We know about creating Safe Church Guidelines for Church Space in the real world.  (If you don't know, look for a Workshop on Safe Church coming to the Vermont Conference in January 2010)  But what about the Virtual World?  The Connecticut Conference of the UCC has created a new resource as a guide to church leaders seeking to communicate safely in these new media.  How to maintain transparency, protect confidentiality and behave appropriately with one another are areas of concern.
 
Click here to find "Internet Safety Guidelines".

A free on-line guide for book clubs, Bible studies, and anyone else who wants to read the Bible like a grown-up.  Discussion questions focus on how the biblical stories help us talk about our lives.

Julia M. O'Brien, Professor of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Lancaster Theological Seminary
 
http://juliamobrien.net

• How are the learners engaged with the congregation as their extended family of faith? 

• How do we, as a congregation, help the children and youth fully participate in the whole life of the church (including its leadership) as they are able? 

• How are we equipping our children and youth with the language, practices, traditions, rituals, music to participate in the worshipping life of the church community? 

• How are our children and youth experiencing the Christian Scriptures and how are we providing opportunities for them to imagine and realize that the stories of the bible are intertwined with their personal stories?

• How is the learning environment reflective that this is a "special place" a place where we gather to praise and worship God? 

Click here to read the whole article.

 

Sybil McShane, Communications and Resource Coordinator, mcshanes@vtcucc.org