Links ...

For Congregational Child, Youth & Family Ministry

Vibrant Faith Ministries (formerly the Youth and Family Institute) seeks to help congregations and families pass on the Christian faith to children and young people. They have a range of wonderful programs, training opportunities and resources to assist families and congregations in forming faith. VFM is based in the Twin Cities, Minnesota.

Bethany Family Institute is a Catholic-based organisation established to support marriage and family life ministry in the UK, Ireland and elsewhere.

Center for Ministry Development  has developed many very helpful resources for child, youth and family ministry, including YouthWorks, Family Works, Celebrate Family and Generations of Faith. Founded by John Roberto and based in the Catholic faith tradition, the Center operates out of Naugatuck, Connecticut.

Child and Family Institute exists to “nurture, nourish and honor the family and each of its members.” The Institute is grounded in the Episcopalian faith tradition and operates out of Menlo Park, California.

EveryDay-Everywhere is a Christian, ecumenical ministry coalition of leaders who have expertise and passion for training and equipping children youth and families to live ministry everyday, every where and in every relationship. Peer Ministry Leadership, the cornerstone of Everyday-Everywhere, has a long rich history for giving young people caring and welcoming skills for personal and group ministry. The director is Lyle Griner, formerly of Vibrant Faith Ministries.

Faith Inkubators develops and supports innovative resources to assist congregations and families in forming faith. Founded by Lutheran pastor Rich Melheim, their vision is to restore parents as “the primary faith teachers, mentors and role models for their own children with church as reinforcement - not replacement - of the parent’s duties”. Faith Inkubators offerings include the “Head to the Heart” confirmation resources, the "BibleSong" childrens ministry curriculum, the “Faith Stepping Stones” family ministry resources, and the “Generations in Faith Together” cross-generational learning resources (formerly known as Total Family Sunday School).  The Faith Inkubators materials are available in Australia through this site.

Faithkeepers - founded by Lutheran Rebecca Guengerich, Faithkeepers' mission is to “help sponsors, families, and children understand and celebrate God's gifts to us, through baptism and other special events in our lives.” Check out the great products advertised in the “Gifts” section of the site.

Family Crossfires Intergenerational Ministries - established by Lutheran pastor Rick Buhrke and his wife Rhonda, Family Crossfires develops resources for cross-generational congregational ministry, including materials for cross-generational Sunday school lessons, vacation bible schools and retreats

Heritage Builders exists to “help, educate, train and equip families to become intentional about passing on a Godly heritage to their children.” Based in Clovis, California, Heritage Builders is associated with the Focus on the Family organisation.

HomeGrownFaith is a site set up by Linda Staats, Assistant to the Bishop for Youth and Household Ministry, Rocky Mountain Synod of the ELCA.  It is "a place to exchange fresh ideas and support sustainable, nurturing of faith in the home."

Lifelong Faith Associates is committed to helping congregations develop lifelong faith formation for all ages and generations, increasing the capacity of leaders and communities to nurture faith growth for all ages and generations.  They produce an excellent quarterly journal called Lifelong Faith that is a "must get" for all faith formation practitioners!

Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod Family Ministries - this site offers a range of resources to assist congregations with child, youth and family ministry.

Ministry with Children is a weblog kept by the Ministry with Children Team at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota.  It is worth checking regularly for links to interesting resources and helps for ministry to and with children.

The National Association of Family Ministries (USA) exists to “network, resource & equip people involved in family ministries.”

United Methodist Church General Board of Discipleship – Family Ministries site offers a range of helpful articles and resource ideas for famlies and congregational family ministry.

Uniting Church SA - Resource Centre for Children's and Family Ministry provides Australian resources for child and family ministry.  The RCCFM is based at Parafield Gardens Uniting Church in Adelaide, South Australia.

Uniting Church Victoria-Tasmania site has a "Children & Families Resources" page on their site with many helpful resources for congregations and CYFM leaders.

Visionary Parenting is a ministry that "exists to inspire parents and grandparents to impress the hearts of their children with a love for God, and equips churches to develop dynamic and biblical family ministries." 


For Children's Ministry

Children at Worship is an organisation advocating, supporting and resourcing the full inclusion of children and youth in our worshipping communities. Related resources and ideas are available for members.

Godly Play is an approach to the Christian formation of children which “honors the child's natural sense of the sacred and seeks to provide a richly structured environment in which the religious potential of a child may freely develop.” Developed by Episcopal priest, Jerome Berryman, Godly Play is a wonderful approach which serves to prepare children to join in the worship and life of their congregations by developing in them a deeper understanding of stories, symbols and rites of faith.

Ministry-to-Children is a website with great free resources to help those who minister to children

Workshop Rotation Sunday School is a new approach to Sunday School that takes into account the variety of ways in which children learn and grow. This site offers free lesson ideas and resources.

For Forming Faith in the Home

The following sites offer ideas and resources to help families live out and pass on faith in the home.

Domestic Church

Faith at Home

Families with Purpose

HomeWord

101 Faith Place

Real World Parents

For Marriage and Parenting Support

The following sites offer resources and ideas in support of marriage and parenting.

Confident Parenting Today

Focus on the Family

Family Life

Parent Further

Parenting Ideas

Parenting Today's Teens

Think We, Not Me

Other Links

St. John's Lutheran Church, Bundaberg is the largest congregation within the Parish I am currently serving.  It is a member congregation of the Lutheran Church of Australia.