Presbytery of Geneva Resource Center March 2001 Newsletter

Dear Friends,

Home again! Last night, driving home after a dash to Louisville, the sunset streaking the sky with pink and purple pastels, I thought about God's grace. After two intensive meetings with Christian Educators from all over, I've pondered a great deal about how we use that church school hour. Marva Dawn, who spoke at the Northeast Association of Church Educators (NEACE), tells us we're failing our children and I'm inclined to agree.

If we expect children to believe in our Triune God, we need to imbue God into every aspect of our own lives: work, meals, Sabbath keeping, play. We need to take responsibility for the religious upbringing of EVERY child in our congregations, with parents incorporating devotions into daily home life, our older folks serving as mentors, and members welcoming all children into every aspect of worship. Bring children back into worship. Let them be liturgists. Let them lead Psalm readings or singings. Let them learn to love God through worship.

Culture is anti-religion. Schools don't allow our children to pray together. Thus, we as Christians bear the urgent mission of making sure all children not just our own offspring grow up knowing and understanding God's grace, mercy and love, as well as God's commandments. It's a serious and heavy burden, but one which we never bear alone. If we fail to impart that to our children, we fail none other than God, our Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer.

Go in peace,

Leslie

HERE'S WHAT'S NEW

Being Christian in the Bible Belt: A Theological Survival Guide for Youth, Parents, and Other Confused Presbyterians. As a youth, I remember being scared to death by talk of something called "The Rapture." Adults badgered us to get "saved," and I was more than a little resentful. It's taken me many years to overcome that image of a big bad God with folded arms, interrogating folks who are trying to get into heaven. Now that I have a deeper understanding of God's Grace, I worry about the "Left Behind" series and its ilk, causing the same anxiety in our Presbyterian youth. Making clear that the "Bible Belt" is more a state of mind than geographical area, Ted Foote and Alex Thornburg explain Presbyterian theology why God's grace makes knowing the hour of your salvation unnecessary and even redundant. I wish someone had given me this book when I was 16, and helped me understand the merciful God I have come to love, cherish and honor as an adult. Excellent for all sorts of study groups. Geneva Press, 2000. PR4.5A56

Is It a Lost Cause? Having the Heart of God for the Church's Children. Raising children in the dominant culture sometimes feels like an impossible task. Our youth are exposed to attitudes about life that are antithetical to Christian morality. Marva Dawn asserts that bringing children into the active life of the church will teach them God's alternative and parallel path for the world, but the burden of responsibility falls on all of us. In her compelling work, Dawn explores the role of parents, pastors, educators, leaders and mentors as raisers of children into a Godly life. Eerdmans, 1997. PR3.1-116

Glimpses of Grace: Daily Thoughts and Reflections. A compendium of snippets for writings from Madeleine L'Engle, one for each day of the year. Drawing from her autobiographies, fiction, commentary and other prose, these selections delve into the subject of faith: what it is; how we nurture it; how we show it. PR4.6A53

Spirit Journey: A Walk through Matthew. Will Keim, a campus minister, has written this book as a devotional. Exploring 75 passages from Matthew, Keim writes a thought for each day, followed by a short prayer. Chalice Press, 1995. PR4.3-3A65

Who's Who in the Bible: An Illustrated Guide. When small children ask what that "wee little man" might have looked like, a teacher can find an illustration of Zaccheus, a brief biography, his name's meaning, and the scriptural references for him. The guide uses a thematic layout of different sections of the Bible, and has a very good index at the end. DK, 2000. PR4.1C65

For Heaven's Sake, by Sandy Eisenberg Sasso. When people around him kept referring to heaven, young Isaiah asked where heaven is. After receiving vague answers from members of his family, he asks his grandmother to help him find it. She takes him to various helping people in the community, and as they eat blueberries and whipped cream, they talk about where they've found it. This is a gentle book for a child who has lost a grandparent or another loved one. Jewish Lights, 1999. PR4.5C24

The Unnecessary Pastor: Rediscovering the Call. Eugene Peterson uses 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus, and Marva Dawn refers to Ephesians to explain how a pastor is freed from what the world calls necessary: from always being "nice"; >from being the glue that holds together a congregation; and from being the coach who makes a church the "best" in town. Instead, they suggest pastors be free to lead congregations to live spirit-filled and meaningful Christian lives of service. Eerdmans, 2000. PR1.3-21

Celebrating Special Days in the Church School Year: Liturgies and Participation Activities for Church School Children. Great ideas for special children's programs for Pentecost, beginning the school year, Thanksgiving, National Bible Week Observance, Mother's and Father's Day, and of course for Lent and Easter. Easy to set up and follow; the book includes scripture and music references. Meriwether Publishing. D3.1Y3

ON KEEPING THE SABBATH

Receiving the Day: Christian Practices for Opening the Gift of Time. Most people are too busy. Our calendars are booked solid. When we consider the idea of slowing down for God, or the preposterous idea of Sabbath keeping, we think it's a good idea for someone with time! Dorothy Bass looks at units of time: a day, a week, a year and how we use each. If we view time as a gift from God, we are more able to use it with wisdom, and give more back to God with thanksgiving. Time is an opportunity, not an opponent. Jossey Bass, 2000. PR4.6A54

The Shape of Living: Spiritual Directions for Everyday Life. Much of life is overwhelming. A new job, child or relationship, a natural disaster, or having to learn a new skill can seem like a mountain that can't be climbed. David Ford's book suggests strategies for coping, starting with the people in our lives who shape us. He moves on to our jobs and hobbies, personal character, what disciplines we keep, how we spend our free time, what we do when faced with suffering, and finally into how we deal with overwhelming joys. Ford offers inspiration especially from Jewish and Christian traditions. Baker Books, 1997. PR4.6A55

Keeping the Sabbath Wholly: Ceasing, Resting, Embracing, Feasting. According to Genesis, the next action God took after creating humans was naming the Sabbath, which God then named Holy. Marva Dawn began keeping the Sabbath while earning her PhD, writes, "We join the generations of believers going all the way back to God's people, the Jews who set aside a day to remember that we are precious and honored in God's sight and loved, profoundly loved, not because of what we produce." Studying scripture and setting aside a day for devotion to God allows us to carry on the work of the Kingdom refreshed and renewed. On the contrary, if we ignore this commandment, we hurt our community, both with God and God's people. PR4.6A56

Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People. John and Nancy Ortberg, teaching pastors at Willow Creek Community Church, lead six video segments on spirituality. Study guides with discussion items and "self-helps" are cued in during each 25-30 minute segment. Six sessions on one tape are: 1. The Spiritual Life 2. Spiritual Disciplines 3. Having Quiet Time with God 4. Meditating on Scripture 5. Living the Spiritual Life 6. Developing a Rule for Life. Tabgha, 2000. VC4.6A18

CHURCH EDUCATOR'S CORNER

HOW TO BE A BETTER EDUCATOR:
RESOURCES FOR TEACHING THE TEACHER

Athena's Disguises: Mentors in Everyday Life. Using the Odyssey as a framework, Susan Wiltshire shows how we can find mentors in the people who surround us. PR10.6-34

Reshaping Religious Education: Conversations on Contemporary Practice. Using an ecumenical conversational approach, Maria Harris and Gabriel Moran analyze religious education and offer ways to change it. An important book for clergy and educators.

Equipping the Saints: Teacher Training in the Church. Sara Covin Juengst takes church education so seriously that she has created a one-year program meant to prepare and nurture educators in faith, and then commission them to teach the next generation of saints. PR10.11-35

Teaching For Faith: A Guide for Teachers of Adult Classes. This useful guide "prepares the soil" for teachers in the church, whose purpose is to awaken, support, and challenge faith. Richard Osmer explores four important dimensions of faith: belief, commitment, relationship, and mystery; and describes teaching approaches for each dimension. PR10.13-3

Help! I Run A Sunday School, by Mary Duckert. Basic, practical, how-to-do-it guidance for people who keep the church school running so that the teachers are free to teach. PR10.11-9. See also Help! I'm a Sunday School Teacher, by Mary Duckert.

Learning Through Liturgy addresses the questions surrounding the interplay between liturgical process and the processes of education. The authors combine insights from their respective fields to focus on the nature of liturgy and on the relation of liturgical form to educational experience. PR10.11-14(a)

Will Our Children Have Faith? John Westerhoff calls for an end to the "schooling-instructional" method of religious education, and proposes to replace these with a model in which the community of faith is the context, and interaction between generations is the means of education. PR10.11-14(b)

Spiritual Life: The Foundation for Preaching and Teaching As it is not possible for preachers and teachers to have a fully effective ministry if their personal spiritual lives are not vibrant, John Westerhoff helps readers recognize which types of spiritual formation are most compatible with their particular personality type. PR4.6A23

UPCOMING EVENTS

contact the Presbytery Office for more information on all events.

6/3 RESOURCE CENTER OPEN HOUSE Held in partnership with the Camp Whitman Chicken Bar-b-Que. Stop by and say hello!

7/24-29 Youth Triennium: Even the Stones Will Shout For youth ages 15-19. 7,000 young Presbyterians will gather for worship and play. Dundee's Adam Travis is helping to put this event together! Purdue University, W. Lafayette, IN

10/12-13 Give and Take: Living in God's World For those in grades 6-8. Camp Whitman on Seneca Lake

11/3 Presbytery Day A day to learn about worship, music and more. Penn Yan Presbyterian Church

3/2/02 Leadership Day Keynote speaker will be Jane Parker Huber. Penn Yan Presbyterian and Episcopal Churches

Using This Newsletter

Hey! What's New at the Resource Center?? is funded by mission dollars from the Presbytery of Geneva. It is published during Presbytery months: January, March, May, September and November; and is distributed to Pastors and Elder Commissioners in the Presbytery packet, and mailed to all Church Education contact persons, as supplied by the 60 churches of the Presbytery of Geneva. We urge you to photocopy and distribute articles and information to members of your congregations as needed.

Grace and peace to you all

HEY! WHAT'S NEW AT THE RESOURCE CENTER??
Published five times per year by The Resource Center at The Presbytery of Geneva

Presbytery of Geneva Resource Center
Back to Newsletter index Back to main page What's New Mission Statement How to get there (Map) Seasonal Resources Newsletters Resource Links Guestbook Camp Whitman (Map) Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)	Hey! What's New at the Resource Center?? Highlighting Resources for the Presbytery of Geneva Vol. 4, No. 3 May 2001 Editor: Leslie Latham IN THIS ISSUE: Letter from Leslie Here's What's New On Keeping the Sabbath How to Be a Better Educator: Resources for Teaching the Teacher Upcoming Events Dear Friends, Home again! Last night, driving home after a dash to Louisville, the sunset streaking the sky with pink and purple pastels, I thought about God's grace. After two intensive meetings with Christian Educators from all over, I've pondered a great deal about how we use that church school hour. Marva Dawn, who spoke at the Northeast Association of Church Educators (NEACE), tells us we're failing our children and I'm inclined to agree. If we expect children to believe in our Triune God, we need to imbue God into every aspect of our own lives: work, meals, Sabbath keeping, play. We need to take responsibility for the religious upbringing of EVERY child in our congregations, with parents incorporating devotions into daily home life, our older folks serving as mentors, and members welcoming all children into every aspect of worship. Bring children back into worship. Let them be liturgists. Let them lead Psalm readings or singings. Let them learn to love God through worship. Culture is anti-religion. Schools don't allow our children to pray together. Thus, we as Christians bear the urgent mission of making sure all children not just our own offspring grow up knowing and understanding God's grace, mercy and love, as well as God's commandments. It's a serious and heavy burden, but one which we never bear alone. If we fail to impart that to our children, we fail none other than God, our Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer. Go in peace, Leslie HERE'S WHAT'S NEW Being Christian in the Bible Belt: A Theological Survival Guide for Youth, Parents, and Other Confused Presbyterians. As a youth, I remember being scared to death by talk of something called "The Rapture." Adults badgered us to get "saved," and I was more than a little resentful. It's taken me many years to overcome that image of a big bad God with folded arms, interrogating folks who are trying to get into heaven. Now that I have a deeper understanding of God's Grace, I worry about the "Left Behind" series and its ilk, causing the same anxiety in our Presbyterian youth. Making clear that the "Bible Belt" is more a state of mind than geographical area, Ted Foote and Alex Thornburg explain Presbyterian theology why God's grace makes knowing the hour of your salvation unnecessary and even redundant. I wish someone had given me this book when I was 16, and helped me understand the merciful God I have come to love, cherish and honor as an adult. Excellent for all sorts of study groups. Geneva Press, 2000. PR4.5A56 Is It a Lost Cause? Having the Heart of God for the Church's Children. Raising children in the dominant culture sometimes feels like an impossible task. Our youth are exposed to attitudes about life that are antithetical to Christian morality. Marva Dawn asserts that bringing children into the active life of the church will teach them God's alternative and parallel path for the world, but the burden of responsibility falls on all of us. In her compelling work, Dawn explores the role of parents, pastors, educators, leaders and mentors as raisers of children into a Godly life. Eerdmans, 1997. PR3.1-116 Glimpses of Grace: Daily Thoughts and Reflections. A compendium of snippets for writings from Madeleine L'Engle, one for each day of the year. Drawing from her autobiographies, fiction, commentary and other prose, these selections delve into the subject of faith: what it is; how we nurture it; how we show it. PR4.6A53 Spirit Journey: A Walk through Matthew. Will Keim, a campus minister, has written this book as a devotional. Exploring 75 passages from Matthew, Keim writes a thought for each day, followed by a short prayer. Chalice Press, 1995. PR4.3-3A65 Who's Who in the Bible: An Illustrated Guide. When small children ask what that "wee little man" might have looked like, a teacher can find an illustration of Zaccheus, a brief biography, his name's meaning, and the scriptural references for him. The guide uses a thematic layout of different sections of the Bible, and has a very good index at the end. DK, 2000. PR4.1C65 For Heaven's Sake, by Sandy Eisenberg Sasso. When people around him kept referring to heaven, young Isaiah asked where heaven is. After receiving vague answers from members of his family, he asks his grandmother to help him find it. She takes him to various helping people in the community, and as they eat blueberries and whipped cream, they talk about where they've found it. This is a gentle book for a child who has lost a grandparent or another loved one. Jewish Lights, 1999. PR4.5C24 The Unnecessary Pastor: Rediscovering the Call. Eugene Peterson uses 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus, and Marva Dawn refers to Ephesians to explain how a pastor is freed from what the world calls necessary: from always being "nice"; >from being the glue that holds together a congregation; and from being the coach who makes a church the "best" in town. Instead, they suggest pastors be free to lead congregations to live spirit-filled and meaningful Christian lives of service. Eerdmans, 2000. PR1.3-21 Celebrating Special Days in the Church School Year: Liturgies and Participation Activities for Church School Children. Great ideas for special children's programs for Pentecost, beginning the school year, Thanksgiving, National Bible Week Observance, Mother's and Father's Day, and of course for Lent and Easter. Easy to set up and follow; the book includes scripture and music references. Meriwether Publishing. D3.1Y3 ON KEEPING THE SABBATH Receiving the Day: Christian Practices for Opening the Gift of Time. Most people are too busy. Our calendars are booked solid. When we consider the idea of slowing down for God, or the preposterous idea of Sabbath keeping, we think it's a good idea for someone with time! Dorothy Bass looks at units of time: a day, a week, a year and how we use each. If we view time as a gift from God, we are more able to use it with wisdom, and give more back to God with thanksgiving. Time is an opportunity, not an opponent. Jossey Bass, 2000. PR4.6A54 The Shape of Living: Spiritual Directions for Everyday Life. Much of life is overwhelming. A new job, child or relationship, a natural disaster, or having to learn a new skill can seem like a mountain that can't be climbed. David Ford's book suggests strategies for coping, starting with the people in our lives who shape us. He moves on to our jobs and hobbies, personal character, what disciplines we keep, how we spend our free time, what we do when faced with suffering, and finally into how we deal with overwhelming joys. Ford offers inspiration especially from Jewish and Christian traditions. Baker Books, 1997. PR4.6A55 Keeping the Sabbath Wholly: Ceasing, Resting, Embracing, Feasting. According to Genesis, the next action God took after creating humans was naming the Sabbath, which God then named Holy. Marva Dawn began keeping the Sabbath while earning her PhD, writes, "We join the generations of believers going all the way back to God's people, the Jews who set aside a day to remember that we are precious and honored in God's sight and loved, profoundly loved, not because of what we produce." Studying scripture and setting aside a day for devotion to God allows us to carry on the work of the Kingdom refreshed and renewed. On the contrary, if we ignore this commandment, we hurt our community, both with God and God's people. PR4.6A56 Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People. John and Nancy Ortberg, teaching pastors at Willow Creek Community Church, lead six video segments on spirituality. Study guides with discussion items and "self-helps" are cued in during each 25-30 minute segment. Six sessions on one tape are: 1. The Spiritual Life 2. Spiritual Disciplines 3. Having Quiet Time with God 4. Meditating on Scripture 5. Living the Spiritual Life 6. Developing a Rule for Life. Tabgha, 2000. VC4.6A18 CHURCH EDUCATOR'S CORNER HOW TO BE A BETTER EDUCATOR: RESOURCES FOR TEACHING THE TEACHER Athena's Disguises: Mentors in Everyday Life. Using the Odyssey as a framework, Susan Wiltshire shows how we can find mentors in the people who surround us. PR10.6-34 Reshaping Religious Education: Conversations on Contemporary Practice. Using an ecumenical conversational approach, Maria Harris and Gabriel Moran analyze religious education and offer ways to change it. An important book for clergy and educators. Equipping the Saints: Teacher Training in the Church. Sara Covin Juengst takes church education so seriously that she has created a one-year program meant to prepare and nurture educators in faith, and then commission them to teach the next generation of saints. PR10.11-35 Teaching For Faith: A Guide for Teachers of Adult Classes. This useful guide "prepares the soil" for teachers in the church, whose purpose is to awaken, support, and challenge faith. Richard Osmer explores four important dimensions of faith: belief, commitment, relationship, and mystery; and describes teaching approaches for each dimension. PR10.13-3 Help! I Run A Sunday School, by Mary Duckert. Basic, practical, how-to-do-it guidance for people who keep the church school running so that the teachers are free to teach. PR10.11-9. See also Help! I'm a Sunday School Teacher, by Mary Duckert. Learning Through Liturgy addresses the questions surrounding the interplay between liturgical process and the processes of education. The authors combine insights from their respective fields to focus on the nature of liturgy and on the relation of liturgical form to educational experience. PR10.11-14(a) Will Our Children Have Faith? John Westerhoff calls for an end to the "schooling-instructional" method of religious education, and proposes to replace these with a model in which the community of faith is the context, and interaction between generations is the means of education. PR10.11-14(b) Spiritual Life: The Foundation for Preaching and Teaching As it is not possible for preachers and teachers to have a fully effective ministry if their personal spiritual lives are not vibrant, John Westerhoff helps readers recognize which types of spiritual formation are most compatible with their particular personality type. PR4.6A23 UPCOMING EVENTS contact the Presbytery Office for more information on all events. 6/3 RESOURCE CENTER OPEN HOUSE Held in partnership with the Camp Whitman Chicken Bar-b-Que. Stop by and say hello! 7/24-29 Youth Triennium: Even the Stones Will Shout For youth ages 15-19. 7,000 young Presbyterians will gather for worship and play. Dundee's Adam Travis is helping to put this event together! Purdue University, W. Lafayette, IN 10/12-13 Give and Take: Living in God's World For those in grades 6-8. Camp Whitman on Seneca Lake 11/3 Presbytery Day A day to learn about worship, music and more. Penn Yan Presbyterian Church 3/2/02 Leadership Day Keynote speaker will be Jane Parker Huber. Penn Yan Presbyterian and Episcopal Churches Using This Newsletter Hey! What's New at the Resource Center?? is funded by mission dollars from the Presbytery of Geneva. It is published during Presbytery months: January, March, May, September and November; and is distributed to Pastors and Elder Commissioners in the Presbytery packet, and mailed to all Church Education contact persons, as supplied by the 60 churches of the Presbytery of Geneva. We urge you to photocopy and distribute articles and information to members of your congregations as needed. Grace and peace to you all HEY! WHAT'S NEW AT THE RESOURCE CENTER?? Published five times per year by The Resource Center at The Presbytery of Geneva The Resource Center Committee is: Rev. Susan Husted, Chair Ruth Millerd, Seneca #9 Nancy Peelle, Dundee Rev. Beverly Karr-Lyon, Watkins Glen & Moreland Jan Rao, Geneva Diana Hovorka, Hornell
89 Main St., PO Box 278, Dresden, NY 14441 (315) 536-7753 + + + E-mail: resctr@eznet.net