The little children eagerly “run” down the aisle and kneel in anticipation of a simple grape. | more »
Youth and family
A choir that includes the very young up to the not-so young can bring energy -- and just plain fun! -- to a worship service.
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ELCA congregations have the privilege and the responsibility to offer a Christian presence to those with Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers. | more »
Children engaging in new activities, meeting new friends, and sharing living quarters with other campers present challenges to even the most well-adjusted child. | more »
With some help from ELCA Missionary Sponsorship, youth groups in Decorah, Iowa, lead their community to help refugees in Syria. | more »
For the Zimmanns, taking on positions as ELCA missionaries in Jordan and the Holy Land is a new adventure for the whole family. | more »
When I take my daughter to work with me, I am often delighted to witness the fire of compassion and service ignite in the heart of this 6-year-old saint. | more »
As I was growing up, days like this helped us girls remember that many careers are available to us. | more »
Help families move beyond denial; acknowledge the devastating impact of the abuse on all family members. | more »
When anger is left unresolved, it intensifies and may be projected inward or outward to find an expression beyond reason. | more »
Kristina Johnson, 17 years old, mobilizes the youth of Hosanna Lutheran Church in Rochester, Minn., to fight hunger. | more »
Active participation in church means more than standing up and sitting down at the appropriate times. | more »
There are many opportunities for congregations to teach children about stewardship. | more »
Here are 10 ways to help children and their families dive into God's word. | more »
Multitasking isn’t inherently bad, and newer generations are simply better at it than older generations. | more »
Children at an Ohio congregation didn’t receive new Bibles from their congregation but rather slightly used — and as a result more meaningful — ones.
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I am grateful that our family has had conversations about the years when nobody (including me) was able to see the others clearly and compassionately. | more »
I’m a Lutheran pastor. My wife is Jewish. This time of year brings both beauty and tension in sharp relief for us. | more »
Outdoor ministry camps offer opportunities for participants to grow in their faith, learn about the environment and create new relationships with God. | more »
Sara Massey experiences first-hand the impact ELCA Youth Gatherings have on the communities where they are held. | more »
Shekinah Chapel seeks to inspire youth and young adults through its performing arts and mentoring ministries. | more »
You don’t have to be Lutheran to believe that all children are worthy of food, but it is beautifully Lutheran to see all people as children of God. | more »
Ava Aigner, a 10-year-old, left vacation Bible school determined to make a difference. | more »
So how do you know when typical teen characteristics, such as moodiness, have moved beyond “normal?” | more »
Many children wonder about prayer. This nondenominational, multicultural book offers answers. | more »
My mom said, "There are no mistakes. No accidents. Each of your children is who they are meant to be, and God didn't make a mistake when he created them." | more »
Because of their commitment to providing a safe and secure environment, they adopted a policy on preventing and reporting abuse. | more »
Sexual images and explicit word references have become increasingly common among groups that are younger by the year. | more »
Loving me through all of my failures and screw-ups. I can barely comprehend that someone loves me that much — let alone that I should love other people like that. | more »
By no means do we have it figured out. But at least for the time being we’ve decided that Lenten devotions and worship are a non-negotiable. | more »
Can anyone tell me where to find the word “Easter” in the Bible? | more »
Attitudes that non-adoptive families have can play an important role in the support, or lack thereof, that adoptive families experience. | more »
Find Golgotha and sit in shadow for a while, but find love there. Find love. For long ago before time, it already had found you. | more »
God is providing for her a wonderful learning experience that will go with her for the rest of her life. | more »
In a “perfect storm of God’s goodness," a congregation in Milwaukee helps build a home for one of their own. | more »
Mealtime is rarely understood as a time and place to practice one's faith. Yet, what is more basic than sharing a meal? | more »
It gave me a warm glow to think about the comfort of night-lights and the wonderful metaphor of Jesus coming into the world as light. | more »
For an ELCA congregation in Elgin, Ill., re-enacting a 400-year-old Mexican Christmas tradition is a way to welcome their Spanish-speaking neighbors.
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For Dione Miller, it’s meant service abroad and enrolling in a seminary. How have members of your family affected your faith life? You might also want to read: A steadfast faith Be who you are Being a Lutheran mother... | more »
Check out these Christmas traditions that Luther may have had a hand in starting. | more »
In extreme cases of bullying, victims feel compelled to take drastic measures, such as carrying weapons, seeking violent revenge or even considering suicide. | more »
You won't find holiday decorations or snow at this Kenyan congregation. But you will find children helping celebrate the birth of Jesus — just as in congregations everywhere. | more »
God doesn’t need more angels in heaven and those who were killed were not “taken” from us by God. They were taken by the evil actions of one man. | more »
Art is like Christmas, it makes you wish and believe. I wish I could teach. I believe I can. | more »
At times like this, we need to remember that we do not wait alone. We are in this together, as a community, as a nation, and as a family of faith. | more »
Here are some interesting ways to celebrate the “coming” of Christ. | more »
If you haven’t tried it before, maybe this is the year to try to incorporate some child- or youth-led elements into your holiday services. | more »
How do you make your gift-giving more meaningful by offering ones that are a little outside the box? You might also want to read: Hosting an ELCA fair-trade fair Balanced gift-giving in an unbalanced time A Christmas gift-giving guide... | more »
On three successive nights Nicholas tossed bags of gold through the sisters' window, saving them from being sold into slavery. | more »
Children who left for school, for jobs, to follow their dreams or to start their own families are coming back home. | more »
We have to dig deeply to get beneath the commercialized images of gift-giving. We do not shield our kids from Santa and St. Nick but tell their stories. | more »
In the spirit of the actual St. Nicholas, how do you temper the commercialization of Christmas? You might also want to read: The countercultural stories of Santa and St. Nick Ho, ho, who? My righteous whole-wheat Christmas... | more »
Let the Lord know your fears and anxieties as you go into the holiday season, and then let go and enjoy the ride! | more »
If you happen to see a kid — ear buds pounding out of the head and death mask images on the T-shirt, don't worry, the kid is probably harmless. | more »
"What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you?" | more »
Unwrapping each train car or building or piece of track served as an early Christmas morning, like greeting an old friend. | more »
Perhaps it’s a favorite hymn or Christmas carol or preparing the Advent wreath and unpacking the special ornaments for the tree. What brings those special memories alive for you? You might also want to read: Gearing up for the holidays... | more »
Some say that as the generations pass the stories in the Bible are becoming less well known. How are you helping new generations become familiar with them and appreciate them? You might also want to read: Connecting with the Bible... | more »
Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota created this program in 1997 in the wake of massive flooding along the Red River between Minnesota and North Dakota. | more »
Oct. 31, the date that Lutherans observe as Reformation Day, is also the eve of All Saints Day (All Hallows Day), commonly known as Halloween.
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Music is a wonderful gift we can use to nurture the faith from one generation to another.
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Teachers often say they learn as much, if not more, than the students they teach. What have you learned from the children you’ve taught in Sunday school? You might also want to read: Welcome back to Sunday school! Year-round Rally... | more »
Minneapolis vacation Bible school students get a glimpse of what college life is like. | more »
In Africa, it only takes one bite from a mosquito to cause malaria, a disease that claims the life of a child every 45 seconds. | more »
Here's the anatomy of a moderate Rage at our house. Here's the reason we usually don't volunteer for anything, have friends over, or make commitments. | more »
ELCA youth groups around the nation are creatively raising money to help bring wells to areas of the world without safe drinking water. | more »
Experience is a powerful teacher. We as parents often want to shield our kids from bad experiences, but some lessons are best learned that way. | more »
Here are ideas for leading children and youth in prayer. | more »
Attendees of the 2012 ELCA Youth Gathering take the words of this year's speakers to heart. | more »
Every 45 seconds a child in Africa dies of malaria. To help save lives, ELCA congregations are supporting the ELCA Malaria Campaign in some creative ways. | more »
Definitely abled youth make new friends in New Orleans as they gear up for the 2012 ELCA Youth Gathering. | more »
For the youth at MYLE, the ELCA Youth Gathering is a chance to share their cultures with 35,000 other young people. | more »
The adult is supposed to be the teacher, but sometimes the tables are turned. Children can put things in a new light and make us stop and think. Has a child’s reaction to a situation caused you to re-evaluate your... | more »
Attendees of the 2012 ELCA Youth Gathering join with youth around the world at The Wall. | more »
College students are an extension of our local congregations. It is important to show these students that they are not forgotten, to give them love and support. | more »
If Labor Day marks its end, then summer 2012 is in the books. Looking back, what was a memorable time or event? Did you realize then it was special, or did that become clear later? You might also want to... | more »
Do you have a child just starting kindergarten for whom everything will be new? Do you have an older child making the last lap through high school for whom the year will be a series of “last time” moments? Is... | more »
Here are some ways to celebrate your congregation’s Rally Day. | more »
It’s called “animate. Faith” and isn’t your typical devotional for small groups. | more »
The dirt road leading to the ELCA summer camp took Kwame Pitts on a journey she never thought she’d take. | more »
I want my kids to succeed, yes, but I want even more. I want my kids to care. | more »
August is quickly sliding by, and Rally Day will be here soon. What creative ideas has your congregation used to kick off Sunday school? What have you found the children like most? You might also want to read: Education fundamental... | more »
The traditional Rally Days brought hope, expectant hope. Hope that in the end disappointed. | more »
Youth ministry needs to happen at an ever earlier age, and in new creative ways. | more »
Her family thought she ran away from them, but she shows how young people can run toward their calling.
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An ELCA congregation in New York City, once in the dark days of empty pews, is enjoying a rebirth of vitality and mission.
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For 33,309 kids at the ELCA Youth Gathering in New Orleans, the face of Jesus was everywhere. | more »
To change the world you can start with one person. This was something I learned through my 2012 ELCA Youth Gathering community-life team. | more »
Susie Delgado heard racial slurs as a teenager. When it continued with her sons and grandchildren at school, Susie's faith motivated her to end it. | more »
Ready to "cycle through the dirt roads of Liberia," ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson invites ELCA youth to go along for the ride and put their faith into action. | more »
Kids know how to do this. We should take note. | more »
Does your summer schedule include plans for the whole family to gather? If so, is this a regular event or something new this year? Does everyone go away on a retreat-type trip, or is it more of a backyard affair?... | more »
About 35,000 ELCA young people, "citizens with the saints," go to New Orleans for five days of learning and growing.
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I think outdoor ministries offer something for everybody and continue to expand those opportunities. | more »
The 2012 ELCA Youth Gathering opens today in New Orleans with 35,000 young people attending. Did you attend a previous Gathering? What has stayed with you from that experience? How did it affect your relationship with God? You might also... | more »
The lazy days of summer can be great for children but stressful for parents. The break from school can cause day-care problems. The summer activities schedule can get old for the taxi driver. And then there’s the too-often heard, “I’m... | more »
A vacation is not just a fun thing to do, it’s vital. It’s a way to remember what’s important and who we love. | more »
A clean, well-maintained, secure facility is a must for youth ministry, but a safe and loving emotional environment is far more critical.
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When you were a child, did you fear that if your parents got fired at work they would burn? Delmer Chilton writes in a blog that as a child he thought the voice reading the obituaries on the radio was... | more »
I suppose those boys on the bus could have learned much-needed lessons about love and respect from both of my grandmas.
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Recent Comments
Brian Beckstrom: “You're welcome Marcus. Thanks for reading.” | more »
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Charles Oberkehr: “This year, we got 7 foot shimmering red streamers and” | more »
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