With colleagues
24/01/24 22:01
Yesterday was a very full day for me. Highlights included worshipping with over 500 in person and more than 100 online. That many Christian Educators means a LOT of energy, great singing, new songs, fresh liturgies, meaningful prayers, and a truly dynamic preacher. I was sitting with colleagues, all of whom I have known for many years - some for many decades. The keynote presenter was a truly gifted storyteller who told some impressive stories of healing in this often broken world. Hope abounded. I got mixed up on the room assignments for regional dinners in the evening and wandered into the room for Canadians where I was so warmly welcomed and I so thoroughly enjoyed meeting the people that I stayed without regrets at missing the Northwest Regional gathering.
A little background: The Association of Presbyterian Educators (APCE) was formed many decades ago. I think in the 1950s or 1960s. At the time there was a need for support for those who were called to the educational ministries of the church. The group functioned partly as a professional guild, with certification programs for church educators, continuing education, and resource sharing. With time and careful investments of a growing endowment, the group grew to embrace a tradition of annual national gatherings. Later they began to partner with other denominational educators’ groups and became the Association of Partners in Education.
Our parallel group, The Association of United Church Educators (AUCE) was formed on a slightly different model. In the United Church of Christ, our group assumed the roles of resource curation, professional support, and continuing education, while certification of educators was lodged in the National Setting of the Church. Compared to APCE, AUCE has been a much smaller organization about 1/5 the size of our Presbyterian colleagues.
When I was certified as a specialist in Christian Education, I was urged to join the Association of Untied Church Educators. The Association of United Church Educators. AUCE is based on a grass roots model with Conference and Regional groups which offered gatherings. In our old model there were regional gatherings every other year and a national gathering in the other years. In our best years, AUCE membership was mostly under 200 educators. and national gatherings usually attracted less than 100 participants. Because I served in two of the regions of the United Church of Christ with few churches and large distances, AUCE never had a strong regional presence where I lived. However, I became active in the national setting of the organization when they hired their first digital missioner to develop their web site and beginning social media presence. I was hired for that function and served in that capacity for several years.
A couple of years ago, I was invited to re-join the board as the regional representative for the Western Region and partly out of love for the profession and the organization and partly out of the desire to make connections with other educators, I eagerly accepted the invitation. I have enjoyed that connection.
AUCE is not an official member of APCE, but we have nurtured strong relationships over the years. This year, after three years of the AUCE board meeting over Zoom, we decided to have a face-to-face meeting of the board and to piggyback our board meetings with the APCE national event. Since I was coming for the AUCE board, I registered for the entire APCE event. AUCE members were offered the membership discount for registration at the event.
After more than four decades of involvement in youth ministry, educational ministries, and faith formation, I have a lot of colleagues and friends. Many are in the United Church of Christ, but many are members of other denominations. We share a lot of resources interdenominationally. As a curriculum writer, I was involved in preparing both denominational resources and resources designed intentionally for many different denominations. One of the largest projects in which I was involved was produced by the United Church of Canada, so I developed many collegial relationships with Canadian educators as well.
When I wandered into the Canadian regional meeting this evening, I immediately found many things we shared in common, some shared historical moments and places, and colleagues who were familiar to me and to the Canadian educators. Despite being a first time attendee at the APCE event, there is definitely a reunion aspect to the meeting so far. Yesterday, I was walking down the corridor and heard my name called out. I turned to discover a colleague whom I haven’t seen in the last 20 years and who I did not expect to see at an APCE gathering. What a joy it was to start to catch up. Soon we realized that we have too many stories to share and so planned to get together for a longer discussion during a break in the schedule today. I’m really looking forward to reconnecting, hearing about his family, about the congregations he has been serving, and his career as a pastor and educator.
Being retired has not dimmed my enthusiasm for quality teaching, quality resources, and strong advocates for children and youth in the church. Being in a large convention center filled with church educators is a delightful experience and reminds me of how much I enjoyed getting together with colleagues earlier in my ministry. The addition of wonderfully planned and executed worship, excellent music, and spirited keynote presentations made the experience even better.
Today is a day of workshops. Were I an active pastor, I could actually get a whole year’s worth of continuing education from this single event. I am signed up for workshops as varied as Infants in Worship, Digital Storytelling, Walking Empowered Through Grief, Caring for Creation Together, and Films for Teaching and Engaging in Social Justice. Between the workshops, I will be delighted to continue networking with colleagues and reuniting with old friends. I’m sure that there will be more surprises among the people who are present for the meetings. I will no doubt be exhausted by the end of the day.
I’m sure that being retired, my experiences won’t be as easily shared with the folks back at home as was the case when they gathered in worship and heard me talk about what I had been doing. Still, I am grateful for this opportunity and energized by the presence of so many dedicated to a cause that is so deep within me.
I am blessed!
A little background: The Association of Presbyterian Educators (APCE) was formed many decades ago. I think in the 1950s or 1960s. At the time there was a need for support for those who were called to the educational ministries of the church. The group functioned partly as a professional guild, with certification programs for church educators, continuing education, and resource sharing. With time and careful investments of a growing endowment, the group grew to embrace a tradition of annual national gatherings. Later they began to partner with other denominational educators’ groups and became the Association of Partners in Education.
Our parallel group, The Association of United Church Educators (AUCE) was formed on a slightly different model. In the United Church of Christ, our group assumed the roles of resource curation, professional support, and continuing education, while certification of educators was lodged in the National Setting of the Church. Compared to APCE, AUCE has been a much smaller organization about 1/5 the size of our Presbyterian colleagues.
When I was certified as a specialist in Christian Education, I was urged to join the Association of Untied Church Educators. The Association of United Church Educators. AUCE is based on a grass roots model with Conference and Regional groups which offered gatherings. In our old model there were regional gatherings every other year and a national gathering in the other years. In our best years, AUCE membership was mostly under 200 educators. and national gatherings usually attracted less than 100 participants. Because I served in two of the regions of the United Church of Christ with few churches and large distances, AUCE never had a strong regional presence where I lived. However, I became active in the national setting of the organization when they hired their first digital missioner to develop their web site and beginning social media presence. I was hired for that function and served in that capacity for several years.
A couple of years ago, I was invited to re-join the board as the regional representative for the Western Region and partly out of love for the profession and the organization and partly out of the desire to make connections with other educators, I eagerly accepted the invitation. I have enjoyed that connection.
AUCE is not an official member of APCE, but we have nurtured strong relationships over the years. This year, after three years of the AUCE board meeting over Zoom, we decided to have a face-to-face meeting of the board and to piggyback our board meetings with the APCE national event. Since I was coming for the AUCE board, I registered for the entire APCE event. AUCE members were offered the membership discount for registration at the event.
After more than four decades of involvement in youth ministry, educational ministries, and faith formation, I have a lot of colleagues and friends. Many are in the United Church of Christ, but many are members of other denominations. We share a lot of resources interdenominationally. As a curriculum writer, I was involved in preparing both denominational resources and resources designed intentionally for many different denominations. One of the largest projects in which I was involved was produced by the United Church of Canada, so I developed many collegial relationships with Canadian educators as well.
When I wandered into the Canadian regional meeting this evening, I immediately found many things we shared in common, some shared historical moments and places, and colleagues who were familiar to me and to the Canadian educators. Despite being a first time attendee at the APCE event, there is definitely a reunion aspect to the meeting so far. Yesterday, I was walking down the corridor and heard my name called out. I turned to discover a colleague whom I haven’t seen in the last 20 years and who I did not expect to see at an APCE gathering. What a joy it was to start to catch up. Soon we realized that we have too many stories to share and so planned to get together for a longer discussion during a break in the schedule today. I’m really looking forward to reconnecting, hearing about his family, about the congregations he has been serving, and his career as a pastor and educator.
Being retired has not dimmed my enthusiasm for quality teaching, quality resources, and strong advocates for children and youth in the church. Being in a large convention center filled with church educators is a delightful experience and reminds me of how much I enjoyed getting together with colleagues earlier in my ministry. The addition of wonderfully planned and executed worship, excellent music, and spirited keynote presentations made the experience even better.
Today is a day of workshops. Were I an active pastor, I could actually get a whole year’s worth of continuing education from this single event. I am signed up for workshops as varied as Infants in Worship, Digital Storytelling, Walking Empowered Through Grief, Caring for Creation Together, and Films for Teaching and Engaging in Social Justice. Between the workshops, I will be delighted to continue networking with colleagues and reuniting with old friends. I’m sure that there will be more surprises among the people who are present for the meetings. I will no doubt be exhausted by the end of the day.
I’m sure that being retired, my experiences won’t be as easily shared with the folks back at home as was the case when they gathered in worship and heard me talk about what I had been doing. Still, I am grateful for this opportunity and energized by the presence of so many dedicated to a cause that is so deep within me.
I am blessed!
