Virginia Episcopalian Magazine Spring 2012 Issue | Page 31

SECOND CLASS OF VOCATIONAL DEACONS ORDAINED

Photo: Austin Bartenstein

The Rt. Rev. Shannon S. Johnston ordained (from left to right) the Rev. Deacon Donald Holmes Cady,
the Rev. Deacon Christine Joyce Garcia and the Rev. Deacon Frederico Eloy Garza Jr. to the vocational
diaconate at St. Paul’s, Ivy in February.

DOV Q&A

Diocesan staff provide answers to frequently asked questions about life in the Diocese.
PARIS BALL
Q: How do I pick a Christian Formation education program for
my church?
A: Choosing a curriculum can be much bigger than just deciding
which package you like best: it is a chance to prayerfully enter
into conversation with the leadership of your parish to discern
how your programs fit in with where God is leading your church.
Church Publishing Incorporated helps outline a process of
evaluating current programs and planning for the future.
“Selecting a Curriculum That is Right For Your Church” is
a first step, followed by the document that helps evaluate
potential programs.
churchpublishing.org/media/custom/IN-Formation/
ChoosingYourCurriculum.pdf
churchpublishing.org/media/custom/IN-Formation/
EvaluatingCurriculum.pdf

The Curriculum Center at Building Faith has a number of
overviews and charts to help educators review age/gradespecific curricula as well as confirmation programs at a glance.
Even if you are not currently exploring various curriculum
options, the Web site is rich and well worth a visit.

If you are a leader of a small church – or one with few resources
– the National Church Center offers a free resource named
“Lesson Plans That Work,” which follows the Revised Common
Lectionary and offers a free lesson plan each week for all age
groups. Written by church educators, th