Many of our churches do not have a ‘specialist’ in children’s education but serve small towns where a full life span is present in relationships across generations. This course will engage participants in developing ministry to all ages. With pastoral and lay leaders in mind, background will be provided in theology, developmental growth, spiritual practices and pastoral care. Practical application will support a congregation’s intergenerational spiritual life. Learning Objectives By the end of the course, participants will be able to incorporate spiritual care into their ministry of forming faith across the lifespan. For those serving as pastoral leaders or pursuing authorized ministry in the UCC, this course will develop project ideas to demonstrate “The Marks of Faithful and Effective Authorized Ministers in the UCC” in the areas of Exhibiting a Spiritual Foundation and Ongoing Spiritual Practices; Engaging Sacred Stories and Traditions; Working Together for Justice and Mercy; and Strengthening Inter and Intra-personal Assets.

About the Instructor

Rev. Debbie Gline Allen was nurtured in the New Hampshire Conference United Church of Christ. She served five congregations in the UCC before serving as Director of Faith Formation for the Southern New England Conference UCC, where she directed the Faith Formation Certification Program, wrote extensively about ministry with children and families, and was an early adaptor of “Praygrounds” at Conference events. Debbie recently left the Southern New England Conference UCC to serve as Pastor of Madbury (NH) United Church of Christ.