Synodical Faith Formation Committee NEW - Christian Reformed Church

http://www.crcna.org/pages/ffc_profession.cfm

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The Faith Formation Committee was appointed by the Board of Trustees in 2007 to engage the denomination in conversation about current practices of baptism, the Lord’s Supper (especially as it relates to children), and profession of faith—with an eye toward deepening every member’s faith journey and life of discipleship.


Synod 2011’s decision to open the Lord’s Table to children places lots of responsibility on elders! How can we equip ourselves to help guide this big step?	As a pastor, I’m looking for resources, liturgical and educational, that will help our congregation consider this new direction for our children.	We do all we can to nurture our children’s faith, but we sure could use some helpful resources as we respond to their desire to participate in the sacrament!
Read Affirming Baptism and Forming Faith. This helpful document is aimed at deepening our understanding of baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and Profession of Faith. Check out the study guide to Affirming Baptism and Forming Faith: A Study Guide for Small Groups (link). Use questions from this study (especially part 4 which deals with communion) as a discussion starter for council conversation around the issue of children’s participation. Read Children at the Lord's Table: Toward a Guiding Principle for Biblically Faithful Celebrations of the Lord's Supper. Use the study guide A Practice of Christian Unity to talk together about the significance of the sacrament of communion and how it relates to including children. Spend some council time discussing Faith Formation: A Model for Healthy Congregational Culture and using the accompanying checklist (Faith Formation: A Checklist for Congregations) to assess the culture of your congregation and its faith formation practices.	Read Affirming Baptism and Forming Faith and recommend it to your congregation. This helpful document is aimed at deepening our understanding of baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and Profession of Faith. Check out the study guide to Affirming Baptism and Forming Faith: A Study Guide for Small Groups. Invite interested members to form study groups to dig into the document and discuss its implications for your church. Read Children at the Lord's Table: Toward a Guiding Principle for Biblically Faithful Celebrations of the Lord's Supper. Use the study guide A Practice of Christian Unity to talk together about the significance of the sacrament of communion and how it relates to including children. Check out the Sermon/Worship Series suggestions. Spend some council time discussing Faith Formation: A Model for Healthy Congregational Culture and using the accompanying checklist (Faith Formation: A Checklist for Congregations) to assess the culture of your congregation and its faith formation practices.	To better understand Synod’s decision to include children in the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, read Children at the Lord's Table: Toward a Guiding Principle for Biblically Faithful Celebrations of the Lord's Supper or its helpful summary. Organize a small group to study and discuss the meaning of the sacrament, using the study guide A Practice of Christian Unity. Check out the Faith Alive Nurture blog www.NurtureKidsFaith.org for new ways to engage your children in faith conversations. Give yourself the gift of Home Grown: Handbook for Christian Parents (available from Faith Alive Resources). It’s a resource that will encourage and help you nurture your children’s faith and prepare them to participate in the sacrament of communion. Note: Get a group of fellow parents together and use the Home Grown study guide to support each other as you discuss your challenges as Christian parents.