supporting congregations
creating disciples
building community
nurturing growth
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| Upcoming Events |
June 12
Safeguarding God's Children
St. Simon's, Port Washington
9-noon
June 19
Safeguarding God's Children
St. Luke's, Madison
9-noon
Camp Webb
June 27-July 2
Staff Training
July 4-9
Intermediate Camp
July 11-16
Mixed-Age Camp
July 18-23
Middle School/Senior High Camp
Counselor-in-Training
July 4-9and July 11-16for youth grades 11 & 12 who are interested in leadership training and assisting in the daily camp routine with a counselor.
Tuesday, August 10
Six Flags Day
August 21
Children and Youth Leader Training Day
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| Camp Webb | 
We had a fabulous summer at Camp Webb.
Go to the website to see pictures from our wonderful, fun and eventful summer that was Camp Webb 2009!
Dates and Location for Camp Webb 2010 June 27-July 2 Staff Training July 4-9 Week 1 July 11-16 Week 2 July 18-23 Week 3 You can go to the website www.campwebb.org for registration and information about camp. |
| Resource Center |
If you are looking for ideas, curricula, books or videos, please visit our online database for our Resource Center which is kept up to date, so as soon as we get a new resource, you will see it onine!
You can search through book ISBN, by DVD or VHS or by curriculum.
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Visit us on the web at
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Welcome to the Christian Formation eNews which has resources, events and information in order to assist you in your formation efforts on a parish level.
Please forward this on to any and all who you think might be interested, including your teachers, volunteers, parishioners, lay leaders and friends. |
| Join us at Camp Webb | |
The camping season is nearly upon us,
and we would love to have you join us for camp.
 There are still openings for all sessions, but Sessions 2 and 3 are getting full. Sign up now for an awesome experience at Camp Webb!
Games, waterfront, friends old and new, ropes course, discussions, formation and fun. These are just a few words that describe what happens at camp each summer. Everyone who comes to Camp Webb is given the opportunity to learn more about themselves and others, to discover more about the Episcopal Church, to develop a greater spiritual awareness, and to encounter Christ through living and learning in God's creation. Campers will learn new skills, make new friends, create lasting memories and explore who they are and who God is in their lives.
The dates for camp are:
- Staff Training - June 27-July
- Intermediate Camp - July 4-9 - for rising third through sixth grader
- Mixed-Age Camp - July 11-16 - for rising third through seventh grader
- Junior/Senior High Camp - July 18-23 - youth entering grades seven through twelv
- Counselor-in-Training - July 4-9 and July 11-16 for youth grades 11 & 12 who are interested in leadership training and assisting in the daily camp routine with a counselor.
Each day will consist of large group time, small group  time, a wide variety of staff led activities from which the campers can choose (such as arts and crafts, music, meditation and journaling, games, hikes, low ropes course, etc.), worship, evening activities, waterfront time and more. There will be special activities for the Junior and Senior High Week, including high ropes course, special events, theme days, and much more!
Christian Formation is a part of the daily experience at Camp Webb. We believe that it is important to learn about Christ through scripture, music, drama, arts, storytelling, and outdoor worship. We will have a chaplain at each session of camp as well as visiting clergy and other guests to help guide us in our spiritual growth and Christian formation.
We hope your kids will join us this summer as we look at the Baptismal Covenant and how it impacts our everyday lives. How do we continue in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers? Persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord? Proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ? Seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself? Strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being? These are big questions that we will look at each day with scripture, skits, reflection and fun.
For more information about Camp Webb, please go to http://www.campwebb.org/. We rent space to hold our camp, so our camp is held at Lutherdale Camp at N7891 US Hwy 12, Elkhorn, WI 53121. You can find out more about the camp spaces by looking at http://www.lutherdale.org/
Go to www.campwebb.org to find out more information, to begin the registration process and see what we have planned for camp this summer. You can also contact The Rev. Shannon Kelly at kelly@diomil.org or 414-272-3028 or you can contact Kate McKey, Christian Formation Assistant at diomilformation@gmail.com or 608-257-1533. |
| Come work with us at Camp Webb! | |
We still have one opening for a male counselor!
Do you love the outdoors? Do you love working with  kids? Love an adventure? Are you seeking to do something that will change your life and the life of others? Are you wanting a great summer experience that will still leave time for other things this summer? Then apply to work at Camp Webb. We would love to have you be a part of the team.
As a Counselor, you are given the amazing opportunity to be the primary caregiver, mentor and leader for our campers. You will be responsible for planning, teaching, coordinating, and implementation of our program which will guide campers the experience of Camp Webb.
The staff go through 50 hours of preparation including, but not limited to, First Aid, child development workshops, Misconduct Prevention Training, Multicultural Awareness instruction, team building exercises so we work well together, emergency drills, and preparation time for all the areas of camp. The waterfront will be staffed by certified lifeguards from Camp Webb and Lutherdale Camp.
If you are intersted in applying for these positions, go to www.campwebb.org to find out more infomration. Click here for more information and a downloadable application form or contact The Rev. Shannon Kelly at kelly@diomil.org or 414-272-3028 or you can contact Kate McKey, Christian Formation Assistant at diomilformation@gmail.com or 608-257-1533.
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| Summer Resources for Families of Young Kids | CANDLE PRESS is all about resources for families with young children and for those who minister to these families:nurturing the gift of awe and wonder in children, engaging the natural curiosity of children as they worship with us. They have resources for all seasons, times and events of the church year.
For this summer they have a special resource in the "To Go" section. This is especially for families - with young children - to explore in their homes. From your computer to theirs, via e-mail. You purchase the sets and they will belong to your congregation to be sent out whenever you choose.
These sets contain four one-page units families can print out on their computers - or you can print out and give to them. Families at home - at times convenient for them - use these units as a guide to explore together what they believe, how they will choose to live their lives, and have fun together.
Each set has four, one-page units sent by Adobe pdf. Send them out all at once or over a time period you choose.
Order online, charge using your credit card, and within 24 hours your order will arrive, via e-mail, ready for you to dispatch. The sets will belong to your congregation. Summertime - and the livin' is easy -- well for some of us.
For most of us it is juggling child care with our jobs -- frantically seeking time to be together. What if we send these four units home to those families -- by e-mail or snail mail? We could help them choose to make time for creating memories for their family.
The four units are based on the scriptures for the four Sundays in July 2010. Great stories they might miss. |
| Safeguarding God's Children Training Dates |
Please mark your calendars and pass on this information to anyone who needs to be trained  in Safeguarding God's Children (SGC), such as: vestry, Vacation Bible School Teachers and Volunteers, Youth Group Leaders and Volunteers, and those going on trips with youth.
Our next Trainings will be:
Saturday, June 12 at St. Simon's in Port Washington
9:00 - 12:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 19 at St. Luke's in Madison
9:00 - 12:00 p.m.
If you would like to schedule a training in your parish or if you have a number of people who need to be trained, please let me know so that we can schedule an event at your church or in your area.
We are working to create a team of trainers so that we can hold events throughout the Diocese all year long.
Are you wondering who needs to be trained? Click here to find the Diocesan Policy as well as a link to the chart of who needs what training (which is found on page 42 of the Diocesan Policy Manual.) If you have any questions please let me know.
Update on Safeguarding God's People
We are trying to work with Church Pension Group to schedule to have our trainers trained in Safeguarding God's People. Once we have some trainers in the Diocese we will begin holding these trainings as well.
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| Looking for new Curriculum for the Fall? Here are some resources to help. | |
Curriculum Overview Charts
Below are charts that overview of variety of curricular resources for using with children, youth, young adults and adults. While by no means 100% comprehensive, you will find many of the more popular resources used by churches of all denominations.
View who the publisher is, its purpose, content, age level, teacher support available and price range. These charts are excellent tools for your committees who plan programming and choose what materials will be used to enhance education. But always remember - the most important curriculum you use is YOU - the leader, teachers and mentors who share they faith and love of Christ with others.
Resource materials for Youth
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| Lesson Plans that Work | | Check out this national curricula!
Lesson Plans for Small Congregations
- Follows the Revised Common Lectionary
- Three lessons for each Sunday (Young Children, Older Children, and Adults)
- Intergenerational lessons for some major feast days
- Plan ahead for the entire year. Use the new drop down menu to access the lessons you need.
You can find them at http://ecusa.anglican.org/109452_ENG_HTM.htm |
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Church Publishing RiteFormation | |
RiteFormation - Online Curriculum Builder
New ideas for creating custom session plans, faster
Draw from an online library of easy-to-search, classroom-tested materials to create custom lessons that enhance faith formation for your learners.
Features:
- Scripture, song, prayer, response, lecture, ritual, arts and crafts, movement, drama, games, discussions and more
- Published content from well-known currriculum publishers
- Mix and match elements to build customized lessons.
- Easy-to-use, search and download formatted lesson plans.
- Just $1.99 per item, $9 per session. Annual Access starts as low as $99 per year.
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New Curriculum for Children - Weaving God's Promises |
 Weaving God's Promises is a new, exciting, innovative Episcopal curriculum for children ages 3-11 (Preschool - Grade 5). Arranged seasonally (Fall, Winter, Spring), Weaving God's Promises broadly follows the Church year by focusing on the biblical story of salvation as told in the Old Testament and New Testament. Lessons also connect to the seasons of the church year, with Episcopal prayers, history, sacraments and traditions woven though out the materials each week. Special sessions are also provided to further explore the Episcopal perspective of reading scripture and worship in community. A three-year, downloadable curriculum, lessons follow the pattern of Episcopal liturgy: Gathering, Story, Prayer, Sharing, Activities and Dismissal. While usable in churches of all sizes, Weaving God's Promises is especially pleasing for small churches that can begin each week together in a multi-age group followed by breaking into age-appropriate groups for specific activities. Activities are designated for Preschool (ages 3 & 4), Primary (Kindergarten & 1st grades), Elementary (2ndand 3rd grades) and Intermediate (4th & 5th grades). Weaving God's Promises features: - Helpful background information for teachers
- A link to one's personal story to the biblical story as well as Episcopal faith and tradition
- Original, creative activities for gathering, storytelling, community prayer and shared snacks
- Multiple theme-reinforcing crafts, drama, movement and games to select from for each lesson
- Reproducible handouts and activity sheets
- Nearly 1,200 pages of lesson plans, illustrations and activities for Year 1
Weaving God's Promises is: - Classroom tested
- Completely downloadable; print and use only what you need!
- Teacher friendly
- Theologically sound in the Episcopal tradition
- Affordable to all size churches
- A one-time purchase (per year), with unlimited access 24/7 to materials for all your teachers
Weaving God's PromisesThree-Year Outline: Year 1: Weaving Our Faith (2010-2011) - available June 2010 Year 2: Weaving the Family of God (2011-2012) - available spring 2011 Year 3: Woven in Love (2012-2013) - available spring 2012 Check it out! Download the complete 3-years Scope & Sequence here: Download a free lesson plan sample Download the list of themes and stories found in Year 1 |
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Embracing an Adult Faith with Marcus Borg - New in the Resource Center | |
New to the Resource Center! A great resource for Adult Formation and Dialogue about Christianity.
Author and Bible scholar Marcus Borg invites us to join him in revisiting Christianity's most fundamental questions: Who is God? What does salvation mean? What place does Jesus hold in contemporary Christian faith? In this five-session, faith-formation resource, participants enjoy the rare privilege of witnessing Marcus in dialogue with a small, diverse group of adults as they honestly - and sometimes painfully - confront the big questions and work together toward authentic answers. Each session includes a 10-minute presentation by Marcus Borg followed by interaction with the group. The program print resources are designed to help your small group "join the dialogue" in your own setting.
The study addresses fundamental questions that adults struggle with as faith matures. It can be used as a resource for personal reflection as well as small group experience.
The five sessions include:
� God
� Jesus
� Salvation
� Community
� Practice
Components
� Participant Workbook - contains all the material needed for use by class participants as well as notes for the class leader to facilitate each session; leadership can be shared among members of the group.
� Packaged DVD
Contains the video for the five sessions
This should arrive soon. If you would like to borrow it, please contact Kate McKey. |
| Christian Formation Staff | |
 The Rev. Shannon Kelly is the Bishop's Assistant for Christian Formation. She is responsible for overseeing, creating and nurturing formation throughout the diocese "zero to grave." I work in conjunction with parishes and convocations to create, sustain and promote education and formation by helping parishes with resources, coaching and trainings, by holding events that are held regionally and diocesan wide, by supporting and assisting those doing the work of formation, and by making resources available for all people. This includes, but is not limited to children, youth and adult ministries, including Camp Webb, youth events, vacation Bible schools, adult retreats, and trainings for those in leadership positions. She can be reached at kelly@diomil.org or 414-272-3028 x114.
 Kate McKeyis the Christian Formation Assistant. She works part-time with Shannon in the Christian Formation Office organizing and keeping up with the Resource Center, she manages the office and assisist Shannon in planning, implementing and running various programs throughout the year. For those of you who came to camp last year, you will recognize Kate as one of our conselors. We are blessed to have her continuing to serve in the diocese. Kate is also serving part-time as the youth minister at St. Andrew's in Madison. She can be reached at diomilformation@gmail.comor at 608-257-1533.
 The Rev. REGS Scheeler has been a deacon of this diocese of many years, serving us in many different ways. Throughout his time, his passion and focus on formation and education for youth and their leaders has not changed. REGS is a non-stipendiary staff person who is available to help congregations move through transition, assist them in discernment or challenge them as they move forward. He can make visits on Sundays and some weekdays. If you think a visit from him would be of use to you, don't hesitate to call and discover the ways in which he might help your parish. He is also in charge of the New Beginnings weekend and is assisting with other formation events throughout the year. He has a gift and call for cooking ministry which we try to incorporate into all he does. |
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If you have formation news, events, or resources that you think would be of interest to the Diocese at large and that you would like to see in this electronic publication, please do not hesitate to email me at kelly@diomil.org. If you want to be removed from this list, you may do so. If you have missed an issue or if you would like to look at old issues, links to the archives can be found on the Christian Formation Pages at http://www.diomil.org/christian-formation. Thank you for your ministry, for your commitment to Christian Formation, and for sharing your gifts with the church. Please let me know if there is anything that you would like to see in this eNews in the future and don't forget to pass this along!
Peace, |
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The Rev. Shannon Kelly
Bishop's Assistant for Christian Formation
The Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee
414-272-3028 x 114
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