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08/21/2020

Sunday School must go on…Your guide to Faith Formation during COVID-19 and beyond

Even if we knew in our minds COVID would not be gone by now, we still had hope in our hearts that church as-we-knew-it would return and we’d be able to gather, side-by-side, listen to a sermon, sing some much-beloved hymns, pass the peace, process to receive communion and circle up for some in-depth study time in Sunday School. Congregational leadership teams have moved forward, in some way, with the centralized worship service, whether online, in-person (but spread out), or a hybrid, BUT many are still grappling with how to conduct a more personal time of study—Sunday School.

Because we really are stronger and better together, the Bishop’s office has pulled together a list of resources and suggestions so your congregation can offer Sunday School to young and old alike—whether in person (physically distanced), online or done totally within the family unit at home. Gary Pecuch, the SOS Youth and Family Ministry Coach, offers the following suggestions that he, and other resourceful and talented youth & family leaders in our synod (and a few outside our synod), created, used, refined and/or recommend for your congregation, regardless of size or budget.

If your congregation is doing something different and/or has overcome some challenge related to Sunday School and would like to share, please share in a comment below the story so others can glean your wisdom.

What’s In Your Bag? By Gary & Laurie Pecuch

Consider using Gary Pecuch’s book, “What’s In Your Bag?” with your Sunday morning or weekly youth & family groups. The book is designed to build participants’ ‘Ministry Assets’ so they can live out their personal calling in life. The concepts in this book work for people of all ages. Contact Gary (gpecuch@southernohiosynod.org) to get a FREE copy (e-copy of hard copy) of his book, the electronic inserts from the companion ‘Visionary Notebook’ project, and free access to faithwebbing.com, which contains video clips from Gary and his wife, Laurie, that introduce the skills and assets to participants. He is also happy to coach you through how best to use the resources.

 

Deacon Dan Jacob (SOS) website: bannerblue.org

Dan is the man behind the online VBS Mystery Museum offered to SOS congregation for free this summer. While developing Mystery Museum, he created a storehouse of other resources to help families form faith together. Some of the resources include: Movie Night Bible Studies, art-at-home Mosaic Murals for churches, the CATechism (cat gifs of the Lord’s Prayer, 10 Commandments, & Apostles Creed), and more. Check out Deacon Jacob’s website at www.bannerblue.org.

 

Recommended by Youth & Family Leaders in our synod:

  1. Sparkhouse 

*and for Amazon Prime Members the Whirl videos are free on prime.

 

  1. Faith5 material from Rich Milheim: https://faithink.com/about-faith5

 

  1. The Milestone Ministry: https://milestonesministry.org

Also from Milestone----Taking-Faith-Home is a good little one page front/back resource that you will easily get a hour long session out of: https://milestonesministry.org/taking-faith-home/

 

  1. Some churches are using VBS curriculum from the summer. One can get a quarter's worth of material out of a VBS kit: Consider Deacon Dan Jacob’s Mystery Museum: https://www.bannerblue.org/mysterymuseum

 

  1. The Parent Cue is becoming more and more popular: https://theparentcue.org/faith/

 

  1. Can't go wrong with Vibrant Faith.....they offer a lot:  https://vibrantfaith.org/coronavirus/

 

  1. Looking for Ice Breakers, Team Building and Just for Fun games? Check out this free resource. All you do is choose a game/activity, create a game, and get a room ID number. Room is available for 3 hours. Copy ID and share with the appropriate number of players. Enjoy! Click Here

 

  1. ELCA Youth Ministry Network, specifically, Martin’s List. This resource does require a membership to the ELCA Youth Ministry Network. Check out their website (https://www.elcaymnet.org/) for details on how to join!

 

  1. Our friends in the Indiana-Kentucky Synod have Sunday School curriculum for folks to do at home. We’ve been given permission to share. Check it out at: https://iksynod.org/sunday-school-home

 

5 Tips for changing up your traditional Sunday School that you might not have thought of!

 

  1. SOS Youth and Family Ministry Coach, Gary Pecuch, recommends keeping each section of a lesson short, like less than 10 minutes. Switch up what you’re doing after 10 minutes so folks don’t get distracted. This rule is actually true if you’re meeting in person or online. Attention spans are short, but your message is important. Keep the lesson moving to keep them engaged.

 

  1. Consider sending out packets of ‘pre-work’ for families/individuals to do before you meet as a smaller group. A couple of our congregations are delivering Sunday School packs or bags with instructions, crafts, etc. to make participation easy, convenient and fun! This works especially well if you have a small congregation, but mid-size and large congregations can also make this work!

 

  1. From LifelongFaith.com: Article---Guide to transforming faith formation for a changed world: Click Here 

 

  1. Also from LifelongFaith.com: Designs for in-person meeting, blended (online and in-person) and all online programming: Click Here

   

    5. Just try something! As the prophet Isaiah wrote...

...so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11)

 

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