Apr2022
A mentoring experience
If you look over your life, can you remember an adult that took the time to walk alongside you? Someone who took an interest in you. Maybe it was a youth leader or someone else in your congregation that encouraged you? Mentoring is important. At the most basic level, it guarantees that a young person… Read more
Apr2022
Creating opportunities for your children to thrive
You don’t need research to realise that life moves very quickly. The real-life experience of watching our own children grow up is how we know how fast time really goes. Grow team member Christine Matthias shares the reflections she made while reading the book Generation Alpha by Mark McCrindle and Ashley Fell. __________________________________________ “By being… Read more
Apr2022
Allowing Space
How quickly does your week fill up? The term starts and once again it’s full swing back into school activities, after school activities, church activities and sport. We spend many hours in the car going from place to place, participating in wholesome, important and growing opportunities, but I wonder how often you get time to pause?
Mar2022
Biblical foundation for faith at home
FAITH AT HOME – A guiding word Faith is integrated into family identity and practice. God always intended that our formation in faith would sit at the heart of family life. Reading a devotion together is wonderful, but God’s vision sees parents sharing their faith with their children in everyday life. Faith becomes embedded in… Read more
Mar2022
Caring for the families of your congregations
Congregational life has changed dramatically during the past two years. Perhaps the most noticeable shift has been the families and young people that once were a part of the community are now much less regular in their attendance, if present at all. Acknowledging in the mix of this change, churches within Australia have all been… Read more
Mar2022
Being intentionally intergenerational
One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts. Psalm 145: 4 Wagga Wagga congregation has completed a two-year coaching journey with Grow Ministries. After learning about Intergenerational Faith Formation, their Grow Coaching team decided to put together a worship event based around the idea of intentionally bringing together and involving everyone… Read more
Mar2022
Grandparents have a vital role!
Studies continue to confirm that parents are the key people who influence whether or not our children will have faith. This means that one of the best places for young people to ‘catch’ faith is in the home. Grandparents can also play a vital role in a child’s faith formation. Recent research highlights the enormous impact of grandparents on this particular generation of young people.
Grandparents have a great opportunity to share their faith with their grandchildren. Here are five roles that grandparents can play in enhancing their grandchildren’s faith formation.
Mar2022
RESOURCE HIGHLIGHT – Lutheran Worship book
Our Lutheran worship is full of meaning and purpose. Do we really understand why we do what we do and that the flow of worship is intentional? Have you ever wondered what INVOCATION means? Or how about ABSOLUTION? Why do we PASS THE PEACE? Or say the APOSTLES’ CREED? Order in worship has been there… Read more
Mar2022
Unexpected blessings
How intergenerational ministry changed me – a personal story… Tom was seventy-two-years-old when the scales fell from his eyes regarding the way lives change by simple, faith-filled interactions. It wasn’t that Tom was anti-faith conversations with younger people; it simply hadn’t been part of his experience. Sunday morning conversations were generally about gathering with like-minded,… Read more
Feb2022
Parents are leaders at home
Do you know Moses? He was chosen by God to lead the nation of Israel, God’s chosen people out of slavery in Egypt and into the desert for many years. He was the middle-man, between God and the Israelites. During his time of leadership, he faithfully sought God’s will, listened to his voice, and taught… Read more