ADVOCATE
Learning by Letting Go
By: Cynthia Campbell Kids and parents arrive for a new and exciting Advent Workshop that’s been promoted and advertised. But what they find is not so exciting—only a couple of tables with craft projects set on them. Along the walls of the room are boxes full of other...
Go Ahead, Try It
By: Zeta Lamberson Experimentation is at the heart of creative education. We have good news to share, and there are a multitude of ways to share our story. Good educators know that what works in one context does not necessarily work in another. So we find ourselves...
Abundant Grace Dinner Church
By: Kristie Webb Finley Abundant Grace Dinner Church in Plainsboro/West Windsor, New Jersey, has a vision: In the abundant grace of God, guided by the example of Christ's love, inspired by the Holy Spirit, we gather together around the table to worship, feeding the...
Claiming Sacred Space at the Bar
By: Danny Trapp Holding a worship service in a bar or restaurant is not a new concept. Google “church at a bar” and you’ll find examples across the country—in Missouri, Virginia, Georgia, and Texas to name a few. Something is happening in Charlotte, North Carolina, at...
If They Ask, They Will Come
By: Carol Wehrheim After teaching the sixth-grade church school class for a number of years, I retired. A few months later, the phone rang. "Carol, I think I have a project that will interest you," began the director for children's and family ministries. I listened...
Looking Ahead . . . Advent and Christmas
By: Sandy Safford Looking for some new ideas for the coming church season? This column, which we hope to include in each issue of the Advocate, is intended to give you some resources to consider for the months ahead. Maybe it will just remind you of something you...
Exploring Digital Media for Ministry
By: Kyle Oliver Something is happening in Christian education and formation. Ministry models are changing. Curricula and other resources are adapting. Teachers and learners are discovering the joys and challenges of using new media to enrich their faith journeys. For...
Educator of the Year for 2016: Beth Hayes
By: APCE Phoebe Elizabeth Abrams Hayes (Beth) grew up in a PCUSA church that played a very significant role in her early life. Her early involvement with that church family inspired her to major in religious education at Converse College in Spartanburg, South...
Resources to Explore: God’s New Things
By: Mary E. Speedy Check out resources from Annual Event speakers and others who will open your eyes to God's new things. When "Spiritual but Not Religious" Is Not Enough: Seeing God in Surprising Places, Even the Church, Lillian Daniel. Jericho, 2013. Playing off the...
The Four Types of Nones
By: Lillian Daniel You probably heard about it in the news. It was called the Pew Study on Religious Participation in America. Some experts went out and surveyed all kinds of people to find out what exactly we are doing with ourselves in this country religiously. The...