Is the scorecard really about how many kids we can get into a room?Or is it about ensuring an abundance of faithful adults encircle every kid?
Full Circle: Triple-A Training is an experience where adults participate in learning specific skills and ways to mentor a young person’s growing faith not resulting in a program, but instead in the care and nurture for every day life. Tom Schwolert and Lyle Griner created this wanting to change the emphasis from tracking attendance to equipping people with faithful, authentic, available, and affirming relationships lived and modeled in the midst of everyday life.
It is written in a four-session manual and offered as an experience for your congregation.
When you are ready to take the faith formation studies seriously!
life affirming, faith nurturing relationships in a young person’s life Full Circle: Triple-A by Tom Schwolert and Lyle Griner
If I seriously believed that… faith is formed by the power of the Holy Spirit through personal trusted relationships. Then I would… ensure that every kid was encircled by an abundance of faith-nurturing people. I would want... lots of Triple-A Adults, people who are affirming, available, and authentic. I would do this by… training and empowering adults with specific skills and practices for connecting faith with daily life. I would witness these adults… sharing a vibrant faith through caring conversations, devotions, rituals and traditions, and service. Adults would become intentional about… seeking out ways and times to support and nurture the faith formation of youth and families.
Creating congregations and communities whose DNA produces
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Congregations knit together by a common mission of caring for and nurturing the faith of every child.
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Youth grow up encircled by faith-nurturing adults, who mold and equip youth for Christian faith.
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Adults are intentional about building faith-forming, authentic, available, and affirming relationships with young people.
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Adults share faith through various faith practices.
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Adults are attentive to the big and small milestone times, using them to support and nurture the faith of youth and their families.
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Adults make a commitment and receive a blessing to share the faith journey of faith with young people.
Circled by Witnesse: Participants recognize their own crucial role in shaping the lives of young people through a unique experience of story telling and gift discovery.
Spirit Bearers: Participants learn the power of listening from the heart.
Faith Affirmers: Participants empower young people’s faith through recognizing and naming their gifts.
Marking Milestones: Participants identify and discover the spiritual importance of honoring life’s joys and sorrows.
As described by Vibrant Faith Ministries
Authentic Christians trust in Christ, hold values, and the behaviors that are consistent. They are not perfect people, but are people who fully turn to and trust that God forgives them and gives them a new day, every day to live their faith.
Available Christians make it a priority to be with younger generations. They don’t bring an agenda. Rather, they listen to the young, support them and pray for and with them. They give of themselves through the gift of their time.
Affirming Christians see the abilities and gifts God has given to young people. They point out to young people various ways they can use what God has given them to serve others.
The beauty of this training is that it is not another program. It results in people empowered with the sills and intention to help nurture the faith of young people.
This material could very well be one of the initial tipping points for a church’s ministry. If you are tired of the theorizing and want something you can take and implement right away, this could be the resource for you. – Matt Cleaver
· Full Circle for parents and the adults who encircle their children: Often, this is a room filled with each group seated at its own round table. 5-hours for group. $1,000 plus expenses Add a 2-hour facilitator training for $200. Includes one follow-up Webinar session.
· Full Circle for your group at your location: Consider training your mentors, congregational leadership and/or Sunday School teachers. 5-hours for group. $1,000 plus expenses Add 2-hour facilitator training for $200. Includes one follow-up Webinar session. · Full Circle for Facilitators: Multiple congregations’ facilitators come together to learn the skills, experiences and ways to offer Triple-A: Full Circle at their own congregation. $1,200 plus expenses for the day. Includes one follow-up Webinar session. . · Full Circle Customized for your setting: Call to tailor a training!
