2020 Vision – Faith Formation Resource Network
In Spring of 2017, the Conference Board of Directors approved our “2020 Vision”, a set of eight strategic objectives that will focus our ministry together over the next few years, with full implementation by 2020. These objectives align with our Conference’s existing strategic priorities, adopted in 2012. Our “2020 Vision” was publicly launched at Annual Meeting 2017. One of these objectives is around a faith formation resource network. 
Reverend Kevin Brown
In recent years, there has been an exponential increase in the availability of easily accessible, web-based curricula, devotional materials, at-home practices, and other faith formation resources. However, there remains a lack of readily available, easily searchable, and affordable theologically progressive, justice-focused resources. This resource gap has become a significant challenge for congregations in their primary task of nurturing faith for all ages.
Many pastors and other faith formation leaders from the Minnesota Conference and the wider Church are regularly developing high quality worship materials, curricula, and other resources for use within their individual faith communities. Most of these resources are developed for a specific ministry context, and are not shared widely within the progressive church.
As part of the 2020 Vision initiative, the Minnesota Conference United Church of Christ has developed the following strategic goal to support congregations in their ministries to nurture life-long faith development:
By the end of 2018 recruit and support a network of content creators/curators from across the UCC of theologically progressive faith formation resources and launch an accessible distribution platform for these resources.
The Conference has a unique opportunity to help create a network of faith formation leaders to develop and curate progressive resources for congregational and at-home use. Our goal will be to encourage this network of people to share for wide distribution materials previously developed for their specific ministry contexts. The Conference will also work to identify and cultivate partnerships to commission and develop new faith formation resources.
Simultaneous with the gathering of resources, we will explore the development of a searchable, web-based platform for collecting, maintaining, and distributing materials. This process will included identifying potential partners in this project. Organizations such as Vibrant Faith, Building Faith, and others, have each developed a platform for sharing resources with their particular constituencies. These organizations represent potential conversation partners or collaborators in the development of this new progressive faith formation resource network.
To learn more about this new venture, please contact Kevin Brown, Associate Conference Minister of Faith Formation for Children & Youth.
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