Miranda Writes

Last Saturday, Feb. 14, St. Andrew’s hosted a Youth Leadership Event. 33 youth and adults who work with youth, from around the diocese, gathered to share ideas, connect, plan, and dream about strengthening our collaboration and our diocesan offerings for youth. It was a productive and wonderful day spent together. Folks loved meeting in our Great Hall and youth room, and were very grateful for our welcoming space and our convenient location! (more…)

This posting is largely for the benefit of current (and prospective!) Sunday school teachers, though all are encouraged to read and comment! 

Mid-February is an excellent time to start thinking ahead to next year’s Sunday school programming, and begin talking about where we want to go in the coming year. We’re currently using a curriculum called “Seasons of the Spirit,” which we like a lot – we augment it now & then with extra activities and Episcopal materials, but it’s a solid foundation to work from. Staying with this curriculum for next year is an excellent option.

On the other hand – we could try something entirely new, an approach to Sunday school known as the “rotation model.” I’m not pushing for this at all, but I have mentioned this approach to a couple of teachers and they seemed interested enough that it seemed worth presenting to the whole group for consideration. I have never worked with this model directly, but churches who use this model claim it helps avoid teacher burnout by using teachers’ time and gifts more efficiently, and can help kids engage our Scriptural stories in broader and deeper ways. 

I’m posting the content of the handout I prepared, explaining the rotation model, below. To read it, and to leave comments, click on “Read the rest of this entry.”  And here are links to some webpages that talk about this approach: an article introducing this approach , a resource site,  a company that promotes and supports this model, and a history of the Rotation Model. 

The group gathered for our meeting on Sunday the 15th had a lot of questions about how this would work, and some concerns – would there be enough stability for the kids? could we make sure we integrated Episcopal and liturgical elements? would this be a good fit for PIT Crew, or our pre-K kids? But they were also interested – intrigued? – by the possibilities this approach offers. They liked the idea of engaging more deeply with fewer stories, and of having somewhat less prep to do, week by week. We agreed to think it over and talk it over, and meet again at the end of March to see how we’re leaning. 

So: what do you think? Questions? Hopes? Concerns? Ideas? Thoughts about “Seasons,” the curriculum we’re using now? 

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I preached on Sunday about the story of Naaman the Aramean army commander, and Elisha the Israelite prophet.  I focused on one thing the story seems to be about: the difference between what we want (which is often complicated…) and what we need (which is often simple). This morning, I got to thinking about some of the other themes that story plays with, and I thought I’d post a few of the ideas and thoughts that didn’t fit into the sermon. 

Another thing this story is about is that people don’t have to see themselves as part of God’s family, for God to reach out to them and heal them. (more…)

Friends, it’s been on my list for days now to post something here about my ordination last Friday. The challenge is that it’s hard to put words to the experience – or even to know where to start. (more…)