Faith Formation

Picture the Bible

First Congregational UCC in River Falls has developed a wonderful faith formation resource that they are now making available to others.  The Biblical Pictorial Timeline and related books are a creative, engaging way to foster bible literacy and interpretation, and encourage people to find their place in the unfolding drama of the Bible.  The timeline is applicable to a wide variety of congregational settings; connects worship, education, and mission; and provides a link between church and home.

The three books are relevant for different points in the faith formation journey. One book is designed to be given at baptism, one for First Communion preparation, and the third book tells the overarching biblical story. The Biblical Pictorial Timeline is a collection of 36 images depicting Bible stories. There are reproductions of the timeline available as well as the capability of using a CD of the images for worship projection and bulletin covers.

More information about these wonderful resources can be found on the Picture the Bible website, or download the flyer.  You can also contact Stacy Johnson Myers to learn more about how you might use this resource in your congregation.

Every congregation in the Conference has received a mailed package containing a 4-week Picture the Bible curriculum as a gift. Packets include:

• Four art reproductions of biblical stories (printed two-sided)
• Four age levels of resource pages for each of the four biblical texts – Jesus Blesses the Children, The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus Feeds 5,000 People and Let Justice Roll.
• A 4-page information and ideas guide to using Picture the Bible
• A “Holy Week Little Book” with four stories and activities (PDF here)

If you’d like more detailed info on how to use this curriculum, view this webinar given by Rev. Stacy Johnson Myers

Workshop Rotation Model

The Workshop Rotation Model (or WoRM) reorganizes traditional Sunday School classrooms into workshops, including Art, Drama, Games, Computer, Video, etc.  Grade groups rotate into a new workshop each week.  All the workshops teach the same Bible story for a 4 to 6 week “rotation.”  Teachers stay put in the workshop teaching the same lesson each week to a new group.
Workshop Rotation Model website

Worshiping with Children

Worshiping with Children is the blog of Carolyn C. Brown, an educator with over thirty-five years of experience.  She writes about welcoming children into congregational worship as full participants.  She says, “I invite you to join me in creating prayers, different ways of presenting scripture, children’s times, sermon illustrations and who knows what else.”

This lectionary-based blog offers specific help for specific Sundays.  It offers ideas about ways to read scripture in the sanctuary so that children understand it, scripts for prayers and liturgy that draw children as well as adults into worship, plans for folding worship education (for all ages) into the worship service, and essays about how children understand and participate in worship and sacraments.
Worshiping with Children website   

United Church Camps, Inc.

Daycholah Center, Cedar Valley and Moon Beach are ministry sites that provide sacred experiences of nature, community and faith associated with the United Church of Christ and the Wisconsin Conference of the UCC. They provide summer camp and year round retreat programming for people of all ages. Staff are also available to consult about a range of topics. UCCI website