Hello, friends, and welcome to the “Ask Traci” column of Treasure Box Tuesday. This is a new feature of my email list and was inspired by the fact that many of the emailed questions I receive are broadly applicable. If you have a question you’d like to ask, please submit it HERE, and I’ll answer […]
Creative Ideas for an All Ages Ordination Service (Ask Traci #1) Read More »
Many years ago, a friend (hi, Kelly S!) shared the idea of a “lessons and carols” style service for the week after Easter. The idea is a simple service of, well, lessons and carols! It’s a great idea for a lot of reasons: the week after Easter is a week when you want to keep
All-Age Service for the Week After Easter (Lessons and Carols) Read More »
I love making lists of lessons. Sometimes I do them on my birthday, sometimes the new year. This year’s is (comparatively) short, but some big ones in here! Happy New Year! 1. Stillness is power.
16 Lessons from 2025 Read More »
Grief, repair, and a shepherd girl standing guard “She’s the reason I got this set for you,” my dear friend Phil said, carefully unwrapping the shepherd figure of the nativity set he had brought me as an installation gift. It’s an artisan set, and each figure is made from corn husks, which are softened and
Repairing Tiny Crowns Read More »
Focused Expertise for Maximum Impact Often, churches are looking to work with an expert in a targeted, specific way, without six months of engagement or a bulky process. These mini consulting packages are designed to allow you the ability to work with an expert in faith formation who will listen closely and provide focused direction.
Introducing: Mini Consulting Packages Read More »
Photo: Erika Giraud / Unsplash First Things First: What’s a Prayground? Prayground defined: A prayground is a designated area within a worship space where young children can engage in age-appropriate, worship-centered activities during the service. Equipped with materials such as children’s Bibles, worship aids, and props for “playing church,” a prayground invites children to participate
Praygrounds: Best Practices and a Report Read More »
The Art Institute of Chicago has been a sacred place for me, ever since I was a student chaplain. After sitting with families as they processed their shock and grief after gunshot wounds, cancer diagnoses, and death, I needed a place that was completely different than the ER and the ICU. When we entertain guests,
487 Words on the Hidden and Obvious Treasures of the Art Institute of Chicago #500words Read More »
Please see THIS link to a Google Document you can view or download. I change the links frequently, so come back often! TRACI SMITH MASTER RESOURCE LIST Updated March 4. 2025
Master Resource List Read More »
2024 was a big year and there was a lot to learn! (There always is, right?) I often do these kinds of reflections around my birthday but this year, it felt more like a year-end kind of thing. This is a list of things I spent hours thinking about or writing about in 2024. Some
50 Lessons from 2024 Read More »
I”m not sure which challenging news event led you to this page, this time. Perhaps a natural disaster, or perhaps a human-made disaster. Whatever it is, deep peace to you as you minister to children, youth, and their families during this time. In Faithful Families: Creating Sacred Practice at Home, there is a whole chapter
Prayers and Practices for Challenging News Events Read More »
