Children’s Faith Formation — One Size Does Not Fit All

The woman on the phone had a simple question: “We have a specific way of running Sunday school for those aged three through high school during our worship service. This isn’t working out very well. What ideas do you have?”

She had called Faith Formation Ministries (FFM) for advice and suggestions. It’s the type of conversation that FFM coaches engage in every week with people from congregations across North America. And it is the type of conversation they welcome and relish.

The caller and the FFM staff person reflected together for a few minutes on what the church was currently doing, where there might be gaps in ministry programming, and what could be done differently. At the end of the conversation, the woman thanked FFM for their help and agreed to pass the ideas along to her congregation’s team.

The exchange took about 15 minutes and represents a significant part of FFM’s work.

“The CRC has entered a season of ‘Reformed congregationalism,’” said Syd Hielema, director of FFM, explaining how the ministry of FFM places an emphasis on understanding the needs of individual congregations and offering a variety of Reformed solutions to fit the local context.

A key part of our Reformed identity is the public commitment made at every baptism that we are an intergenerational community being formed together in Christ, Hielema explained.

This means that Reformed congregations place an emphasis on instructing people to grow in their faith and understanding of God’s character during all stages of life. Not every congregation will handle this responsibility in the same way, however.

“The beauty of Reformedness is that it can easily be adapted for hundreds of different congregational contexts,” said Hielema. “One size does not fit all!”

In the case of the woman’s phone call about Sunday school, FFM was able to offer a variety of ideas. They shared, for example, that they had recently spoken with a congregation that had begun a monthly family service during which Sunday school doesn’t happen and children stay in the sanctuary throughout the worship service.

They also shared about a congregation that occasionally asks parents to come to Sunday school to be coached in home faith formation practices. A third example was about a congregation that began a practice of mentoring and intentional leadership development to engage with teens.

After FFM offers ideas such as these, it is up to local congregations to decide how they want to proceed. If requested, FFM can also provide ongoing coaching through a children’s ministry and youth ministry catalyzer. There are also many toolkits that have been made available online for congregations that want to access help that way.

The FFM approach is built on flexibility and adaptability, and it is working. One size does not fit all, but FMM is available to advise and assist as congregations tackle our denomination’s shared responsibility of faith formation.