FAITH FORMATION
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We have a vibrant, extremely active Faith Formation program for all members of our Spirit filled congregation! From birth to high school graduation, our young people are supported by a dedicated team of volunteers committed to helping them build confidence, make new friends, and grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. Another aspect of our Faith Formation ministries is increasing our sense of mission and allowing folks in our rapidly growing congregation to better get to know each other. All year round at 9:00am on Sundays there's a faith formation experience to be had at Messiah for all ages, and at a bunch of other times throughout the week as well!
Our cradle roll assists families of infants and toddlers by providing various age-appropriate Christian education resources for use in the home through a program called Frolic. As soon as kids begin pre-school they can join our Children's Sunday School program during program year, where kids sing songs, play fun games and continue learning the stories and values of the Christian faith using a lectionary based curriculum called Whirl. Once our youth reach middle school, they begin a more in-depth program of preparation for the public affirmation of their baptism, traditionally referred to as "confirmation." In addition to participating in the Breakfast Club during our faith formation hour on Sundays, our confirmation students gather every Sunday night with Pastor Dustin (who spent many years working with youth as a summer camp counselor) for fun, relevant discussions about how their faith intersects with the realities of twenty-first century life using an innovative new curriculum called colaborate. Our confirmation students frequently participate in awesome trips and community service opportunities as well. High school students play an essential role in the life of our congregation. In addition to assisting in worship, serving as Sunday School leaders and playing key roles on many of our various committees, our high school youth are currently planning to attend the 2018 ELCA National Youth Gathering in Houston, Texas and are leading the development of Schenectady Youth Rise Up. Young adults (folks roughly age 18 - 30) have the opportunity to learn leadership skills and discern what God is calling them to do in life through the Messiah Builds Leaders internship program. Participants develop a learning covenant regarding goals they'd like to work on throughout paid and unpaid internships at Messiah and then regularly meet with Pastor Dustin to evaluate and reflect upon their learning. They also share about their experiences on the Messiah Builds Leaders blog. Adult education is so important at Messiah, as we deeply believe faith formation should take place throughout our life. Classes generally meet on Sunday mornings at 9:00am during the program year and our led by Dr. Merle Longwood, Professor of Religion Emeritus of Siena College. Additionally adult faith formation opportunities include a monthly weekday book club during the program year, a summer film series and forums on various relevant topics throughout the year! Intergenerational learning is also super important at Messiah so this summer we're launching a fun, outside, camp-style Sunday morning faith formation experience for folks of all ages called #FaithAlive! Come learn, grow and play with us as we think about how we can connect the teachings of Jesus to contemporary life, every summer Sunday at 9:00am! Click the links below to learn more about each component of our Faith Formation Program! |
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