From an invitation sent out locally. Will you help us spread the word?
peace, jonathan
Dear friends,
I'm writing you to invite you and anyone you'd like to invite to the 2nd Gathering of Children's Ministry and Youth Leaders, July 21, 2018, at St. Francs House. If you're receiving this, it's because you either fit the bill or work with amazing folks who do. Maybe you even came to the event last year! For this year, I am DELIGHTED to share that we'll have Melissa Droessler with us for a part of the day as our guest speaker. If that's all you read, awesome. Mark your calendars and RSVP! For those who want to know more, more follows. :)
Peace,
Jonathan
Who is this Guest Speaker?
Melissa is Head of School at Isthmus Montessori Academy. She's a gifted educator with an uncanny understanding of children and youth's different developmental stages and the specific needs for flourishing that attend each developmental stage. I learn something about being a teacher, parent, and person every time I'm around her.
Building on Your Feedback...
We've asked Melissa to lead us in part education, part exploration, activity, and making space for the particular contexts you bring to the table. Per feedback from last time, we'll still have plenty of time for informal connections and conversation among those gathered. One of the big feedbacks from last time was that it would be helpful to separate out content specific to children's ministry and youth ministry *and* sometimes our churches don't have enough of one or the other to separate them programmatically. I'm excited that Melissa is especially equipped for helping with this.
Why is Jonathan So Excited?
- Being better able to see and appreciate concepts that are important to children at different stages allows us to empower them and follow their lead in ways that demonstrate trust in their capacity to be people of faith.
- Sometimes "intergenerational ministry" is code for "we don't have enough people for the separate classes we'd like to have." The ability to creatively engage developmental stages opens new possibilities for intergenerational ministry that is deeply and truly rewarding.
- Episcopal curricula like Godly Play have Montessori roots. This isn't, of course, to suggest that Montessori has all the answers, but that we'll be building on existing gifts/instincts of our communities.
How Can You Help?
- I'd love the help of 3-4 folks to help me organize breakout sessions and additional logistics for the day. Is this you? Send me a note!
- The event remains free to all! But we want to offer Melissa an honorarium. If you or your church can contribute any amount, please let me know and send a check payable to St. Francis House, memo Formation Honorarium.
- Get the word out! St. Francis House hosts this annual event because we believe in, and in a real way rely on, the bridges we build across the different seasons of our children's life of faith. If you know others who share this priority - parents, teachers, volunteers, youth ministers, etc., please invite them! We had 13 faith communities represented last year. Our goal this year is 20. We can get there with your help!
For 2019...
St. Francis House is in communication with Nurya Love Parish, curator of the blog Grow Christians, and she is excited for the possibility to visit with us next year. We're excited, too! Stay tuned!
Thanks, friends! Holler if you have thoughts/ideas/questions. I hope to see you in July!
wouldn't it be great if people donated enough money so that organizers could also get an honorarium? I have donated so much time and energy to the church over the years - I have spent my own money on my education - for the life of me - I don't understand why people go out and party buying each others drinks and beers and dinners and don't give enough to the church to pay some of their low to middle class volunteers - I know you and everyone else think I sound cranky - and perhaps I am - I think it's more of a prophetic or social justice comment and so perhaps people would think about that - what if I did give the church more than just my volunteer time? What if for the next 3 months I didn't go out to eat so that I could pay some church volunteer organizers and honorarium and help them enjoy a better quality of life? Would that help the parents of some of the students? You bet it would! I was an unemployed mother of 4 children volunteering all over the place and paying for copies and stuff without receiving honorariums - and when I visited the food pantry I was told if I didn't smoke or go out on occassion I wouldn't have to visit the food pantry. think about it - how do you think I felt then? I started volunteering at the food pantry and helping people feel good but I never again asked for any assistance from anyone - not church, not family, not friends - I just dropped all social activity for a year or two until I became a Mary Kay Consultant and then endured negative comments for working hard and 'neglecting' my family. on and on - - - People donate tons of money to political campaigns - they don't support low to middle class volunteer organizers with honorariums . . . it makes me sad and I wonder Jesus would say to me about this?
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