindfolds required!)

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Many years ago, I had the opportunity to take a group of college students to the United Methodist Seminar Program on National and International Affairs in Washington, D.C. (I highly encourage you to consider the program, which is NOT just for United Methodists!) One of the activities we did was called a "Trust Walk," and the experience I had in that activity was so profound that I've since led a similar activity dozens of times for groups over the years. It is, without a doubt, my favorite activity to lead with groups. The Trust Walk involves having a group of people silently respond to statements of action or belief through movement, and it does not (unlike another popular activity that involves one youth guiding another) require any blindfolds. Here's a basic description of how to create and lead this activity yourself.

From the Archives: Computers in the (Sunday School) Classroom

Tue, 06 Apr 2010 13:00:00 GMT

This article was originally posted on April 14, 2009.

Computers in the (Sunday School) Classroom

Whatever you do, be memorable

Mon, 05 Apr 2010 13:00:00 GMT

On Easter Sunday of last year, I began a quest to worship in every church in my town. My plan was to visit 52 churches in 52 weeks. I didn't know exactly how many churches there were (in fact, I still keep learning about new ones!) but based on phone book lists and Google searches I estimated there were roughly that many. In reality, I missed church a few weeks, and I still have somewhere in the neighborhood of 8-10 to go, so my current count is in the high 40s.

There are a lot of things one notices as a visitor—how people do or do not greet guests and make them feel welcome, of course, is tops on the list. But when people ask me what I've discovered in my visits, one thing stands out above all else: many churches are too forgettable.

Good Friday?

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 13:00:00 GMT

It doesn’t seem good,
this Friday
when we remember
a betrayal, an arrest,
a trial, an angry mob,
many denials, the mocking,
the suffering, the death, the sorrow.

How did it come to be
known as good?

Green Church: Caretakers of God's Creation (A Review)

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Unless you have been hibernating for the last couple of years, you know what it means to “go green”. Persons of all ages, including children, know words like “recycle”, “carbon footprint” and “environment”. Green Church: Caretakers of God’s Creation is a six-week study for children that explores many ways to live a “green life”, and also conveys that God created us to be stewards of God’s creation. Daphna Flegal and Suzann Wade have written this children’s study which may be used as part of an all-church program along with Burst: Green Church for youth (discussed previously by Tim) and Green Church: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rejoice! for adults.

Hold a book drive for an organization that changes lives

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 13:00:00 GMT

A friend of mine is a missionary in Cambodia. She indicated that a church-affiliated Bible school there is moving toward becoming an accredited institution. One of the things they would need to do is to increase the number of volumes in the library there, and she thought it would be wonderful for someone to develop a way for them to get shipments of donated good, new (or nearly new) books that have a more progressive theological and biblical viewpoint. Some day, I hope to be able to offer Different Voice readers the opportunity to send books to a central location for eventual delivery to that country. But you don't need to wait until such an opportunity is in place on this website, of course.

Blogs in the Christian education classroom

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 13:00:00 GMT

A recent segment on NPR's Science Friday featured a science teacher who has her students blog as part of the learning experience. (It's well worth the 45 minutes or so it takes to listen to the entire program.) Since I live in a University community, I've heard students mention the fact that they are sometimes required to use classroom blogs as well. Schools and universities aren't the only ones that can use blogs in the classroom, of course! Sunday school classes, youth groups, Confirmation classes, Bible study groups, or other church groups that meet regularly could use blogs as well to enhance the learning experience. Here are a few suggestions...

Communicate, Communicate, Communicate!

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 13:00:00 GMT

My sixteen year old son excels at math and science. He has always enjoyed these subjects and he is readily able to grasp new concepts and ideas in these subject areas. He is also an avid reader, reading pretty much anything that has words. Writing, however, is different. He has never enjoyed writing and has had to work at making himself do it. Although he has the skills and is a good writer, he just doesn’t like to write. As he has struggled with having to write even though he doesn’t like it, my message to him has been, “Even if you are the most intelligent person in the world, if you cannot communicate your ideas to other people, they are meaningless.”

I believe this same concept applies to ministry. You may have planned the most extraordinary Christian Education event your church has ever experienced. Yet if people are not aware the event is happening, they will not come. Although you have heard it before, the message here is worth repeating – communicate, communicate, communicate!

Anticipation

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 13:00:00 GMT

On the brink of Holy Week
I anticipate the excitement,
confusion, disappointment,
fear, anger, sorrow and joy
to come with the remembrance
of past events.

About to fall forward,
I pull myself back and
remind myself to
experience the journey
as it is remembered.

2 perspective-broadening books to read back-to-back

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 13:00:00 GMT

per•spec•tive: The relationship of aspects of a subject to each other and to a whole.

I love books that help me to gain a greater sense of perspective, and I have come to believe that a growing sense of perspective is a mark of a progressive Christian. This week, I've been reading two works that are ideal "bookends" (pardon the pun!) of the Christian experience. The first, Life in Year One: What the World Was Like in First-Century Palestine by Scott Korb, obviously takes the reader back in time to a world far removed rom our own. The second, A New Kind of Christianity: Ten Questions That are Transforming the Faith by Brian McLaren, encourages the reader to consider where Christian faith is headed. Both are books I think make critical reading for anyone involved in faith formation ministries.

From the Archives: The "Huh?/Yeah!" Bible Study

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 13:00:00 GMT

This article by Tim Gossett was originally posted on March 25, 2009.

The "Huh?/Yeah!" Bible Study

From the Archives: Start a listserv of your own

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 13:00:00 GMT

These articles by Tim Gossett were originally posted on December 2, 2008 and March 31, 2009.

Start a listserv of your own (Part 1)

Start a listserv of your own (Part 2)

More Ideas for Including All Youth and Adult Learners

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 13:00:00 GMT

As promised last Monday, here are six more ideas for activities that will appeal to a persons with a variety of learning styles. Last week’s ideas and this list are, of course, only a beginning. As the saying goes, the possibilities are endless. Have you discovered an activity that appeals to youth and/or adults? Share your experience with others by posting a comment below, or sending me an email.

Be brave. Try something new. Encourage class members to be open-minded and willing to try different activities. Note what types of activities work best for your class.

What I learned the day my molecules were rearranged

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:00:00 GMT

If you have been paying close attention over the past two weeks, you probably noticed that the articles with my name on them have come from the archives of the DifferentVoice.com website. My plan had been to take this month off from writing new articles, because a major life change was to take place in my household. Two weeks ago today, a baby girl was born in a nearby town that had been promised to us by the birthparents. That day was to be the endpoint of our more than 4 year journey to adopt a child. (I've previously described our long wait as our never-ending season of Advent.) Things did not go as planned, however, and the birthparents decided 24 hours after the child was born—and after we had spent part of the day with her—that they were going to keep the child. For the past two weeks, I've been grieving the loss of that child and the relationships we had formed with that entire family. The sadness was deep and like nothing I had ever experienced before in my life.

As is true for many people today, I reached out to share the news through Facebook with my friends, since I had provided occasional updates about the adoption in recent weeks there. Many wonderful and loving comments in response to my messages helped me to begin to move through the grief…but a realization soon dawned in me. While I was grateful for all of the well-wishes and promises to hold us in prayer, I yearned for friends to be physically in my presence. I wished for someone to literally stop by to give me a hug, go for a walk with me, or take me out for a cup of coffee. In short, I needed to experience a more literal "with" in Paul's well-known instruction to "Weep with those who weep" in Romans 12:15.

From the Archives: The Void and the Vision (A Review)

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 13:00:00 GMT

The following review written by Tim Gossett was originally posted on July 2, 2009.

Review of The Void and the Vision by Dr. Carl Krieg

Holy Week Activities for Children

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Palm Sunday is a fun day for children and adults alike. As we celebrate Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, we wave palm branches and shout Hosanna! Excitement is in the air. Many children (and adults) leave church on Palm Sunday on that wave of excitement, and return a week later. Easter! He is risen! This is the best news of all. It is another joyous morning of worship and Sunday School.

From the Archives: Do a Data Fast

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:00:00 GMT

This article by Tim Gossett was originally posted on February 17, 2009.

Do a Data Fast

Ideas for Including All Youth and Adult Learners

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Last Monday, I wrote about the need to include activities that appeal to different learning styles and different intelligences in Sunday School and other small group studies across the age spectrum. My guess is that in many churches, the discovery will be that children’s classes offer a variety of activities, while youth and adult classes use one, two or maybe three types of activities the majority of the time. If your church is an exception, and you are consistently including all learners of all ages, then I say to you, “That’s great!” And then I invite you to post a comment or send me an email sharing what steps you took to get to this point and any other advice you can offer to churches that would like to move in that direction.

For the rest of us, I offer half a dozen ways to add variety to youth and adult classes. These are general ideas to start you thinking. Remember that you don’t need to do incorporate all of the activities in one lesson! The goal is to work towards variety so that over time you will offer activities that meet the needs of all learners.

From the Archives: Is Christian Education just another "interest"?

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:00:00 GMT

This article by Tim Gossett was originally posted on February 13, 2009.

Is Christian Education just another interest?

Planting the Trees of Kenya (A Review)

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Wangaari Maathai grew up on a farm in Kenya. When she left Kenya to attend college in America, she took with her memories of a country clothed in green, with many trees and clear streams filled with fish. Although she was only away for five years, she returned to a very different Kenya. Many of the trees had been cut down and replaced with farms to grow export crops; in places the land was barren. Small farms that had provided food for each family to live on now grew food to export and families bought most of their food from the store. The effects of erosion were evident in the muddied streams.

There are many ways in which Wangaari could have responded to the changes in her native country. The inspiring story of the path she chose is told in the book, Planting the Trees of Kenya, by Claire A. Nivola.

The Write Idea (Part 3)

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:00:00 GMT

In parts 1 and 2 of this series, I introduced the idea of beginning a writing group at your church. If you have a writing group already at your church, or if you are planning on starting one, I’d be interesting in hearing about your experience and sharing it with our readers. You can post a comment below, or send us an email. As promised, I have four more writing activities that would be appropriate for use in a writing group. If you have other ideas for writing activities, send me those as well, and I will share them in a future article (giving you credit, of course).

From the Archives: Talking with Youth about Sexting

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:00:00 GMT

This article by Tim Gossett was originally posted on February 24, 2009. It remains an important and relevant topic.

Talking with Youth about Sexting

Including All Learners of All Ages

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:00:00 GMT

I recently had a discussion with a youth Sunday School teacher concerning his frustration with how youth Sunday School was going. He was out of ideas about how to engage the youth and maintain their interest and attention. During our discussion, he admitted that the activities the class had done consisted mostly of presentation of a topic and discussion, with an occasional video thrown in. This didn’t surprise me. First of all, I know this teacher well, and these methods are his preferred learning styles. (I don’t fault him or any teacher for favoring activities that appeal to his or her learning methods. It is a natural tendency, but one of which we must be aware.) Secondly, many youth and adult classes use these methods of learning.

Potpourri

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Today I offer a quartet of short poems. I hope that one or more of them bless you on your journey.

Self-talk

Creative
Imaginative
Wonderful
Amazing
Loved, loveable and loving
Created in God’s image
Always remember

The Rule of Saint Benedict

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Today's guest blogger is Rev. Dawn B. Young, Ed.D., the Director of Christian Education for the Louisiana Conference.

Certainly as citizens of the United States, and probably as Protestant citizens of the United States, we tend to have this deep seated rebellion against “rules.” Personally, I profess to a desire to be aware of all the ins and outs of all the rules and laws about which I can possibly gain information. Because, for me, it is in knowing the rules that I know where I can bend, maybe break them. We almost have an inborn sense of not wanting rules, or at the very least believe that the rules only apply to others. And then there is the Rule of St. Benedict. Why would someone with an acknowledged joy in rule manipulation develop such a pronounced pleasure in a Rule? The answer is as simple, and as complex, as the Rule itself. It is a way, a means to live your life as a Christian.

Retreat, Retreat!

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 02:31:00 GMT

When I lead a women’s retreat, I congratulate the participants for being there – for taking the time and spending the money to give themselves the gift of retreat time. (My experience is with women’s retreats, but I believe that everyone benefits from retreat time, regardless of gender.) Although we may long for time away, either alone or with a group, for renewing our spirit, it is difficult for us to make it a priority. And yet, Jesus himself modeled for us the importance of retreat.

Your Hardest Tech Questions Answered

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:00:00 GMT

I'll keep this short and simple today: I know you have questions related to technology and Christian education or ministry, and I'd like to know how we can best help you. Do you struggle with email overload? Can't figure out how to hook up one gadget to another? Struggling with understanding social networking? Wish you knew how to stay on top of pop culture? Longing to integrate the web into your classrom environment but don't know just how to do that? Whatever your question is, please leave a comment. I'll be answering them (or finding someone who can) in upcoming weeks.

Spend more time in the library

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 13:00:00 GMT

The public library is one of the best resources available to a Christian educator. In fact, there are so many good reasons to use your local library that I think it's worth scheduling a weekly or bi-weekly time to work from there, as I do most weeks. (My wife, though, firmly believes our library needs to have a smaller limit on the number of items one can have checked out!) Here are some of the reasons I hang out there so frequently.

Gifts of Community

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:00:00 GMT

As Christians we are called to live in community. Ours is a relational faith. As a faith community, we nurture and support one another and together we are the “body of Christ”. Last weekend, ten women gathered together in central Iowa for the Different Voice Women’s Retreat. For one weekend, we were the body of Christ for one another – a community of women who took time for ourselves and together were renewed physically and spiritually. It was a Spirit-filled weekend. One of the wonderful things about the experience was the gifts we gave to each other; gifts that can only be given and received when we live together in community.

Burst: Green Church (a bit of shameless self-promotion)

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:00:00 GMT

My first paid writing gig came about through the strangest of circumstances. A broken hotel ice machine led to a chance late-night conversation in an elevator, which later led to an offer to write a book. When it came out, I think I must have carried that resource around with me for 2 days straight with a big grin on my face. There is a certain thrill that comes with seeing one's name in print, I'd have to admit. Now, twelve years, eight books, and over 200 articles and blog posts later, I'm somewhat more comfortable with calling myself a writer...but I'm not all that keen about heavily promoting my work. However, since an Oprah appearance isn't in my future, I hope you will indulge me as I introduce you to my latest work, Burst: Green Church, which has just been released. I saw the final version yesterday, and I have to say in all honesty that it's my favorite—and probably most important—thing I've ever written.

The Write Idea (Part 2)

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:00:00 GMT

There is something about putting words onto paper… In response to my previous article, The Write Idea (Part 1), a reader shared a thought about writing she had heard on an NPR program. The idea is that writing can be a place to express emotions that are so big that they need to be let out, yet are too painful to be expressed out loud. In such situations, writing can serve as a liminal space, a safe place to explore our thoughts and feelings. I believe this is true and it is yet another good reason for starting a writing club!

Education [preposition] technology

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Pause for a moment to think about all of the ways you have done technology-related education in the past year. Make yourself a list, if you wish (in fact, I'd recommend it.) When churches do any education about technology at all, they often do so without any thought to a larger plan. Yet there are many aspects of technology that are relevant to Christian education ministries. Here's a simple way to think about technology and education, so simple you can write it on a whiteboard at an education committee meeting and everyone will instantly get it:

Education [preposition] Technology

This simple phrase can become a starting point for evaluating your own church's ministries and the ways in which you might move forward. Here are six examples of prepositions that ought to receive consideration.

Keep Context in Mind

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 01:00:00 GMT

Regardless of whether you are teaching a story from the Old or New Testament, it is important to keep in mind that the story was not originally written down for you or me or our students. The intended audience for the Bible when it was written was different from us in many ways. They lived in a society with different customs, lifestyles and expectations. They wore different clothes, ate different foods and had different occupations (no computer programmers back then). For these reasons, it is important when teaching Bible stories to keep context in mind.

Pair your Lenten rituals with this

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:00:00 GMT

The posts piled up over the past few days on Facebook and Twitter, and people talked about them in real-life conversations. "What are you giving up for Lent?" "Did you read the story about the guy in the military overseas who gave up Facebook for Lent?" "This year, I'm taking on a good habit instead of giving up a bad one." And then there was the girl at a friend's youth group, who asked her peers, "Could you give up texting for Lent?" (The answer in my church: apparently not, as I noticed some of the middle school girls huddled over their cell phones during the Ash Wednesday service!) For many (including me, I'll admit) this kind of story sharing has become the new ritual that begins the season of Lent. The Ash Wednesday cross is now the secondary mark (pardon the pun) that a new church season has begun.

Hide & Seek with God (A review)

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 13:00:00 GMT

What does God look like?” “Where can I find God?” “What is God’s real name?” “Why do bad things happen?” “Do I have to love people who are mean to me?” If you spend time with young children, you may have heard some of these questions. If we are truthful, many of us who call ourselves adults sometimes have these questions, too. Although it does not have all the answers, (Oh, that it were so easy!) the book Hide & Seek with God by Mary Ann Moore can provide you with stories that will help you explore these questions with the children in your life.

Let Them Pray

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Ash Wednesday seems like an especially appropriate time to talk about prayer. When I talk with children (and sometimes youth and adults) about prayer, I always tell them, “You can pray anywhere, anytime and about anything.” God is accessible to all of us. We do not need eloquent words or a seminary degree to pray. If asked, most Christians would agree with these statements. And yet…

Shhh! Here's my $10 tech secret...

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:00:00 GMT

When I come across a great tool, book, DVD, or other resource that I think will help our readers, I have no trouble sharing it. There is, though, one little tidbit that I've kept to myself. Today, I'll reveal my secret source for great clip art and images--at a price that's truly affordable and way below what most people pay for the same service. Until a few days ago, I'd selfishly guarded my secret source and had never shared this information with anyone except for Sally...for no good reason, I finally realized. So, here it is...

Characteristics of a Progressive Sunday School Ministry (Part 3)

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 13:00:00 GMT

What makes Sunday School at a progressive church different than Sunday School at other churches? It is not necessarily the curriculum that is used in Sunday School, but the manner in which it is taught that sets a progressive Sunday School ministry apart from its counterparts.

Our motto at Different Voice is: “Embrace life. Nurture Spirituality. Inspire change.” These are also worthy goals for a progressive Sunday School ministry. In Parts 1 and 2 of this series, I explored ways that progressive Sunday School ministries embrace life and nurture spirituality.

A progressive Sunday School ministry also inspires change.

Give It Up!

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 13:00:00 GMT

The season of Lent is just around the weekend! Lent is a season of spiritual preparation for hearing and receiving the good news of Easter. For some people Lent has traditionally been a time of “giving up” something – a symbolic sacrifice to help remember the sacrifice that Jesus made. This practice was not a part of my faith tradition as I grew up, though many of my friends gave up (or tried to give up) things for Lent. Several of my friends would give up chocolate each year during Lent. To be honest, I am not willing to give up chocolate for 40 days! For the first thirty-five years of my life, I did not give anything up for Lent. One year not too long ago, however, I did give up something for Lent. I gave up yelling at my children.

Building a Heart of Faith by Marjorie Hewitt Suchocki & Joan Suchocki Lucas (review)

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 13:00:00 GMT

The aisle of children's ministry books is not the first place I head when I visit my local Cokesbury store. The number of children's ministry books on my shelves is quite tiny in comparison to just about every other Christian education topic. (And if memory serves, I haven't yet reviewed a children's ministry book on Different Voice.) But this week, one new book will take its place on my "favorite Christian education resources" shelf, and it's a book for use with children between 8 and 12 years old: Building a Heart of Faith: Talking about God and Jesus with Kids. It's the first time I've come across a book that applies process theology to children's ministry, and it does so quite nicely!

Offer a Last Lecture Series (with a twist)

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 13:00:00 GMT

From time to time, books tied to the larger theme of death capture our collective attention. Two recent examples, The Last Lecture and Tuesdays with Morrie, are engaging reads—not so much because they are representative examples of superb literature, but because they deal with the finality of life in a reflective and relatable way. In case you aren't familiar with them, both books are about college professors who share their wisdom with others before they died.

Although it is often near the end of our lives that we think about passing on wisdom to others, any time of life is a good moment to reflect on what one has learned and would want others to know. (After all, we are never guaranteed a tomorrow.) Today, I'd like you to consider how you might create your own "Last Lecture Series" in your own congregation, but one with a bit of a twist from the usual approach.

Why Are We Using Technology in Our Church?

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Earlier this year, Tim wrote an article encouraging you to evaluate your Christian Education program and Ask, “Why?” The use of technology in ministry is an area where some of your members may be asking the question “Why?” “Why do we have a large screen hanging at the front of the sanctuary?” “Why do we need to spend money on a new projector when we already have one?” “Why does our church need a website?” You get the idea and I imagine that you have heard these questions or other variations. Although it is easy to get annoyed by, “Why?” it is an excellent question when it comes to the use of technology in the church.

Characteristics of a Progressive Sunday School Ministry (Part 2)

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Our motto at Different Voice is: “Embrace life. Nurture Spirituality. Inspire change.” These are also worthy goals for a progressive Sunday School ministry. In Part 1 of this series, I explored ways that progressive Sunday School ministries embrace life.

A progressive Sunday School ministry also nurtures spirituality.

Encounters

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Jesus called me the other day
On speakerphone.
Interestingly,
His voices sounded like
Friends of mine from church.
“I have a job I’d like you to do.”

I saw Jesus smiling the other day.
His face was that of a child,
Who picked up a backpack
Containing food lovingly packed.
The smile accompanied knowledge
That he would eat this weekend.

Four Ways to Learn About New Monasticism

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Today's guest blogger is Rev. Dawn B. Young, Ed.D., the Director of Christian Education for the Louisiana Conference.

There is much talk and concern about how to engage young adults in the church. And interestingly enough, young people tell researchers that while they are not particularly interested in “church” they are interested in the things that churches do. Surprisingly, or not, a large majority of young people say that there are people in the world and issues of the world that need to be addressed and they are interested in working towards solutions. Hence, young adults who claim that the church is “hypocritical” and “judgmental,” want to engage in what amounts to mission. No group is more representative of this particular reality than those involved in the “New Monastic” movement. Although the leadership of New Monastic communities largely emerges from Christian related educational programs, they have attracted a large following of people who are not initially Christian. Let’s review several books that could serve as study tools to prepare a church for associating with or establishing a New Monastic community in their neighborhood, or would serve as a challenge to churches about living in a radical way even within the comfort of our own homes.

The Write Idea - Part 1

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:00:00 GMT

You have likely heard the saying “Everyone has a novel inside of them.” (Skeptics sometimes add “most of them are not any good.”) I’m not sure whether I believe that everyone has a novel in them; I do not particularly feel that I do, and I consider myself a writer! I do believe that we all have thoughts! Writing is one way that we communicate our thoughts, feelings and ideas to others. Some people write only for themselves, using a journal or diary as a way to record events or emotions and/or explore them more deeply.

There is something about putting words onto paper that allows us to view things from a new perspective. Regardless of one’s skill level, writing can serve as a creative outlet, a fun hobby and/or a way to connect with others. Consider starting a writing group at your church. A writing group can nurture writers of all skill levels from beginner to experienced. In such a group, people are invited to explore writing as a means of expression in a safe, caring and encouraging community. As writing is shared, both writers and listeners will benefit from the experience.

Start a 'cash for trash' recycling program

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Almost every individual in your congregation uses ink jet and laser cartridges on a regular basis at home, school, or work. Most of those cartridges end up in landfills are or incinerated. But there is an alternative: participating in a congregational "cash for trash" recycling program, which will offer you cash for the cartridges you drop off or send in, while helping you to be better stewards of the environment. My own congregation has raised hundreds of dollars for our computer lab in this way in the past several years, and that's with very little effort! Imagine what you could do with a full-on promotional effort by a team of youth or marketing-savvy young adults. While it's true that many schools, nonprofits, and businesses are already taking part in such programs, there are still plenty of ways to make your program a success, but you will need to be a bit more creative. Here are a few tips to get you started.

6 reasons to start a Sunday class outside of the Sunday school hour

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Many congregations offer only one worship service, preceded or followed by a Sunday school hour. Those who have two services generally hold Sunday school between them. Either way, when the time comes to add a new class for adults (something you really should be doing regularly!), the assumption tends to be that it should meet during the Sunday school hour. However, you might want to experiment with adding that class at another time: the hour before or after the service that is not already dedicated to Sunday school. Why? Here are 6 reasons.

God is calling. Will you answer?

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 13:00:00 GMT

This Sunday, churches that use the revised common lectionary will read and hear the story of God calling Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:4-10). As I read Jeremiah’s call story, I am reminded of a Wednesday evening in August 2004. (This passage reappears as a lectionary option in August of Year C.) That night, as I sat in midweek worship service, I heard this passage read and then the pastor spoke about God’s call for Jeremiah and for us. Be prepared, this Sunday, many of you will hear a sermon on this topic. But back to August 2004, I left that service with the distinct feeling that I had been set up.

Something Beautiful for God (A Review)

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Looking for some new songs for worship? Would you like songs that are contemporary and singable? Are you interested in worship songs that at times challenge and at other times reassure? How about songs that reflect an inclusive and justice-loving theology? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, I highly recommend that you take a listen to Bryan Sirchio’s latest CD, “Something Beautiful for God: 24 Songs for Worship and Group Singing”.

The songs on this CD are the same songs in the previously available “Something Beautiful for God” piano songbook. For the CD Bryan has produced the songs as he would do them with a worship band in church. Therefore, listening to the CD will give you an idea of what each song sounds like and which ones you might use for worship. Of course, if you are not in charge of worship music, you can simply listen to the CD, as I do!

Start an adoptive families group

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Families are formed in many ways, and no doubt your church has done and is continually doing many things to be supportive of the families in your church, regardless of their configuration. (And we all know there are MANY ways a family can look in today's world.) Parenting classes are often offered in many congregations, and family ministries councils are frequently charged with coming up with great ways to connect families and offer them opportunities for fellowship, service, and education. But what about those individuals or couples who do not yet have children but who are considering or pursuing adoption or foster care? Have you considered how their needs and interests may be different from those families that already have children?

Spirituality and Practice (A website review)

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 13:00:00 GMT

The classic children’s book, The Velveteen Rabbit, tells the story of a stuffed rabbit that is loved so much by a little boy that it becomes “real”. If books went through the same process, one of the “real” books on my bookshelf would be Spiritual Literacy: Reading the Sacred in Everyday Life by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat. As its well-worn cover can attest, I reach for this book often.

I recently discovered (by happenstance ) the Brussat’s website, Spirituality and Practice. It is probably a sign of my lack of complete internet immersion that I have never thought to search for a website related to one of my favorite books. Now that I have discovered this website (and bookmarked it), I anticipate visiting frequently. (Can websites become “real”?) There is a wealth of information here.

10 Christian education trends for 2010 and beyond

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 13:00:00 GMT

A few weeks ago, I was asked by a long-time Christian educator what trends were emerging in Christian education. Little did he know that trend-watching is a subject I took a significant interest in many years ago, so I was more than happy to respond with a list of some of the trends I am watching or expecting to develop. Each of the ten trends below has implications for faith formation in your congregation, so I encourage you to take this list and discuss it with your ministry boards and staff. In truth, some of these trends have been around for several years now, I'd say, but they are beginning to move from the larger congregations to the mid-sized and smaller churches.

After you read my list, post a comment and tell me about the Christian education trends you are noticing in your corner of the world. Agree or disagree, I'd love to hear your opinion! (I'll run a Part 2 with some additional trends based on your feedback and ideas.)

We Are One Family

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 13:00:00 GMT

One loaf of bread
Is a reminder.
Although we are many,
We are one body.
God’s children are
One family.

It doesn’t matter
Where we live,
What we have,
What we can do,
What we believe,
We are one family.

A myriad of differences:
Eye color, height,
Sense of humor,
Ability to curl our tongue,
or throw a Frisbee.
We are one family.

If one is grieving,
Mourning a loss
Of a loved one,
A house, a job,
A possibility…
The family is sad.

If one is suffering,
Injured in an earthquake,
Going to bed hungry,
Shivering in the cold,
Enduring abuse,
The family is hurting.

If one is missing,
Lost, abandoned,
Disconnected,
Shut out by barriers
Real or perceived,
The family is not complete.

God’s children must
Help each other,
Care for one another,
Strive for justice,
Work toward healing
And wholeness.

We are one family.

~Sally Hoelscher

A Wretched Man: A Novel of Paul the Apostle (book review)

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 13:00:00 GMT

If asked to recommend some good books about Paul for laypersons and church professionals, there are several candidates that would come to mind. Two, though, would receive my top recommendation. Borg and Crossan's The First Paul would be tops on my list for its lucid and important description of the de-radicalization of Paul's message by the early church. (Read my review here.) Next, I'd recommend a forthcoming novel, A Wretched Man: A Novel of Paul the Apostle by RW Holmen, a compelling exploration of the Jewish (Nazarenes) and Gentile (Pauline) movements in the first century. If you've ever struggled to understand Paul's form of faith, Holmen's work of historical fiction will help you to imagine your way into Paul's life and times.

A Wretched Man takes its title from Romans 7:24, "Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?" and refers more specifically within the novel to Paul's "thorn in the flesh" (2 Cor. 12:7) which has been the focus of scholarly speculation for hundreds of years. Many theories about just what that "thorn" was, including earaches, headaches, sciatica, rheumatism, demonic possession, epilepsy, bad eyesight, lust, depression, a literally embedded thorn, and many other off-beat possibilities. In recent years, some scholars have suggested Paul's thorn was repressed homosexuality. John Shelby Spong, for example, takes this view, writing in his book Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism that, "A rigidly controlled gay male, I believe, taught the Christian church what the love of God means." (p. 125).

Same Story, Different Points of View

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Two couples go out to dinner together. At the end of the evening, each person gives an account of the evening. Not surprisingly, although there are similarities between the accounts, each story is different. Details and conversations that are prominent in one person’s retelling may be completely absent or just a minor mention in another’s version. (For those of you who were fans of the TV show "thirtysomething", this storyline was used in one of the episodes during the first season.) Point of view affects the interpretation and memory of events. No two people have exactly the same point of view. Hearing the same story told from different perspectives can help give a more complete understanding of what happened. This process can be used with Bible stories both as a way to gain new insights and as a method of keeping children, youth or adults interested in a story they may have heard many times before.

Do this before developing a second website

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Last week I encouraged you to consider having multiple websites for your church. Although that may seem to be an impossible dream, in reality there are several inexpensive ways to make that happen. First, though, there are some necessary steps to take before launching into the development of the new site...so consider this your assignment for this week.

Characteristics of a Progressive Sunday School Ministry (Part 1)

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:00:00 GMT

What makes Sunday School at a progressive church different than Sunday School at other churches? Given that there are limited options available for progressive curriculum, particularly for children, in many cases progressive congregations are using “mainstream curriculum”. (We await, with anticipation, the children’s curriculum being developed by The Center for Progressive Christianity.) Therefore, it is not the curriculum that is used in Sunday School, but the manner in which it is taught that sets a progressive Sunday School ministry apart from its counterparts.

Our motto at Different Voice is: “Embrace life. Nurture Spirituality. Inspire change.” These are also worthy goals for a progressive Sunday School ministry. In this three part series, I will explore in more depth what this might look like.

Haiti changed my life

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 13:00:00 GMT

The course of my life changed after a visit to Haiti. It was the summer of 1986, and a campus ministry group I was part of traveled there to learn about extreme poverty and do a bit of service work. Having grown up in rural Wisconsin, I was not completely unfamiliar with what it meant to be poor; indeed, one of my friends literally had a dirt floor in at least one room of his house. But Haiti, which was the first country I had ever visited outside the U.S., was certainly victim to another type of poverty altogether.

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucastheexperience/ / CC BY-ND 2.0

Although many things on that week-long trip caused a shift in my being—seeing people living in trash dumps, holding infants who were being treated for TB, bartering with local artisans who traded me a carved wooden bottle for a half-used bottle of sunscreen and a worn-out pair of hi-tops—nothing sticks in my mind more than a story I heard at the very end of the trip.

Twelve Extraordinary Women (A Review)

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Rev. Dawn B. Young, Ed.D. is the Director of Christian Education for the Louisiana Conference. She also reviews books for Different Voice. This month, Dawn reviewed women’s study books or studies on Women in the Bible.

Twelve Extraordinary Women: How God Shaped Women of the Bible and What He Wants to Do With You by John MacArthur

I am continually asked about Bible study resources for women. For women in mainline or progressive churches there is a lack of strong study materials. While there is a plethora of works that are either watered down or steeped in denominational dogma, little is available for hardcore Biblical exploration that focuses upon women. Personally, I don’t like to categorize Biblical studies, but I do understand the need and more importantly the desire. So let me take a look at a few mainline Bible studies that focus upon women.

Calling All Cooks!

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 13:00:00 GMT

The winter weather that the Midwest and many other places are experiencing this week, has me thinking about warm food. As I write this, I have chili simmering in the crock pot. While I was making the chili this morning, I was reminded of a ministry idea that a fellow Christian Educator shared with me. (Unfortunately, I don’t remember who shared this idea. If it was you, please post a comment and take credit!) Adapting an idea used by secular organizations, her church hosted a chili cook-off.

Why your church needs multiple websites

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Let's start today's blog with a premise: your church probably doesn't have enough websites. Now I know you're probably thinking, "What!?! We can't even do one website well. How would we manage or afford multiple sites?" For the moment, set that potentially valid concern aside, and just consider these reasons you need multiple websites.

Weekly Teacher Training

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Several of the programs on my computer open with a pop-up window informing me of the “tip of the day”. Every time I use the program I am offered short, concise information about the program’s capabilities, possibilities or time-saving shortcuts. Some of these tips contain information that I either already know, or do not need. However, many times, I am reminded of something that I knew at one time or I learn something new! I admit that I usually don’t watch the tutorials or read the “getting started” information when I put a new program on my computer, but I do read these tips. It only takes a short amount of time to read the tip or to close the window when the information does not apply to the way I use the program.

Observations

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 13:00:00 GMT

In the tile at the hotel, I see a farmer wearing a hat;
his hat resembles a marshmallow on a plate.
Every Sunday at church, I see a profile of a dog in the rock wall;
some Sundays I search for the skier, too.
In the bruise on my leg, a tiny heart appears on the third day.
The barista creates a fan-shaped design on top of my chai.
In the clouds, I see an alligator that morphs into a fire-breathing dragon.
Two trees fell to the ground where they now form a cross.
Liquid on the counter resembles a Rorschach blot;
spilt milk provides an unexpected diversion.
A squirrel is burying nuts in my yard;
its tail resembles a question mark.

Surprises awaiting discovery.
Little blessings that make me smile.

"Open my eyes so I can see what you show me of your miracle wonders." Psalm 119:18 (The Message)

~Sally Hoelscher

Review: The Real Messiah: The Throne of St. Mark and the True Origins of Christianity

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Imagine if you will a unique kind of 2000-piece puzzle. Each puzzle box contains just a few pieces, and those pieces have multiple possible places where they may fit. In fact, some pieces can look like they belong, when in reality they just don't fit at all, since the puzzle box doesn't come with a photo of the completed puzzle on the cover. The person who wants to try to put together the whole puzzle has to assemble a whole lot of chaos and ultimately try make some sense of it all. And the likelihood is, even if someone puts together a mostly complete picture, there's a darn good chance someone else will later determine there's an even better way to assemble the pieces. To further complicate matters, millions of people sit on the outside, arguing about this or that placement of a puzzle piece and making daily proclamations about the ultimate meaning of the puzzle for people's lives.

By now, you've probably realized that my illustration is a pretty good description of what it's like to be a biblical scholar. Each individual specializes in some particular niche—epigraphy, cultural customs, textual variants, political systems, and many others—then adds his or her knowledge to the mix. Every so often, a revolutionary theory will pop up that changes the way people understand a large chunk of the biblical text, such as the Q theory of the synoptic gospels' formation, or the Documentary Hypothesis of the formation of the Pentateuch. For many Christians, learning about these theories can inspire anger, frustration, confusion, doubt, or denial, while others find ways of integrating the new information into their belief system, even if that requires a pretty radical personal shift. If you're inclined to be an "integrator," then click to read more. But don't say I didn't warn you...

Tell the Story in Twenty Words

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Society embraces brevity. Text message – up to 160 characters. Tweet – less than 140 characters. Facebook is generous, allowing 420 characters.

The brevity trend is not new. CliffsNotes began in 1958. Still today, they summarize and deliver knowledge in short bursts.

The Bible contains over 750,000 words. A fifty word summary neglects details, but is quickly read. It invites further exploration.

Today’s ministry idea embraces society’s attraction to knowledge imparted concisely. Use this idea with older children, youth, adults and families.

It's the 10s, so where's my rocket pack?

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 13:00:00 GMT

One of my favorite songs as a teenager was by a somewhat obscure Christian band called Daniel Amos (aka D.A., Dä). On their incredibly fun album Vox Humana, a song called, "(It's The Eighties, So Where's Our) Rocket Packs" contained these words:

My hopes are running low
Things moving much too slow
There's no space men up above
And we're still so very far from love
So very far from love

The song speaks to a reality: technology may change slower or faster than we'd like, but either way there's no guarantee that love will increase because of technology. (By the way, you can listen to the song and watch a homemade video created for it here—just don't blame me when the tune gets stuck in your head!)

Ask, "Why?"

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 13:00:00 GMT

The start of the year is a perfect time to evaluate your Christian education model. You'll need plenty of time to make significant changes, so starting an evaluation process in January will help you to be ready to launch something new in August or September. Your Christian education model is composed of several parts, including your:

assumptions about and theology of faith formation
plan or process for “doing” the ministry of Christian education
curriculum you use or develop
training plan for your teachers and leaders
process for the administrative details of communication, tracking involvement, and evaluation

An Ancient Coin and Christmas

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 13:00:00 GMT

A few years ago, I accidentally started a nationwide debate. Well, a minor one, anyway. You see, I collect old coins—really old ones, mostly from the years 100 BCE to 100 CE. After winning on eBay what I believed to be a coin of Herod the Great (the King Herod who sends the “wise men” out to find the one born “King of the Jews”), I started to doubt I had correctly identified it. So, I posted a message to a biblical coins discussion forum online asking for help.

Tim's book picks for 2009

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 13:00:00 GMT

So, you've got that Amazon/Borders/eBay/B&N/independent bookseller gift certificate in your hand, and you're wondering what to spend it on. Here's a look back at ten of my favorite books of 2009, along with a list of the ten books I most wish I'd gotten around to reading, all especially selected with progressive Christian educators in mind. Hope you find some extra time in the coming days to curl up with a great book!

Christmas greetings from Sally

news@differentvoice.com — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:00:00 GMT

The Arrival

Economic woes, global warming,
war, make that wars, poverty,
homelessness, human trafficking,
domestic violence, cancer,
unemployment, mental illness,
AIDS, gangs, illiteracy…and more.

Amidst all of the stuff of life,
with the flip of the calendar page,
arrives Christmas Day. Christmas.
Once again, 365 days after the last one,
Christmas.

Lessons from a 4-year Advent

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 13:00:00 GMT

In the past three weeks, I've been to three churches that had three different approaches to Advent. (Perhaps one of them is like your congregation!)

On the first week of the start of the church year, I saw the "Recognition-Avoidance" approach. The nondenominational church's worship leader made a passing reference to the fact that it was the "start of the Christmas season in the church. (Pause) Or, actually, it's the start of Advent." He then went on to read a "traditional Advent scripture," (which he immediately tied to Easter!) and thus end-eth the Advent/Christmas references for the rest of the hour. On Sunday 2, I saw the "Satisfaction Guaranteed" approach when I attended a United Methodist Church that sings Christmas carols during a pre-service hymn-sing but faithfully sticks to Advent themes within the service itself. And last Sunday, I witnessed the "Chris-adven-tmas" approach when I visited a Baptist church where we read a brief Advent liturgy, sang a few Christmas carols, heard a long sermon that was vaguely Advent-ish, and closed with "Go Tell it On the Mountain."

Did you catch the common theme? Like a child that can't avoid poking the presents under the tree, all three had a hard time with waiting to celebrate Christmas.

Behold - Listen to this!

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Imagine a party where the guests in attendance include Buddha, Mohammed, Abraham and Jesus. The occasion: a birthday party for Jesus. Now imagine a song about such a party. If your imagination is feeling stretched, there is no need to tax it any longer. Get yourself a copy of the CD, Behold by The River’s Voice, and listen to “The Birthday Party”. This song is just one of the fifteen musical gems you will find on the Christmas CD, Behold.

Christmas isn't over on December 26

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:00:00 GMT

According to retail stores, Christmas is over on December 26. After December 25, it is time to return unwanted gifts, shop the after-Christmas sales and begin thinking about Valentine’s Day. Of course, if you take your cues from the retail world, you began celebrating Christmas in mid-October. As a church, we have been celebrating Advent since November 29, preparing and waiting to remember and celebrate the birth of Jesus on Christmas. Isn’t the birth of Jesus is deserving of more than one day of recognition? Indeed, Christmas is a season that lasts from December 25 through Epiphany on January 6. There really are twelve days of Christmas! In our curriculum co-op, you will find a resource that will help you and/or members of your congregation acknowledge and celebrate the twelve days of Christmas (even if you take your Christmas tree down).

News and Teux Deuxs

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Two of the biggest challenges many Christian educators have are a) staying on top of the latest news and b) keeping on top of their To-Do lists. Tech-based solutions abound for both of them, but many people find the solutions overwhelming or too feature-packed for their needs. For example, RSS readers are a marvelous tool for following multiple blogs and getting the latest news, but they tend to work best for those who have a more serious need to follow lots of blogs for professional purposes. Applications and strategies abound for managing to-do lists and projects, ranging from the popular paper-based daily planners to various GTD (Getting Things Done) systems that take more time to figure out than they're worth for many people.

So, here are two terrific tools (Alltop and TeuxDeux) that simplify both of those tasks. Perhaps they'll help you to get organized in the new year!

7 Types of Spiritual Progressives

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Most Christian educators understand that the members of their congregations do not learn in the same way, have the same developmental and spiritual needs, or have the same level of moral reasoning. Stage theories of development are useful tools for tailoring teaching methods and making sure you offer a variety of different kinds of activities. I have also found that in progressive congregations, there are frequently several groups of adults, each with their own familiarity with and acceptance of progressive spirituality, and their educational needs or interests vary as well. Here are 7 of them...

What will this child become?

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Although he wasn’t born in a stable, the circumstances surrounding the birth of John the Baptist were certainly unusual. Elizabeth was old, and considered to be barren, when she became pregnant. Zechariah was struck mute until the baby was named. And his parents went against tradition and named him John instead of Zechariah! Is it any wonder that people asked, “What, then will this child become?” (Luke 1:66)

Good Without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe (Review)

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Like most individuals who were religion majors in college and/or went to seminary, I've had to study other religions, differences in denominational theology and polity, and philosophical debates about God. Yet my awareness of Humanism, one of the largest "lifestances" in the world, was sketchy at best before reading this exceptional book by Greg Epstein, the Humanist Chaplain at Harvard University. What is Humanism, and why should you care?

Here's my review of Good Without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe (2009, William Morrow, 250 pp.)

Enter Our Cluttered or Clean Church Closet Contest

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Christian educators tend to fall into one of two camps: those with organized supply closets, and those who have a more scattershot approach to the "stuff" of ministry. If you're in the former group, bravo! Your teachers undoubtedly are grateful for your obsessive, compulsive approach to storage. (And keep reading for a chance to be rewarded!) If you're in the latter group (as I tend to be), don't fret! We're launching a community-based effort and contest to get your stuff stashed or trashed, labeled, and maintained...with awesome prizes as an incentive to take part.

Everyone can participate! Here's how to enter...

An end-of-year publicity review

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:00:00 GMT

When the Christmas pageant is over and the Sunday school classes go on hiatus for a week or two, be sure to set aside a little time to review the past year. Since you've already (hopefully) been reviewing individual activities on an ongoing basis, now is the time to take a broad view and look especially at your publicity. Here are 6 key questions to ask yourself.

Christmas is about more than getting presents

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:00:00 GMT

December is an exciting time to teach Sunday School. The Christmas story is familiar to most children and they enjoy celebrating Christmas. Part of the reason that children enjoy Christmas is that they like getting presents. I had a second grade boy tell me this week, “The best part of Christmas is getting new toys!” Although some of this behavior is age-appropriate, it does present a challenge for Sunday School teachers. How do you keep the “gimmes” under control and help the children in your Sunday School class realize that there is more to Christmas than getting presents?

You Are Invited

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:00:00 GMT

You are invited...

Christmas from the Children's (Books) Perspective

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Hooray, it’s Advent! In spite of society’s efforts to commercialize Christmas, I really do enjoy this time of year. The world today longs for the messages of hope and joy and peace and love that the story of Jesus’ birth brings to the forefront, just as it did over 2,000 years ago. One of my favorite ways to connect with the Christmas message is to reacquaint myself with my collection of Christmas children’s books. (They are not just for children, you know!) There are a plethora of children’s books written about and for Christmas, some of them better than others. It was impossible for me to choose just one book to review this week, so instead, I offer my list of seven seasonal children’s books that I highly recommend for every church library’s shelves.

That's not the face of Jesus. Yes it is! No it's not!

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 13:00:00 GMT

No person has seen Jesus for two millennia, but that hasn't stopped artists from creating visual representations of him in icons, paintings, statues, film, cartoons, and other media. Some of these images, such as Warner Salman's Head of Christ, are burned into the brains of millions of people around the world and simply ARE the face of Jesus for many. Others, like, say, South Park's Jesus, are rather less known. Images of Jesus can inspire, provoke, anger, and generate conversations both passionate and purposeful. Here's an activity that uses images of Jesus to spark such conversations.

A Fair Trade Christmas

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Chances are, in the next few weeks you are going to do some shopping. Even those of us who try to keep our Advent and Christmas seasons Christ-centered usually participate in gift-giving traditions. I do not like to shop, particularly at this time of year. So for me, one thing I do to keep the Advent season holy and meaningful rather than busy and stressed is to avoid shopping malls from Thanksgiving to January 2. For this reason, one of my favorite uses for technology is the ability to shop via the internet. In addition to the obvious advantage of not being a part of the crowd, internet shopping provides some advantages over shopping at the mall…

Have you given leaders permission to fail?

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Have you ever been in a church meeting that went on and on with little being accomplished? Meetings like that are often evidence that the members are afraid to fail. Ever seen a teacher who literally reads every classroom instruction directly from the curriculum? Again, that behavior is frequently rooted in a fear of failure. "Failure sucks, but instructs" is a motto that Bob Sutton, Professor of Management Science and Engineering at Stanford University, often tells his students. But just what does failure teach us, and how do we ensure that our teachers and leaders a) know it's OK to fail and b) learn the right things from their failures?

"Failing forward" is a popular term in business circles. The idea is that you aren't learning anything if you keep making the same mistakes again and again. (Sounds a lot like my golf swing!) But if you make new and different mistakes, then that's evidence that you are doing and learning something new, because failure is a natural part of life. So, we need to "fail forward," to be ready to goof up and then learn—quickly—from our mistakes.

Peace! Be Still! (Advent edition)

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Dear God,

It’s the day after Thanksgiving and I am bombarded from every side by advertisements urging me to spend, spend, spend…the kids are home from school…the calendar is full…church activities, school concerts, volleyball games, Christmas pageant, sleepovers and more…there are six loads of laundry waiting…my daughter wants to go shopping…snow is on its way…there are bills to pay…and worries about whether there is enough money to pay them…and then there will be additional bills that Christmas shopping will create…the dog wants outside…I am feeling overwhelmed…I’m tired…my son wants to go to the library…there is grocery shopping to be done…and meals to be fixed…every day…the dog wants back in…our annual letter needs to be written and printed and folded and stamped and mailed…and I’ve agreed to take on another responsibility…what was I thinking…my best friend has moved…to another state…and I miss her a lot…the cat wants to help me type…when did Christmas become less about the Christ child and more about shopping...the car’s oil needs to be changed…the dog wants to go for a walk…there are 12 years of photos waiting to be put into albums…and then there are things that I want to do…

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Here at Different Voice, we are thankful for you, our readers and subscribers! We thank for your support and input. We are also thankful for the many ways that each one of you is in ministry in God's world.

Happy Thanksgiving from Tim and Sally!

Blogging this week

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:48:00 GMT

This week we are fine-tuning some changes for our daily emails. During this time, we are sending out articles from our archives. We invite you to spend some time browsing through our previous blogs. You never know what you might find!

~Sally and Tim

The Rest of the Story

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:00:00 GMT

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25, NRSV)

After saying these words, Jesus further explains that, just as God feeds the birds and clothes the lilies of the field, God will care for human beings. Don’t worry; God knows what you need.

Letter to My Daughter (A Review)

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:00:00 GMT

When I first noticed Letter to My Daughter at the bookstore, there were three things that tempted me to purchase it. First of all, I was attracted to the cover; it is quite colorful. (I realize this may sound shallow, but after all, that’s the purpose of cover art, to get us to take a closer look. In this particular case, it worked!) Secondly, the title intrigued me. I have a daughter. I am a daughter. Thirdly, the author of Letter to My Daughter is Maya Angelou, a woman I admire and respect.

As you’ve probably surmised, I did in fact buy Letter to My Daughter. Since I had high expectations, I was almost afraid to read it, for fear of being disappointed. It was in my “to be read” pile for quite awhile, but I finally gave in. I was not disappointed.

Want to ride across Iowa with me?

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Summer of 2010 may seem far away, but to an avid cyclist it's only 248 days until the start of RAGBRAI®, the world's largest bike ride. Some 25,000 cyclists from all over the world come to Iowa and pedal their way across the state. Next year's ride will be held July 25-31, 2009...and I really need to start my training before long!

So why in the world am I telling you about RAGBRAI® in a Christian education-related email? Because it's a great opportunity to...

meet lots of interesting people (and this is definitely not an understatement)
care for your body (1000 miles of riding = around 50,000 calories burned!)
enjoy a unique form of outdoor tourism (Corn. Corn. Soybeans. Corn.)
engage in long conversations (gotta do something besides look at corn)
eat a lot of homemade pie (guilt-free...you'll burn it off!)
build community between your congregation members
invite non-church friends to join you for a fun week
and even meet other progressive Christians educators. RAGBRAI® doesn't usually have many church-affiliated teams (the few I've run into are often from conservative seminaries or Christian colleges), but my congregation's team would welcome you with open arms!

Easy volunteerism...too easy?

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:00:00 GMT

The web makes it very easy for people to do a bit of good each day. Sites like The Hunger Site have been encouraging people for years to just click on a button each day to donate a bit of rice to impoverished people. Some churches urge all of their members to use GoodSearch.com as their search engine, because doing so can generate revenue for the church or for another organization the church supports. Sites like these are proliferating rapidly as nonprofit organizations try to reach new audiences by blending a bit of education with a simple-to-do action and the power of social networks.

The latest of these sites to cross my path multiple times is Help From Home, which provides information about websites devoted to making a difference and ways to take action in as little as one minute. Frequently, the actions involve such low-effort tasks as digitally adding your signature to a petition, tweaking your email signature, or taking part in a project that uses your idle computer time to process data. In other words, these actions are gateway actions; they introduce people to issues of concern with the hope that people will gradually become more and more interested in the cause. A term has of course developed for this type of social action: slacktivism.

The cure for rabbit trails

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Going off on a tangent. Chasing rabbit trails. Veering off course. Whatever the terminology, all teachers are familiar with the reality that discussions often get off topic. What's a teacher to do when that happens? Go with the flow, ignore the off-topic comments, force the conversation back to the main topic, or something else entirely? Knowing how to deal with tangents is a skill that is acquired with experience.

Sometimes, tangents take the conversation in a more serious or personal direction, such as when a youth group begins to open up and share personal stories and raw emotions. When that happens, the wise teacher may, if time allows, set aside the planned conversation in favor of the more pressing need. At other times, tangents are clearly superfluous, and a good leader will recognize that and redirect the conversation.

But often, teachers may have a valid reason for wanting to keep a group on topic in order to keep discussions from becoming frivolous or argumentative. In addition, tangents can take a discussion in a direction for which a teacher has not had adequate time to prepare, such as when someone brings up a question about a biblical passage or topic that the teacher has not studied.

Every Day I Have a Choice

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Every day I have a choice.

The Book of Genesis Illustrated should be on your bookshelf

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:00:00 GMT

To illustrate a biblical text in any kind of graphic medium is to be an interpreter. Each stroke of the pen made by an artist who is creating an image of Jesus for a Sunday school handout, for example, is an attempt to make a statement about what a scene may have looked like. Examples abound of truly dreadful attempts to translate the Bible into visual forms; the Spire Christian Comics series (look at the one simply titled "Jesus") and The Passion of the Christ are two examples that would likely make most progressive Christians cringe.

My comic book collecting days are over now (and yes, I'm afraid I did have several of those Spire comics at one point), but I still read the occasional graphic (i.e. illustrated) novel. So when a Daily Voice reader alerted me to the news that R. Crumb had put out an illustrated version of Genesis, I ran down to my local comic store that day, as well as to my local Borders Books, to see a copy. R. Crumb is likely unfamiliar to most readers of The Daily Voice, though odds are good you've seen some of his images at some point. He is considered the founder of the underground comics movement (i.e. think "adult"), with a unique style that is instantly recognizable. He's definitely not the first illustrator that would come to mind if one was thinking about a Bible-related project (in fact, he claims to be essentially Gnostic in his religious beliefs), and indeed the sales guys at both stores (who both happened to be very acquainted with his work, but not this particular book) were utterly shocked when I told them about his project.

Follow the Star

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:00:00 GMT

At many churches, the Advent season would not be complete without a Christmas pageant/program/play. Whether it is done by children, youth, adults or an intergenerational mix, we enjoy retelling the story of Jesus’ birth through drama. Such events are a wonderfully, visual way to pass on the stories and traditions of our faith.

If your church has a Christmas pageant tradition and you thrive on the preparation, anticipation and enactment of the event, that’s great! If the Christmas pageant at your church provides more anxiety and frustration than anticipation, or if your church does not have an event to reenact the Christmas story, you might want to consider this alternative. Follow the Star is an event that has worked well at the church I attend for over 15 years.

Read this now for your "read this later" websites

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Every day, dozens or even hundreds of Twitter feeds, email newsletters, Facebook updates, and blog posts find their way into my computer. Many of these contain links to "must read" articles about denominational news, technology tips, resources that are coming out, and so on. I scan them quickly, looking for the gems I think are most likely to be useful to me (and to you!), and then I click on the links. But unless I'm going to take the time to read the articles right away, I have a problem: WAY too many tabs and windows get opened in my browser.

On the day when I hit 14 windows and 52 tabs open, I realized I needed to find a simple, elegant solution to my problem, then dedicate myself to using it regularly. Immediately my thoughts went to Evernote, a program I truly love and think everyone should install. Evernote has the ability to capture screenshots and other details through a simple button on my screen. Yet since I keep so many different types of information in Evernote (lists, To-Dos, voice recordings, photos, and more), storing links to articles I'd like to read just didn't seem like the elegant solution. I could just bookmark the pages in my browser, of course, but I prefer to keep my bookmarks focused on tools, not articles.

Think Outside the Classroom

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:00:00 GMT

In the minds of many, Christian Education is synonymous with Sunday School. Certainly Sunday School is one place that Christian Education takes place. But many more opportunities for Christian Education exist! Besides the Sunday School classroom, where else does Christian Education occur?

To consider this question, it may be helpful to begin by defining what Christian Education is and reviewing its purpose. It is likely that every person involved in Christian Education would offer a slightly different definition and purpose. Here are my ideas. (I invite you to offer your own ideas by posting a comment.)

Writer's Blocks

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:00:00 GMT

I'll admit that I sometimes struggle to keep my writing—whether for The Daily Voice or for publication—to a manageable length. But occasionally I find I’m struck with that malady almost all who put pen to paper (or finger to key) know and fear—writer’s block. This is one of those times. So here I offer you some “writer’s blocks”— 3 short, loosely connected thoughts and stories that just didn't want to turn into a full post by themselves.

♠ ♠ ♠ ♠ ♠

I was asked once by a young child on graduation Sunday, the day we recognize high school and college graduates, “When will I graduate from Sunday school?” My answer? “Not quite yet...” There’s always more to learn, and we’re constantly in the process of being transformed into the likeness of Christ.

A few years ago, Interpreter magazine ran an amazing article about Sam Ballinger of Hermitage UMC in Tennessee. Sam had not missed a single Sunday school class in 63 years! At that point, it was 3,299 Sundays…and counting! (I wish I knew if that streak was still going.) Among his reasons for this incredible longevity: there are “no good excuses to miss.” So, if people in your congregation ever start to wonder if it’s time they graduated from Sunday school, just tell them, “Not quite yet.”

Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway? (Review of 2009 edition)

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Why review a resource that has been around for many (30!) years? First, because there are always persons for whom a "standard" resource is an undiscovered gem. Second, because even those of us who have been in faith formation ministries for years tend to forget about resources that are devoted to just one part of the church year. Third, Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway? is a publication that changes its content each year. And finally, this review will hopefully serve as a reminder to those who have put off placing their order that it's time to act...now!

Produced by Alternatives for Simple Living, one of my all-time favorite sources for terrific, progressive resources, Whose Birthday is it, Anyway? is a 48-page Advent publication for individuals, families, and churches that wish to celebrate a Christ-centered, justice-oriented, ecologically-responsible season. Formerly produced in both ecumenical and denominational-specific versions, this year's edition only comes in one flavor, the ecumenical version. (Technically, there is a version specifically for Canadians, but you won't find that using the link.) The cost starts at $3.50 per copy, but rapidly decreases the more copies you purchase. Additionally, it's even possible to buy a reprint license to copy and reproduce portions of the content.

The highlights of this year's edition include...

Advent Calendar 2009

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Today’s blog is short and sweet and contains an Advent gift for you! I am sure that you realize that the beginning of Advent is a mere three and a half weeks away. On the Sharing page you will find an Advent calendar ready for you to download and copy.

A unique feature of this particular Advent calendar is that it ties Advent to Easter. Jesus’ birth many years ago is worthy of celebrating! We are fortunate that we also know that Jesus conquered death. To help children (and youth and adults) remember that Christmas and Easter are linked together, this Advent calendar transforms into a cross by Christmas Day.

Blessed are those...

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 03:13:00 GMT

According to Netcraft, in April 2009 there were 231,510,169 websites. If you were to look at each website for 1 minute (we’re talking a quick perusal here) it would take you 440 years to view them all. Of course, this is also a moving target; there are more websites now than there were in April and it is impossible to predict the state of technology 440 years from now. Statistics like this make me grateful for search engines!

Considering the number of websites in existence, I am delighted when I discover a good progressive Christianity website. And when I do so, I am eager to share my find with our readers through The Daily Voice and the links pages on our website. I recently discovered such a site, the website of The Beatitudes Society.

One Size Fits All Teachers' Appreciation Gift

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Many churches give their Sunday School teachers (and other volunteers) a gift at Christmastime. If your church does this, now is a good time to begin thinking about the gifts you will give this year. If your church has not given Sunday School teachers a Christmas gift before, this year is a good time to begin. By Christmas, your teachers have been giving of their time on Sunday mornings for four months. Christmas is a good opportunity to remind them their efforts are appreciated!

World's Apart

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:00:00 GMT

A sixth grade girl, an only child,
living with two parents who are
well-educated and financially secure.
Also in her life are loving grandparents, a doting aunt,
and an uncle, whose family supplies a couple of cousins.
Like a typical 12 year old girl, friends are important to her.
Any opportunity to get together is a good thing,
particularly if it involves a sleepover.

the little bit SCARY people

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:00:00 GMT

At some time, each one of us has encountered someone that is a bit scary. We may not have used the word scary, but for one reason or another, we are reluctant to interact with this person. Doing so would require stepping outside of our comfort zone. Emily Jenkins has written a children’s book that addresses this topic.

the little bit SCARY people is a reminder not to judge people based on their looks, or on the brief glimpse of themselves that you may see. A young girl describes the “little bit SCARY people” that she encounters. Following a description of each person, she imagines another side of his or her personality.

Add a book to your visitor packets

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:00:00 GMT

In the fascinating book, Free: The Future of a Radical Price, Chris Anderson argues persuasively that businesses need to get a lot better at giving things away for free. You undoubtedly have experienced the power of free in many places and forms before. Cell phones are given away as an incentive to get you to switch cell phone plans. iTunes offers a few free songs each week, surely because they get people to visit their store regularly to browse and to discover something new. Restaurants lure customers in with BOGO (Buy One, Get One free) offers. The technique is powerful, and it certainly can build loyalty and interest among customers...or visitors, for that matter.

Churches, of course, don't charge people for their services in ways that a business might, but the free concept still has many useful applications in ministry settings. One form of free that many churches use is the visitor gift bag, mug, folder, or envelope. In my own church visits in recent weeks, I have received such items as two small loaves of home-baked banana bread, a copy of John's gospel in The Message translation, a bottle of water, pens, brochures, candy, tracts, and even a carabiner. Each of these was no doubt chosen because it communicated something about the congregation. (The carabiner, you ask? The church hoped I wouldn't feel "disconnected.")

The art of the background slide

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:00:00 GMT

A background slide is a type of PowerPoint (or Keynote, for Mac users) slide that works very well for both song lyrics and for presentation pages after the title slide. Essentially, it's a muted version of the theme slide, with the titles deleted. If you're not quite sure what I mean, you can see an example of variations on a theme slide for worship here.

Making a background slide is incredibly easy, yet many people who are not very familiar with computer graphics often don't realize just what a simple process it is. Here's a step-by-step tutorial, using a simple slide I created using a stock image and a terrific, free graphics program called IrfanView. You can do the same thing with virtually every graphics program—even in PowerPoint or your favorite worship software program if you wish—but IrfanView's worth downloading due to its huge feature set, tiny size, and super-stable performance. (IrfanView is a PC program. Mac users, you may wish to try Seashore.)

Men and Christian Education (part 3)

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:00:00 GMT

In this final part of this series (if you missed them, here are part 1 and part 2) I'll offer some tips for engaging men in educational settings, in a quick list form. As with any ministry, there is no one approach or ministry that will work in every setting or with all men. This list hopefully will get you thinking about your own educational ministries—both what you're already doing and what you could easily add.

Use physical educational methods. Give men opportunities to be active.
Don’t call your Sunday morning learning opportunities “Sunday school.”
If something is going to be longer than 60 minutes, consider adding an “intermission” in the middle. Likewise, remember that men tend to have shorter attention spans than women.
Don’t be afraid of competition.
Encourage mentoring relationships with youth, young adults, and new Christians.
Emphasize projects more than programs.

Particularly Fine Specimens

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:00:00 GMT

When I walk in the fall, I collect leaves. I pick up “particularly fine specimens” and take them home. Sometimes I press them and use them as a centerpiece or in some other creative way. Often they simply add color to the kitchen table until they dry and curl up and I return them to the outdoors. (I wonder if anyone has ever seen a pile of my recycled “particularly fine specimens” and imagined a tree that dropped all these different kinds of leaves in one place.)

There is no single characteristic that makes a leaf a “particularly fine specimen”. They are not necessarily the perfect, unblemished leaves. Instead, they are the leaves that catch my eye and capture my attention for one reason or another.

Racing Toward Armageddon (Review of Michael Baigent book)

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Twenty-one years ago, I picked up a little book at my local Christian bookstore that was selling like crazy. It was called, 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will be in 1988. When that didn't happen, the author came out with a revision called The Final Shout: Rapture Report 1989, promising - you guessed it - a really big event that year. As I recall (yes, sadly I bought that one too), he had made a calculation error that had something to do with the year zero. Even though I was pretty firmly planted in the world of liberal theology and biblical interpretation by that point, I have to admit I was just a bit shaken by these two books. Call it the "What if" factor. What if he's right? What if I've been misled by all of my study of the New Testament? And, of course, What if he's just a crackpot milking the fundamentalist faithful for money?

Those books come to mind whenever I teach Bible studies on Revelation, as well as when I read books about contemporary apocalyptic movements. One of the latest of these books to catch my attention is by Michael Baigent, a historian known for some pretty radical religious theories, called Racing Toward Armageddon: The Three Great Religions and the Plot to End the World (HarperOne, 2009, 304 pp.) I was expecting something a little wild and sensational, given the title; instead, I found myself engaged by a well-researched account of the apocalyptic movements within Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, as well by his very good summary of the historical themes of the book of Revelation.

The New Year is approaching...

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:00:00 GMT

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1

We are quickly approaching the beginning of a new year. Don’t panic! January 1, 2010 is still 71 days away. However, The Liturgical Year, which many churches follow with slight variations, begins on the first Sunday of Advent - November 29 this year. That date is only 39 days away.

The liturgical or Christian year divides the year into a cycle of seasons. These seasons determine when holidays and celebrated, and what scriptures are read throughout the year. Many churches use a lectionary to select scripture passages, prayers and music that correspond with the season.

Lotsa Helping Hands makes helping others easy!

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Think for a second about some of the ways your congregation members care for one another or for others in the community during a time of need. Perhaps you deliver meals to elderly members, families with a new baby, or individuals who have experienced a death in the family. Maybe you have had to help a family rebuild their lives after a fire, flood, or other disaster. Probably the pastor or others visit individuals who are in the hospital. Maybe you serve a meal once each month at a homeless shelter and need volunteer help. The list can go on and on.

Coordinating all of these tasks and volunteers can be a daunting task, but it's a super simple process when you sign up for (and use, of course!) a free Lotsa Helping Hands account. This incredible web-based service gives you the ability to add and track tasks, have volunteers sign up for slots, send reminders to volunteers, share information about an individual's situation, and much more. Lotsa Helping Hands requires no special technological skills or equipment...and again, it's FREE! Anyone with web access can utilize the Community you create. The only problem you might have is that sometimes the slots available can fill up so fast that not everyone who wants to offer help can do so! You'll also want to recruit one person from the church who will serve as the lead Coordinator. (This could be a staff person, but why not pass on that opportunity to a congregation member?)

Men and Christian Education (part 2)

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:00:00 GMT

In the first part of this series, I provided some discouraging statistics about the gap in presence and participation between women and men, and I encouraged you to begin thinking about your own Christian education ministries and who you most reach. This week, I'll touch on the theological concepts that might undergird your men's ministries. Obviously this space is limited, so I encourage you to do further reading on your own in the recommended books listed below.

There are not a lot of Christian education books that adequately address gender differences between men and women and how to effectively minister equally to both groups. Those who go looking for information on male spirituality will undoubtedly quickly come across David Murrow's Why Men Hate Going to Church, a book with some interesting and useful research and ideas but a rather simplistic theology about gender. Murrow contends that the decline in men in the church is because the church has been "feminized" and that the best way to get men involved in the church again is to emphasize risk, reward, accomplishment, heroic sacrifice, action, and adventure in its programming (which of course derive from his simplistic understanding of Jesus' life.)

Always be ready

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you're living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy. (1 Peter 3:15-16, The Message)

As a writer, it's easy for me to hide behind the glow of my laptop and type away about my faith. I have the luxury of carefully choosing my words, pondering some witty or thoughtful response to a question or writing only about the topics of interest to me. But in "real life" conversations, the right words often do not come to mind, and I kick myself later for not having said something brilliant. Here's a recent example.

I visited what is probably the most conservative congregation in my community as part of my ongoing effort to attend worship with every faith group in town. This particular church uses the King James Bible in worship, has a hymnal that dates to 1972 (filled with the kind of songs you'd hear at a tent revival), and sends out people to knock on the doors of recent visitors like myself to ask questions like, "If you died today, are you a million percent sure of where you'd be going?" (Yes, that's an exact quote!)

Peaceful Heroes

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:00:00 GMT

We live in a world where wars and acts of violence seem to be ever present in the news. The discovery of the children’s book, Peaceful Heroes by Jonah Winter and illustrated by Sean Addy is a breath of fresh air in such a world. The heroes whose stories are told here provide hope that there are peaceful alternatives; violence does not have to be the way to change the world.

Peaceful Heroes introduces fourteen individuals who have changed the world. Each tale is unique. The lives of these persons have impacted the world in different ways. The common denominator among these people is their commitment to helping others through peace and not violence.

Hold a film club

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Cold weather and even snow have arrived early here in my own state of Iowa, and when the cold and snow arrives, people begin to stay at home more frequently. If this happens where you live, that makes fall or winter the perfect time to start a film club to give people in your congregation a chance to connect!

A film club can take many forms...

Book suggestions needed

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:05:00 GMT

We're putting together a list of the top 100 books every progressive Christian educator should own. What books have found a permanent place on your own shelf? Please post a comment with some of your personal favorites (author, title at least, but you can provide more too if you wish, such as why you recommend the books.)

Friendship Ministries

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Since today is Tuesday, it must be technology day! As the Blogger-in-chief of Different Voice, Tim does an excellent job of keeping all of us up-to-date on technology and its potential uses in Christian Education. However, we like to give Tim a Tuesday off every once in awhile. That’s when I bring my “using but not completely understanding technology” viewpoint to Tuesday’s email. Today, I have a website recommendation for you. As promised yesterday, this website is a resource available to congregations and Sunday School teachers to encourage acceptance of persons with special needs.

What is always good?

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:00:00 GMT

One of the defining characteristics of progressive Christianity is its inclusiveness. Following Jesus’ example, we attempt to remember that God’s love is extended to everyone, regardless of gender, race, age, political affiliation, economic status, sexual orientation, intellectual ability or any other classification that we, as humans, use to describe ourselves. All means all. Finding resources that reinforce this message can sometimes be challenging. (See Questions to ask your curriculum to evaluate how your current curriculum measures up.) Today and tomorrow I will be sharing two excellent resources that are available for use by congregations and Sunday School teachers to encourage acceptance of persons with special needs.

Praying Psalm 22

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:00:00 GMT

As I read the lectionary scriptures for this coming Sunday, I found myself drawn toward one of the psalms, Psalm 22:1-15. Psalms is the prayer book of the Bible, but some of the prayers do not seem to apply to my life. The language and the references are foreign to me. Upon a closer look, however, I realize there have been times when I prayed this psalm.

Eternal Life: A New Vision

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:00:00 GMT

The arrival of a new book by Bishop John Shelby Spong brings about rejoicing in certain circles, and no doubt dismay in others. This time, there may be at least some rejoicing even by those who are not at all his fans, as he has declared this will be his final book. Of course, he has written that in previous books, but both his age and the fact that he sees this as his culminating work make that a believable statement.

I tend to be in the "love him" category, though I definitely have found some books to be far better than others. His book The Sins of Scripture, for example, would likely make my list of 25 books every progressive educator should read (were I to have such a compiled list!) In Eternal LIfe: A New Vision of Eternity: Beyond Religion, Beyond Theism, Beyond Heaven and Hell (Harper One, 2009, 268 pp.), Spong turns his attention to all things ultimate. The result is a book which -- while mildly disappointing -- is still a worthwhile addition to a topic many of us just don't know how to talk about very well.

Christmas already?

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:00:00 GMT

I am one of those people who are frustrated by seeing Christmas decorations in the stores already. I’m not ready to celebrate Christmas yet. I begin celebrating Christmas after Thanksgiving, or when Advent begins, whichever comes first. And as challenging as it is in our commercial society, I make an effort to try to keep the Advent season holy and meaningful rather than busy and stressed.

Can you backup your social networks?

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Last week, popular church futurist Len Sweet was temporarily banned from Facebook after someone tagged one of his podcast links as hostile. That action had ripple effects, and before long his iTunes podcast was being blocked or seen as spam by some of the major internet blocklists. The content in the podcast can hardly be seen as hostile (listen to it here if you wish), but the incident raises many questions. Here's one practical one: what happens to all of your digital "stuff" (photos, podcasts, blog posts, Facebook friends, etc.) if for one reason or another you are blocked or a website goes out of business?

The reality is that when it comes to web businesses, you may have little or no warning before everything you created goes poof. If that possibility gives you chills, what's the solution? As with all of the data on your computer's hard drive, it's summed up in four words: Backup. Your. Stuff. Regularly.

Watch your language

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Like many children, I grew up with a masculine image of God. For the first twenty years of my life, I only heard God referred to as Father or He. It is true that God is like a loving and forgiving father. The image of God as a father figure allows us to understand a part of God. Yet God is so much more! God is an incomprehensible mystery; no image can adequately describe all the characteristics of God.

Got fear?

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:00:00 GMT

The stack of books sitting next to me have something in common: they all are, in one way or another, about fear. I didn't intend to put together a collection of books on that topic; perhaps my selections say something about the current state of my psyche, or perhaps it's just the ethos of our times that has given rise to these books. In either case, here's a peek at some of what I'm reading or browsing...

On the top of the stack: Inside Larry & Sergey's Brain. These two founders of Google have been causing fear in the minds of anyone who is steeped in traditional advertising, publishing, or marketing. Next: Life Is Friends. This one's about the "lost art of connecting in person," and is filled with tips for overcoming shyness, phobia about having guests over, and so on. Then there's Will I See My Dog in Heaven?, a Franciscan answer to a common fear-based question in the hearts of animal lovers everywhere. Racing Toward Armageddon: The Three Great Religions and the Plot to End the World is dripping with fear on just about every page, I suspect. A book that hopes to dispel some fears is When Gay People Get Married: What Happens When Societies Legalize Same-Sex Marriage. Currently on the bottom of the stack is Eternal Life: A New Vision: Beyond Religion, Beyond Theism, Beyond Heaven and Hell, an exploration of the evolution of fear-based religion and how we can move beyond it. (A review of this one will be forthcoming next Thursday.)

Listen to the Wind

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Listen to the Wind is the story of Greg Mortenson, who set out to climb a mountain in Asia. Mortenson failed in his attempt. The book would not be very interesting if it ended there; fortunately, it doesn’t. Listen to the Wind by Greg Mortenson and Susan L. Roth tells how Mortenson turned that failure into success in another area.

Have you filled a bucket today?

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Are you a bucket filler or a bucket dipper? If this question makes sense to you, I suspect you have read the children’s book, Have You Filled a Bucket Today? This book, written by Carol McCloud, uses a simple idea to explore the effect that expressions of kindness and love have on other people. Although this book does not mention God, it definitely promotes living the way that Jesus taught us to live. It would make a useful supplement to lessons on a variety of Bible stories and topics.

Capture screen shots (+ lots more) with Aviary

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:00:00 GMT

It has happened to all of us at one time or another. We visit a website and find an article we absolutely must eventually read, but later the page seems to be gone. Or, we want to cite a page from an online article in a column or school assignment, but a few weeks later the article has been edited. Or, you find an article that features someone in your congregation that you'd like to share with that person, but when you print the article it looks nothing like you think it should.

In situations like these, screenshot software can be just what you need. A screenshot is just an image of a web page or portion thereof. If you've ever looked at a software tutorial online, you've undoubtedly seen screenshots. Recently, a new online tool, Aviary, has made the process of taking screenshots of entire web pages (and not just the visible portion, as many other tools do) a...um...snap! The videos on the Aviary page do a great job of explaining what their tools can do (which is a LOT more than just screenshots! Aviary can take and edit images, edit colors, edit vector images, markup images, and even edit audio.) And, amazingly, you can do it all for free! Aviary was even named the #1 underhyped web application of 2009 by Lifehacker.com.

Remember Sunday school teachers

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Sunday School is now underway. The flurry of activity to find enough teachers, rooms, curriculum and supplies has calmed down at least a little bit. As Christian educators, it may be tempting to settle back and let the Sunday School teachers take it from here. Of course, you will continue to be available if they come to you with a question, but unless you hear from them, your work here is done…

Yes, it’s tempting, and in the short-term it may be a viable approach. Long-term, however, your job will be much easier if you continue to check in on Sunday School teachers.

God

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:00:00 GMT

God as Father,
caring, influential,
forgiving always.

God as Mother,
nurturing, challenging,
loving unconditionally.

A People's History of Christianity (Book review)

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:00:00 GMT

A confession: History has always been my least favorite subject. In college, for example, I took, "Religion in the U.S." and "History of Psychology" -- two classes connected with my majors -- so that I wouldn't have to take general world history survey courses. When I think back on my seminary courses on Christian history, I'm embarrassed to say that I mostly just remember snoozing through lectures about popes, power struggles, and profoundly uninteresting (to me, at least) theological disputes.

We've Moving...

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 21:26:00 GMT

Update: We've now transferred everything to the new server. It's kinda like moving to a new house, if house movers set up everything pretty much exactly the way you had it before. Yea!!

DifferentVoice.com is moving to a new server this week, and we'll be doing some testing and upgrades during the week of 9/27. New blog posts will not be added this week, and if you add comments, they will most likely not be visible once the move is completed. If you find the site to be unavailable temporarily, we appreciate your patience as we undergo some upgrades! ~ Tim and Sally

350: It's not too late

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:00:00 GMT

We understand. You're pretty busy. There were a lot of things on your plate way back on April 29th when we told you about 350 Day, the International Day of Climate Action, on October 24th. But now, the day is not far away, global warming hasn't gone away as an important topic for the faith community, and it's time to act! Here's your "Procrastinator's Guide" to taking part in just 4 1/2 weeks. You really can do it!

Week 1 (half week, thru Sept. 25):

Read through as much of the 350 website as you can. it will inspire you, give you lots of great information and help, and connect you with others in your area who are already committed to taking action. At the very least, watch this90-second video, take a look at the 9-step organizing plan, and check out the page for people of faith.
Find at least one group in your congregation with whom you can do your planning: a youth group, Sunday school class, small group, staff members, or just 3 or 4 friends in the congregation. Set a time to meet this weekend. We have a few ideas to get you started with your brainstorming.

Software to reduce printing costs

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:00:00 GMT

If you still use color inkjet or laser printers in your office, computer lab, home, or elsewhere, you undoubtedly know well that ink and toner costs eat up a huge chunk of your tech budget. There are, of course, simple and free solutions to reducing your ink/toner usage, such as printing in draft mode, previewing pages to print only those you really need, and setting your default to greyscale.

However, these solutions are not always perfect, and they are hard to enforce in a public setting like a church computer lab. That's when print software can be helpful. Here are several tools worth exploring...

Men and Christian education (part 1)

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:00:00 GMT

One look at the statistics is likely all you'll need to realize we have a significant problem in the church today: there are a lot of absent and disengaged men. According to a study of churchgoers by Gallup, 28% of women are fully engaged in church life, vs. 21% of men. 24% of men are actively disengaged, while just 16% of women are. Andanother study found that 65% of the people in church on Catholic churches are women; 64% in mainline protestant churches; 61% in conservative protestant churches. As one author has noted, men are more often absent from Christian churches than is the case in all of the other major world religions.

In coming weeks, I'll be sharing some other research and a few resources available for engaging men in Christian education, and some ideas that have worked in other congregations. However, this is a topic where there are not a great deal of good resources for spiritually progressive congregations. So, I'd like to invite you to be part of the dialogue and give your feedback on the reasons men are absent or disengaged from churches today, and your experience of what has or has not worked in your own congregation.

Live as a Child

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:00:00 GMT

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Matthew 5:9

Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.” Mark 9:36-37

“Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” Luke 18:17

“While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light.” John 12:36

For all who are led by the spirit of God are children of God. Romans 8:14

We were all children at one time. I invite you to reconnect with your inner child.

Conversations with Scripture: The Gospel of Mark (review of new book by Marcus Borg)

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Every so often I come across a gem of a series or book I wish I had discovered sooner. My latest find is the "Conversations with Scripture" series, published by Morehouse Publishing (an Episcopal church imprint.) The most recent (sixth) book in the series, which came out in July, is Conversations with Scripture: The Gospel of Mark, by Marcus Borg.

Each book in the series contains an in-depth but accessible study of a biblical text, with an emphasis on the historical and critical background. Borg's 140-page book (each book in the series has a slightly different length) contains 5 chapters plus a series introduction, an autobiographical note, and an introduction to the book -- all of which are worth reading. The biblical text itself is not included, so the presumption is that the reader will first read that text, and then read and discuss the chapter's text. Extensive study questions are found at the back of the book for each chapter, along with various notes and recommendations for further reading.

Clap Your Praise!

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:00:00 GMT

God’s world is an amazing place. God’s handiwork is on display all around us. How often do we thank God for the earth and its wonders? An easy and fun way to encourage children (and youth and adults to thank God for the world we live in is to teach them about clapping prayers.

Utilize your Tech Support

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:00:00 GMT

I would say that I know just enough about computers to be dangerous. Generally, I know how to make the computer do the things I need it to do, but I do not understand much about how that actually happens. The same is true of audiovisual equipment. We do not have a TV, VCR or DVD player (except for our computer) at our house, so my experience with these machines is limited. Essentially, I am in the position of knowing how to use technology, but when something goes wrong I am not the person that you want in charge!

Fortunately, I have what I fondly refer to as my own personal tech support. When I need help with technology, I call my 15 year old son.

A Message from the Children

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Dear Sunday School teachers,

We appreciate the time you take each week to prepare a lesson for our class. Hopefully, some of the things you teach us about God and Jesus and the Bible will stick with us as we grow. What we will definitely remember is having you as our teacher.

We appreciate the “little things” that adults do to make us feel special, such as:

A Gift

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Imagine.
A gift.
You may choose
To use this gift
To support,
Encourage,
Soothe,
Teach,
Challenge,
Affirm.

Everything Must Change

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:00:00 GMT

EVERYTHING MUST CHANGE: JESUS, GLOBAL CRISES, AND A REVOLUTION OF HOPE. By Brian McLaren, Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2007, 301 pp.

I suppose if the books on emergent/emerging church were compared to “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” then Brian McLaren’s text would be the “just right” version. Not too simple, not too complicated. The essential via media book on this era. But in light of some of the other texts reviewed, this one might need to be re-titled “Everything has changed” or “Everything is changing.”

Business card evangelism

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:00:00 GMT

At the back of the Southern Baptist church I visited last Sunday, special business cards were available for the congregation members to take. Containing the church name, address, phone number, website address, and Sunday schedule on the front and a map on the back, these cards were intended for members to take on their way out the door to hand out to friends when the opportunity to do so presented itself. Not coincidentally, that congregation has helped to start multiple congregations locally and elsewhere, including one that is now among the largest in my town.

Evangelism is clearly in the DNA of many conservative churches, but the "E-word" is practically taboo in many mainline and progressive congregations. Yet growth is impossible in a church where the members are not invitational and don't grasp that they must "reproduce" new congregational leaders.

Is your Google profile updated?

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:00:00 GMT

A Google Profile is a special page in Google's system that makes it easier for people to find you or learn more about you. When might this be useful to you as a Christian educator?

Suppose you're at a school event and someone you meet wants to continue the conversation the two of you had. You could, of course, pass on your business card, but if you didn't have one handy you could simply provide your new friend with your Google profile name, which he or she could easily find online later. Or, if you were applying for new Christian education positions, a Google profile helps you to make sure that one of the first pages potential employers would see if they searched for you would be a profile you created. Your church staff members - especially the clergy - could (and perhaps should) have a completed profile so that potential visitors can learn more about them. (A side benefit: this simple act -- if you include the church website -- can potentially help your Google ranking, which is based in part on the number of outside links that go to a site.)

Faith Without Works

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:00:00 GMT

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. James 2:14-17

What is faithfulness if we only practice it when it is convenient?

What is generosity if we only share our cast-offs and leftovers?

Digital curriculum showdown!

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Adult education classes have started up in many churches and will start up soon in thousands more. And, undoubtedly, many of them have not yet chosen their curriculum - or will change their plans in a few weeks. Downloadable curricula can be a great last-minute option for a class to consider as a regular or occasional option.

Two options I think are worth considering are The Thoughtful Christian and Infusion. Let's do a comparison, shall we, and see the benefits of each!

Click the Read More link for the comparison chart - and details of how to pick up a special free bonus worth $8!

VBS On the Road

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Last Wednesday, I encouraged you to spend time reflecting on your Vacation Bible School program. Eight years ago, I was part of a group that evaluated the VBS experience at our church. What we discovered was that although our VBS appeared to have gone very well, we were not meeting the needs of all age groups. We noticed that although VBS was open to children age 3 through 6th grade, only 8 of the 80 kids who participated were in 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th grade

A brainstorming session resulted in an idea which was implemented the following year. This is how VBS On the Road began at our church.

Don't put this on your website

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Last week I encouraged you to think about how and where you can share your news, publications, class handouts, and so on online. Today, let's think about the flip side: when should you keep things off of the web?

There are no "standard" rules, so you will need to develop your own as a congregation. Here are a few guidelines to get you started. You probably will not want to post...

Photos of children or youth, unless you have explicit written permission from parents. As a "Safe Sanctuary" practice, if you do include photos of young people on your website, consider identifying them only by their first names.
Images that are poor in quality. Not only does this refer to images that are poorly framed, out-of-focus, or clearly outdated (bad clip-art, anyone?), but it also includes images that could reflect poorly on your programming. As a friend reminded me, don't post "...images of VBS or other activities where all you see is kids running around."
Newsletters that are more than a month or two old. Many congregations keep newsletters online far too long. Honestly, who wants or needs to read the old news? Two months of newsletters is certainly plenty, with a link to the newsletter editor who can be contacted if back issues are truly required.

A Checklist for Sunday School Teachers

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:00:00 GMT

I am a list maker. I make to-do lists, planning lists and check lists. Simply making the list makes me feel productive! And truthfully, lists do help me remember things and keep me on task. At the beginning of a Sunday School year, I wondered what type of checklist would be helpful for Sunday School teachers. I came up with two lists. The first list is probably the one most Sunday School teachers use, either written or mentally. The second list may be even more important.

Sentence Prayers

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 13:00:00 GMT

God, you are my rock and refuge.
(Of course, sometimes I forget to lean on you and attempt to take control…)

Ever-present God, you are with me all the time.
(Sometimes it doesn’t feel like you are with me. Sometimes I forget to talk to you…)

Forgiving God, I’m sorry I was so judgmental yesterday.
(But those people made me so mad! How can they possibly believe what they say?)

Nurturing God, thank you for my family.
(Is it really necessary that the teenage years be so traumatic…for everyone?)

A Children's Book for Adults

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:00:00 GMT

If you have ever given a children’s sermon (or listened to one) you realize that although the children’s message is addressed to children, the adults listen in. Children’s messages, with their (hopefully) simplified language, short duration, and (usually) fun approach, appeal to all ages. (This is not to say that adults should have a steady diet of children’s messages only, but rather that they can be a beneficial supplement to sermons.)

The same argument can be made for many children’s books. Fewer (and simpler) words and the addition of pictures make children’s books easier for adults to read than books that are written for adults. (Again, this does not mean that children’s books should be the only literature ready by adults…) Some children’s books even seem to be written more for adults than for children. Why War is Never a Good Idea is a book that falls into this category.

It's Time to Think About VBS!

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Okay, I know what you are probably thinking… Vacation Bible School is done for this year. It will not happen again until next summer. And right now I am busy with getting Sunday School started. I do not have time to plan next year’s VBS now!

I agree. It is too early to plan for next year’s VBS. But now, when the Vacation Bible School experience is still in your mind, is a great time to reflect on how VBS went this year. If you haven’t already, take some time to evaluate the VBS program at your church. You might want to gather a few people who were involved with this year’s VBS and have a brainstorming session. (I recommend an informal gathering rather than a formal meeting…perhaps at a coffee house.)

Put this on your agendas

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 01:00:00 GMT

If you want to move beyond having a church website that is essentially a digital brochure to one that is part of an Internet ministry, you need to continually put the web and other digital technologies on your agendas -- your personal to-do list, of course, but also on the agenda of your committees and teams. Talking about the website and other digital forms of communication reminds your leaders that ministry in a digital age requires everyone to learn to "think digitally."

Here are 22 examples of questions you could ask:

How will we share this information on our website?
Are there other websites where we could promote this event / share this information?
Who can share this on Facebook / Twitter / MySpace / etc.?
Who will take digital photos that can be shared on Flickr?
Can we capture this event on digital video to share with others?

Is virtual learning more effective?

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:00:00 GMT

A recent study on online education found that students do better, on average, when they learn online instead of in face-to-face situations. So does that mean you should ditch your classrooms, small groups, and youth group and just do all of your education online?

Of course not. We all know that there are many, many benefits to face-to-face learning, such as...

Developing emotional intelligence. We need to physically be with people to better grow in our skills of empathy, listening, and compassionate caring.
Healthy touch. In our germ-phobic, safety-obsessed, fingertip-friendly world, we simply don't come into physical contact with others very frequently. Our education settings can be places where persons can receive healthy touches.
A more green setting. Computers, like it or not, are the cause of a LOT ofgreenhouse gasses, environmental destruction, and even war. A church classroom can provide a more environmentally friendly learning experience.
Being together as the body of Christ. Online, it's easy to associate with only your close friends or those with similar interests and to "see" you only as a person with a profile. In person, we have the opportunity to get to know one another as whole persons of God.
Mentorship. While there are many things I can certainly learn online, often I can learn them much faster when someone is there beside me to give feedback, demonstrate techniques, and assist me.
Spiritual practices. The corporate nature of worship, service, prayer, and other disciplines is hard to replicate online effectively.

The Garden of Neglect

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:00:00 GMT

This summer I am growing the garden of neglect. The garden got off to a late start. I was sick for six weeks, just at prime garden-planting time. I almost abandoned the idea of a garden, opting to let the beds lie fallow for the season. But the thought of fresh tomatoes, tasting as no store-bought tomato ever could, spurred me on. Mid-June I finally had the energy to plant the garden, with the help of my family. The advantage of waiting until later to start your garden, is that the plants are on sale. And so the garden was planted.

Faith in fiction (a book review & giveaway)

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Today's blog entry is not so much a review as it is a plea: I'm looking for some great religious fiction, and I'm hoping the readers of The Daily Voice will give me some great suggestions. More on that in a bit...

Three novels took their place in my backpack during my vacation. First, I read Alive Day: A Story of Love and Loyalty by Tom Sullivan (with Betty White), a recently-released Christian novel about a blind psychiatrist and an injured war veteran. Next, I polished off (in one sitting) the delightfully offbeat Mr. Dixon Disappears, the second novel in the quirky "Mobile Library Mystery" series. I finished up with a political thriller, Sam Bourne'sThe Last Testament, a Davinci Code-ish book with great detail about the religious and political realities of contemporary Palestine and Israel and an intriguing (though far-fetched) archeological context.

Which one can't I recommend? The Christian novel.

Absolutely you may share information from us!

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 13:00:00 GMT

After Tim’s email on Monday about parenting talk points on scripture, we received a request to use the information in a church newsletter. The reader is also planning to hand the article out on the day that the church presents Bibles to third graders. Both of these are excellent ideas, and it started me thinking about ways that other information from Different Voice might be used.

Could you "teach naked"?

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Jose Bowen, dean of Southern Methodist University's Meadows School of the Arts, uses a teaching technique in his college classrooms he calls, "Teaching Naked." Don't worry - it actually has nothing to do with the removal of clothing, but it is an interesting idea worth considering. The basic concept is laid out in this article and audio story (which I recommend you listen to now), but here's a quick summary. Rather than using technology in the classroom to communicate information via PowerPoint or other methods, he introduces a topic briefly, then instructs students to do online exercises and research before class. When the students come together, the classroom setting becomes a place for debate conversation, role-plays and the like.

Bowen makes the point that far from being an anti-technology approach, it recognizes that students are engaged with technology at many times during the day and are very comfortable with games, simulations, and other ways of exploring digital information. This concept could be adapted for use in your own educational setting. Here are three examples to get you thinking about the concept.

Parenting Talk Points on Scripture

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Parents in progressive congregations often wonder how (and even whether) to talk about scripture to their children. Some of them may have moved away from the literalistic views they heard or learned in their previous congregations but don't feel confident speaking in a "different voice" yet. Others may wonder about ways to talk about the Bible that are appropriate for children.

Here is a list of talk points I gave to a parenting class once to help us engage in a conversation about reading the Bible at home with children. Feel free to adapt and expand them - turn them into a handout, print them in a newsletter, provide them to teachers, and so on. (Crediting DifferentVoice.com is always appreciated!)

Standing Stones of Scotland

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Yesterday I returned home to the land of rich soil, gentle rolling hills, and fields of corn (i.e. Iowa) after a family “holiday” to the mountainous and rocky country of Scotland. It was a trip we’ve been planning, saving for, and dreaming about for a long time, and I had an amazing experience.

One can’t visit Scotland without being utterly aware of rocks. Essentially, the country is one long series of rock formations, some of which contain a type of rock that is among earth’s oldest kinds. I suspect Scottish children must have to spend a lot more time than I ever did learning about geology, since most of the museums we visited had display after display of rock-related items. In fact, the lower floor of the national museum was almost entirely filled with displays about rocks and items made from or carved into rocks!

The highlight of the trip was a late-night visit to the Standing Stones of Callinish (photo above), a famous site containing human-made rock formations which are possibly older (though smaller) than the ones at Stonehenge. Some 4000 years ago, ancient peoples set up roughly 50 massive flat stones in a circular and cross-like pattern, for reasons that are unknown. Whether they were in some way connected with astrological observations, memorial purposes, battle protection, or religious rituals may never be completely clear. But what was certain to me as I stood there alone, looking out at the surrounding fields, mountains, and loch (lake), was that I was having a profound experience of connection with something much larger than myself. Clearly, those who created and lived in that site considered it to be a place of memory.

Four Feet, Two Sandals (A review)

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 13:00:00 GMT

I am drawn to books with interesting titles. Four Feet, Two Sandals was a title that immediately made me pick up the book and read it. I was not disappointed. (And then I felt the need to buy it.) This children’s book by Karen Lynn Williams and Khadra Mohammed was inspired by a refugee girl who wondered why there were no books written about children like her.

Follow-up on a food idea

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:00:00 GMT

A few weeks ago I told you about a first-ever community potluck idea that would be taking place in my town. We called it All Ames Eats Together, with the idea being that we wanted to have lots of people come together on one day to share a meal, donate a bit of money, and talk about food issues in our county.

The event didn't quite go as we had planned, but it wasn't a complete failure either. We ended up holding 6 "official" potlucks, plus one other ongoing community potluck heard about our effort and joined in as well. Most of the sites ended up with an average of about 20 attendees, which tells me our marketing definitely needed improvement.

Still, we raised a fair amount of money for our Healthy Food Voucher program, and we learned a few things along the way...

Shrinking your tech tab

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:00:00 GMT

One of my favorite tech bloggers, David Pogue of the New York Times, has started a campaign called, "Take Back the Beep." The whole post is worth reading and is hilarious, but if you're short on time, the bottom line is that he's angry about the moolah that enters the coffers of the cell phone carriers (Sprint, Verizon, etc.) every time we wait through those inane instructions, "Press 1 to leave a message, or just wait for the beep." You and I are paying for that airtime, even though by now we know what to do. I'm all for it, and here's one reason he doesn't mention: millions of low-income individuals in our nation use prepaid cell phones, and they don't need to be wasting their money waiting through an unnecessary message. [Note: I wrote this email the day after the campaign started because I was leaving for vacation. It's possible the campaign has morphed by now.]

Pogue has pointed out just one example (one I had never thought about before) of the ways the tech industry is great at tapping our wallets. Now, if your congregation has an unlimited tech budget, just hit the delete key now. If not, here are seven suggestions to trim a bit of fat from your tech budget without it even hurting.

Questions to ask your curriculum

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Choosing curriculum for children, youth or adults can be a difficult task. Hopefully, a lot of thought goes into which curriculum best meets the needs of those who will be using it. Once a curriculum is chosen, however, there is a tendency to then use the curriculum “as is”. Many teachers do not feel comfortable modifying lessons. This is an acceptable approach if you have discovered a curriculum that perfectly matches your beliefs, teaching style and the needs of those in the class. To determine whether your curriculum is a good fit for your church, ask it some questions.

What will you be?

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 13:00:00 GMT

A few weeks ago, I was exploring the website of Mary Anne Radmacher. In doing so, I came upon a poster that read, “in every journey may you ask…what is it you will be…a tourist or an explorer?” The words seemed to leap off the page (or the monitor, in this instance) and lodge themselves in my brain. They have been rattling around up there (exploring, I think!) and emerging once in awhile to get me thinking…

All the People of the Bible (review)

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:00:00 GMT

There are a number of Bible reference books that are essentially dictionaries of biblical names. The most famous of them are probably the two books by Herbert Lockyer, All the Men of the Bible and All the Women of the Bible, neither of which I'd especially recommend to you if you have a good, recent Bible dictionary. Books like these are notorious for lacking the best in contemporary biblical scholarship, and they are usually far from being friendly for progressive leaders.

Fortunately, there's a superb option for those looking for a more recent book that describes every person in the Bible: All the People of the Bible: An A-Z Guide to the Saints, Scoundrels, and Other Characters in Scripture, by Richard R. Losch (Eerdmans, 2008, 578 pp.) This is a reference book I now keep on my "favorite references" shelf.

Hold a SoulCollage Workshop

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 13:00:00 GMT

SoulCollage is a unique process that involves creating cards filled with rich and personal imagery which reveal aspects of the self. Creating the cards is a lot of fun! You browse through magazines and catalogs to find images that strike you, cut them out, and paste them on small matte boards in a collage-like way. Each 5x8 card is visual representation of a completion of the sentence, "I am one who...". The process can be therapeutic, inspirational, or useful in clarifying values, and the cards become a lasting personal reminder of a deep truth, insight, or commitment.

A SoulCollage workshop is best led by a trained facilitator, though anyone who has read the SoulCollage book will understand the process well enough to lead a workshop. While the process is very individual, it's also something that is enjoyed much more when done within the context of community.

Way to Live

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:00:00 GMT

One of the things that amuses and amazes me about the internet is the way that one can stumble across information. While looking at a website, you click on a link, and then you click on another link and this process continues until you are on a web page and aren’t really sure how you got there. The website that I am reviewing today was discovered in this manner. I can’t tell you exactly how I stumbled upon it, but I can tell you that if you are interested in youth ministry, I recommend you take a look at this site.

Waytolive.org is a website companion to the book, Way to Live: Christian Practices for Teens by Dorothy C. Bass, Don C. Richter, et al. I have not read the book, and the website states that it is not necessary to have done so in order to use the material on the site. I have found this to be true, although after perusing waytolive.org, I am interested in reading the book.

Hello. My name is...

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:00:00 GMT

The beginning of a new Sunday School year is a good time to remind teachers about the importance of learning the names of all the students in their class. It seems like a small thing, but regardless of our age, we all appreciate it when someone remembers our name.

In addition to the Sunday School teachers knowing class members’ names, it is important for class members to know one another’s names. Again, this is often something we take for granted. However, it takes repetition to learn names and often, this is overlooked among other Sunday School activities. Children and youth, especially, I have found, will participate in a group without being concerned that they do not know everyone. (Four weeks into last school year, my 15 year old son still did not know his locker partners name. This did not seem to concern him…)

Reflections after a week on my bike

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Last week, I joined 15,000 or so other cyclists from around the world for a very long bike ride. RAGBRAI®, or the Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa, is one of those traditions with which Iowans are well-acquain

ted. We started in Council Bluffs on the west side of the state, and 442 miles and 7 days later ended our ride with a dip of our front tire in the Mississippi in Burlington, Iowa. Describing RAGBRAI in just a few words to someone who has never seen it is quite difficult, but imagine a 60 mile stretch of busy highway traffic in which the cars range from a 1920 Ford to a brand new souped up hybrid and the drivers wear anything from TuTus and feather boas to spandex, and you'll sort-of get the idea.

Unexpectedly, I had the opportunity to cover RAGBRAI for my local newspaper. It was my first real effort in journalism, and it was great fun interviewing dozens of people along the ride. If you're interested in getting more of a feel for the ride, you can read my columns here, and the official RAGBRAI website is here.

Book Club Recommendations

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Since it is Thursday, it must be time for a book review! Today’s review is a 4-for-1 special. Dawn Young (Director of Christian Education for the Louisiana Conference) has reviewed four fiction series for us. These series are all appropriate for book club reading, and Dawn offers suggestions for using each series for this purpose. If your church doesn’t currently have a book club, consider starting one. You can find information about starting a book club here. Although not church-specific, the process is easily adaptable to the church setting. One benefit of reading a series of books is that it spares you the process of choosing a new book every month!

Happy reading and discussing! ~Sally

Hold an A.H.A. Month

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:00:00 GMT

It's no secret that times are tough in many communities across our nation. Charitable organizations, homeless and battered women's shelters, and churches are experiencing high demand for their services. Your congregation can have a huge impact on an organization--and learn a lot in the process about how our everyday skills can have a possitive effect on others--by planning an A.H.A. (All Hands Activated) Month.

Start by choosing an organization to assist. The ideal organization would be one that has a small staff but which offers many services, such as a shelter. Set up a meeting with the staff to talk about what their needs are, especially anything that never seems to get done. Get as long a list together as possible, with details about such things as specific hours or days the work needs to be done, supplies available, and specific skill requirements. Find out if they would like to have congregation members contact a specific person or phone number.

Filing your digital photos

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 13:00:00 GMT

The number of digital photos you accumulate for ministry purposes can begin to grow quite large over time, making it increasingly difficult to find the photos you desire quickly. No one filing scheme works best for everyone, but here are a few tips to follow that will make finding photos easier down the road.

Do I Have To?

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:00:00 GMT

It never fails. As soon as I plan a Teacher Training Event for Sunday School teachers, one of the teachers approaches me and asks, “Is it really necessary that I come to this meeting?” The reasons that they seek to be excused vary from, “I have taught Sunday School for 25 years,” to “I don’t want to come to another meeting.” No matter which words they use, I hear the underlying question, “What’s in it for me?”

I’m guessing that anyone who has planned a Teacher Training Event has had this same experience. I’d be interested in hearing how you respond. (You can leave a comment here.) I respond by informing the teacher that he or she is an adult and must make the decision about whether or not to attend. (I refuse to give anyone permission to miss the Teacher Training Event.) Then I follow up with reasons I believe his or her attendance would be beneficial.

Maybe...

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 13:00:00 GMT

It was a wonderful day when I realized that I did not have to answer every question my children asked me immediately. This was a major parenting discovery for me, as I figured out that immediacy on their end did not have to translate to immediacy in my decision making. Yes, my kids always want to know the answer to whether or not they can sleep over at their friend’s house tonight or whether they can purchase the latest computer game right now! But as a parent, I am allowed to take time to make decisions. It is okay to say, “I’ll think about it.” “I will check the calendar and get back to you.” or “Your father and I will discuss it and let you know.” It took awhile for my children to view “maybe” as an acceptable answer, but when the alternative was, “If I have to answer right now, the answer is no,” they learned to view maybe as a hopeful answer.

Attentive to God: Thinking Theologically in Ministry

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:00:00 GMT

ATTENTIVE TO GOD: THINKING THEOLOGICALLY IN MINISTRY. Charles M. Wood and Ellen Blue. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2008, 138 pp

You are probably thinking, “Well, I can just skip over this one; certainly a book about thinking theologically isn’t for me.” Which is precisely who this book may have been designed for, those who don’t think theological thinking is for them. And there is much to frighten you away from this book. Begin with the theological pedigree of the two authors; both are professors at seminaries. The topic of theology is generally left to the purview of those that attend seminary, often because those that don’t attend seminary have enough sense to avoid it whenever and wherever possible. Admittedly, the authors intend this work to be for those learning to become theologians and to “empower the people to be in ministry themselves.”

Classroom Visitor Packet

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Increasingly in many congregations, visitors do not attend a worship service, instead taking part only in Christian education classes or other mid-week groups. If your congregation is only collecting the names and addresses of those in worship, you may be missing an opportunity to provide great hospitality to those who take part only in other activities.

Provide your teachers with a simple contact card that they can give to and ask visitors to fill out. If your budget will allow it, also have teachers give small folders or envelopes available to give guests with such items as a church brochure, a business card, a Christian education guide, a notice about the church's child and youth protection policy, a guide to your church library, a map of the room locations, a magnet, an imprinted pen, and so on. I also recommend putting together a list of recommended reading and websites so that individuals who are new to progressive theology can begin to explore this topic on their own if it interests them.

A Helpful Reminder

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 13:00:00 GMT

For each one of us, there are those things that we know that we should do, but for one reason or another, we just don’t always get around to doing them. (For example, I know that I should floss my teeth every day. I’m aware of the benefits of flossing. But somehow, much to my dentist’s chagrin, my flossing tends to be somewhat random.) Today’s technology tip is more of a gentle reminder than a tip, as I am sure that it falls into this category of information you already know. Here’s your reminder: Backup the files on your computer! Any data that you cannot afford to lose needs to be backed up on a regular basis.

Is all of the important data on your computer currently saved elsewhere? If your hard drive crashes as you are reading this email, how much data will you lose?

Back-to-Basics Teacher Training

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:00:00 GMT

As the end of July approaches, a Christian Educator’s thoughts turn to Fall Sunday School, which entails ordering curriculum, recruiting Sunday School teachers and scheduling a teacher training event. Of those three things, the first two must be done, but it may be tempting to leave out teacher training or postpone it until life is less busy. (And when would that be?) I encourage you to resist this temptation. A teacher training event can be a helpful and positive way to equip your teachers for a new Sunday School year.

Here are some “back-to-basics” essentials that may be included in a beginning of the year teacher training event. Note that I have avoided calling it a teacher training meeting. Few of us want to attend another meeting!

Sometimes NO is an acceptable answer

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:00:00 GMT

The writer of the third chapter of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 reminds us that there is a season and a time for everything. When I was younger, half of these verses did not make sense to me. I understood the part about there being a time for those things in the list which seemed positive; for being born, healing, building up, laughing, dancing, throwing away stones, embracing, seeking, keeping, sewing, speaking, loving and being peaceful.

It has taken me longer to appreciate that the remainder of the actions in these verses can also be positives.

Dream (review of LTQ DVD)

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Living the Questions (LTQ) resources are fairly unique in the world of Christian curriculum. Almost no other publishers have produced resources for the progressive church as ambitiously as has LTQ. Their resources typically are filled with excellent content delivered by some of the top progressive theologians of our time, though until the publication of Dream, far less attention has been paid to presentation. Now, LTQ is trying to find a way to communicate the basics of progressive Christianity to a young adult audience.

Their first young adult resource is call DreamThinkBeDo, and it's actually made up of 4 separate DVDs. The first volume, Dream, is available now; the other three studies are due in late August. Each DVD contains 5 video segments, each 15-20 minutes in length, for use in a small group setting of roughly 45-60 minutes. A 2-page study guide for each session is available to those who register and download the materials (PDF format).

If you're familiar with the content of other LTQ resources, you're also very familiar with the content in Dream. In fact, you've mostly seen it before, as the video from other LTQ resources has been chopped up, edited, and combined with cool graphics, images, and music to make it more like something a young adult would see on TV. The content from these presenters is always illuminating and interesting, and the imagery is FAR more engaging and interesting to watch than was the case in previous LTQ releases. However, unfortunately the study as a whole is like an arrow that hits one of the outer circles on an archery target—close, but not spot on.

Meet Pigasso and Mootisse

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Children know about friendships. And they know that friends don’t always get along. So they will definitely be able to identify with the main characters in the book, When Pigasso met Mootisse by Nina Laden.

I met Pigasso and Mootisse when my friend, Ellen, told me she had recently shared this book with the children at her church, telling them “this book is not at all about God, but very much about living the way God wants us to live.”

Planned for your digital life after death?

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 13:00:00 GMT

So, you've drawn up your will, paid your life insurance premium regularly, made arrangements for someone to care for your children or pets, and even pre-paid for a niche in your church's columbarium. You're feeling pretty responsible and know you have left a gift to your loved ones. But have you given any thought to what happens to all of those bits and bytes you have stored on computers all over the world?

The truth is that many of us forget that our family members will need or want access to our email, online bank accounts, passwords, and social networks in the event of our death. After all, these days many of us store our address book, our financial records, and virtually everything else that can be digitized on our computers or on various websites. Gaining access to email and other accounts can be extremely difficult or impossible if one does not have the usernames and passwords.

Counselor or Coach? (part 2)

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:00:00 GMT

In last week's Monday blog/email, I suggested you reflect on two images or metaphors of the youth ministry leader: counselor, and coach. In general, the coach imagery is probably better for most youth leaders. Today I'll share with you a 4-step process a coach-like leader might use in his or her ministry: Prepare - Act - Reflect - Return.

A great coach makes use of each of these four elements in his or her job and expects that the players will make them a regular part of their experience, too. Players learn fundamentals, watch films of practices or games, study play books, do their strength training and conditioning, and so on. All of this comes together during the game, as an athlete does what they are trained to do. As Dennis Waitley, a sports psychologist who has worked with many US Olympians has said, Olympians don't try to win when they compete; they already know how. Instead, they simply repeat what they have practiced time and time again. Afterwards, they will study video footage to further improve their technique, then return to play again.

We too can follow this pattern in our ministry with youth.

Just say YES!!!!

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:00:00 GMT

I have a couple of t-shirts that say, “YES!!!!” on the front of them. They happen to be from my church, which has a history of saying, “YES!!!!” Whenever I wear one of these shirts, it is not uncommon for someone who is not familiar with its origin to ask me what I am saying “YES!!!!” to. In a world that often seems to me to be increasingly filled with negativity and complaining, I am reminded that there are still plenty of reasons to say, “YES!!!!”

The Bible Workbench (review)

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:00:00 GMT

I am not a fan of so-called "life application" Bibles or any curriculum with questions that dive too quickly into a "so what does this text tell us to do/think/believe" mode. The tendency of resources like these is to move the reader toward the right answer, the best application, the One Truth. In contrast, a good curriculum should provide a lot of room for learners to bring their experience to the text, to allow the biblical text to speak on its own terms, and to encourage deep questions to arise and linger.

One curriculum that does this incredibly well is a lectionary-based resource for adults called The Bible Workbench, published by The Educational Center. Although this resource has been around for 16 years, most Christian educators are unfamiliar with it; yet it's one of the best resources available for theologically-progressive congregations.

Blessing of the Backpacks

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:00:00 GMT

When you are a child, starting a new school year is an important event. It takes preparation – getting school supplies and sometimes new clothes. It invokes anticipation and sometimes trepidation – Who will my teacher be? Will I be in the same class as my friends? And as a child advances to a new grade, it is a visible recognition that he or she is growing up. Even as an adult, I find that there is something special about the start of the school year.

Going to school is the “work” that children do. It occupies a large amount of their time. Learning is their job. As the beginning of the new school year approaches, churches have an opportunity to affirm the work of our children and to encourage them to share God’s love as they learn about God’s world. One way to do this is to have a Blessing of the Backpacks the Sunday before school starts. This is also a good time to affirm the work of those adults involved in education – teachers, parents, cafeteria workers, custodians, school secretaries, etc.

Yes, you can text me

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Bulletin or newsletter announcements often end with the phone number or email address of the person to contact for more details or to sign up. But how often do you indicate if a person may be contacted by text message, or Twitter for that matter? Some people in your congregation (youth in particular) likely prefer text messages over emails or phone calls, while others can't imagine why anyone would want to type on their phone.

The solution is to begin to develop your own database that lists both acceptable and preferred contact methods, or to add this information to your church database. Start by giving your team leaders a form with blanks for email, home and cell numbers, Facebook/MySpace/Twitter usernames, and so on. Then, provide checkboxes where they can indicate preferred contact methods and any methods that should not be used. Later, you can expand your database to include the acceptable and preferred contact methods for everyone in the congregation.

Counselor or Coach? (part 1)

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Are the youth ministry leaders in your congregation blessed with a meaningful image for their ministry? By that I mean, what is the dominant "picture" you want them to have of their ministry role, and is it an expressive one? Two common ones are youth leader as counselor and as coach.

The term counselor is a common one at many summer camps (where the relationship is short-term), but it may not be the one you want to use in your congregation. Many youth associate the term with school guidance counselors or therapists, and the youth leader who thinks of herself as a "Youth Counselor" may understand her dominant role to center around listening, giving advice, or helping youth deal with personal problems. All of these are certainly elements of the youth leader's ministry, and a good youth leader will want to develop her skills in attentive listening, asking thoughtful questions, and assisting youth to make good choices. However, unless a leader is a professional, "counseling" youth can easily cross emotional boundaries and lead to an abuse of power if leaders try to "fix" youth or get too close to the youth.

Resistance

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Every year on July 4th, the residents of the neighborhood I live in gather together for a day-long celebration that includes a potluck lunch, a parade, a water balloon toss, and several other events. It's a huge deal—everyone looks forward to this long-standing tradition, and our block party is by far the largest in town.

The event always includes the requisite brief speech by one of the residents from the neighborhood on freedom, independence, citizenship, or some similar theme. I have never been the master of ceremonies (and probably never will be, since I seem to have been born without the gene for patriotism), but each year I do think a bit about what I wish would be said in that speech.

This year, I wish I could talk about resistance.

Review of The Void and the Vision by Dr. Carl Krieg

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Suppose you were to sit down and write a lengthy summary of all that you have learned about the Bible, church history, the historical Jesus, and other topics of faith that interest you, but without using any footnotes or citations. Perhaps you would organize your material chronologically, creating chapters for the beliefs you held or developed at times in your life. Or, perhaps you would take a more systematic approach, starting with your understanding of scripture or your theology of God and using that as the jumping off point for all other topics. Whatever approach you would take, it's an interesting intellectual exercise to consider, and an even better one to carry out some day.

Dr. Carl Krieg is one individual who took the time to do this exercise, and the result is the book The Void and the Vision: A Thought-provoking Interpretation of the Gospel of Jesus that Challenges Traditional Belief. Dr. Krieg has taught religious studies at Thiel College, served as a pastor in both the Lutheran Church in America and in the United Church of Christ, and has another book published by Fortress Press. He approached this exercise by putting together a list of commonly asked questions, such as, "Why didn’t everyone who met Jesus believe in him?" and "Do we need one another, or can we go it alone?" Then, he set about answering these questions in a way that is clear and concise yet honest, gentle, personal, and borne out of the fruit of years of scholarly study and reflection.

Give me five!

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:00:00 GMT

“God, we ask that you be with each person in this class during the upcoming week.” The children jump up and immediately begin high-fiving one another while saying each person’s name. Each child shares a high-five with every other child in the class before sitting down again. When the last child sits down, the entire class shouts, “Amen.”

Has the teacher lost control of this class? No, the children have just prayed for one another.

Is a Content Management System (CMS) right for you and your church?

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:00:00 GMT

One of the projects I'm working on is a faith formation website for the Iowa Conference of the United Methodist Church. When it is finished, the site will contain information about the many faith formation / Christian education ministries of the conference, with content created by many leaders from around the state. So that I don't have to do all of the work myself, I chose to create the website (which you can preview here) using a Content Management System.

According to Wikipedia, a Content Management System, or CMS, is a "computer application used to manage work flow needed to collaboratively create, edit, review, index, search, publish, and archive various kinds of digital media and electronic text." Put more simply, a CMS is a website creation tool that typically resides online rather than on your hard drive.

Take Time to Reflect

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:00:00 GMT

A child comes bursting out of the Sunday School classroom proudly waving tissue paper flowers in one hand. “Look what I made!” the child exclaims. The parent responds with suitable admiration.

At lunch that day, with the tissue paper flowers residing in a place of honor on the table, the parent asks, “Why did you make tissue paper flowers in Sunday School today? What was the lesson about?”

“I don’t know,” is the reply, accompanied by a shoulder shrug.

Carpe Mañana

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:00:00 GMT

When I worked as a youth director, I quickly learned that it’s always helpful to have a few games and activities that I could pull out at a moment’s notice to use when youth are bored. (This skill literally got me a job at one church, because I was able to turn a chaotic and unstructured Superbowl party into a time of community-building.) One of the tricks I’ve developed over the years is being able to describe an individual’s personality by looking at a picture of a house that they have drawn for me. It’s not an exact science by any means, but after seeing several hundred house drawings over the years, I’ve discovered a lot of patterns.

One of the first things I look at is the person’s orientation toward life: are they a “(P)ast,” “(N)ow,” or “(F)uture” person. “Pasts” or Ps are people who spend a great deal of time thinking about the past, often because of guilt or shame about something that happened to them years ago. “Futures” or Fs are people who are always planning, dreaming about things to come, and wishing something in their future would happen right now (like getting a driver’s license or leaving home for college). Among youth, the largest group are “Nows” or Ns, people who—for the most part—live for today and focus on immediate interests and concerns.

Seeds of Faith

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:00:00 GMT

I can honestly say that I have never heard a song written about the two women fighting over the same baby and King Solomon’s decision to cut the baby in half. (1 Kings 3:16-28) Before I heard the song, “Real Love and the Whole Truth,” I might not have believed that a children’s song could be written about this rather odd story. And yet, Richard Bruxvoort Colligan has managed to write a song that is fun, interesting, appropriate for children and conveys the importance of telling the truth.

Talk about food this Summer

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:00:00 GMT

I've had food on my mind lately, and not just because I'm counting calories. When you live in a state dominated by agriculture, it's hard to avoid the topic. Conversations about the state of the crops fill the noon hour on the radio (did you know that global warming may be reducing wind speeds, which in turn causes crops to overheat?), and the two CSAs I belong to give me weekly opportunities to connect with people who are passionate about local food.

But the primary reason I'm thinking about food is that I'm leading a team that is planning an event called, "All Ames Eats Together." The idea came about when the fundraising committee of an assistance organization in my town started talking about the dip in donations that happens this time of year. Since we give out Healthy Food Vouchers, we are aware that talking about healthy food is very important when thinking about poverty issues. And indeed, any community that talks incessantly (as Ames does) about "progress" towards a new mall, if the city should buy up houses to add turn lanes at a major intersection, and whether or not to cut recess and art from the school schedule certainly should engage in a vigorous conversation about the most basic topic around: food security.

Put a Flip in your tech toolbag

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:00:00 GMT

There are plenty of gadgets that are useful for Christian educators, youth directors, and others in faith formation ministries to have. I use digital voice recorders regularly, and would not want to go anywhere without my smart phone. These days, though, one of the handiest tools to have in your technical toolkit is a Flip camcorder.

The Flip series of camcorders have been around for about two years now, and they are incredibly versatile little tools. Little is certainly a key word, as the approximately 4" x 2" x 1" size makes it easy to put in a pocket or purse. The sharp, 1.5" or 2" diagonal screen is large enough to frame up a shot, and actually the small size can help you to remember to get closer to the action in order to get a good-sized image. They hold either 60 or 120 minutes of video, and the built-in USB connector and minimal controls make using the camera as simple as can be. I recommend getting one of the Flip UltraHD models for the best picture resolution and storage size, but if you gotta have a fun color or even a custom-designed Flip, then go with the Flip MinoHD.

Silence is your friend

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Many new (and even experienced) teachers find it hard to view silence as an ally. I remember my first experiences as a teacher, and my tendency was to jump in very quickly if no one answered my questions. I would either restate the question ("Surely they must have just not understood me!" I thought) or I would just provide the answer, much like the iconic teacher in Ferris Bueller's Day Off (though hopefully I was at least less boring!) Silence, I believed, was the enemy of good conversation. In truth, it was produced out of my own anxiety.

Over time, I have grown to recognize that silence is valuable in the classroom. After I ask a question, I am not anxious when an answer is not immediately forthcoming. The silence gives students time to think before responding, and it tends to lead to better discussion because answers come from a deeper place within.

Peace! Be Still!

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Dear God,

It’s summer and the kids are home from school…the calendar is full…camp, softball, babysitting, sleepovers and more…there are six loads of laundry waiting…my daughter wants to go shopping…the garden needs weeded…there are bills to pay…and worries about whether there is enough money to pay them…the dog wants outside…I’ve been sick off and on for over a month…I’m tired…my son wants to go to the library…there is grocery shopping to be done…and meals to be fixed…every day…the dog wants back in…there is writing to be done…and I’ve agreed to take on another responsibility…what was I thinking…my best friend is moving…to another state…the cat wants to help me type…the car’s air conditioning can’t decide whether it is working or not…and the oil needs to be changed…the dog wants to go for a walk…there are 12 years of photos waiting to be put into albums…and then there are things that I want to do…

Review of Jesus Was a Liberal: Reclaiming Christianity for All (by Scotty McLennan)

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:00:00 GMT

It's a great time to be a liberal Christian! Books by progressive authors have been hitting the shelves with some frequency. Curriculum companies have sprung up with materials that are helping church members to embrace a new kind of Christianity. Podcasts from members of the Emergent Church movement are saying things that many churches on the left have been declaring for years. These are just a few of the reasons I am not completely filled with despair when I look at the state of Christianity today.

Over the past few months I have reviewed several books and resources I think every progressive congregation should have and use (see links below), and in coming weeks I'll share 2 more that I have been enjoying. But of all of the introductions to progressive Christianity I've read, I think I would most enjoy using Jesus Was a Liberal: Reclaiming Christianity for All by Rev. Scotty McLennan (Palgrave Macmillan, 2009. 260 pp.) with a book group that was held in a neutral, secular setting.

Final Books for Books Report

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Over the last few months, I’ve been keeping you posted on the Books for Books project undertaken by my covenant group. (If you’re new to The Daily Voice, the first and second articles are archived on the Different Voice blog.) In summary, a literacy report stating that in low-income neighborhoods, the ratio of age-appropriate books per child is 1:300 caught the attention of our group. We dreamt up “Books for Books”. We had a used book sale and raised money to purchase new books for every child at a local elementary school.

Checked your feedback lately?

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Just about everywhere you look online these days, someone is asking you to rate your experience. Whether it's a video you viewed online or the restaurant you had dinner at, opportunities abound to "vote" and give your rating. Those comments then are often picked up by dozens of other similar sites.

Put simply, since many people will likely learn about your congregation from search engines, first impressions are critical. This is true even if your congregation still doesn't have a website! What are people saying about your congregation? If you're not sure, it's time for you to find out...and then do a bit of work to get some positive reviews out there.

Plan your publicity strategy

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:00:00 GMT

I have been visiting quite a few churches lately, and I've been struck at how many did an incredibly poor job of publicizing their Christian education/faith formation opportunities the week that I visited. For example, a few congregations that had their Sunday school hour before their worship hour did not give any hint in their bulletin about what options were available, the topics had been studied that week, what was coming up next week, or even where the classes met.

For many congregations, summertime is a bit more laid back where Christian education is concerned, making the months of June and July ideal for fall planning. As you work on your teacher recruitment or curriculum choices, be sure also to put some thought into your publicity plan—with attention both to how you'll reach your "regular" members and those who are simply checking out the congregation. Here are some questions to get you started.

How's your hearing?

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Few people know of my invisible disability—I’ve been completely deaf in my left ear since birth. In high school band this was an asset, as I was forced to develop near-perfect pitch and to achieve first chair in my section. But if you’re sitting next to me during a meeting or a potluck dinner and try to talk with me, odds are I’ll be completely clueless about what you’ve said if you’re sitting on my left side. Fortunately, my hearing is fairly good in my right ear, but I get pretty nervous whenever I experience any change in my ability to hear due to a cold or flight in an airplane.

So you can imagine my fear when, quite suddenly and unexpectedly following youth fellowship one night a few years ago, my hearing virtually disappeared in my right ear. For over an hour, everything was incredibly muffled and I had a terrible ringing sound in my ear as well. After a visit to the emergency room and (eventually) a couple of MRIs, the doctor was finally able to accurately diagnose the problem—which fortunately has very rarely returned.

Review of the 40-Day Journey series

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Although I have written one devotional book and contributed to another, I have to admit that daily devotional resources have never truly been my thing. I could give you many excuses, of course—I can't find a devotional book I like, I have other books to read that are more "important," blah...blah...blah—but the bottom line is that I just never formed and committed myself to the habit. My sense is that many progressive Christians share a similar experience.

A series of devotional books from Augsburg Books could finally change that for me. The 40-Day Journey series features several of my favorite authors, as well as a few who I've intended to read at some point. Eight books have been released so far, with two more scheduled to come out late this year. First up for me: 40-Day Journey with Parker Palmer, as Palmer's book To Know as We are Known was my favorite Christian education text in seminary. After that, I'll pick up the one that features Joan Chittister , a Benedictine nun who writes powerfully about peace, justice, the church, and many other topics.

On the 5th Sunday

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 13:00:00 GMT

The summer months are a good time to look at the Sunday school schedule and think creatively about the options available to you in Fall and beyond. One of those options is to hold a special event or study a special theme on the 5th Sunday of the month. All classes for all ages would engage in the event or study the topic.

Here are just a few possibilities that could be adapted for your setting:

A Recommended Connection

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:00:00 GMT

What would the world be like if every person found one cause that they were passionate about and adopted that as their ministry area? I find this an interesting question that I am especially drawn to when I am feeling pulled in many directions. Barbara Wendland’s passion for reading and writing about church-related topics and for encouraging others to ask thinking questions led her to writing a monthly newsletter, Connections.

Quick thoughts on names and titles

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Names

Many teachers are not aware that biblical names for people and places (especially in the Old Testament) have significant meanings that are not obvious in English. Our translations contain the proper names for the persons and places, and as a result we can easily miss much of the humor or irony present in the original Hebrew.

One way to demonstrate this to teachers is to read through a section of Genesis, such as Genesis 25:19-28 or 29:31-35 together, and have them learn to use the footnotes to identify the meaning of the names. Once they see the connection, reread the passage aloud, substituting the meaning of the name for the name itself. For example, Genesis 25:25 in the NRSV is, "The first came out red, all his body like a hairy mantle; so they named him Esau." but you would instead read this as, "The first came out red, all his body like a hairy mantle; so they named him Red and Hairy." Encourage the teachers to read the text this way in class settings for fun!

Community

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:00:00 GMT

3 Green Christianity resources

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Over the past six weeks or so, I have been working on my latest book, a 6-week study for youth on creation care, which will be published later this year. The project gave me a chance to explore some of the latest resources for congregational environmental ministry, and I thought I'd share 3 of them with you today.

The Green Bible. HarperOne, 2008.

Every time I walk past the Bibles in a Christian book store, I'm pretty sure I let out an audible groan. Did the world really need, after all, the "wedding edition" of the Lighting the Way Home Family Bible by painter Thomas Kinkade, to name but one of the books that seem to me to be a desperate attempt to reach every niche audience out there? No doubt there are many people in the world who will feel similarly dismayed about The Green Bible, but this is one of the few Bibles I wholeheartedly recommend.

Printed on recycled paper, using soy-based ink and a unique cotton/linen cover, The Green Bible is the most ecologically-responsible Bible available. A highly unique feature of the Bible is that verses with a connection to God's creation are printed in green, making it easy to see just how many things the Bible actually does have to say about creation. The Bible uses the NRSV translation and includes 100 pages of exceptional introductory articles, written by a diverse and interfaith audience including such well-known authors as Brian McClaren, Bill McKibben, and Barbara Brown Taylor. These provide tremendous insight into reading the Bible with green eyes.

Blessing of the bicycles

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 13:00:00 GMT

The sign on the bulletin board caught my eye as I walked into one of my favorite cycling stores: Blessing of the Bicycles, May 26th, Faith Lutheran Church in Clive. I had to find out more, so I gave the pastor, Mark Saline, a call.

It turns out that the congregation does a number of blessing services throughout the year—a Blessing of the Backpacks at the start of the school year, a Blessing of the Keys for teens who are getting their license, and a Blessing of the Animals service on St. Francis of Assisi day. These blessing rituals are simple ways to acknowledge the things of life that are highly important at certain times in one's life, to celebrate the joys of living, and to connect theology with the real events of congregants' lives. Mark said this service was very simple—a litany, an anointing of bikes with oil, a gift of a sticker and water, and a prayer for the cyclists.

What can a Project Manager do for you?

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Many congregations--especially small and mid-sized churches--go about their website design in one of two ways. Some have a tech-savvy person in the congregation with some basic web development skills create a site for them. Others call up whatever company is listed in the phone book and have them do it for them. Both approaches can work great in certain circumstances, but there are other options worth considering.

One of the methods I recommend to churches is to hire a Project Manager (PM) rather than a web designer. A good PM will be able to "speak geek" and communicate to the non-technical members of the staff. The PM's primary roles are: gathering clear information from the client (the church); interpreting the needs of the congregation to the developers (who typically include graphic designers and coders, plus other specialists depending on the circumstances); thoroughly testing the site; and training clients to update the site on their own when that is possible. Many PMs work with individuals all over the world who have very reasonable rates, which can save you 50 percent or more on the development cost.

Recruiting Sunday School Teachers

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Do you have your Sunday School teachers lined up for this fall? Yes, I know you just wrapped up a year of Sunday School. I know you are busy planning summer activities, including Vacation Bible School. But spending a little bit of time now thinking about fall Sunday School can result in a lot less stress come August. Here are three ideas for recruiting Sunday School teachers.

An image of the Bible for a social networking world

Fri, 29 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

The image or metaphor of a Bible as a lamp for one's feet makes complete sense for a ancient world where darkness is dangerous, scary, and a daily reality when most activity ceases. That image, powerful as it is, is less vivid for today's readers. Each of us carries around—consciously or unconsciously—an image of the Bible. Sometimes, these images came to us from literal, physical actions we witnessed in a worship or other church setting, and they affect the way we think about and interact with the Bible.

Some grow up in congregations where the Bible is held above the head of a worship leader as he or she processes into worship. The image communicates a message that the Bible is 'above' us, that it contains a 'higher' wisdom.

Teaching Children about Stewardship

Thu, 28 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Today let’s talk about stewardship! And to make things more interesting, let’s talk about teaching stewardship to children! In the minds of many adults, the word stewardship has become linked to “asking for money”. Many churches discuss stewardship once a year, when asking people to make a pledge to support the church’s financial needs. Not many children have financial resources of their own, and therefore, with this narrow definition of stewardship, children are often not involved in stewardship programs.

Let the Children Give: Time, Talents, Love, and Money by Delia Halverson reminds us that stewardship is a broader concept than simply raising money to meet a budget. A steward is one who manages the affairs of others. As Christians, we are all (regardless of age) called to be caretakers of God’s creation by using the talents God has given each one of us.

Hear that siren? Say a prayer.

Wed, 27 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

A siren
A baby crying
A teacher handing out a test
Rain
A fork

Seemingly unrelated items, each one of these things could be a prayer cue. Prayer cues are reminders to pray. Teaching children about prayer cues encourages them to make prayer a part of their everyday life.

Using Downloadable Video Clips (part 2)

Tue, 26 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

In the first edition of this series, I named 5 of my favorite places to go for downloadable videos for youth ministry and Christian education settings. Here are six others I would suggest checking out...

SermonSpice is chock full of video clips appropriate for sermons and talks; unfortunately, it's also got plenty of clips with less-than-desirable theology, so be prepared to search a while. Most clips cost $10-20.

WingClips offers clips from Hollywood movies that can be used in any church setting, even if your church does not have a CVLI license. The free subscription just gives you a very small video; to get the bigger sizes, you'll have to pay $139 a year. Still, if you use a lot of video clips in worship or CE settings, it could be a bargain and very convenient.

Memorial Day

Mon, 25 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Memorial Day is not a “religious” holiday. Sunday School teachers (and churches as a whole) sometimes struggle with the question of whether to acknowledge secular holidays. I have seen both ends of the spectrum. There is the teacher who will discard the lesson on the Sunday closest to February 14, and have children spend the entire time making Valentines. And then there is the teacher who ignores Halloween because it is not a religious holiday, even though the children are bursting with excitement thinking of the costumes they have chosen this year. As is often the case when dealing with extremes, there are difficulties with either approach.

Are we following Jesus?

Fri, 22 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

I have previously reviewed the music of Bryan Sirchio. One of Bryan’s songs that has stuck in my mind since I first heard him sing it is “Follow Me (87 times)”. The question that has persistently stuck in my mind from this song is, “Are we following Jesus, or just believing in Christ?” Of course, this question begs a follow-up question, “What does it mean to follow Jesus?” How would you answer that question?

My weekly covenant group is in the process of a Bible study using the songs on Bryan Sirchio’s CD, J-walking: Songs for Justice Walkers. (I am in the process of writing this study and it will be available from Different Voice soon!) As a part of this study, the group wrote a creed in response to the above question. I share it with you here.

~Sally Hoelscher

Broken for You

Thu, 21 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

I often reread books, sometimes multiple times. For me, rereading a book is like eating comfort food. The familiarity is soothing. I often notice things I had either missed the first time or forgotten.

During the last month, on three separate occasions, I was reminded of Broken for You by Stephanie Kallos, a book I read for the first time a couple of years ago. Taking the hint, I dug it out and reread it.

Purposeful Play

Wed, 20 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Summer is an ideal time to look at the toys in your church nursery or other classrooms and to evaluate if it's time for them to stay or go. You'll obviously want to dispose of any toys that are broken, unsafe (e.g. potentially made with lead paint), or used for play violence (e.g. toy guns). Additionally, it's a great time to clean and wash all of the toys (though we're sure you're already doing this regularly!)

However, another thing to look for is whether or not a toy is open-ended or closed-ended. An open-ended toy is one that is open to a child's imagination. Blocks are great for making a castle, creating obstacles for toy trucks, or even learning some basics of mathematics through counting games. Soft and squishy balls can become food items, game accessories, or pet turtles. Art supplies (at least those that don't come in a 'make an item that looks like this' kit) are tremendously versatile. Open-ended toys make imaginative and purposeful play more possible.

The Inconvenience of Change: Lessons from Encarta

Tue, 19 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Bloggers around the world have been weighing in on a common theme, "The Inconvenience of Change," sponsored by a great Gen-Y blog called "Life Without Pants." To help encourage people to take part, the great folks at Cool People Care are giving away copies of their book, New Day Revolution. It's not too late for you to take part! After you read my thoughts, write your own blog entry on this topic. Join the conversation, encourage your congregants to do so too...and be a creative force for change! ~ Tim

Unless you read a lot of tech blogs, you likely missed this nugget a couple of weeks ago: Microsoft is discontinuing its Encarta product. Encarta was the first computer encyclopedia produced for a mass audience, but it's about to go the way of cassette tapes and station wagons. Encarta never quite took off as expected (I'll admit that a copy of Encarta I got with a new laptop was not used even once) and now Google and Wikipedia are the first stops a student makes when working on a research paper. According to Tom Corddry, a former senior manager at Microsoft, "The ["Encarta"] editors overestimated the way students would say, 'This has been carefully edited! And is very authoritative!' "

Maintaining a Healthy Sunday School Environment

Mon, 18 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

I am always amazed by the school handbooks which my children bring home each fall. It seems as though there is a policy for every possible situation. Although I am not advocating for churches to have as an extensive of a handbook as schools, a few policies and guidelines can make a Sunday School teacher’s job easier. One example is an illness policy. Does your church have guidelines for when a child should not attend Sunday School due to illness?

So Many Opportunities...

Fri, 15 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. John 15:12

Apologize – and mean it
Be a good example
Care for those in need
Do what you can
Extend an invitation
Forgive

The Dawn of Days

Thu, 14 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

As I read The Dawn of Days by Denis Horgan, I found myself transported back to high school English. I could see the essay question in front of me, “Did the author intended to portray David Rhodes as a Christ-figure? Support your answer.” (The actual question many years ago was about Billy Budd.) Of course, this is one of those questions where, if the answer were “no” the question would not have been asked.

I Love You the Purplest

Wed, 13 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

I was recently at a warehouse sale of children’s books and noted a small section of books labeled as “Christian”. Perusing the titles, I determined that the booksellers’ requirement for a book to be displayed in this section was that it must contain the word “God”. Now if I ran the book sale… I would have a section labeled “Children’s books that convey a Christian message without ever mentioning God”. (The sign-makers would love me!) And if I ran the book sale…I would place I Love You the Purplest by Barbara M. Joose on display in this section.

An Important SOS

Tue, 12 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Once a month we give our “blogger-in-chief” a Tuesday off and for our weekly Technology offering I recommend a website. I recently discovered the site The Story of Stuff. I often receive good-natured kidding from my family because I did not get the “shopping” gene. It’s true; I do not like to shop (much to the dismay of my teenage daughter). Yet, even with my reluctance to be a consumer, I manage to accumulate quite a bit of “stuff”.

The Youth Mission Sandwich

Mon, 11 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

A good rule of thumb to follow in youth ministry is that the more involved a service project will be, the more you should surround that project with education. Just a bit of reflection should make this point clear, as some simple examples will illustrate. A fall event in which youth rake leaves for elderly residents in the community requires little sharing of knowledge; a trip to build homes in Mexico requires far more training.

I like to think about this training using the metaphor of a sandwich. The event itself is the heart of the sandwich—egg salad, sliced meats, veggie burger, and so on. That center is surrounded by bread. The bottom layer is the foundational education you do before the event, and the top layer is the follow-up you do in the way of debriefing and continuing to apply trip learnings. The extras you add (mustard, jalapeño peppers, etc.) are elements that enhance the experience while it's occurring. And then there's shredded lettuce, which always has a tendency to fall off of the sandwich. Those are the ways you share your experience with others and include them in the educational process.

Are you sure there are no exceptions?

Fri, 08 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

God?
Hey, God, it’s me.
I have a few questions.
I’ve been thinking about this “love one another” thing.
I love my family and friends.
Well, most of the time. There are moments.
What’s that?
Yeah, I probably do have a few moments of being difficult to love…

Review of The Wired Word curriculum

Thu, 07 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

A subscriber to The Daily Voice recently asked for my thoughts about online and downloadable curricula, and I've been giving this subject some extra thought as a result. Over the next few months, I'll be reviewing a few of the many options now available for downloadable curricula. My hope is that as I share a few thoughts about each of them, you'll take some time to think through and weigh the pros and cons of digital vs. other forms of curricula.

First up: The Wired Word, a product of Communication Resources, Inc.

Project Recycle

Wed, 06 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Looking for a service project for a Sunday School class? Preferably one that would last several weeks, allow class members to take ownership and be actively involved in the development and execution of the project? A class of older children, youth or adults can plan, organize and carry out a recycling awareness program for your congregation.

If you're on too many email lists...

Tue, 05 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Today's email could be a bit risky for us. I'm going to help you think thru your email subscriptions, and that could lead to some people unsubscribing. But the truth is, while we're very grateful you read our daily words of wisdom, we know you likely get an email inbox full of stuff. Here's a process to sort thru and deal with that digital clutter.

Decide - First, give a little thought to your current email habits. Do you file ezines away without ever reading them? Do you read everything that comes in, delete everything, then wish you had kept certain items for use later? Do you feel overwhelmed with the amount of email you get? Once you are clear about your ezine usage, decide on how much time you are willing to devote each day or week to reading your subscriptions.

Green Teaching

Mon, 04 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Last month, many organizations hosted events to celebrate Earth Day. Care-taking of God's creation is a responsibility we all share - every day, not just once a year. I encourage you to brainstorm ways that your Sunday School program can reduce, reuse and recycle. Here are some ideas to get you started thinking.

In my own words...

Fri, 01 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

If you have ever participated in an adult Bible Study, you have likely had an opportunity to try your hand at paraphrasing scripture. Taking a scripture passage and rewriting it in our own words can be a helpful exercise. We are forced to slow down, study the scripture and consider its meaning, as we attempt to put ideas into “our own words”. Reading a paraphrase of scripture (our own or someone else’s) can provide new insight as we hear the message in a different way.

Christian research explored in 3 books

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 13:00:00 GMT

The stack of books on my desk keeps growing, and these three are similar in the fact that they are summaries of research in three very different topics. The first I recommend to everyone; the others are for those with more specialized interests.

What Americans Really Believe by Rodney Stark. Baylor University Press, 2008, 208 pp.

The Pew Forum's US Religious Landscape survey has gotten a lot of press in recent weeks, and it's absolutely essential reading for church staff members and leaders. Another book, though, is equally valuable reading. Stark's research is highly respected by those who study the development of Christianity in our country, and his expert analysis of other writers and studies is concise and clear. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in knowing how Christians in different denominations think about everything from views on sin and evil to who believes in UFOs and angels. Want to know what the statistics say about youth participation in church? Want to know why Americans have such high rates of church attendance? Is religion "hardwired" into certain kinds of human personality? The answers to those questions and much more are in this fascinating (and well-written) book. It would be an interesting book to read as a church staff, I think.

What's so special about the number 350?

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Earth Day has come and gone this year, but our planet's environmental crises grow bigger and bigger every day. In climate science, the number 350 is a very critical number. That number represents the upper safe limit for CO² in our atmosphere, in parts per million. In other words, pump more than that number into the atmosphere, and our planet is in serious trouble. Unfortunately, we're at 388.79 and rising right now.

Global warming has been called the single greatest challenge to ever face humankind, and it is essential that churches communicate the necessity of making lifestyle changes now, not later. As Christian educators, we need to partner with effective efforts to educate people about global warming. Churches are some of our culture's institutions that are best-suited to organizing, to communicating with a large number of people, and to developing support networks. When we partner with other effective organizations, we don't have to create something new from scratch, and we build relationships with organizations in our communities that otherwise may have no association with faith groups.

Organize those cables, cords, and remotes

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Even if you are a total tech geek, it's easy to start losing control of all of the cables, power cords, and remote controls in your midst. This is especially true when you work or serve in a church, because often those various tech-bits are handled by many people. Here are 10 steps to getting those wires and remotes organized.

Supplies needed: Electronic labeler (if available); some sort of attachable cable label (I like to use something similar to these, but if you have any of those old dot matrix labels lying around, they'll work OK); thin-tipped permanent black marker; rolling cart; clipboard with paper/pen; two cardboard boxes; cable ties (or garbage bag twist ties); technically-minded teenager or two. (Even if you are a gadget guru, it's a great way for a teen to share his or her knowledge with the church.)

Start a simplicity circle

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 13:00:00 GMT

How is your congregation helping members of your congregation and community cope in this difficult economy? Many possibilities exist, from setting up job boards on the church website, to offering instructional classes on gardening or canning, to bringing in a financial planner to help the congregation learn about dealing with budgeting or debt. Your approach will depend on the community's situation and the skills and gifts the congregation members have.

Another idea that utilizes the power of small groups is Simplicity Circles. In this type of small group, members gather to learn about living more simply while supporting one another as they change and develop new lifestyle patterns.