
This post was originally published on 7/12/2012
By Paul Cannon, MDIV CYF graduate of Luther Seminary
The LDS (Latter-Day Saints) church is often referred to as the quintessential American religion, and despite misgivings about the faith on the part of many mainline Protestant Christians (MP), the description is apt. Regardless of how you feel about the beliefs, structure and mission of the Latter-Day Saints, their success is quite undeniable. Though the LDS church is perhaps known …
By Ashlea Denton, MA CYF graduate from Luther Seminary
When asked to come up with an example of learning from children, nearly every adult can quickly give a response. Whether it be from their own child, a distant relation or a chance encounter, adults have been, often unconsciously, learning from children for generations. Matthew 18:2-5 is often quoted when speaking of the role of children in the church and illustrates the importance of children,
"I'm telling you, once and for all, …
The Story of Stuff
From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us to create a more sustainable and just world.
www.storyofstuff.org
Youth Energy …
By Keith Long, MDIV CYF graduate of Luther Seminary
Something is amiss in how we engage and educate young people in their lives of faith. It is disheartening to witness the disappearance of youth and families from the church. Decreased attendance leads to less risk-taking, which in my opinion, leads to apathy and boredom. As a result, I think we have lost a tremendous amount of passion in passing on the faith and what matters most in our lives as Jesus followers. Conviction and belief ought to be …
By Nora Romness, MA CYF graduate of Luther Seminary
If I said something was “uber l33t,” would you know what I meant? What if I said I partied in a pug and we got wiped by the boss because the tank couldn’t hold aggro and the healer oom’ed during the fight? Chances are that many youth today would read the previous two sentences without missing a beat, while most people over 25 may now wear a puzzled look. L33t? Wiped? Oom’ed? Aren’t …
Interview of Paul Cannon, CYF MDIV graduate
Interview of Karen Gieseke, CYF MA graduate and CYF Prize Winner 2012
Read Karen's full paper:
- See Karen's Blog Post Here
For more ways to expand your thinking about pushing forward Karen Gieseke's ideas about the vocation of parents as leaders in the faith of their children, be sure to order:
It is filled with both helpful content/reading and also applicable praxis.
Parents are the most important factor in the healthy development and faith formation of their children and adolescents.
The Fall 2011 issue …

Here’s the next installment in the FirstThird summer reading series. Our second CYF Prize winning thesis for 2012 was written by Karen Gieseke. Karen is currently serving as a Children Youth and Ministry Coordinator for the Southeast Minnesota Synod of the ELCA.
We’ve all been in conversations about the power of parents in faith formation, but Karen pushes us further by introducing us to idea of the Christian Parent-Leader as VOCATION in her CYF award-winning …