supporting congregations
creating disciples
building community
nurturing growth
Please forward this on to any and all you you think might be interested, including teachers, volunteers, parishioners, vestry, lay leaders and friends!
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| Upcoming Events |
January 14
Living Compass Introductory Workshop @ St. Mary's, Dousman
March 16-17
Woman's Retreat @ Redemptorist Retreat Center
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Camp Webb 2012
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For more information go to www.campwebb.org.
Intersted in being on staff?
Click here for information!
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| 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 online! We have the full collection of NOOMA videos. You can find out more about them at http://nooma.com
You can search through book ISBN, by DVD or VHS or by curriculum.
You can also find online resource links there. If you would like more information or if you would like to check out any materials, please let us know! Kate McKey is the Resource Center Coordinator and you can find her at diomilformation@gmail.com.
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Find us on Facebook!
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| Carla's Corner | |
 In this season of Advent, Christmas and into Epiphany we are invited to come and meet with the Incarnate Christ. The Incarnation is God with man. This time of Church year is usually filled with the scriptures, music, smells and ringing of bells, with pageants, midnight liturgies, through the coming of the Wise to meet the Christ child.
Christian Formation is receiving the Incarnation of God with mankind all year through. Christian Formation is not the same as Christian Education, although education is a piece of our formation. Formation is life long, whereas education has a life-cycle with the regards to our years and life experiences. Formation is holistic, not a simple dialogue within a lecture at any given moment in time. Formation envelops our hearts, minds, souls, gifts and talents, our willing, serving hands: all of our being. We are formed and continued to be formed by being in Christian community, by the sharing and receiving of the Eucharist, through group and individual study, and through private and corporate prayer.
Christian Formation needs to be offered to the children and youth. They may be young or adolescent; but, they have inquiring, open hearts and minds to receive the mysteries of our faith. Christian Formation must be offered for all adults. Confirmation does not mark the ending of our formation, it marks only a time and moment in our formation.
As we age we are shaped by our multitude of experiences. Our faith can form and shape us in those experiences and life's events can shape and form our faith. It is in this dance we share in Christian community our life's story: our faith formation.
God has started a good work in you and will see it through to completion. Receive the Incarnate God and be formed and re-formed into his likeness.
What's Happening Now?
The Life Long Christian Formation Commission met together in November. We are planning the Third Annual Ministry Fair to take place in the Madison area for 2012. We are working to create a Christian Formation vision for the diocese.
The dates for Camp Webb 2012 have been set. See our website for details and registration. Registration papers are up and ready to be received.
A team will have met on Dec. 8th to discuss the Institute for Continuing Education in our diocese. We are talking about three broad areas of Continuing Formation, Continuing Education for clergy and School for Deacons.
New training dates are set for Safe Guarding God's Children (SGGC) for early 2012. Check out our website for the details. Also, for all who taken SGGC in a face-to-face training and have reached the 5 year renewal time, there will be an on-line training available by first of February. More details to come.
In this edition of Christian Formation (CF) eNews, you'll read about upcoming retreats and new curriculum ideas. I hope you'll read further!
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What's Up Kate?
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 As we all prepare for Christmas, we take time to look at what we are grateful for. I am thankful for my family, friends, church, and I am very grateful for the amazing youth we have in this diocese.
When we look at the the youth in our parishes, what do we see? I see the life and hope of our church. I see vitality and spirit and promise for the future. Working so closely with youth from around the diocese makes me feel proud of the fantastic people we are raising up and lets me dream about how they can be more of a part of our life as the Diocese of Milwaukee.
I know many parishes do not have many youth currently but that does not mean there is no way to support youth ministries here in this diocese. Please think about donating money to Camp Webb to help pay for registration costs for needy kids. You can give time or money to Happening to help with food and other costs. You can volunteer to be a chaperone at our outreach event we will be doing in Milwaukee in February. We can all help lift up our youth so they can experience the love and beauty that is God.
If you have any questions or comments on youth events, please contact me at McKey@diomil.org
Blessings!
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Living Compass
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 It may be Advent, but LENT is coming soon!!! The Living Compass Adult Education Program provides the opportunity for individuals to reflect upon their faith and how that faith integrates with the rest of their lives. This curriculum can be adapted for a Sunday Adult Forum, a Weeknight Lenten Study or a Lenten Mini-Retreat. Want to learn more??? Call or email The Rev. Dr. Scott Stoner directly at 414-964-4357, scott@livingcompass.org or make plans to attend the Living Compass Introductory Workshop on Saturday, January 14, 2012 9:30 a.m. -- 12:30 p.m. at St. Mary's, Dousman Pre-registration is requested
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Women's Retreat
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Th e Spirituality of the Friendships of Women:
The Story of Ruth and Naomi
A Women's Retreat
6 PM Friday, March 16 thru
4 PM Saturday, March 17
Held at the Redemptorist Retreat Center
1800 North Timber Trail Lane
Oconomowoc, WI 53066-4897
Join us for a weekend for reflection, study and prayer together as women, discovering how we can create and build healthy, vibrant and spiritual relationships as women. Space is limited so register early.
Registration Form is available on our diocesan website on the Christian Formation webpage at www.diomil.org.
Hosted by St. Mary's, Dousman and the Diocesan Office of Christian Formation
Retreat Leaders: Rev. Carla McCook, Bishop's Assistant for Christian Formation, Sandi Smith, Masters of Theology, Sacred Heart Theological Seminary, Meredyth Albright, Senior Seminarian at Nashotah House.
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General Convention Official Youth Presence
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Do you know a high school teenager who is passionate about the Episcopal Church?
Do you know youth, 16-18 years old, interested in learning more about how the church makes decisions to join God's mission in the world?
The application and nomination process for the General Convention Official Youth Presence 2012 is now open!
Click here for more information. |
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Camp Webb 2012 Camper Registration and Staff Applications are Online!
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Christmas time is the perfect time to give Camp Webb for Christmas! Registrations are now online for our two regular camp sessions and our Leadership camp in June.
Also, we are already starting the search for Camp Webb staff for next year. We will be having staff training starting on June 4thth and camp will end on June 29th. Applications are posted up at www.campwe bb.org NOW!
Camp Webb is an outdoor ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee. 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 ne w friends, create lasting memories and explore who they are and who God is in their lives.
For more about Camp Webb go to www.campwebb.org.
If you have questions, please contact Kate McKey, Youth and Camp Coordinator, at McKey@diomil.org or 414.272.3028 x114.
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Happening #89 A Fantastic Success
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Happening #89
What a wonderful weekend! We had 16 youth from all over the diocese come for the first time to this event along with around 20 other returning youth. The Holy Spirit was definitely with us as we learned about each other and how God plays a role in everyone's life.
I want to thank Trinity Episcopal Church in Janesville for being such gracious hosts to the Happening weekend. People at Trinity even cooked and donated food for us on Saturday night. We are so thankful and grateful for the love and time they gave to us. Also, I would like to thank Fr. Bob LeBron, Fr. Bob Lambert, and Rev. Miranda Hassett for being with us during the weekend.
We had a wonderful weekend and thank you to all who helped make it happen. We will be having a Happening reunion in March for anyone who has attended a Happening in the past. Please be on the look out for more information in the future.
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New Curriculum at Resource Center
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Embracing Emergence Christianity:
Phyllis Tickle on the Church's Next Rummage Sale
As of January we will have two (2) copies for this DVD series at our diocesan Resource Center. If you and your parish are interested in borrowing please email the Resource Center to reserve a copy today. This is a six (6) week series and each participant will need to order a copy of the book that goes along with the DVD. The books can be purchased through Amazon.com. Resource Center email: McCook@diomil.org.
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| Cooking with Deacon REGS | |
Good Shepherd has been blessed with a very special ministry this fall. Deacon REGS and his wife Pat have come to teach the youth and any interested adults their secrets to cooking while also sharing Bible stories and their knowledge and love of Jesus Christ.
We prepared parmesan chicken and rice pilaf, which was promptly gobbled down by even the most skeptical 'chefs'. At our next meeting, the children were very glad for Deacon REGS 'try all you make' rule, as we made Christmas cookies!
We are looking forward to our January class on quick breads! Please contact Fr. Mike Tess at Good Shepherd or Deacon REGS if you're interested in finding out more.
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| The Abundant Life Garden Project | |
 The Abundant Life Garden Project: A Program for Children of the Episcopal Church
An Offering to Share
An Offering to Learn
An Offering to Engage
The Abundant Life Garden Projectis a children's curriculum offered to parishes, teachers, groups, families and others who seek to share the ministry and work of Episcopal Relief & Development with elementary-age children. This resource is a very flexible, low-cost program that can be implemented by any Episcopal parish, no matter its budget or resources.
This resource is based on the work and mission statement of Episcopal Relief & Development, along with the Baptismal Covenants of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church. The goal of the program is that children will become more aware of the overwhelming needs of others in the world, link these needs to stories in the Bible and work towards addressing the needs of the world, both as individuals and in community.
This Free curriculum is available from ERD (Episcopal Relief and Development). You can find a download version on our Christian Formation webpage (www.diomil.org). You can also contact Melanie Stewart our diocesan ERD contact for more information. Each of the five segments can be done as one whole study or each segment individually. It could be used for Sunday school or youth group, for a camp or Vacation Bible school series.
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| Send your articles into the Christian Formation E-News |
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 Carla or Kate at . ALL ARTICLES MUST BE IN NO LATER THAN THE 7TH OF EVERY MONTH.
Thank you for your ministry, for your commitment to Christian Formation, and for sharing your gifts with the church.
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NEW Safeguarding God's Children
Training Dates |
We continue to plan trainings for Safeguarding God's Children!
For the latest information and to register for a training, please . 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. You can call, email or click here to request a training.
Please make note of all who need to be trained in SGC, such as: vestry, Vacation Bible School Teachers and Volunteers, Youth Group Leaders and Volunteers, Sunday School Teachers, Church Staff, and those going on trips with youth.
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.
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Making Curriculum Decisions
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From Sharon Pearson, Christian Formation Specialist at Church Publishing
Support for Making Curriculum Decisions
Now is the time to begin evaluating your programs and resources before planning for the coming program year. And that includes looking at curricular resources. Remember, published curricula is a tool for helping you fulfill your goals and objectives. Here are updated resources to help in your planning:
To Sign up for a variety of Church Publishing newsletters, go to:
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Christian Formation Staff | |
The office of Christian Formation has recently undergone several changes. With the Rev. Carla McCook, Kate McKey, and the Rev. REGS Scheeler taking over, it is an exciting time of transition. They look forward to this year with new ideas and lots of energy! They would be happy to help others in the Diocese in any way possible, and can be reached by their contact information listed below.
Rev. Carla McCook is the Bishop's Assistant for Christian Formation. She work in conjunction with parishes and convocations to create, sustain and promote education and formation and offer resources for all ages in Christian Formation. She is also available to lead a teaching series or preach on request.
She is looking forward to beginning this new ministry and can be reached at McCook@diomil.org or (414)272-3028 ext 116.
Kate McKey is the Youth and Camp Coordinator. She is in charge of the programing of Camp Webb, the Diocesan summer camp. She also plans other events such as Happening and a youth presence at Convention. Kate is also serving part-time as the youth minister at St. Andrew's in Madison.She can be reached at McKey@diomil.org or 414-272-3028 x114.
 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. He can be reached at dnregs@wi.rr.com or (262)827-9378. |
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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 mckey@diomil.org. ALL ARTICLES MUST BE IN NO LATER THAN THE 7TH OF EVERY MONTH. 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. Carla McCook Bishop's Assistant for Christian Formation The Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee McCook@diomil.org
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