Fear Not!

By Blog, Christian Education Archive, Congregational Development Archive, WMS Archive

What’s your favourite Christmas movie?

I love to watch The Polar Express, and I’ve just finished binge-watching the new Netflix series Dash & Lily, but truth be told, my absolute favourite Christmas movie is A Charlie Brown Christmas.

I was already a committed Peanuts fan when the movie came out in 1965. I would grab the newspaper each day and delight in the wisdom of Charles M. Schultz shared through his Peanuts characters. It was no surprise that A Charlie Brown Christmas leapt to the top of my list when I saw it for the very first time. It has consistently remained there ever since I lay down on the living room floor in my pyjamas that first time and became mesmerized by the story shared so many years ago.

Won’t you watch it with me again. 

(more…)

Advent Three: An Interactive Living Room

By Blog, Christian Education Archive, , ,

Welcome to your Advent Three Living Room; a place to hear and read the stories of Advent, sing a song, make a tasty treat, do a craft, and have an outdoor adventure.

This week we meet the shepherds on the road to Bethlehem. They’ve just left their sheep in the hills and are heading to Bethlehem because an angel told them too. They are curious, excited and filled with anticipation for what they might find. 

To access the Living Room click on the link at the end of this article. This will take you to an interactive version of the picture you see at the beginning of this article. Once there, click on the candle first to hear and see our Advent story. After that click on the other objects you find in the room. Each will open up a new, fun thing to do. Check out the nativity scene, the mixing bowl, the musical instrument and papers, the cup of crayons, and the window to the outdoors. Have fun!

Then, don’t forget to come back next week for the Advent Four Living Room waiting for you filled with new adventures.

Click here to enter into the Advent Three Living Room

Advent Two: An Interactive Living Room

By Blog, Christian Education Archive, , ,

Welcome to your Advent Two Living Room; a place to hear and read the stories of Advent, sing a song, make a tasty treat, do a craft, and have an outdoor adventure.

This week we meet Mary and Joseph on the road to Bethlehem and discover what amazing thing God has planned for them.

To access the Living Room click on the link at the end of this article. This will take you to an interactive version of the picture you see at the beginning of this article. Once there, click on the candle first to hear and see our Advent story. After that click on the other objects you find in the room. Each will open up a new, fun thing to do. Check out the nativity scene, the mixing bowl, the musical instrument and papers, the cup of crayons, and the window to the outdoors. Have fun!

Then, don’t forget to come back next week for the Advent Three Living Room waiting for you filled with new adventures.

Click here to enter into the Advent Two Living Room.

Considering A Longest Night Worship Service

By Blog, Congregational Development Archive, , , ,
Jessica Delp – unsplash.com

Monday, December 21 is the longest night of the year. In 2020 we have had many long nights and this year, perhaps more than ever, it is important to have a Longest Night Christmas worship service at your church.

Also called Blue Christmas, a Longest Night worship service is traditionally held to acknowledge that for many people Christmas is not a happy time of the year. Typically it is held for those who have lost loved ones over the course of the year, and for those who are lonely or separated from friends and family. 

(more…)

Advent One: An Interactive Living Room

By Blog, Christian Education Archive, , ,

Welcome to your Advent One Living Room; a place to hear and read the stories of Advent, sing a song, make a tasty treat, do a craft, and have an outdoor adventure.

This week we start our journey to Bethlehem with the prophet Isaiah as he describes a world of light and hope that is yet to come.

To access the Living Room click on the link at the end of this article. This will take you to an interactive version of the picture you see at the beginning of this article. Once there, click on the candle first to hear and see our first Advent story. After that click on the other objects you find in the room. Each will open up a new, fun thing to do. Check out the nativity scene, the mixing bowl, the musical instrument and papers, the cup of crayons, and the window to the outdoors. Have fun!

Then, don’t forget to come back next week for the Advent Two Living Room waiting for you filled with new adventures.

Click here to enter into the Advent 1 Living Room.

For Church Leaders

If you would like the links to all five of the Living Rooms to upload to your church website, facebook page or weekly email, just email me at torismit@gmail.com and I will forward them on to you right away.

May you be filled with hope this Advent as you anticipate the coming of Jesus.

Tori

How’s It Going? A Sunday School Leader Check-in

By Blog, Christian Education Archive, , ,
photo by Chris Montgomery, Unsplash

Back in September I hosted a number of Zoom meetings to talk about hybrid options for Sunday schools this fall. We had some great conversations about all of the possibilities, but perhaps even more, we enjoyed the opportunity to check-in and care for each other as we shared what we all were planning to do in this new context.

As one of these meetings finishing up a person who had been pretty quiet throughout the gathering asked, “Could we do this again? Maybe later this fall? Just to find out how we all are doing?”

What a great idea!

So, let’s do it.

(more…)

COVID-19 Updates for Churches in the City of Toronto and Beyond

By Blog, Congregational Development Archive, ,

I recently wrote the following letter to the churches of the Presbytery of West Toronto to encourage them to consider resuming Virtual Worship solely as we face a disturbing number of new cases of COVID-19 , and the prospect of increased restrictions within the city of Toronto.  

As much as the specifics of the letter apply to churches within the City of Toronto, I am also deeply aware that these concerns equally apply to Peel Region, as well as other regions of Ontario and other provinces in Canada, including Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Even though the language of this letter might be local, the issues are not. Thus I would invite you to use this letter as a resource for your session as you consider in-person worship in your own community. 

(more…)

Looking Forward to Christmas

By Blog, Congregational Development Archive, ,
Zac Cain, unsplash.com

In December of 2013, a week before Christmas, a major ice storm hit the Canada from Ontario to the Maritimes. This storm resulted in 27 deaths, loss of power to over a million residents and millions of dollars in damage. The strongest memory I have of that week was the anxiety over Christmas Eve services. Many churches cancelled altogether. Some, like ours, got power back just in the nick of time. Others chose to go ahead with candlelight services in coats and hats. For many of them, Christmas Eve 2013 was one of the most memorable ever experienced.

This Christmas, 2020 we face another storm, different in its scope but unique because we see it coming. We already know that this coming Christmas will be unlike any other in memory. The only question is how?

(more…)

An Incredible Opportunity to Attend APCE 2021 for Free

By Blog, Christian Education Archive, , , ,

ARE YOUR CHURCHES BEFUDDLED BY COVID DISRUPTIONS?

LET US INSPIRE AND SUPPORT YOUR EDUCATORS AS THEY SERVE NOW AND ANTICIPATE CONGREGATIONAL LIFE AHEAD!

The Association of Presbyterian Church Educators (APCE) hosts an annual educational event each year that is attended by hundreds of professional and lay Christian educators from across Canada and the United States. These events present a wonderful opportunity to hear the best researchers and practitioners in the field of educational ministry, experience transformative worship, and attend practical and cutting edge workshops.

Like so many significant events, the APCE 2021 event that was to be held in Chicago this February had to be cancelled in light of the pandemic. But, the APCE planning team also knows that we are all in the midst of one of the most challenging times our churches has experienced in this era. And APCE cares; they care deeply about how our educators might respond well in their approach to faith formation given all of the changes and issues our world presents today. And so, APCE has rejigged their 2021 theme and made their annual event virtual. With a cup of tea of tea and your computer you can attend APCE 2021 from the comfort of your home, and you can attend for FREE!!!!

(more…)

Five Interactive Advent Living Rooms for Families @ Home

By Blog, Christian Education Archive, , , , ,

What shall we do while we wait?

Advent is all about preparing for the coming of Jesus; preparing by doing things that help us get ready, and preparing in ways that are great fun! There are so many amazing stories to hear and fun things to do over these four special weeks.

I want to share with you a exciting collection of Advent activities you and your church can easily connect with over this Advent season; a collection of five cozily decorated living rooms that open up to wonderful world of videoed stories and music, family friendly devotions and outdoor adventures, tasty recipes and fun Christmas crafts.

These living rooms have been created for churches to request and then upload to their church website each week of Advent and on Christmas Eve.

(more…)