This is an article written by Jack Busche, who served this past semester as an intern with us at Zion in Stratford's School-to-Work program. We asked Jack to write a response to a blog series by John Roberto, a leading expert in Faith Formation, called "A New Faith Forming Ecosystem". Thank you Jack for sharing your wisdom and insight with us!
As Lutherans, we place an emphasis on the faith education of our youth, from Sunday School right up to their confirmation, and rightly so; having a strong foundation of faith is essential for ensuring that young adults continue to grow in their relationship with Christ. However, where Lutherans often drop the ball is at that point, after confirmation; because it is such a milestone, many of us treat it as a graduation, after which we have “completed” our faith education. We’re done now, right? We know enough to get by in worship, and we can relax until it’s time for our own children to go to Sunday School and go through the same steps towards confirmation. Unfortunately, or rather fortunately, God has a greater plan for us than that; he doesn’t want us to just put in our time or to graduate from the church. He wants us to continue to grow in our faith, even after we affirm our baptism, as our confirmands did this May. As Paul said in his letter to the Jews, explaining how they needed to grow in their understanding, 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. (Hebrews 5:13-14). In this light, adulthood in the church does not mean allowing ourselves to become lax and content with just consuming soft spiritual food; as Paul said, we need to be able to take on the spiritual steak and be able to digest it, actively engaging with real-world problems as a mature faith community, strengthened by God’s word.
In John Roberto’s new blog series, “A New Faith Forming Ecosystem”, he compares daily Christian life and faith formation to an ecosystem, with many interconnected and interacting parts each affecting each other. When a faith formation ecosystem is working, the entire congregation depends on one another, growing in faith as they consistently learn, celebrate, pray, serve, and support each other. To do this, Roberto says, we must become “intentionally intergenerational”; that is, we must set a goal, as a congregation, to integrate and involve all age groups in the faith formation of youth and adults. In doing this, we will “foster intergenerational relationships, faith sharing, and storytelling,” strengthening our community of believers even as we grow in our faith.
Roberto provides many ideas as to how a congregation’s faith ecosystem can be improved, from improving a church’s digital presence to encouraging family faith formation at home; however, the common thread that runs through all of his ideas is the importance of continued faith growth for all Christians, no matter their age. By continuing to grow in the understanding of our faith throughout a lifetime, beyond confirmation, we can encourage and mentor young Christians as well as mature to reach a deeper relationship with Christ.
Eating solid food is a difficult thing for an infant; it takes months of work to slowly introduce new foods, but once they are able to take on those new foods, their diet is expanded, ensuring their future health. We must do the same; if we are to stay spiritually healthy, we must grow in our faith, deepening our own understanding as we encourage others who have just begun their spiritual journey. As Roberto says, being intergenerational is more than simply having every age group represented; it means having every member present, in every sense of the word. By doing this, we can become more than graduates of the church “system”; we can become life-long learners and teachers, building up our congregational community as it simultaneously builds us.
Blessings,
Jack Busche
In John Roberto’s new blog series, “A New Faith Forming Ecosystem”, he compares daily Christian life and faith formation to an ecosystem, with many interconnected and interacting parts each affecting each other. When a faith formation ecosystem is working, the entire congregation depends on one another, growing in faith as they consistently learn, celebrate, pray, serve, and support each other. To do this, Roberto says, we must become “intentionally intergenerational”; that is, we must set a goal, as a congregation, to integrate and involve all age groups in the faith formation of youth and adults. In doing this, we will “foster intergenerational relationships, faith sharing, and storytelling,” strengthening our community of believers even as we grow in our faith.
Roberto provides many ideas as to how a congregation’s faith ecosystem can be improved, from improving a church’s digital presence to encouraging family faith formation at home; however, the common thread that runs through all of his ideas is the importance of continued faith growth for all Christians, no matter their age. By continuing to grow in the understanding of our faith throughout a lifetime, beyond confirmation, we can encourage and mentor young Christians as well as mature to reach a deeper relationship with Christ.
Eating solid food is a difficult thing for an infant; it takes months of work to slowly introduce new foods, but once they are able to take on those new foods, their diet is expanded, ensuring their future health. We must do the same; if we are to stay spiritually healthy, we must grow in our faith, deepening our own understanding as we encourage others who have just begun their spiritual journey. As Roberto says, being intergenerational is more than simply having every age group represented; it means having every member present, in every sense of the word. By doing this, we can become more than graduates of the church “system”; we can become life-long learners and teachers, building up our congregational community as it simultaneously builds us.
Blessings,
Jack Busche