Playing church
A cathedral in Sweden offers children a prominent, child-sized place to baptize dolls, set the altar and try on vestments. How does your congregation invite children into the life of the church?
Youth & Children
Most Recently Published
Sandy Sasso: Experiencing religion through story
Stories and art allow children and adults to engage deeply in the sacred, says a well-known rabbi and author.
Intergenerational friendships and the future of the church
Youth should not be set apart, but rather integrated into the life of a congregation through friendship.
Andrew Root: Take it from Bonhoeffer -- there is no 'Christian youth'
As Dietrich Bonhoeffer pointed out long ago, youth ministry isn't about setting aside a special place for young people in the church but about moving them into the center of the church community, says a youth ministry scholar and author.
istcok/CEFutcher
The future of the church isn't youth
Dietrich Bonhoeffer's “Eight Theses on Youth Work in the Church”
ND Vision students gather for prayer on Notre Dame’s Main Quad. Photos courtesy of ND Vision.
Notre Dame students model a life of faith in progress for teens
Notre Dame Vision youth academy has 1,400 teenage participants but what really sets it apart are the undergraduates who serve as 'mentors in faith' -- role models of a life of faith in progress.
Busy isn’t always better
The schedule of a conference or meeting is the curriculum. Unstructured time allows introverts to escape, active sorts to move, and external processors to get a cup of coffee together and make sense of the sessions.
Maya Ajmera: Luck, timing, strategy and hard work
The founder of the Global Fund for Children recounts her work with the organization, from the experience in India that sparked the original idea to its expansion into a world leader in helping vulnerable children.
iStock/londoneye
Digital disciples
A Lutheran pastor in Pennsylvania uses social media to engage youth in the ancient teachings of the church, a reflection of his deep belief that God is everywhere, including online.
Catherine Maresca: The nativity isn't cute
The stories of Jesus’ birth deserve more attention than a pageant. Take time with these stories this Christmas and ponder the mystery of our faith.