Cohorts
These annual cohorts (congregations) are for both professional and lay ministry leaders, church volunteers, and parents. Together, these congregations will meet regularly for peer-learning, collaboration, inspiration, sharing, networking, curriculum creation, pooling of resources, and mentoring. These meetings will be led and facilitated by our program director. The larger cohort will also have opportunities to create and experience embodied worship and prayer activities together that will address the need for inspiration and new creative ways to integrate children into intergenerational worship settings.
Peer Learning Cohort Meetings
NCFTA will establish an annual cohort (congregations) for both professional and lay ministry leaders, church volunteers, and parents. Together, these congregations will meet regularly for peer-learning, collaboration, inspiration, sharing, networking, curriculum creation, pooling of resources, and mentoring. These meetings will be led and facilitated by our program director. The larger cohort will also have opportunities to create and experience embodied worship and prayer activities together that will address the need for inspiration and new creative ways to integrate children into intergenerational worship settings.
Virtual Cohort Support
Once congregations are accepted into the cohort and grant initiatives they will receive individualized bi-monthly support. These will be to share thoughts, experiences, ask questions, and seek guidance in the process of the grant cycle.
Mini-grants
With assessment tools provided by NCFTA, congregational teams will evaluate their current practices for integrating children into corporate worship settings and nurturing children’s faith through artistic or embodied expression of worship and prayer. This evaluation will be used to launch discussion and inspire vision-casting about innovative ways to engage children in congregations in these ways. Up to $6000 is available for each church/congregation, for purposes of supporting intergenerational worship and faith formation in children through the arts. Congregations will also be asked to report their outcomes of the projectthrough data collected via survey tools and qualitative feedback tools.
Assessment and Evaluations
NCFTA will provide assessments, surveys, and feedback tools for congregations and cohorts to evaluate their current strategies for children to be involved and integrated into their corporate worship services. These evaluations will be shared with peer-learning groups, and the program director will facilitate dialogue around these assessments. These dialogues will be designed to empower ministry leaders and congregations to think creatively about innovative ways to reengage children in their corporate worship settings.
Creating with the Creator
“God desired to create the universe to demonstrate his excellence. The creation shows his great wisdom and power, and ultimately it shows all of his other attributes as well.”
—Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology
