An Artist’s Palette of Christian Formation
Our diocese used to offer a one day workshop for Christian formation leaders and teachers called the The Christian Educators Toolbox. We promoted it as offering the nuts and bolts of Christian formation. Through the years as I’ve been involved in children’s ministry I’ve learned a lot from others through NAECED and now Forma. Through the list serve I became familiar with various curricula that others were using, different books, songs, prayers etc. In working with different parishes and formation leaders and learning about all the different programs and curricula that are out there I have decided that a tool box is not really an accurate analogy. A tool box may hold a hammer, a screwdriver and some nuts and bolts. But the hammer may be the wrong size, the screwdriver may not be the right type and the nuts and the holes they are to fill may not match. So I started to think that we really need to think of what we are doing as an artist’s palette. The kind with several indentions for many different colors of paint and places along the palette where the colors can be mixed with each other. Thus creating different and new colors that help depict the vision for the finished product or artist’s masterpiece. This also fell in line with what I learned from Sharon Pearson years ago when asked about the best or right curricula. I remember her always saying- “when choosing curriculum it’s important to know the mission statement of your congregation. Then ask, does the curriculum’s foundation statement correspond to your church’s mission statement and how can the curriculum help your congregation live out its mission?” So when you take all of this into consideration what may be the best curriculum or work great in one place may not be the best fit at another. And that’s ok! It’s ok to take pieces and parts from all that is out there (like all the colors of paint) and mix them together to create a masterpiece or work of art that works for you. There is no need for one size hammer or type of screwdriver because not all places (or holes) are going to be the same and require a certain nut and bolt to work. Thinking there is just one way of doing formation- one methodology or curricula and thinking that it is the one and only correct way is like saying to an artist that they can only paint with one color and one size brush no matter what their vision or mission for the end product. When we think about it- we are all are basically striving for the same masterpiece- Followers of Jesus- . So the what and how may not be as important as the process of creating the masterpiece – that true work of art- that included mixing, sharing, shaping, molding, experimenting and experiencing, using lots of colors , and in the end creates a love of Christ and a yearning for more. An artist’s dream- a canvas complete! Kathy Graham is the coordinator of lifelong christian formation or the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama .