Certificate of Youth and Family Ministry and Children’s and Family Ministry 2017 Faculty
We are very excited about our faculty this year. Randall Curtis and Vicki Garvey will be returning for their fourth year with the program and Meredith Scott, a former student, is returning for her 2nd year as a member of the faculty. This year Paula Barker will serve as our theology-focused faculty member, and Jamie Martin Currie, President of Forma and Missioner for Christian Formation for the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, will be leading our inaugural Children and Family Ministry Cohort.
Get more information and apply at: www.forma.church/certificate-in-youth-and-family-ministry/
Jamie Martin Currie
Jamie Martin Currie is the Missioner for Christian Formation and a member of the Mission Amplification Team in the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. She served as the lay minister for Christian education in three diverse Episcopal parishes for 17 years; St. Bartholomew’s, Manhattan, St. Martin’s, Houston and St. Andrew’s, Pearland before being called by the Diocese in 2011. Jamie oversees formation support for diocesan congregations and communities. She trains and deploys consultants to assess children’s and youth ministries in congregations, oversees diocesan youth ministry events and develops children, youth and family ministers. Jamie presents workshops at parishes throughout the Diocese and the larger Episcopal Church, hosts retreats and serves as a curriculum consultant. She is the president of Forma, the network for Christian Formation. An EFM graduate, Jamie has a master’s in education from Bank Street College of Education in New York where she lived for 21 years.
Paula Barker
A deep purpose of my life is to help others discern and live into God’s dreams for them. Mentoring is what I do. Whether I’ve been in the role of a parish priest, a seminary professor (for 27 years), a church school teacher, a youth group leader, a retreat facilitator, a spiritual director, or a mom; you would find me mentoring folks. I grew up in an outstanding youth ministry program, which served me in this way and propelled me into most of what I’ve treasured in life. That’s one reason why I’m passionate about mentoring, especially with young people. Another is that it brings joy.
My way of mentoring helps people develop their capacities for making meaning of their experiences in ways that are distinctively theirs while also being theologically coherent. That’s why I became a professional theologian and historian of Christian spirituality – to help people understand and communicate about what God is doing here and now.
Besides work, what do I like to do? Spend time with people I love, take in the beauty of nature nearby and on other sides of the world, and make music. Having just retired as rector of a church in Maryland, I’ve moved to a house around the corner from a daughter in Tucson as a base from which to enjoy these things. And I’m training for my first-ever triathlon!
Victoria Garvey
An educator for most of her life — a perspicacious 1st grade teacher had her coaching others when she was 6 — Victoria Garvey has a passion for learning and teaching, and unsurprisingly, for the Church. In her professional career she has taught at nearly every level from 2nd graders through graduate school, but she has spent most of that teaching time at one of our seminaries [Seabury-Western in Evanston, IL] where she taught biblical languages and biblical theology, her doctoral area. Most recently, those passions for learning/teaching/Church were fed in her position as Bishop’s Associate for Lifelong Christian Formation in the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago where she even got paid for doing what she loves. These days, she serves on two faculties for the wider church, consults with a couple of dioceses concerning congregational vitality and she continues to speak locally, nationally and occasionally, internationally, facilitates workshops, leads retreats and in her spare time, serves the wider church as board member and committee member of several churchwide commissions and here at home as four-time deputy to General Convention
Randall Curtis
Randall is the Evangelist and Ministry Developer for Young Adults and Youth and in the Episcopal Church in Arkansas. Randall’s focus with the Certificate program is program development, marketing your ministry, communication and peer discipleship with teenagers and young adults. He also coordinates the online platform as well as the acceptance process.
Randall has over 20 years experience in youth ministry working at churches in the Dioceses of West Missouri, North Carolina and Tennessee. Randall is a clergy spouse in North LIttle Rock, AR with his wife, daughter, 2 pugs and more tortoises than he tells his family has. He is also the holy geek at Theholygeek.com.
Meredith Scott
Meredith is Director of Youth Ministry, Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Greensboro, North Carolina. She specializes in building “Volunteer Hearts.” By leading youth through volunteer/leadership programs, she walks with them on their spiritual journey as they create a foundation that finds great joy and peace in serving others, living as Christ lived.
Leads annual pilgrimage for both youth and adults, Camino de Santiago, Spain & St. Cuthbert’s Way, Scotland, as well as annual mission trip,Glory Ridge, providing unique experiences to love the gift of the present and to strengthen spiritual formation.While serving others and making work worship.
Mother to son Jack (15) and daughter, Grace (13) and to multiple youth members in the EYC program, ranging in age from 10 to 18. Wife of the wonderful J. Scott, married 21 years. Caretaker for two precious Boston Terriers, Bruno and Daisy. Loves to travel, paint, read and spend time with family and friends. Owns MBScott Fine Art, painting in mixed mediums, specializing in angels. She is a life-long learner open to discovery and adventure through spiritual journey and conscious appreciation of God’s gift of life.