Author Archive

We need your help! Our Shine team has launched two surveys to better understand the people and practices shaping faith formation today and to craft resources that meet their needs. One survey is for congregations to complete and the other survey is for families to complete. 

Congregational leaders are encouraged to fill out the Congregation Survey and then invite parents and caregivers in their communities to complete the Family Survey. Your parents’ input will help Shine better understand the challenges and joys of parenting children and youth today.

The surveys are available online until May 30th. With these surveys, we hope to listen deeply to the congregations and families we serve. We want to hear what’s working, what’s needed, and how Shine can continue to be a trusted resource for nurturing children’s faith. Thank you for giving us your time and your wisdom. Complete our surveys today!

Amy Gingerich, publisher of MennoMedia                                  Wendy McFadden, publisher of Brethren Press  

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Harrisonburg, VA / Elgin, IL — Shine: Living in God’s Light Curriculum, a collaborative faith formation initiative of MennoMedia and Brethren Press, is launching two important surveys this spring—one for congregations and one for families. With these surveys, Shine and its publishers seek to better understand the people and practices shaping faith formation today and to craft future curriculum resources that meet their real-life needs.

The Congregation Survey and Family Survey will be available online from May 1 to May 30, 2025, and are being administered on Shine’s behalf by The Grandview Group. Congregations in Mennonite Church USA, Mennonite Church Canada, and the Church of the Brethren will receive an invitation to participate, as will congregations from other denominations that use Shine products.

“With these surveys, we hope to listen deeply to the congregations and families we serve,” said Amy Gingerich, executive director and publisher of MennoMedia. “We want to hear what’s working, what’s needed, and how Shine can continue to be a trusted resource for nurturing children’s faith.”

The Congregation Survey will gather data on purchasing habits, demographics, and Sunday school participation trends since 2019. The Family Survey will explore faith practices at home, beliefs about spiritual development, and the needs and preferences of parents and caregivers.

“At Brethren Press, we believe that good faith formation begins with listening,” said Wendy McFadden, publisher of Brethren Press. “This is a chance for churches and families to shape the future of Shine by sharing their honest experiences and hopes.”

To encourage participation, Shine is offering the first 100 congregations to complete the Congregation Survey a $25 USD thank-you check, and an additional $10 USD per completed Family Survey from their congregation (up to five families), for a potential total of $75 USD. Congregational leaders are encouraged to fill out the Congregation Survey and then invite parents and caregivers in their communities to complete the Family Survey.

Survey links, QR codes, and promotional materials—including a digital flyer for congregations to distribute—are available at ShineEverywhere.com/join/surveys.

For more information about the survey or for help with survey access, contact:

Erin Parker

Senior Project Manager

The Grandview Group

e.parker@thegrandviewgroup.com

For questions about Shine or the incentive program, please contact:

Shana Peachey Boshart

Shine Everywhere Project Facilitator

shanapb@mennomedia.org

About Shine Curriculum:

Shine is a Bible-based Sunday school curriculum published jointly by MennoMedia and Brethren Press. Its mission is to equip congregations and families to help children and youth love Jesus, grow in faith, and change the world.

John Roberto, a faith formation leader and founder of LifeLong Faith, has said that the intergenerational community is central to lifelong faith formation and ministry. Spiritual life is deepened and nurtured as people of all ages engage in the community’s prayer life, rituals, and blessings together. These shared practices help develop spiritual identity and can create a sense of belonging.

The idea that faith is formed within the intergenerational community is found in scripture. In Deuteronomy 6:7 (CEB), we read the instruction to “recite [God’s words] to your children. Talk about them when you are sitting around your house and when you are out and about, when you are lying down and when you are getting up.” Speaking about who God is and how God is part of our lives is assumed to be an activity all ages to do together!

Similarly, in Joshua 4, after the people have safely crossed the Jordan River, they set up twelve stones as a memorial. Joshua said to the Israelites, “In the future your children will ask their parents, ‘What about these stones?’” They were to tell their children how God acted to save God’s people. Again, an assumption is made that children are present and part of the community. When adults answer children’s questions about the stories and rituals of their community, it is an opportunity for both children and adults to be reminded of who they are and who God is. This is one way faith can be formed intergenerationally!

In the New Testament, we see that people of all ages are part of the faith community. In Luke 2, 12-year-old Jesus is in the temple and interacting with adults. He is both speaking and listening as he interacts with these mentors. In that moment, old and young discuss scripture, ask questions, and share knowledge with each other.

Following an argument about who is the greatest in Mark 10:13–16, Jesus takes a child in his arms and says that God’s kingdom belongs to people who are like children. The implication is that children have something to teach the rest of us!

What are the stories and traditions you want to share with younger generations? What can older people in your congregation learn from younger people who are encountering scripture for the first time? How might you create spaces in your congregation for people of different ages to talk together about faith?

Begin where you are and consider one step you can take to bring generations together!

God, thank you for the unique gifts you give to us at each stage of life. As we share stories, ask questions, and learn together, help us build communities of faith where people of all ages find welcome and belonging. Amen.

Joyce Peachey Lind, Curriculum Editor

Illustration by Shelly Dieterichs

Read more of John Roberto’s work on intergenerational faith formation in his book, LifeLong Faith: Formation for all Ages and Generations, and at www.lifelongfaith.com.

What are your first memories of church? I remember the words of the songs we sang during the opening time before we headed down the hallway to Sunday school. I remember sitting at little tables with kid-sized chairs in a linoleum-tiled classroom, the smell of rubber cement we used for crafts, and the Bible story leaflets we took home every week.

And, while I have fond memories of Sunday school, what comes to mind when I think about the congregation where I grew up are the faces of people who were there. Mrs. Lehman, an older woman who spoke softly, greeted me Sunday mornings with a warm smile. Mrs. Byler, our children’s choir director, helped us pull off a joyful cantata each year. The youth sponsors patiently helped us make chili for our annual fundraiser and opened their homes for social gatherings. There was also one college student who offered a listening ear to me. We talked often about life and faith, and I remember great conversations as we made chocolate chip cookies together in her home.

These and other relationships in my church community helped form my faith and shaped my understanding of what it means to love God and be a follower of Jesus. Even as a child, I had a sense that I belonged in my congregation.

We often think of faith formation happening in age-specific Sunday school classrooms. It makes sense to group children, youth, and adults with similar learning abilities and stages of faith. However, in addition to learning in age groups, people of all ages can benefit from faith formation experiences that bring different generations together to worship, serve, read the Bible, and learn about God.

In order to grow in faith, we need to cultivate relationships with people of all ages in our faith community and engage in shared experiences.  Why not try something new this summer? Consider planning one or two events for people of all ages in your congregation with a goal of forming and building relationships.  You might want to plan an evening of sharing favorite Bible stories, organize a game night, involve children and youth in leading a worship service, or plan a service project that provides opportunities for young and old to work alongside each other.

By bringing people of all ages together, you will be creating a space where the young and the old and everyone in between can encourage one another on their journey of faith and learn together how to be disciples of Jesus.

Stay tuned! Next week we’ll dig deeper into the biblical roots of intergenerational faith formation!

Joyce Peachey Lind, Curriculum Editor

Illustration by Shelly Dieterichs

Read Matthew 14:13‑21

We read in many of the Gospel accounts that Jesus, like the rest of us, needed time to get away, time to refresh and renew himself.  In Matthew 14, he left the place where he had been teaching, got into a boat, and went to a deserted place to be alone. Unfortunately, the people learned of his departure and followed on foot. When he went ashore, he was greeted by another large crowd. They wanted to hear him teach or possibly get close enough to touch him so that he would heal their illnesses.

Tired and overwhelmed, Jesus saw the sick people, those who were hungering and thirsting for God’s Word, and he was moved to compassion. He walked into the crowd and began healing them. What a sight that must have been. Already drained and exhausted, he pressed on, giving more of himself to help those who needed him.

As the sun began to set, the disciples knew that Jesus needed rest. They also realized that they were in the middle of nowhere. “We need to stop,” they told Jesus. “We need to send these people back to their homes, or at least into the towns where they can get something to eat.” But Jesus turned to the disciples and said, “They don’t need to leave. You give them something to eat.”

The disciples were baffled. “What? You’re kidding, right? All we have is some bread and fish.” “You give them something to eat,” Jesus told them. Why? Why didn’t he just do it? Why not just turn the rocks into bread or call for manna to fall from heaven? Why get the disciples involved?

Jesus said, “You give them something to eat.” This story is not about a crowd of hungry people. It is not about bread and fish. Jesus’ command to the disciples is about them. And it is about us. It is about looking past the problem and seeing the opportunity to love and serve.

“You give them something to eat.”

Through your ministry of teaching, you are giving the children and youth in your care the nourishment of God’s Word. It often requires sacrifice. Jesus gave of himself when it was not convenient for him. He needed free time, down time, and time away. What he did instead was serve and invited his disciples to do the same.

There are many opportunities where we can serve and share God’s love. The ministry of teaching is one of the most important, but sometimes it seems like a thankless job. The children get restless during story time, the youth seem disinterested in the lesson, or the media connection won’t load. Like the disciples in Matthew’s Gospel, we are called to look past the logistical problems and the ups and downs of teaching, and share the love of God with our children and youth.

Jesus calls and feeds us, then invites us to turn to the crowds and give them something to eat. We have the loaves and fishes. When we give of ourselves in faith, we can do far more than we can ever imagine. 

The Shine Team wants to remind you that your ministry of teaching is valued and appreciated.  Thank you for giving them “something to eat.”

Shine is seeking writers for a new youth curriculum! Writers will create six-week units on various biblical and life application topics for youth in grades 9–12. We want to . . .

• encourage youth to dig deep into scripture.  

• motivate youth to live out their faith and follow the way of Jesus. 

• help youth wonder about, wrestle with, and discuss their own beliefs and values. 

• empower youth to think theologically and articulate their faith. 

• give youth opportunities to build community with others.

To learn about Shine Curriculum’s overall aspirations, key scriptures, and goals, click here.

This is a freelance writing job, and payment is paid for the project, not hourly. To apply, visit our website at ShineCurriculum.com. Go to the “About” tab in our dropdown menu and click “Jobs.” Follow the instructions to download the application and sample session documents. Choose your sample session topic from the two options given and write your sample session using the template provided.

Email your resume, application, and sample session, to RachelNE@MennoMedia.org by January 17, 2025.  You will receive email confirmation of receipt of your files.

Questions? Email RachelNE@MennoMedia.org.

At church, December may be filled with special events and the practice sessions that go along with them. Children’s music programs, pageants, or fellowship events may affect your faith formation classes during the season of Advent. Whatever your church’s schedule during these busy December Sundays, check out these tips to help you plan.

Worship

• During Advent worship services, be intentional about including child-friendly music and responsive readings, such as the one included below.
• With the many sights and sounds during this season, Advent is a good time to encourage families with children to sit closer to the front of the sanctuary during worship.
• Provide coloring sheets related to the Advent theme, along with crayons or markers, for people of all ages.
• Invite children and youth who are learning musical instruments to play prepared Christmas music before or during worship.

Faith Formation

• During Shine faith formation sessions, plan to spend more time with Connect to God and Connect to the Bible during Advent. Often there are plans for an Advent wreath or a special way to mark the Sundays in Advent. Quiet time and prayer can help children and youth unwind from their own busyness and be ready to engage with the Bible story.
• One youth group regularly shares “God sightings”—occasions when they were aware of God’s presence during the time since the previous session.
• Refresh your room décor and have Christmas music playing as children enter. Be ready to welcome everyone and move quickly into Connect to Each Other to capture the energy.
• Is your meeting time shortened by a play or music practice on several Sundays? Move directly into the story after children/youth arrive and have one creative activity that they can add to each week.
• No Sunday school the week before or after Christmas? Combine elements of sessions 3 and 4 so that children will hear the whole Christmas story.
• Ask for an extra volunteer to assist you each week. Another set of hands can help with special art activities or allow you to offer a choice of Explore options.
• Check out the Shine Pinterest boards below for quick links to media related to each session, artwork depicting the Christmas story, peace resources, craft projects, and other materials to supplement Shine sessions.
  • • Advent/Christmas
    • Winter 2024-25: Meet Jesus, the Messiah
    • Artwork: Life of Jesus

Waiting prayer

Include this “Waiting prayer” in worship during Advent:

     Group 1: We lift up our souls to you, God.

     Group 2: Like the prophet Isaiah, we wait for renewed strength from the Lord.

     All: We want you to make things right in the world.

     Group 1: Like John the Baptist, we prepare ourselves while we wait.

     Group 2: Forgive us for times we hurt others.

     All: Help us to prepare our hearts to receive your love.

     Group 1: Like Mary, we say yes to God’s plan, even while we wait to understand it.

     Group 2: Thank you for choosing people like us to share your good news.

     All: We wait with joyful expectation!

During this Advent season may you be filled with the peace of Christ and may we all experience anew the joy of this season as we await Jesus’ birth.

Today’s post was written by Joyce Peachey Lind, Shine’s curriculum editor.

Illustrations by Sherry Neidigh and Angela Hawkins.

When we had young children at home, Advent was simultaneously one of my favorite times of year and one of the most challenging. After Thanksgiving, our children loved opening up the box of Christmas decorations, hanging ornaments on the tree, and getting out the empty Advent calendar. Together we counted down the days to Christmas and added a new sheep, shepherd, or star to our Advent nativity scene each day. It was so much fun to feel their excitement and anticipation of the holiday! But some years—between Christmas concerts, school parties, work schedules, and the inevitable head colds—the weeks leading up to Christmas were a little too much for all of us. I suspect the true meaning of Advent and Christmas got lost in the shuffle.

As our children got older, I tried to be more intentional about Advent rituals and came to see those weeks as a time of preparation, with more focus on my own internal preparation and less focus on external preparations. I tried to simplify and be selective about what “must” be part of our holiday celebrations. Now our children are grown. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, I try to choose practices that will help me prepare to receive the good news of Jesus’ birth so that I can experience anew the story of God coming to us as a newborn baby and bringing light into the darkness.

For those of us celebrating Advent with young children—at home or in a congregation—the rituals we choose for ourselves can also help the 

children in our lives find meaning during the season of Advent. Adding just one ritual or rhythm into the day or week can draw children into the story of God’s people waiting for a Savior and help them grow in their understanding of a faith rooted in the life of Jesus.

How can you help the children in your care become actively involved in waiting for Jesus and looking for God’s light in the world during Advent? Consider these suggestions and choose one or two that you can do together.

• Explain what Advent is—a time of waiting for new life to come into the world in baby Jesus and a time of preparing our hearts to receive him.
• Talk about your own experiences of waiting. Has a time of waiting ever been a blessing? Help children think of times when waiting is a necessary part of growth—like a bulb that needs to grow or a caterpillar in a cocoon who waits to become a butterfly.

• Notice and name what you are thankful for. Younger children often enjoy playing the game I Spy, in which players guess which item in a room someone has chosen in their head. A version of this game could include spying things you are grateful for.
• Choose a word of the week that aligns with the weekly Advent themes of hope, peace, joy, and love. Point out symbols or notice when you see others living out those themes.
• Read the scriptures suggested in Shine At Home each week and choose an activity to do together.
• Create a simple Advent candle wreath with five candles—one for each Sunday of Advent and the fifth one for Christmas. It doesn’t need to be fancy! One year, our Advent candles were tea lights in small jam jars. Lighting candles, singing a Christmas song, and spending a few minutes in silence each evening can be a meaningful way to be together.
• Help your children (and yourself!) slow down and practice waiting by spending reflective time together each day. Search for free Advent devotionals online or purchase one of the suggested books below. Read a devotion each evening before bed. It’s okay if you don’t get to it every day!

Here are some suggested devotional resources for all ages:

• Mennonite Church USA offers a free Advent resource available at this link: https://www.mennoniteeducation.org/resources/advent-at-home/
• 25 Days to Jesus: A Children’s Advent Devotional can be purchased at ShineCurriculum.com. In this book, children will meet those whose lives were changed by the birth of Jesus. Through a daily scripture, story, and prayer, you can begin a Christmas tradition the whole family can share. (ages 3 to 8)
• All Creation Waits—Children’s Edition: The Advent Mystery of New Beginnings for Children by Gayle Boss. This is a lovely book that invites the practice of waiting with creation throughout Advent. Each daily reading features a different woodland animal and tells how each one adapts to the season of dark and cold as they wait for a new beginning. (ages 5 to 10)

Today’s post was written by Joyce Peachey Lind, Shine’s curriculum editor. Stay tuned for Friday’s post, “Make Room for Advent at Church.”

Illustrations by Sherry Neidigh.

Last week, we started to share what we are learning through the Shine Everywhere initiative. We described what we have learned so far from those who used the “Follow the Peace Path” Cards. Today, I’ll share what we are learning through our reading of other books and research, as well as from the other projects funded by the Christian Parenting and Caregiving Initiative of Lilly Endowment Inc.  

If parents are the primary influence on their children’s faith formation, then faith formation of children and youth begins with the faith formation of their parents. This means taking seriously the faith development, doubts, and hang-ups of parents. 

This implies a far more collaborative approach with parents than congregational leaders are used to. Our faith formation models over the past century have focused on equipping congregational lay leaders as teachers, not parents. And we have focused on creating resources those teachers can use in Sunday School or kids club settings at church, not at home. 

Does this mean, then, that we focus on “equipping” parents to use resources that we create for them to use at home? The more we think about it, the less we like this language. We are concluding that we need to collaborate with parents in the creation of the activities and resources that fit them and their children.   

We are also learning that parenting is more stressful than it used to be. At the end of August, the US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy released Advisory on the Mental Health and Well-Being of Parents “to call attention to the stress and mental health concerns facing parents and caregivers and to lay out what we can do to address them.” 

Murthy is encouraging Americans to “cultivate a culture for parents and caregivers to thrive.” He has four recommendations:  

“First, it’s time to value and respect time spent parenting on par with time spent working at a paying job, recognizing the critical importance to society of raising children. Second, while parents and caregivers may have the primary responsibility for raising children, they shouldn’t have to do it entirely on their own. Third, we need to talk openly about the stress and struggles that come with parenting. Fourth, we must foster a culture of connection among parents to combat loneliness and isolation.” 

Also this summer, the book, The Anxious Generation was released, which outlines the harms social media and mobile phones have brought upon children and youth. The authors document the harm caused by overprotectiveness in the real world combined with a lack of protectiveness in the digital world.  

Parents need the support of their faith communities now more than ever. Churches can be places where parenting is valued. Churches can be communities that offer practical support and encouragement to parents in their daily challenges. Churches are full of older adults who have been there and can offer empathy and advice for the challenges of parenting. And churches are the perfect place to offer gatherings for connection and friendship among parents.  

We conclude that it’s time for congregations to reorient their faith formation programming toward collaboration with parents. Pastors and faith formation leaders are the perfect people to facilitate a gathering of parents to foster connection, friendship and mutual storytelling.  

If these recommendations sound good to you, consider applying to be a Shine Everywhere Partner congregation. I’ll partner with you to discern with your parents a way forward that builds faith in both parents and their children.

Shana Peachey Boshart, Shine Everywhere Project Facilitator

Shine Everywhere is the faith-at-home initiative of Shine Curriculum. Through a process of creating at-home resources and hearing how they work for families, we hope to create ever more relevant and practical resources for use at home. Along the way, we hope to create a community of churches and families who discover and practice the everywhere habits that grow faith in children.  

A vital aspect of this initiative is learning as we go. This is an iterative process: we do something, then pause and ask what we are learning, we apply our learning to the next thing we do, then pause again and ask what we are learning. We think this learning is important enough to pause from time to time and share with you what we are learning. This way, you can learn along with us, which is only fair, since we are learning from you! 

We are learning from a variety of sources. We are learning from you, our friends who use Shine Curriculum and tried first at-home test product, the “Follow the Peace Path” Cards. We are also learning from books and surveys on the topic of faith formation at home. And, we are learning from the other projects funded by the Christian Parenting and Caregiving Initiative of the Lilly Endowment Inc.  

We are still collecting your feedback from the “Follow the Peace Path” Cards, so if your family used the card deck, please fill out our survey. The feedback we have received so far indicates that people think the card deck is practical, beautiful, and fun to use. We are learning that when using the cards, the time of day and setting matter. For example, if you are using the cards at bedtime, you want quiet, “wind-down” activity options, and if you are using them at snack time or mealtime, there could be food-related activities. Overall, people are responding well to the format of the card deck and indicating openness to another card deck in the future.  

We are learning that congregational leaders know their families. As we spoke with them at Roundtable, they had clear ideas on what the daily lives of their families are like, and they had a sense of what felt realistic or unrealistic to expect from parents and families. Leaders understand the importance of buy-in from the parents. They want to know that the parents would want the card deck and know what to do with it. Many suggested or even planned a meeting with the parents to introduce the resource.  

Through the Roundtables, we are learning just how busy families are. Parents are often overwhelmed by the day-to-day activities of raising children. Even those who want at-home resources find it difficult to fit them into the day.  

That’s what we’re learning—to date—from those who used the “Follow the Peace Path” Cards. We are hoping for many more survey responses, so if you used the cards, please fill out our survey. If you gave the cards to others, please ask them to complete it. Next week, I’ll share what we’re learning from the other sources I’ve named: books, research, and the other Christian Parenting and Caregiving Initiative projects. See you next week! 

Shana Peachey Boshart, Shine Everywhere Project Facilitator