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Leading Faith Formation for Children and Youth
Foundational skills and mindsets for nurturing meaningful, lasting faith.
About this Course
Leading Faith Formation for Children and Youth is designed to introduce you to the foundational mindsets, essential knowledge, and core skills you need for ministry with young people.
What You’ll Be Able to Do:
So many youth and family ministry leaders aren’t full-time professionals—we’re volunteers juggling this work alongside everything else, and we’re just doing our best! It’s easy to get overwhelmed, or to find yourself going through the motions without much thoughtful grounding in the theology and purpose of it all. So what is most important as we engage in the vital work of our young people’s faith formation? Where do we begin? What faithful, informed choices can we make to best guide the young disciples around us?
Leading Faith Formation for Children and Youth is designed to introduce you to the foundational mindsets, essential knowledge, and core skills you need for ministry with young people. We’ll explore practical strategies and theological grounding to help you guide young people with care, confidence, and creativity.
This training can be invaluable for new ministry leaders, group orientations, or anyone who just needs a refresher. If your church has an established program, engage in this learning to enrich the work you are already doing! And if you don’t already have a huge, structured program in place? If only a few children show up on Sunday mornings, and only some of the time? This course will be especially helpful for thoughtfully meeting the needs of the young disciples you do serve, while also laying a foundation and paving the way for something more organized down the road.
Whatever your context, this training helps your ministry teams get on the same page and move forward with clarity and shared purpose in shaping meaningful experiences that nurture faith. Join us as we step back, reflect, and develop a sustainable, theologically grounded approach to faith formation.
Modules
Welcome
Get oriented to the course, meet your instructor, download the interactive handbook, and more.
Where Do Kids Fit in Church?
In this module you will:
- Describe a theology of children and youth that understands them as the present, not just the future of the church.
- Consider several ways children and youth can participate authentically in worship.
- Design small experiments to deepen the experience of young people in worship.
The Gift of Youth
In this module you will:
- Develop an understanding of gifts children and youth bring to the church.
- Consider how to best steward the gifts of young people.
- Be prepared to implement best practices to assure safety of children and youth.
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
In this module you will:
- Learn how faith formation ministry helps young people live into their identities as children of God.
- Consider the delicate balance between engaging groups and meeting individual needs.
- Sketch beginning ideas for how to accommodate students with exceptional needs.
Considering Development
In this module you will:
- Develop a working understanding of the characteristics of developmental stages in children and youth.
- Create a personal definition of relational ministry.
- Assess current activities for their age-appropriateness and relational quality.
It Takes a Village
In this module you will:
- Develop an understanding of the unique characteristics of various generations.
- Learn about the benefits of intergenerational activities.
- Create an experimental intergenerational activity.
Families in Faith
In this module you will:
- Appreciate the importance of the family in the forming of faith in young people.
- Consider ways to encourage faith formation activity in the home.
- Develop strategies for working with the needs of parents.
Completing the Course
Find out your next steps as you complete the course. You'll also be encouraged to submit feedback about your course.
One-time purchase
$55
With Faith+Lead Membership
$0*
Get a free public display license to use for group study.
$0*
*by joining Faith+Lead Membership for just $19.95 per month
- Modules:
9 Modules
- Format:
Self-Paced, On-Demand
- Access:
Lifetime Access
Get to Know Your Instructors
Dawn Rundman
Dr. Dawn Rundman holds a doctorate in developmental psychology and is Director of Faith Formation Resource Development at 1517 Media. She is also the series editor for Mouth House books published by Augsburg Fortress and the program director for the Unbridled Presence grant awarded by the Lilly Endowment’s Nurturing Children Through Worship and Prayer Initiative. She lives in the Twin Cities with her family.
Wesley W. Ellis
Wesley W. Ellis, Ph.D. (University of Aberdeen) is the Pastor of First Congregational Church of Ramona (United Church of Christ) in San Diego, California. He is the co-author of Delighted: What Teenagers Are Teaching The Church About Joy with Kenda Creasy Dean, Abigail Visco Rusert, and Justin Forbes. He also edited Embodying Youth: Exploring Disability and Youth Ministry with Michael D. Langford. He lives in Ramona, California with his wife Amanda and their two children, Bonnie and Henry.
Stephanie Luedtke
Stephanie Luedtke is a minister, educator, and artist. She often combines the three, weaving education and arts through her ministry or ministry into arts education. Stephanie is a rostered Pastor in the ELCA with 25 years of experience in ministry of various sorts, and holds a Master’s Degree in Worship Arts. She enjoys helping people of all ages find meaningful ways to worship, learn, and to be in faithful community together. Through her work in schools, private settings, churches, and at the judicatory level, and independent work as a consultant, coach, and curriculum writer, Stephanie has always tried to follow her passions and assist others in doing the same.
Ready to Enroll?
Enroll in this on-demand course today or unlock free access to this and all Faith+Lead’s on-demand courses, plus more with a Faith+Lead Membership.
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One-time purchase
- Access to this on-demand course
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What to Expect with a Faith+Lead Academy Course
You’ll get a transformative learning experience that combines trustworthy theological teaching with spiritual practices, interactive elements, and a supportive online community.
Know
Expand your theological toolkit with fresh insights for today’s ministry landscape. Connect timeless wisdom with practical frameworks for navigating change.
Be
Do
Practice skills to lead confidently in your ministry context. Take actionable steps to invite your community into God’s unfolding story.
Every Academy course is designed to
Help your growth in one of these core areas:
Develop a Christ-centered identity, grounded in theology, scripture, and spiritual practice, that empowers community members to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in everyday life.
Tell the story of Jesus and invite neighbors into Jesus’ way of life and love through words and actions they can recognize.
Listen deeply, name God’s presence in the midst of everyday life, and form life-giving relationships across all dimensions of diversity—both within and beyond the church.
Through mutual relationships with the neighbors among whom you’re hosted, join in acts of compassion, justice, and reconciliation as a witness to the ministry of Jesus—especially in places of suffering and despair.
Harness skills of agile leadership, stewardship, fundraising, entrepreneurism, and management to be nimble enough to respond to a changing cultural landscape.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I expect when I take an Academy course?
Academy courses consist of 6-10 lessons or modules, each walking you through the “know, be, do” learning framework. You’ll learn some new information with instructor videos and other resources (know). You’ll engage in a spiritual practice that will help you develop your faith around the topic (be). Then, you’ll be asked to apply what you’ve learned through activities completed online or in the “real world” (do).
How long will it take me to complete a course?
Each module is designed to take 15-45 minutes. Some learners complete the course in as little as one day. Some do a module a day or even a module a week. We suggest allowing some time between modules to process what you are learning, but not so much time that you lose momentum.
What resources are available if I’m a group leader?
Each course includes a flexible leader’s guide with multiple pathways for group facilitation. You’ll find thought-provoking discussion questions and practical activities that connect faith with daily life, designed to work with whatever preparation time you have available. These resources equip you to foster meaningful discipleship experiences that meet your community where they are.
What do I need to know about the free private online social group?
The private online group allows you to connect with others. Because our courses don’t have a required start or stop date, you will encounter others in different places in the course and even in different courses altogether. This is by design. Feel free to interact as much or as little as you like.
What should I do if I have questions or problems with my registration?
Reach out via email to faithlead@luthersem.edu with your question and we’ll get back to you with a response within two business days.
What if I have a suggestion or request for a course topic?
The best way to connect with us is to complete this form with your suggestion. We always want to hear your feedback. You may also include it in the comments section of the course evaluation.
Don’t see your question addressed?
Email us at support@faithlead.org for more information. We’ll be delighted to connect!