Children and youth are the future of our church, and in the Minnesota Conference UCC they are a valued part of our present.
We engage youth in mission and worship through faith formation activities and leadership development. We also support clergy and lay leaders who work with youth through training and resources.
FourTHursdays – Conversations with clergy, lay staff, and volunteers engaged in faith formation
Fourth Thursdays, noon-1:30 pm via Zoom
Gather on Zoom for conversation, questioning, and shared resourcing within a supportive community of colleagues. Registered participants for each gathering will receive a free book or other ministry resource. Contact Rev. Sheri Nelson for a Zoom link.
Coming up February 25
Sabbath Practices and the Formation of Christian Identity
Whether at church, home, or retreat, we all struggle with how to intentionally engage Christian practices in our everyday lives. What if we reimagined spiritual formation as an extension of Sabbath rhythms. In this conversational presentation, participants will explore the benefits of embracing Sabbath practices aimed at fostering Christian identity, both in and outside the walls of the church. Based on a decade of empirical research focused on the Taizé Community and its pilgrims, Jason Brian Santos will explore how participation in Sabbath practices might be the most effective means to both forming lasting faith in individuals and cultivating a wider intergenerational vision for the Christian community. REGISTER
Rev. Jason Brian Santos, Ph.D. is an American practical theologian and the pastor of Community Presbyterian Church, a small mountain congregation located in Lake City, CO. For the last five years, he served as the national director for Christian Formation for the Presbyterian Church (USA), where he is an ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament. He holds a Ph.D. in practical theology from Princeton Theological Seminary, where he also earned his Masters of Divinity. He is the author of A Community Called Taizé(IVP, 2008) and co-author of the forthcoming revised edition of Intergenerational Christian Formation (IVP Academic, 2012). Jason currently resides in an almost 150-year-old historic church manse in Lake City, with his wife, Shannon and his two sons, Judah and Silas (aka Tutu). In his spare time, he plays and designs board games.
Other Resources
This fall, the Conference will offer toolkits for both families and faith formation leaders. The toolkit will be available electronically in weekly installments (released on Wednesdays), Oct 7–Nov 18 (fall) and Nov 25–Dec 23 (Advent).
The fall toolkit will focus on two important spiritual practices for this season of life:
- Each week of October will invite folks to “Practice Paying Attention: Be Still, Listen, Wonder, Remember.”
- November will invite folks to “Practice Gratitude: Humility, Kindness, Blessing.”
Each toolkit will provide a thoughtfully focused and curated collection of video reflections, music, spiritual practices, readings, creative/art activities, games, community service projects, justice and advocacy opportunities, and more.
