​Resources for Congregations ​

Please head to the Diocese of Maryland website and check out all the amazing resources put together for you.

​5 Formation Resources from the Christian Formation Council

Beatitudes
​
​Full online Sunday School
By Illustrated Ministry 
Written to be done in real time (Zoom) or pre-recorded
All ages

Energy - 4
Cost - 4
​
www.Illustratedministry.com

Faith at Home Kit

Kit of items for at home study
Story, activity, prayer item
You choose focus

​Energy - 2
Cost - 1-3
​
Faith at Home Kits
​Faithful Families at Home by Traci Smith

Book Club

​Different age groups reading and discussing
Meet once a month/week based on age
Gives families something to discuss
​
​Energy - 2
Cost - 1
​
Storypath.upsem.edu/

Children's Chapel

Children sermon video
Gospel, sermon, activity

​Energy - 3
Cost - 0
​
Ministry to Children
Sermons4Kids
St. Andrew’s Children Chapel

ChurchNext

Videos with small group discussion
This is NOT Sunday School released this fall
All subjects, all ages

Energy - 2
Cost - 0-4

Churchnext.tv

​

Resources for Families 

Serving our young people during this time is a top priority of our diocese. Join us in supporting the youth of our congregation. We are in this together. 

Graduation at Home
Download this file for a small liturgy to do at home to celebrate any graduate!
Graduate at Home.pdf

 Resources for Learning ​

• Household Bible Reading with Lectio Divina introduces families and small groups to the practice of studying the Bible using Lectio Divina. “Sometimes the Bible can be confusing and difficult to understand. With Lectio Divina we give ourselves permission to let the Bible be what it is. Questions will undoubtedly surface. If you like, search for the answers. Seek out conversations. Or simply let the questions be.”
• Blessing Children in the Home is a simple practice for reminding children how loved they are.
• How2charist is digitally instructed Eucharist and could be a great activity to learn about all that goes on during a church service. 
• Grow Christians from Forward Movement is a great website to find inspiration for faith at home, describing itself as “striving to create an online community of discipleship focused on the practical details of life at home.” It includes reflections, stories, images, and recipes from diverse Episcopalians, celebrating the presence of God throughout the Christian year.

Resources for Children
During this time of more home-based activities, stay in touch with families with children and encourage them to go deeper in their faith together.

• Household Bible Reading with Lectio Divina introduces families and small groups to the practice of studying the Bible using Lectio Divina. “Sometimes the Bible can be confusing and difficult to understand. With Lectio Divina we give ourselves permission to let the Bible be what it is. Questions will undoubtedly surface. If you like, search for the answers. Seek out conversations. Or simply let the questions be.”
• Blessing Children in the Home is a simple practice for reminding children how loved they are.
• The New Zealand Prayer Book Compline is well worth exploring, offering a peaceful prayer service for end of day with the family or with others online.
• Grow Christians from Forward Movement is a great website to find inspiration for faith at home, describing itself as “striving to create an online community of discipleship focused on the practical details of life at home.” It includes reflections, stories, images, and recipes from diverse Episcopalians, celebrating the presence of God throughout the Christian year.
• Illustratedministry.com is offering free coloring pages during this time.
• Faith at Home is an offering of the Episcopal Church that provides a lot of resources including Lesson Plans that Work, the Book of Common Prayer in an easy-to-navigate PDF, and more.

Resources for Youth

• Zoom is a way to connect, have bible study, compline or just see the youth you minister to on a more regular basis. Contact the Office of the Bishop if you would like access to our account. ​
  • Keep it fun! Have your youth join the video meeting with their favorite beverage in hand, ask the youth to show up in their (appropriate) pjs for a lock-in feel, play show-and-tell with one unexpected thing from their room…Ideas like these will help you feel like you are together and will help you continue to build community.
  • Don’t be afraid of silence. Silence on video calls is especially awkward; it can feel even longer than face-to-face silence. It’s okay. Hold the space for people to think before responding just as you would with face-to-face meetings.
  • Having a hard time hearing everyone? Remind your group to mute themselves when they aren’t speaking. This will get rid of background noise that may be distracting and household conversations that your family may not want overheard.
  • Have meetings just to check in. Have meetings to talk about how the group is feeling as they process the reality we find ourselves in. Have meetings. The worst thing you can do is not meet at all. You want to make sure your group knows that they are cared for. Keep your community strong, check in with each other, support each other the best way you can. Online faith formation may feel clunky at first, but will help keep your group together and remind youth of how important they are.
• Social media is a great way to stay connected during these times. We recommend Instagram for youth. Check out the @episcoposse_md instagram for some inspiration on what we share. Lizzie Mcmanus put together some neat thoughts on social media during this time. View them here. 
• GroupMe serves as a great way to connect via group text with much better functionality than a thread text.​

Diocesan Youth Community Resources

• All Zoom Room meetings are located on our Events Page
• Letter Regarding Diocesan In-Person Events:
  
  ​Dear Friends,
  
  When the pandemic began months ago, no one would have been able to predict where we are now. No one expected to see plans canceled, an entire summer at Claggett lost, and so many other things sacrificed. And yet, here we are preparing for the school year to be online or hybrid and continuing to work from home. But, God has not left us and we still have work to do.
  
  This announcement has been one that no one has wanted to make. Last spring, we were hoping that life might be back to some semblance of normal by the fall. However, there is no safe way to offer the events we normally would while also being safe. Your safety is what is most important to us. With this in mind, we must announce that we will not gather for in person diocesan youth retreats at least through May 2021. This was a heart-breaking decision made by leadership across all movements. We believe this is the right decision. A decision supported by science, professional health workers, and data. Adult and youth leadership will continue to meet to evaluate the next steps, as well as the timeline for in-person gatherings.
  
  We know there will be grief, and rightfully so. I ask you to sit in the grief. 2020 has seen many sacrifices, and these beloved events are now among them. The Holy Spirit works her way through these events to uplift everyone who participates, and they carry that love into the world. It will be a hard year without a traditional Happening or New Beginnings to look forward to.
   
  But after we grieve, we must also ask where God might be calling us in this new season. We are still the Church. In a time that has been challenging, we have done some amazing things. We will aim to continue to do God’s work in a new and creative way.
  
  This fall will be different and so we must approach it differently. Contact your youth leaders, your clergy person, and one another to discover something new. What can be offered that had never been thought of before? What can be improved on from home? Who can be invited that has not participated before? Take this time to discern about what might be next.
  
  Remember to take care of yourself and one another, wear a mask, be encouraged, and may God bless and keep you. If you have questions, please reach out to Kate Riley or Canon Scott Slater at kriley@episcopalmaryland.org or sslater@episcopalmaryland.org.  
   
   
  Kate Riley
  Missioner for Youth and Young Adults