BuildingFaith

09/02/2026

"As participants arrive, they encounter a table covered in sealed paper bags and instructions to take one. Each bag contains a costume of sorts, a prop or two, and a highlighted copy of the script. Participants are instructed to carefully open their bags, remove the script, and look it over so they’re ready for their theatrical debuts. The most important instruction of all is this: Don’t tell anyone whom you’re playing!"

Lifelong Learning at Virginia Theological Seminary

Paper Bag Pageant: An Intergenerational Retelling of the Christmas Story Angelic four-year-olds in their oversized white t-shirts and tinsel halos. An errant two-year-old sheep who tries to abscond with baby Jesus. The solemn and oh-so-grown-up Virgin Mary played by a newly-minted ten-year-old. Pare...

09/01/2026

Today is the beginning of the Season of Creation. If you are looking for resources to celebrate this season in your community, check out the link in the comment section to the Season of Creation website.

Lifelong Learning at Virginia Theological Seminary

08/31/2026

"In your great mercy you call us to care for your creation,
to uphold one another, and to pray for your world.
Hear our prayers for the healing of the earth.
Hear our prayers for clean water so that all may drink.
Hear our prayer for the right use of resources so there may be a future for all.
Hear our prayer for careful tending of the land and the seas so all may be in balance.
Hear our prayer for people and places damaged by war so that all may know peace."

An excerpt adapted from The Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church (USA), “Prayer for Care of Creation,” The Presbytery of the Highlands of New Jersey website

Lifelong Learning at Virginia Theological Seminary

A collection of 11 prayers and 5 psalms to use during the Season of Creation, on Earth Day and Rogation Days, and throughout the year in caring for creation.

08/28/2026

"If you’ve ever searched for Bible study resources and felt completely overwhelmed, you’re not imagining the mountain of materials available, and you’re not alone. The sheer number of resources and tools geared toward Bible study today can make it difficult to know where to begin and how to determine what will be most useful and beneficial for deepening Bible study in your context. That is why we at Building Faith have curated a list of resources and tools that can be helpful for Bible study groups and leaders."

Lifelong Learning at Virginia Theological Seminary

This article provides a curated list of Bibles, commentaries, digital tools, biblical manuscripts, and resources for meditation and worship to help Christian communities dive deeper into Bible study.

08/27/2026

"Start by reading the text aloud twice, reminding the participants to pay attention to women’s experiences in and of the text. Then just keep going, keep probing. Ask hard questions. Ask your own questions. The text cannot be 'broken' and God already knows our pain."

Lifelong Learning at Virginia Theological Seminary

Finding a Feminist Bible Study “Remember, there are no right or wrong answers but only right questions.” ~Elisabeth Schüssler FiorenzaWhen broke in the fall of 2017, I was a campus missioner, ministering primarily with women and non-binary people. They had stories to tell, as did I, as d...

08/26/2026

"Helping parishioners, especially families, stay connected during summer has been a particular challenge in my role as Family Ministry Coordinator. The summer season can scatter families and pull them away from the rhythms and relationships that help keep their faith grounded. With the varying schedules that families have during summer, I have found that simple and flexible formation opportunities are more manageable for families in my congregation."

Lifelong Learning at Virginia Theological Seminary

3 Ideas to Help Families and Communities Foster Meaningful Connections in Summer In an age of increasing individualism, connection is more important than ever. Our faith reminds us that we were created for relationship with God and with one another. Community is not simply an added benefit of life;....

08/25/2026

"We can also listen for where the Bible’s various authors talk back among themselves. As a compilation of texts recorded by different people in different contexts, scripture often contains multiple perspectives on the same topic. When the lectionary provides a passage with potentially harmful implications for any given group, liturgists and preachers may choose to place it in conversation with a passage where God’s good news for that group shines through."

Lifelong Learning at Virginia Theological Seminary
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Cultivating Belonging in Worship for Trans, Disabled, and Other Marginalized Persons In the 1970s, feminists launched a linguistic revolution that eventually reshaped church language. Rejecting grammarians’ androcentric decree that generically masculine nouns could be used to convey multigender gr...

08/24/2026

"People are hungry for ways to develop and practice faith in their daily lives. This is not new, but through the practice of creating faith-at-home bags, we are better meeting people where they are and inviting them into deeper relationship with God."

Lifelong Learning at Virginia Theological Seminary

Fall Faith-at-Home Bags For the last two and a half years my congregation has been putting together seasonal “faith-at-home” bags to support and equip members of all ages in their faith development. Adapting Seasonal Practices Before the pandemic, one of our practices was to set out tables with ...

08/21/2026

"As the start of a new formation program year draws near for many Christian communities, we at Building Faith want to offer some prayers for all of you who are involved in leading, assisting, and championing formation ministries. Whether you are excited and ready to kick things off, stressed and scrambling to take care of last-minute details, frustrated about something that is already going awry, or tired and in need of a minute of respite, we want to lift up you and your ministries as you participate with God in this meaningful labor of love."

Lifelong Learning at Virginia Theological Seminary

This article provides 5 prayers that can be used to pray for Christian formation leaders and their ministries.

08/20/2026

"First and foremost, you are here to live freely into the Grace of God and fully manifest the love of God in your own life. Prioritizing acts of self-care regularly and consistently will improve your life, work, and ministry."

Lifelong Learning at Virginia Theological Seminary

Starting a New Ministry Position: Five Things I Wish I Had Known First and foremost, you are here to live freely into the Grace of God and fully manifest the love of God in your own life. Prioritizing acts of self-care regularly and consistently will improve your life, work, and ministry. Tend to Yo...