Home Grown Faith

05/25/2026

Greetings to friends of “HomeGrown Faith.” As is obvious at first glance, this page/group has not been kept up-to-date. Due to my spouse suffering a traumatic brain injury in 2023, my current focus is being his “care partner.” I hope to once again invest some energy into this Facebook platform sometime soon.

03/04/2025

08/13/2024

Bulletins with Sidebars – An Instructed Eucharist Every Week! Long time Episcopalians have commented on how much they appreciate the information contained in those sidebars, and visitors remark on the clarity and helpfulness of the information. The Challenge of Teaching Liturgy I love our liturgy....

10/11/2023

Still wondering how to celebrate Reformation Sunday? Here are ideas for an intergenerational approach. Pick and choose what gifts your context.

Songs of Faith – An All-Age, Cross†Generational Reformation Celebration Worship leaders and Christian education coordinators - be courageous! Combine the ideas offered below and create something new. If education hour is the same time as worship, suspend Sunday school so all ages may gather in w...

05/23/2023

The INTERGENERATE CONFERENCE is now a mere three weeks away — June 13-15 in Nashville TN. 150 senior pastors, professors, children’s ministers, graduate & doctoral students, small group ministers, curriculum writers, youth ministers, Christian education directors, and leaders representing a diversity of denominations, states, provinces, and countries are registered — ARE YOU?

This diverse committed group of people will gather to tackle both the “why” and “how” questions of intergenerational ministry Besides the main session keynotes there are a total of 30 workshops and papers shared during the conference.

There is still time to register!

Did you know? The InterGenerate conferences in 2017 and 2019 both resulted in books based on the content presented during workshops and papers.

05/22/2023

The caption of this group and my professional identity with HomeGrown Faith is related to my rural, farming roots in Iowa. This article gives attention to a much overlooked issue and very real need.

What happens when pastors are challenged to “think like farmers”?

04/14/2023

If you are someone preparing for Good Shepherd Sunday, the 4th Sunday in Easter, April 30 ... may my reflection offer you some ideas, especially on how to meaningfully engage the children and bring the text alive. God's Story, my story ... your story :)

John 10:1-10 Story of The Good Shepherd. God’s Story – my story! I grew up on a farm in Iowa. We were unique farmers; we raised chickens and sheep, not the expected cows and pigs. The sheep

09/29/2022

Wonderful choices for Advent Calendars ...

Check out these Advent calendars for 2022. Some are free and others are reasonably priced. Some include scripture, others activities.

09/29/2022

This is an excellent and creative cross+genearatioal interaction for Advent. Easily done in person or virtually gatherings on Zoom or similar platforms.

Writing is a way of paying close attention to our lives. Finding just the right words to describe our thoughts, emotions, and experiences can be an act of holy gratitude and a way of opening ourselves to God’s ongoing work within us. When we write alongside others and share some of the words we’...

08/19/2022

A Devotional Booklet is created and published every year by the Evangelical Lutheran Education Association (ELEA) to coincide with the new school year that begins in August. The devotions are written by pastors, bishops, teachers, helpers, ELEA Board members and people who are advocates for our ELCA Lutheran Schools. One devotion per week that follows the Revised Common Lectionary. This could be used by church staffs, parents of school-going kids, teachers in public or private schools. Please share and use.