Happy 2021! The year 2020 certainly brought its share of a roller coaster ride, lots of ups and downs, a few of those hills that make your stomach feel likes it's floating, some twists and turns, maybe a dark tunnel or two, perhaps some screaming, and lots and lots of waiting in line (or at home). And while 2020 was certainly not what many of us expected when the calendar turned last January, there have been lots of opportunities for growth and learning - some wanted, some necessary. I would love to turn the calendar to 2021 and forget about or at least leave 2020 behind. It's a new year! Let's start fresh! And yet, there are things we have and can learn from 2020 that we must not forget.

We have learned about the importance of relationship, Zoom/screen fatigue, driveway discipleship, empowering and supporting parents, how much a simple postcard in the mail can be to a child, flexibility, hybrid ministry, and that even our best laid plans don't always (or usually) work out exactly as we planned them. The church has the opportunity to learn and take away a lot of lessons from the pandemic - some of them are easy to swallow and others are harder. There are also a lot of questions that are still unknown, like, will people return to church once they feel comfortable doing so? Or have routines and rhythms been so disrupted that we (the church) will continue to need to shift? How will the different way of relating to one another play out post-pandemic? How will we continue to find balance between in-person and digital faith formation?

If you are asking these (and other) questions, or if you would like to be in conversation with other faith formation leaders, you are invited to participate in the many opportunities offered by the Michigan Conference and beyond in 2021.

Find the latest resources and helpful tips at the Children's Ministry Toolbox.

New resources for Lent 2021 will be coming in soon (Mid to Late January).

As always, feel free to contact your Children's Initiatives Coordinator, Rev. Kathy Pittenger, at any time.