Why APCE? The First of a Two-Part Conversation
By: Ken McFayden Since being installed as president at the 2018 annual event, the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators (APCE) has become a more central part of my life. More of my time. More of my energy. More of my focus. And during a period of my life when...
The Rite of Way in Faith: Rites of Passage and Youth Ministry
Adolescence, at least US/North American adolescence, can be seen as a seven-year span of age (12–18 years) or grades (6th–12th grades). Over these seven years, numerous adolescent status changes occur: puberty, educational structure, licensing, sexual attraction, dating, working, future forecasting (post high school plans, such as college, vo-tech, travel), and voting.
As youth ministry has taken the great step to shrink the distance between the young person and their faith formation (meaning faith isn’t just about a Sunday schedule), there is significant meaning and impact in connecting youth ministry to to the rites of adolescence or the Rites of Passage.
Rituals and Transitions: Back-to-School Litanies
By: As we move into fall programming, the Advocate will spend several weeks on a series of articles about Rituals and Transitions. We’ll hear from Gina Yeager-Buckley about connecting youth ministry to rites of passage in adolescence. Tammy Winchip will describe...
Lost in transition
By: Derek Atkins If all the recent articles, books, blogs, and statistical studies are right, around two-thirds of the teens in our congregations are going to disconnect with the life of the church, and maybe even their Christian faith, as they make their way through...