Episcopal Teacher
Research-based wisdom for teaching the faith today
Building on the Legacy of the CMT in a Changing World
Life is flux The only thing that is constant is change. Heraclitus of Ephesus, 535 BC The grass withers, the flower fades, but the
Profile: Anthony Guilln
Bridge is a word that perhaps best describes the work of Anthony Guilln, missioner for Latino/Hispanic Ministries and Director of Ethnic Ministries for the Episcopal
Profile: Jerome Berryman
Jerome Berryman has been connected with the Center for the Ministry of Teaching (CMT) since its early years, as the development of the Episcopal Childrens
Profile: Verna Dozier
Verna J. Dozier, a teacher and Bible scholar who lived from 1917 to 2024, was a gifted lay person who was tapped by Virginia Theological
Profile: John H. Westerhoff
In the mid 1970s John Westerhoff, theologian and educator, began a campaign in the church to move from a schooling model of Christian education to
CMT Ushered Christian Formation into a New Era
When the Center for the Ministry of Teaching (CMT) opened at Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS) in 2024, the heyday of the American Sunday school had
Get Episcopal Teacher
right to your inbox.
Episcopal Teacher
relies on your support
Creating an Agenda for the Future of Faith Formation
We are on the doorstep of a new decade. So many of the trends and challenges we experience today were just emerging as this decade
Why Religious Educators Must Be Media Literate and why thats good news for the Good News
A few weeks before writing this article I saw a tweet from British comedian, actress, and writer Bethany Black. Its the kind of sentiment bound
Moving from Educating Members to Forming Disciples
The Episcopal Church is rooted in a history of preparing individuals for proclaiming the Gospel locally and internationally since it was established in 1789. The
Popular Articles
How to Select the Right VBS Curriculum
Whether you create your own curriculum or purchase a new or perineal program, it is important to match it to your congregations interests, the gifts
Mentors Key to Successful Youth Confirmation Program
I just hope that it will help me start to build a personal relationship with Jesus and God because its just a really hard thing
Lifelong, Lifewide Christian Formation: Embracing a Faith that Celebrates Life
I am often asked about my Ph.D. What is it in? My first answer is always, education, and from there the conversation meanders, depending on
Christian Summer Camp Has Lasting Impacts
More than 2 million young people attend Christian camps in the United States every summer. Data from the National Study of Youth and Religion indicate
Reflection on Episcopal Schools: Parts I and II
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy
Parish Moves into Lifewide Formation
Recently over pizza and crisp white wine, four members of the Christian Formation Steering Team from my parish (Epiphany in Winchester, MA) met to dream
Faith Formation with Midlife Adults
For ministry to connect with midlife adults, church leaders must be conversant in the values and convictions of Generation X. Approaches described here, however, will
Faith Formation with Older Adults
When asked, Who is your target audience? most church leaders will say young people, Millennials, young families, or the unchurched. Yet who are sitting in
Faith Formation with Young Adults
As a dedicated faith formation resource person with a specialization in digital media, I have observed that young adult ministers are asking very different questions
Confirmation Makes Disciples of the Included
Week after week I arrive at some Episcopal church and there they are seated in a semi-circle. Frequently, younger and older confirmands plus baptismal candidates
Congregational Involvement Is Key to Successful Confirmation Program
Too often churches only look at confirmation as part of their youth programs, siloed and necessary, but less significant than other ministries. Relegated to six
How We Got Here from There: A Historical Perspective on Confirmation
Confirmation did not exist in the Early Church, but we can trace its beginnings to Christian baptism in the first centuries of the Church. Baptism
Bible Study Can Be a Wild Ride -and- Hacking Curriculum for Bible Study
Bible Study Can Be a Wild Ride In the last few years, reading the Bible has become trendy again. Popular and well-packaged curricula, like Covenant
What is Curriculum?
What is Curriculum? To run the course Latin Curriculum for the Church Fashion Me a People by Maria Harris has helped us understand that the
Using Worship to Teach Faith and Share Traditions
The church we often attended the year we lived in South Africa, St. Michael and St. George Cathedral in Grahamstown, taught us a great deal
Focusing Formation Outward into the World
I dream of a church that understands its mission to be sending out agents of transformation into the world so that each person understands themselves
How Dioceses Can Help Churches Make Disciples
As a diocesan Christian educator, I have seen all kinds of programs, the latest gurus sharing their books, and new mission strategies designed to move
Theological Education Creates Intentional Communities of Transformation
The late Marianne Micks, a professor at Virginia Theological Seminary, who published widely on baptism, writes, Most of us are looking for a God who
Lifelong, Lifewide Christian Formation: Embracing a Faith that Celebrates Life
I am often asked about my Ph.D. What is it in? My first answer is always, education, and from there the conversation meanders, depending on
Mind, Brain, and Soul: Neuroscience for Christian Formation
My journey as a Christian educator began at age 16 when I signed up to teach third grade Sunday School at the parish in which
Trusting Instincts to Address Different Learning Styles
When I was 8 years old my parents took me to a large medical facility where I spent two days undergoing testing for a learning
Building a Staff for VBS
VBS staffing is a chicken and egg question. Do you begin by building a team of volunteers, which will determine the number of children you
Should We Offer VBS at Our Church?
If you are reading this publication, its because you are already hosting Vacation Bible School or are thinking about offering it next summer. There are
VBS Needs Teens, and Teens Need VBS
At many churches, teens and tweens are invited to help with Vacation Bible School to create wonderful multi-age programs that foster a sense of ownership