I first learned of the concept of a “pray-ground” in the sanctuary from the beautiful one built by Grace Lutheran Church in Apple Valley, Minnesota. It’s the first pray-ground I know of to get broad media attention and coverage. We’ll get back to Grace’s Pray-Ground, in just a minute, but first: What’s a pray-ground? The name […]
Church “Pray-grounds:” Eight Stories and Inspiring Examples #kidmin Read More »
I have never been the girl who lives to shop. Where I come from, the mall was appreciated just as much for being an oasis of air conditioning during the hot summers as it was for anything else. But all the same, I have always worn clothes that reflected how I wanted to be seen
Guest Post: Jessica Vaughan Lower #whomademyclothes Read More »
Today begins a sermon series on the book More than Enough: Living Abundantly in a Culture of Excess by Lee Hull Moses. We’re doing an online book study (through a closed Facebook group) and I’m using the free worship planning guide to give sermon starters and some interactive station ideas. Today’s theme is abundance. As folks walked
Sermon Remix: Abundance and the Feeding of the 5,000 Read More »
Christ is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed! This morning’s message is not one I want to reprint or excerpt. Instead I’ll give a summary of some of the things discussed and link to some things I found interesting as I prepared the sermon. I started out by borrowing a little bit of the intrigue from
Sermon Remix: Resurrection || Easter 2017 Read More »
This is the week when we come face to face with the dark details of crucifixion. I have to admit how incredibly uncomfortable I am with this story. I think most people are, if we stop long enough to think about it. It’s incredibly violent. Senseless. Painful. We are confronted not just with what happened,
Sermon Remix: Why did Christ Die on the Cross? Read More »
This is a post I’ve been wanting to write for some time now but haven’t felt brave enough. By writing what I really think, I know that I break from a lot of conventional wisdom and tradition when it comes to children’s ministry. At the same time, I feel strongly about this and I’ve thought about it and
Should We Protect Our Children From the Violence of the Cross? Read More »
A few weeks ago I was talking to my sons Clayton and Samuel about baptism. “It’s when you put water on the baby’s head and the baby officially becomes part of God’s family,” I said. Clayton furrowed his brow and said “But the baby is always a part of God’s family, even before you put the
Sermon Remix : Some Thoughts about Baptism and the Book of Order Read More »
One of the things I’ve been trying to do as we continue on with our brief “art class at home” lessons is to keep them fairly simple and short. In fact, I’d say I spend about as much time setting them up as the boys do “executing” them. Still, it’s paid off. The short time
Art Class at Home & Church: Bubble Wrap Prints Read More »
It’s so exciting to be able to do a book tour without even leaving home! Take a look at all the places where Faithful Families will be “visiting” and drop by! I’ll be linking back to the completed posts here! March 20 – TJ Remaley – “From Mountaintops to Tabletops.”
Faithful Families Blog Tour Read More »
Sabbath, to rest. Rest. Rest. So many of the parents I know are desperate for rest. Incidentally, rest isn’t the same as sleep. One can be well rested on very little sleep. Conversely, one can get many hours of sleep and still not feel rested. True rest comes from a sense of peace and calm and
Sabbath Notecards: Helping Families Rest – (Spiritual Practice) #FaithfulFamilies Read More »
