Youth & Children

Restorative justice practices teach high school students to share stories and resolve conflict

A nonprofit hosts conversation circles in schools as part of its commitment to healing trauma and preventing violence in Chicago’s Bronzeville community.

By Alison Bowen Journalist

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Advice for Epiphany: ‘Keep your eyes on the baby!’

Watching a 2-year-old reminds a loving grandmother of the way Epiphany grounds us, revealing a baby — the Christ child.

By Gretchen E. Ziegenhals Spiritual director and retreat leader

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Helping children of the incarcerated during Black August

Food insecurity among children who have a parent in jail or prison is an often-overlooked consequence of the U.S. prison-industrial complex. This month’s commemoration of the struggle for Black liberation is an opportunity to highlight that, writes a food justice activist.

By Yvette R. Blair-Lavallais Writer, pastor, public theologian and food justice activist

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Luis Cortés: Esperanza builds an ‘opportunity community’ for Latinos in Philadelphia

Institution building is key to developing a new generation of leaders, says the founder and CEO of one of the nation’s largest Hispanic-serving faith-based nonprofits.

From Chicago basement to international stage, the power of collaboration fueled a Latino-led nonprofit working with youth

In its early days, a startup nonprofit working to make the Bible more accessible to young people in urban areas found a crucial community partner. The result of their collaboration is a lesson for us all, writes a director of programs and grants for Leadership Education at Duke Divinity.

By Elizabeth Tamez Méndez Director of Programs and Grants, Leadership Education at Duke Divinity

Image link to article: From Chicago basement to international stage, the power of collaboration fueled a Latino-led nonprofit working with youth

A beacon of hope shines for LGBTQ+ youth in Florida

Through The Lighthouse, some Florida churches are offering a nonreligious ministry of presence that focuses on God’s love for all, opening doors for both young people and other institutions.

By Catherine Montgomery Founder and executive director, The Lighthouse

A place where interfaith families can be wholly together

In Maryland, families have gathered for almost three decades to create a faith community where they can fully explore their religious identities without sacrificing their heritage.

By Edie Gross Journalist

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Fuller Seminary heads up ambitious ecumenical project to engage millions of young people

Five years in the making, the TENx10 project aims to “help faith matter more” for 10 million teens in 10 years. The effort has involved many groups across the church and might serve as a model for more collaborations.

By G. Jeffrey MacDonald Journalist and UCC minister

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Jo Nygard Owens: Sharing our creativity draws others to God

A pastor turned graphic designer and entrepreneur discusses her call, her creative process and some of what she’s learned about church communications.

Relationships are vital to sustain the work of dismantling racism

Two children’s formation leaders write that networks of training and support are crucial for the success of anti-racism efforts in faith communities.

William Bouvel Jennifer Holt Enriquez

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Anti-racist formation of children and youth

Faith communities can play a crucial role to counter efforts that limit what is taught about our nation’s past and present, including the banning of books and censoring of curriculum content. Most churches already have the mechanisms in place to offer formation. Here are resources to make those offerings practically, thoughtfully and intentionally anti-racist.