Welcome to the Formation Leaders Updates page, your central hub for staying connected with the latest activities, resources, and events in the realm of spiritual education and leadership. Here, you’ll find regular updates on upcoming meet-ups, innovative teaching resources, enriching workshops, and collaborative opportunities that will not only enhance your leadership skills but also deepen your impact in guiding others on their spiritual paths.
Whether you’re looking for the latest trends in faith-based education or seeking to network with like-minded leaders, this space is your gateway to a wealth of knowledge and community connections, all aimed at supporting your vital role in spiritual formation.
FORMATION UPDATE
September 17, 2024
Resources I’m Into Right Now
Dear Colleagues,
If you have never explored the professional development page of the Leaders’ Corner, you should check it out. As I find articles, podcasts, and books that will enhance our ministries, I place them there. I thought it might be fun if I highlighted a few recent finds here too.
YOUTH MINISTRY – And Also with You Podcast – What does teen ministry teach us about Jesus?
It is very rare for me to listen to a youth ministry podcast and think, “YES!” this podcast had three of those moments. Give it a listen for a rich conversation about supporting faith formation in teens, navigating their busy schedules, supporting sabbath, and embracing authenticity.
CHILDREN’S PICTURE BOOK – Popi’s All Souls Song written by C.K. Malone illustrated by Shelly Swann
I preordered this book and it arrived today. This is a beautiful book to add to your library. It will not only deepen a conversation about All Souls, but I think it would also be a beautiful gift for anyone who is grieving. I am still thinking about the ending and wondering what simple things we do each day touch the hearts of those we know.
ARTICLES ON NEURODIVERGENCE, NEURODIVERSITY, AND MENTAL HEALTH
Allison Bird Treacy is a Godly Play Trainer, poet, church programming consultant, blogger, and the Children’s Programming Consultant at Christ Church in Needham, MA. She is a passionate advocate for access and inclusion. Bird authored all three of the articles below. You can read more of her writing on her blog Wiggles & Wonder. As we consider what it means for everyone to not only be welcome, but also included at church, the articles below are an excellent place to start.
Neurodiversity in the Classroom: Creating a more inclusive Sunday School
Back to School with Bird, Pt. 1 – This week’s lesson: A Primer on Neurodiversity & Neurodivergence
Back to School with Bird, Pt. 2 – Healing Narratives and the Journey Toward Inclusion
Back to School with Bird, Pt. 3 – And then Back to our Regularly Scheduled Programming
Please let me know if you would like to talk about any of these offerings, or if there are other resources you could use in your ministry. I am a willing partner and support in all you do!
Blessings,
Charlette
September 4, 2024
Hello Everyone,
It was wonderful to see so many of you on Zoom last week. I am excited about all of wonderful things that are happening at your congregations! Please let me know if there is any way I can support you. I am always available to teach, preach, and worship with your congregations.
If you were unable to join us on Zoom, please send me an email so that we can schedule a time to talk. I think it would be helpful to review the grace-based pricing for participants, and the structure for chaperones. I would love to cover the structure that is in place for this coming year and answer any questions you might have. I hope to connect soon!
And now the perhaps most exciting piece of this update — registration is open for this year’s Formation Leaders Retreat at Camp Stevens! This year’s program is a wonderful balance between items that will support your ministry (professional development) and items that will support you (spiritual retreat). I cannot wait to share this time with you.
All of the details for the program, and the registration can be found through this link: Formation Leaders Retreat 2025
Please register as soon as possible for this year’s program. There are only 18 spots available and I know they will go quickly.
Thank you, again, for all you do to partner with the people in your congregations on their journey of discipleship.
Blessings,
Charlette
August 23, 2024
Broom Ball – Program Calendar – Formation Retreat (date change)
Hello Everyone!
Below are details on three important items. Before we get to those updates, I want to lead with an invitation to meet me on Zoom! On Wednesday, August 28th I will hold a Zoom meeting at 10 AM and at 6 PM. Please come and hear about this program year, the ‘gracenomics’ pricing structure we implemented last year, and chaperone guidelines. I would also appreciate your collaboration as we work on this year’s confirmation program. We will keep this meeting under an hour. I hope you will choose the time that works best for you, and meet me on Zoom for this important conversation!
ZOOM LINK August 28th @ 10 AM ZOOM LINK August 28th @ 6 PM
Broom Ball – September 20th – 11:45 PM – 1 AM
Youth in grades 6-12 are invited to share an evening of fun and laughter with young people from around the diocese. Registration is through the youth minister in your congregation. Please rsvp to them as soon as possible to secure your spot. Space is limited and is first come, first serve!
What: Broomball! (Think ice hockey with sneakers instead of skates and brooms instead of sticks.)
Where: UTC Ice Rink
When: September 20th @ 11:45 p.m.- September 21st @1:00 a.m.
Who: Youth in grades 6-12
Chaperones: Each congregation must send one chaperone for every ten youth participants. That chaperone is responsible for ensuring that the youth arrive and depart from the event safely and for supervising youth at the event.
Cost: $10 per person
Registration: Every participant (chaperones and youth) must complete the UTC waiver prior to 5PM on September 20th. It is a digital waiver and can be completed through this link: UTC ICE WAIVER
Students will then complete a waiver for you. Please print the form below, insert your congregation’s name, and have your families complete it for each participant. EDSD WAIVER
The last step is for you to complete an estimate of attendance in this form. I will use this form to generate invoices after the event. CONGREGATION REGISTRATION
Payment: Participants can give their $10 directly to your congregation. I will issue an invoice by congregation after the event.
Please register with your youth leader for the event. A diocesan waiver and a waiver for the UTC ice rink is required for all participants. The diocesan waiver is attached to this email.
The event can hold 80 total participants on the ice. Registration will be first come, first served so please get back to me with your counts as soon as you know. I am excited to play together! Please let me know if you have questions.
Check out the dates for this year’s Children, Youth, and Family Programs and mark your calendars. We can discuss them at the meetings on the 28th!
Formation Retreat
This yearly opportunity for professional development and sabbath will be held this year from October 24-26 at Camp Stevens. We shifted the days to be Thursday – Saturday so that it wouldn’t interfere with Sunday programming at your congregation. Registration and details will be available next week!
I am excited to see you all on Zoom next week!
Blessings,
Charlette
May 22, 2024
Connection – Learning – Sabbath
I have been thinking of you all in these last few weeks of Spring. The way you have poured your hearts, minds, spirits, and energy into so many magnificent things. You inspire me! And I imagine you are exhausted. My prayer for you this Summer is that I hope you have time for connection, learning, and Sabbath. You have provided for so many. I hope this Summer there is time for YOU! The offerings below are designed to enrich your lives. I invite you to choose the ones that are best for you!
Connection
Formation Leaders Gathering – June 13, 2024 – 9AM-1PM – St. James by the Sea, La Jolla – You are invited to join me and other formation leaders from around the diocese from around the diocese for a day of reflection and planning. I will bring a planning tool that you can use for next year as well as several curriculums that might be helpful for Fall. Please rsvp through the link below and bring a “bowl of goodness” to share for a potluck lunch. What is a “bowl of goodness”? Well, that is up to you! Something delicious- from popcorn, to salad, to ice cream, the possibilities are endless. I hope to see you there!
Formation Leaders Gathering RSVP
Learning
Godly Play Core Training – July 12-14 – St. Bartholomew’s, Poway – This annual training is an opportunity not only to explore or enrich your Godly Play ministry, but is also helpful for anyone who wishes a deeply connective professional development experience. As part of our commitment to providing our diocese with exceptional professional development opportunities, we underwrite the cost of this training. Core Training is normally $355 per participants. Members of EDSD are able to register for a discounted rate of $75 per person. Registration is open now through July 5, 2024 or when we reach capacity.
Godly Play Core Training Registration
Lay Catechist License – The Fourth Tuesday of the month August – February – Zoom – By definition, a Catechist is a lay person authorized to prepare persons for Baptism, Confirmation, Reception, and the Reaffirmation of Baptismal Vows. It is so much more than that though. This course aims to provide a deep and broad course of study that will find the through-line of Faith Formation offerings. Participants will explore formation across ages, vet and adapt curriculum, and complete a project they can use in their congregation. At the end of the training, participants will be eligible for a Lay Catechist License.
Lay Catechist Training Details and Registration
Sabbath
This Summer, more than anything, I hope you find time for Sabbath. The opportunity to breathe deeply and rest well creates space for dreams! Below is a prayer for rest from Black Liturgies by Cole Arthur Riley. It has blessed me. I hope it blesses you.
God of levity, Grant us a rest that permeates our waking hours. Mark our days with the recreation and playfulness of our youth. Restore to us the energy for mischief and creativity and competition that we’ve lost as we’ve gotten older. Put people in our lives who inspire us in our play. Game nights, karaoke, gardening, film–we want more than the binary of work and sleep. We want delight in the in-between, those moments of interior rest that can happen while we’re awake. Show us what forms of entertainment and what hobbies lead us into peace. And protect us from the lie that if we are awake, we should be working. Remind us that a light heart is not a heart that lacks depth. That our play does not negate our grief. Let us rest in the way we need today. Amen
Please let me know if I can support you in any way. I hope to see you on June 13th at St. James!
Blessings,
Charlette
May 13, 2024
April 22, 2024
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TWO STEPS: application from the student and a nomination from the congregation are both required to be considered for council
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YOUTH VOTE AT CONVENTION: this year’s council will also have the opportunity to be part of the first youth voting block at convention!
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MAXIMUM OF TWO PER CONGREGATION: If more students in your congregation want to apply for council, please make sure to connect with me for a discernment conversation. A maximum of two students per congregation will be accepted.
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Step one: student application for youth leadership council by June 10, 2023. STUDENT APPLICATION LINK
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Step two: Clergy or youth leader nominations due by June 14, 2024. NOMINATION LINK
Please contact Charlette Preslar, cpreslar@edsd.org with any questions.
Blessings,
Charlette
March 28, 2024
Hello Everyone,
Prayers are ascending for you all today as we enter the Holy Triduum. Quiet reflection isn’t often something permitted those of us who serve in congregations. I hope you are able to find time for your own spiritual journey as you support those you serve. Below are a few details that will be helpful to you in the week’s ahead.
Sacred Trails – Registration is well underway for this event, with participants from all over our diocese. There are two ways you can engage with this at a congregational level.
- Individual Participation – Share the details and registration link with your parish and invite them to register. If you choose this option, no further steps are required of you! *Of special note is that children and youth may not register for this event unless they are going with their families or as part of your youth group. See the details for this option below.
- Group Registration – Send out waivers to your youth group and bring a group to the event! If you do this, please modify this waiver to have your congregation name and the hike you are attending. Have families complete the waivers and turn them into you. Then you register the group through the registration link below.
SACRED TRAILS DETAILS AND REGISTRATION
ORDER SACRED TRAILS T-SHIRTS
Free Resource for April 7 – Perhaps you have planned for the week after Easter, but if you haven’t, Illustrated Ministry has released a wonderful free resource for that day. I particularly like the youth adaptation of it. The intergenerational component seems worthwhile as well. You can access it through the link below.
Illustrated Ministry Mini Revoluntions
Professional Development – There are still a few spots left for LARK and Knowing Yourself workshops. Please register soon. Both of these count as professional development and would assist you in supporting your ministry and your congregation. Details below!
Blessings,
Charlette
March 15, 2024
Hello Everyone,
This update includes 3 important things, two of which are for you!
Knowing Yourself: Ministry from a place of self-awareness is now open for registration. This exceptionally powerful tool will enhance your ministry through greater understanding of how we enter into relationships.
April 13th – 9 AM – 12 PM @ All Saints Hillcrest
There are only 30 spots, and 10 are already filled! REGISTER HERE
LARK – Localized Anti-racism Knowledge is an exceptional anti-racism training that was born in our diocese. Come and explore the danger of a single story, with stories gleaned from the areas where we live. This training is more than conversation, but pushes participants to consider what they will DO with what they have learned. I attended the last training and it was exceptional. May 3 & 4 at St. Matthew’s National City. REGISTER HERE
Sacred Trails – The Creation Care Play Day has had a shift in name… it is now Sacred Trails! This event is intergenerational and is taking place all over our diocese! Follow this link for more information and to register. If you would like to bring your youth group, I will send out group registration details the week of the 25th. SACRED TRAILS DETAILS AND REGISTRATION
I am headed out now to pick up the vans for Nightwatch. Please pray for the 32 students, and 8 chaperones who are going on pilgrimage to the desert this weekend! I will be on vacation next week, but will look forward to connecting with you when I return.
As always, I am exceptionally grateful for each of you and your ministries!
Blessings,
Charlette
March 1, 2024
Both forms must be completed in order to complete chaperone teams.
Congregation Leadership (clergy/wardens) Interested Chaperones
Charlette
February 23, 2024
I just posted the first registration update for Nightwatch. It is a slow start with four for now. Please check through the list and see who is listed, and who isn’t listed that you expected to be! You can access the lists under the registration tab of this page. Remember that updated lists are posted on Fridays!
Also, please have your congregations and any chaperones/drivers complete the forms below. I can’t start ordering vans until I know who is going! I will be renting minivans, so please don’t worry if you thought it was going to be large vans. I know the trip over the mountain can be daunting, and so I went with smaller vans.
Congregation Leadership (clergy/wardens) Interested Chaperones
One other reminder, next week is rollout for Shout for Joy! – this Summer’s EDSD Vacation Bible School curriculum. Please register for one of the rollout session through this link.
Shout for Joy Rollout Sessions
With continues gratitude for each of you!
Charlette
February 14, 2024
On this Valentine’s Day Ash Wednesday, I am writing to you with a grateful heart for the work you will do preparing people to experience a Holy Lent. Your creativity and thoughtfulness will create room for people to prepare their hearts for the journey to the cross. It is sacred work, and it is challenging! I am praying for you this Lent and always. <3
I also have two important event registrations to highlight for you. I will send an email with downloadable images for your advertising needs.
Shout for Joy – Vacation Bible School 2024
This year’s program is a journey through the Psalms. Participants will write their own psalm, create art inspired by them, and sing songs that reverberate through their bodies and your campus! If you would like to utilize this year’s curriculum, please register for one of the rollouts. You can find details on it through the hyperlink at the start of this paragraph. To read more about this year’s program, as well as a reflection from a few of last year’s participating congregations, please read the article on the diocesan website.
Nightwatch Pilgrimage to the Desert
The annual EDSD Lent youth retreat is going on a pilgrimage this year! Vans will load in various areas of San Diego on Saturday morning to begin the pilgrimage. The trip will include a sustainability program at St. Margaret’s, Palm Desert, walking the Cross Trail, and culminate in an overnight at St. John’s, Indio. We will explore the last piece of Micah 6:8, considering how we are called to Walk Humbly with God. This beloved program provides space for young people to connect with youth from around the diocese and share the joy of worshiping and playing together. The event is $50 per participant, open to grades 6-12, and includes transportation, games, food, small group work, worship, laughter, love, friendship, and more!
Chaperones/Drivers are needed for this event. Chaperones/Drivers are requested when you are sending 3 or more participants. Please let me know if you would like to set up a time to talk about how diocesan collaborative projects are structured. Utilize the two forms below based on the role at your congregation. Both forms must be completed in order to complete chaperone teams.
Congregation Leadership (clergy/wardens) Interested Chaperones
Please email me with questions.
Blessings,
Charlette
January 9, 2024
Registration is open for this year’s diocesan hybrid confirmation program, We Believe! This program allows participants to take the next step in their faith journey with friends from all over the diocese. The majority of the program is online, building connections across distances and helping to navigate difficult teen schedules. The success of this program requires only a a small amount from all of us. Here is how you can engage with the program:
- Share the story from last year.
- Print flyers to hand out at youth group.
- Register to co-lead a session. The Zoom links and lesson plans from last year are available as jumping off points.
- Find mentors for the young people in your congregation.
- Ask questions, engage, encourage, partner in the journey with your students!
Blessings,
Charlette
January 4, 2024
Hello Everyone,
Welcome to the first Leaders Corner Update! This page will hold periodic updates from me including resources that I come across that may be helpful for you in your ministry. I hope you will take a few minutes today to poke through the pages here in the password protected area, as well as those on the main formation page. They are not complete, YET, but I wanted to give you access to what is here.
Please take special note of the registration tab as it contains a list of all of the registrations for the program year, the date they open, and the date they will close. I will also work to have a current registration list to each registration. I hope to update that weekly.
I know that email gets cumbersome to navigate. I am hopeful that having a primary location to look for information will be helpful to your ministry. I am grateful for each of you and your ministries. Please let me know how I can support you!
I came across this fun (and free) resource from Illustrated Ministry that is designed for youth group, but could easily be adapted for upper grade elementary use. Enjoy!
Blessings,
Charlette
