“…I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13 – 14 (NRSV)

Christian formation is the process of being conformed to the image of Christ by the gracious working of God’s spirit, for the transformation of the world. In short, it is our journey toward becoming more Christlike.

Click on the image at the left to access a Flash presentation that shows how following John Wesley’s rules in both doctrine and practice leads to transformed lives and a transformed world.

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Children’s Ministry Conference

Registration is now open for the Conference on Ministry with Children July 22 – 26 in Greenville, South Carolina. Sponsored by the General Board of Discipleship, the event is for teachers, leaders, pastors, children’s advocates, preschool teachers and directors, annual conference staff, and anyone who is committed to the faith formation of children.

Please contact Robin Marley if you plan on attending. If enough people register from our conference there is a possibility of obtaining transportation to Greenville for the event.

Nominations are open for the annual Jack and Kay Crum Award for Prophetic Ministry. The Endowment for a Prophetic Church was established by John Hammond (Jack) and Kay Crum in 1990 with United Methodist Foundation, Inc., Raleigh, North Carolina as Trustee. Distributions from the earnings of the Endowment are directed through the Church And Society Ministry Team of the North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church. The Endowment was created “for the purpose of encouraging churches to be prophetic and of supporting prophetic ministries, first in the North Carolina Conference, and second, in so far as possible, throughout the nation and the world….” Grants and awards can be made only to qualified non-profit tax-exempt organizations.

The deadline for submitting a letter of nomination is Tuesday, April 30. Submissions must include narrative examples of prophetic ministry and any documentation, i.e., pictures, news clippings, etc., that would support the narrative. Please send submissions to NCCUMC Church and Society Team, 700 Waterfield Ridge Place, Garner, NC 27529. Digital submissions may be sent to Dr. Christine Harman.

God calls us to make our churches safe places, protecting children and other vulnerable persons from sexual and ritual abuse. God calls us to create communities of faith where children and adults grow safe and strong.

Safe Sanctuaries is not a program. Rather it is the way we provide ministry to fulfill this call upon us – to make our churches safe places for the young and the vulnerable and those in ministry with them.

What happens when there is a breach of this call? Here are some lessons from a church sexual abuse scandal.

In a recent “e-pistle” Bishop Mike Coyner of the Indiana Conference offered some reflections about issues of safety that have arisen since violence impacted a school in Newtown, Connecticut. His comments remind us of our theological understandings as well as adding some practical ideas for dealing with concerns for physical safety.

If reading the Bible through this year is one of your goals, here is an easy to follow plan. Whether this is your first time through or not, this chronological reading plan is easy to follow and offers insights into events as they occurred. It also offers a PDF page to print out and keep in your Bible to mark off your progress.

What Every Child Should Experience in United Methodist Congregations is a guide for leaders and teachers of children in the area of faith formation. This resource contains a comprehensive guide to scripture significant for children as they develop cognitively and theologically. It is meant to closely follow the three-year lectionary cycle. This resource also contains a chart of what children need and understand developmentally around the beliefs and concepts of God, Worship, The Bible, Home and Family, Everyday Life, Community and Wesleyan Heritage. Click here for the PDF document.

It has been said that the issues that are faced by the people who sit in our pews are issues the church must face as well. The United Methodist Church understands the gospel to be both personal and social and what we say about social issues is written in the Social Principles. Try this short quiz to see what you know about the church’s stance on a variety of issues.

How much do you know about Safe Sanctuaries for Children, Youth, and Vulnerable Adults? Test your knowledge with this short quiz.

These are the ministries in the work of Christian Formation:

Age level ministries:

Children,  Youth,  Older Adults

We also include ministries of:

Evangelism,  Education, Church and Society, Safe Sanctuaries, Spiritual Life