Sacred Ground: A Film-Based Dialogue on Race and Faith

Photo by Erez Attias on Unsplash

Sacred Ground is a film- and reading-based dialogue series on race and faith. Participants will walk together through America’s history of race and racism, while weaving in the threads of family story, economic class, and political and regional identity. It’s an invitation for small groups to gather to learn, share, and prepare to become Beloved Community.

“Sacred Ground is a time and opportunity to hear the story of our past with regard to race, to hear our stories of our pasts,” said The Most Rev. Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church. “By listening to those stories and hearing them, and then telling our own stories together, and then looking possibly at the stories of our very faith, somehow, from the travail and the reality of all of those stories may emerge hope for a new day.”

Built around a curriculum of powerful documentary films, videos, and readings, this 10-part series considers some of the major chapters of the United States of America’s history of race and racism. It focuses on Indigenous, Black, Latino, and Asian American histories as they intersect with European American histories. Participants are invited to peel away the layers that have contributed to challenges and divides in the present day – all with a deep foundation in faith and love.

While not specifically written for young people and youth groups, the material is accessible and relevant and can easily be adapted for your young people.

Created by Katrina Browne, producer and director of the documentary Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North, this small group resource is part of Becoming Beloved Community, The Episcopal Church’s long-term commitment to racial healing, reconciliation, and justice in our personal lives, our ministries, and our society. Sacred Ground is especially targeted to help white people talk with each other about racism past and present, their own racial identity, and the interwoven issues of class, region, and ideology.

Faith Lens: A Weekly Online Bible Study

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Every week during the academic year, our colleagues at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America publish a lesson plan based on the weekly lectionary readings and connecting the themes of those lessons with the events and issues our young people are dealing with each and every day.

Some weeks the connection is to a specific event, such as the fire last spring in the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. Other weeks, broader issues, such as climate change, gun violence, and rebuilding efforts in Iraq, are the focus. Always, the lessons encourage participants to look at scripture through the lens of our daily life--and to consider our daily lives with the help of scripture.

Each lesson includes a warm-up question, a story for context, discussion questions, links to the lectionary texts, a study of the Gospel lesson, suggested activities, and even a link to a weekly comic strip based on the readings. Many include links to YouTube videos and other resources to supplement the lesson.

The lessons are designed to be suggestive rather than prescriptive, yet detailed enough to not require extensive preparation ahead of the lesson. Definitely worth checking out--or have some of your young people check out some of last year's postings , and advise you on whether they feel the lessons appropriate and relevant to your group.

Dismantling Racism Youth Curriculum

Dismantling racism is the work of a lifetime, and no single course of study will "fix" things. However, a well-designed curriculum with solid theology, good pedagogy, and useful materials can help jumpstart a conversation within a youth group and a church. This resource is one such opportunity.

The Office of Youth Ministry of the Diocese of Atlanta in partnership with The Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing have designed, printed and piloted a groundbreaking six-week Dismantling Racism for Youth Curriculum for grades 6 through 12. The first draft of the curriculum was completed in July of 2017 and piloted during the 17-18 school year in 8 parishes with over 100 youth in participation. After receiving feedback, course refinements were made and now, they are now ready to share our work with anyone and everyone.

In order to receive the curriculum, one must complete their "train the trainer" course, a one-day training by the curriculum writers and others experienced with the course.

We would be happy to bring the training to this diocese if there is sufficient interest in bringing the training here. To express interest in this possibility, contact the Rev. H. Mark Smith, Diocesan Youth Missioner.

Let us continue to be Christians that address tough issues

choosing love over all else.

-Easton Davis, Youth and Young Adult Missioner, Diocese of Atlanta

#MeToo Story-Gathering and Resources

In recent years, the #MeToo movement has attempted to open up conversations about sexual misconduct and the effect it has on all aspects of modern life. The church is by no means exempt from this conversation, so the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts has created a place for those who have experienced, witnessed, or perpetrated sexual harassment or abuse to share their story. This form, open to people of all ages, along with procedures for reporting sexual misconduct can be found at diomass.org/MeToo. The #MeToo task force has also provided informational posters intended for display in bathrooms, offices, youth rooms, and parish halls. Copies of these posters in English and Spanish can be found on the website.

You may want to use the diocesan #MeToo resources to introduce the topic of sexual harassment in your  Youth Group (or when the topic comes up even if you don’t plan on it). Additional resources that may be helpful include the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s series on preventing sexual harassment in schools, particularly the article on teaching consent at every age. In 2018, the House of Deputies published a Lenten series of reflections on #MeToo written by women in the church. The Litany of Penance for Ash Wednesday, which begins the series, is compelling and thought provoking, and could become a springboard for robust discussion (What is the misconduct here? What is wrong with this statement or action? What do you do when this happens?). However, please note the other reflections in the series deal with personal experiences of harassment and abuse, which may be difficult for young people to engage with in a safe and helpful way.

Most importantly, remember to listen to the young people around you when this issue comes up. Meet them where they are, and answer their questions with honesty and compassion. These are difficult conversations for everyone, but a culture of sexual misconduct hurts us all. An adult’s awkwardness about these conversations can encourage silence among our young people, and silence only upholds the status quo.

Finally, please ensure that all adult volunteers and employees in your Youth Ministry have access to the updated Model Policy for the Protection of Children and Youth and have completed all necessary Safe Church training.

These Are Our Bodies

These Are Our Bodies  is a new resource available through Church Publishing that helps us all have conversations about our sexuality within a faith community.The book is a theological and practical guide to conversation about the complexities of sexuality in today's world, grounded in the Episcopal tradition. This book includes the role of sexuality in our lives in all its dimensions as well as a practical guide to help inform church educators, clergy, parents, youth workers, or anyone who seeks to broaden their knowledge on this subject.

" There is an urgent need across the Church for faithful, honest conversations with young people about sexuality. Finally, we have the sturdy resource we need to hold them. Honoring the inherent tension between the beauty and the complexity of the God-given gift of human sexuality, These Are Our Bodies is written for real people with real lives. It invites parents and church leaders into the serious, hopeful work of integrating body and soul."

––Lisa Kimball, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Lifelong Learning, Virginia Theological Seminary

This book also serves as the foundation for the  These Are Our Bodies  educational materials. Teaching materials and curricula are available for elementary students, middle school students, high school students, young adults, and adults.

Confirmation Resources

Confirmation Resources

My Faith, My Life: A Teen’s Guide to the Episcopal  Church, by Jenifer Gamber  

The Five Marks of Mission and what it means to be a disciple of Christ are a focus of this new version, which also models student-centered learning as opposed to teacher driven instruction. For teen study and confirmation preparation, this book can serve as a curriculum for helping teens discover Scripture, church history, sacraments, the meaning and practice of prayer, and what ministry means in the lives of real teens today. A framework for small-group gatherings for each chapter is included as a new section in the back of the book. To help in teaching, there is a fabulous website, www.myfaithmylife.org, which contains helps for leaders as well as pages for youth and parents with a special focus on spiritual practices.  A separate revised leader's guide is also available. 

Confirm not Conform (CnC), (youth and adult versions)       

This curriculum for the Episcopal Church discribes itself as “a confirmation program that emphasizes giving youth a choice and a voice and  giving adults a safe space to explore their questions and choices.” The program is divided into 16 lessons covering a variety of topics and also includes plans for field trips and a weekend retreat.  Although teachers are needed for the class, the youth program also includes mentors, parents, and the entire congregation in the faith journey of those seeking confirmation.  Pricing is on a sliding scale based on parish attendance.  Please note that there is a confirmation service included in the program which will need to be adapted for use in a deanery-wide confirmation setting.
 
I Will, With God’s Help, by Mary Lee Wile

I Will With God’s Help for youth and adults is based on the Baptismal Covenant. It offers meditative, prayerful sessions that invite participants to share their own faith journeys in the light of Episcopal tradition. A leader’s guide, adult journal and youth journal for grades 8-12 are available.  A “mentor’s guide” helps in a program designed for more one-on-one mentoring rather than large classes. The sessions in the Leader's Guide can be completed in a traditional six- to twelve-week program, or adapted to contemporary innovations, such as an intense confirmation retreat or conference. Those using longer two- or three-year preparation programs will also find I Will, With God's Help ideal for immediate preparation for the sacrament. The activities are flexible and can be used for youth, adult, or intergenerational preparation programs. I will, With God's Help encourages ongoing support from the whole parish community and includes creative suggestions for congregational involvement. (Amy Cook says, "My experience is that this curriculum usually works best with older youth, and would need to be adapted for most junior high groups.")

Living Water: Baptism as a Way of Life, by Klara Tammany                       

"A must-have book for every parish priest!" This book is divided into eight sessions around baptism and the baptismal promises with plenty of extra material on how best to use the sessions. “Sessions” are so full of prayers, scripture, readings, and activities that it can be used as reference material only or as the basis for a complete lesson.  Loaded with resources, Living Water can be used in preparation for baptism, confirmation/reception, or reaffirmation of faith (although it is “not intended as a complete program of preparation for confirmation/reception.") Though written initially for adults, with some adaptation the sessions can be used in an intergenerational setting, or with children and/or youth.  Resource lists help link books, movies, and other media and ideas to each of the chapters.  The emphasis is on spiritual formation rather than academic knowledge. An excellent resource!

Confirmation Curriculum for Jr. High Young People, Episcopal Diocese of Alabama, 2005 (An adult curriculum is also available)

The Diocese of Alabama has offered the church a great gift in their FREE confirmation curriculum that they share on their website. These 21 lessons cover the areas of Christian Faith, Episcopal Identity, and Responding to God’s Love. They are well written and easy to use. There is a version for adults as well. 

Other Resources for Confirmation:
Resources at Forma:  https://www.forma.church/youth/

Do a search in www.buildfaith.org and there are several articles:  https://www.buildfaith.org/?s=confirmation

Special Note: these resources are provided and updated by Amy Cook, formerly of the Diocese of Massachussetts and now Working Group Head for Faith Formation in the Episcopal Diocese of California. 

Nurturing Young Prophets: A lesson plan based on the July 8, 2018 sermon at the General Convention Eucharist.

On Sunday, July 8, 2018, 18-year-old Andrés González-Bonillas preached at the General Convention Eucharist in Austin, TX. Sharing this 15-minute video can serve as an excellent discussion-starter for your youth group this summer or in the fall. In addition to a video of the sermon, the text is also available, in both English and Español.

Sharing this video with your youth group could be the springboard for an interesting discussion. What do they think about the preacher’s remarks? In what ways can they relate to his experience? In what ways is his experience different? This can lead to a discussion, or a whole curriculum, on cultural competency and dismantling racism. The sermon connects scripture and faith with the current events of the day. Does the church have any business getting into these matters? In the sermon, he lists reasons why he stays in the church. Why do your young people stay? And if they had the chance to preach to General Convention, what would they say? If they preached to your congregation, what would they say?

For more ideas, check out a lesson plan based on this video, written with the help of the preacher, Andrés González-Bonillas.

Faithfully Facebook: A Lesson Plan and Social Strategy for Youth Ministries

Facebook is and will be for a while, the dominant social network in Youth Ministry. It can be a great tool to communicate with teenagers and to collaborate on teams.  However, with anything there can also be pitfalls.  We have seen rampant hacking of Facebook accounts, cyberbullying through Facebook, and many people who posted something that they intended to be seen by only a few people.  

This lesson was developed by Randall Curtis, Ministry Developer for Young Adults and Youth for the Diocese of Arkansas, and a national leader in using social media as a tool for ministry. The lesson serves as a tool to help you talk with your young people about issues around Facebook and faith, and it offers a set of suggested practices for youth ministers who use Facebook.

Video Discussion Starter: Youth Voice and Engagement in the Church

Two interviews from a recent General Convention are great tools to start a dialogue within your church--among your young people and between youth and adults--about the extent to which young people and their full involvement may be encouraged and discouraged in your parish.

Megan Lightcap (St. Paul's, Natick) and Michelle St. Francis (Trinity Church, Concord) attended General Convention as observers thanks to support from the Mass. chapter of Episcopal Church Women (ECW).  While there, they maintained a video blog, and two of their entries included interviews with the two youngest deputies from the Massachuetts delegation:  Sarah Neumann (20, from Church of the Redeemer, Lexington) and Sam Gould (26, from St. Paul's, Brookline).

In the interviews, Sarah and Sam talk from their experience as young leaders seeking and finding their voice in the church today.

The interviews are included in a video available free online>> 

After viewing the two videos with your youth group, have a discussion:

• To what extent are Sarah's and Sam's experiences in wanting to be involved in the church governing bodies similar and dissimilar from your own?

• To what extent are their experiences with being taken seriously by others in the church similar and dissimilar from your own?

• What lessons have Sarah and Sam learned about what it takes to be heard as a young person in the church?

• In what ways does our parish encourage young people to "step up" and share the work and responsibility of our life together?

• In what ways does our parish discourage young people's voice?

• What advice might Sarah and Sam have for our young people? For our vestry?

• What suggestions do you have for how we can do better as a youth group and as a parish to encourage more youth voice and engagement in the church?

This could be a great discussion at your youth group meeting.  Could also be a great start to having a broader conversation between young people and your vestry, or perhaps as a format for a Sunday forum open to the entire congregation.