First Third Conversations

See this video of Mike King discussing the power of immersion learning at our First Third Dialogue: Why Can't My Church Be More Like Camp?

By Dr. Nancy Going, Director of the CYF Distributed Learning Program at Luther Seminary

I love change. Most people don't, but I do. Get this, I even love to move. The actual physical process of moving itself. I know, pretty crazy, right? Of course, I get overwhelmed at some point too, but I love the pure change of picking up myself and my stuff and bringing it to a new place and new circumstances.

And yet, I also hear so many of my ministry friends deeply struggling with change. Whether we like …

By Dr. Nancy Going, Director of the CYF Distributed Learning Program at Luther Seminary

I just had dinner with friends last week.  I hadn't seen them in a couple of years. Most importantly, I hadn't seen their son who happens to be developmentally disabled.  And when I had seen him last, I had never spent a lot of time with him.  It was just a very occasional dinner at their house over the course of a couple of years.  There is so much that limits this wonderful son, much that …

By Neil Christians

  In view of the upcoming conference at Luther Seminary on November 26-27 entitled “Why Can’t Church be More Like Camp” , I thought that I’d write a pre-event blog and pose a few questions for us as a community to think about.

Philliber Research Associates and the American Camp Association did a study. That looked into the impact of camp on children and youth. This is the largest research study of camper outcomes every done in the United States …

By Dr. Nancy Going, Director of the CYF Distributed Learning Program at Luther Seminary

Crowds have been a part of Youth Ministry culture since Youth Ministry began. The Christian Endeavor Movement found itself with 50,000 attending its 1895 meeting.  Denominations started their own fellowships in response, and many still hold large events that are a fixture in the youth ministry calendars of their churches.  With large events come celebrities, people who excite the crowd. Large churches …

Have you seen the topic of our upcoming First Third Dialogue ?

We wanted to start this conversation because we think there is a lot that churches can learn about faith formation from camps.  We asked Mike King of YouthFront in Kansas City and Paul Hill of current president of Lutheran Outdoor Ministries and Executive Director of Vibrant Faith Ministries to be our presenters and tee off the conversion.  

Here's a little teaser from Paul….. 

Why Can’t Church Be More Like …

By Julie Hagen

This past Sunday we celebrated the 3 ^rd grade Bible milestone. Children processed into worship and stood in front of the whole congregation before receiving their New Adventure Bible! I was honored to read the names of each child as Bibles were handed to their parents. Remembering the Promises made at Baptism, parents placed Bibles in their child’s hand.  We encouraged them to read their Bibles and learn the stories of God’s people. We prayed that the Word of God would …

By Dr. Terri Martinson Elton, Director of the Center for First Third Ministry at Luther Seminary

I don’t know about you, but music often speaks to my soul. Music has a way of drawing me deeper into my own human experience, while also moving me out of myself connecting me to the world and the greater human community. Theologian, colleague and friend, Christian Scharen, understands what I’m talking about, this connection between music and the human experience. In the current issue of Immerse …

By Dr. Terri Martinson Elton, Director of the Center for First Third Ministry at Luther Seminary

  My niece is a lively, energetic preschooler. She is curious and asks lots of questions. And she has opinions, and isn’t afraid of sharing them. I love my time with her, as I introduce her to new things and she invites me to enjoy life’s ordinary moments.

Last Thursday night in class we wrestled with the question… what is the call of childhood? And what does faith formation entail? …