Letter from the Editor 2025

Pricey Constructing Religion Neighborhood,

I want you God’s peace on this season after Epiphany. The previous couple of months have been tumultuous in some ways and in lots of locations within the U.S. and past. It has not been a simple time to be in ministry or to be the church. Wherever you’re, no matter your ministry seems like proper now, I hope you and your communities are protected and nicely.

The work of Christian formation is not any small factor proper now. On this Epiphany season the place we as Christians bear witness to a God who has chosen solidarity with all individuals, we’re additionally witnessing increasingly individuals hurting, frightened, and discovering themselves in precarious positions within the wake of current political occasions. Amid so many wants and uncertainties, it may be laborious to know what to wish, the place to show in scripture, and tips on how to go forth from the eucharistic desk—not to mention tips on how to train others to do the identical.

What I discover stunning and empowering about formation is that it’s not about having all of the solutions, eradicating all questions, or forsaking all the issues and struggles affecting our lives. The weather of our religion which have fashioned us don’t whisk us out of ourselves, our humanity, {our relationships}, or our neighborhoods. They invite us to be extra totally ourselves, extra totally human, and extra totally current with our neighbors. Our feasts and seasons, prayers and songs, scriptures and sacraments all provide invites to be flesh-and-blood individuals and search an enfleshed God who’s in all issues, who’s on this second with us too.

So I wish to start this letter by expressing my because of you for being a part of this group of people that care about Christian formation, who’re asking questions and getting inventive, who’re exhibiting up to your communities as finest as you possibly can, and sharing each your successes and learnings with fellow formation leaders to counterpoint everybody’s ministries. The work you’re doing issues, and we at Constructing Religion rely it a privilege to accompany and assist you nevertheless we are able to.

Due to Our 2024 Authors

I additionally wish to specific my gratitude for the entire authors who contributed to Constructing Religion in 2024. Their voices, knowledge, and creativity have offered a deep nicely of assets and insights to assist encourage formation ministries throughout ages and contexts. I’m so grateful for the chance to work with every of those authors, and I thank all of them for contributing their work to Constructing Religion’s ministry.

When you haven’t had an opportunity to take a look at all of our 2024 authors and their articles, here’s a full listing in chronological order:

Extra Phrases of Thanks

I additionally wish to elevate up the individuals who labored behind the scenes to assist Constructing Religion in 2024. Many thanks go to:

• Sarah Bentley Allred, who introduced a wealth of knowledge to our crew as an editor and enabled fruitful collaborations between Constructing Religion and Forma in her former position as Coordinator of Forma Evangelism
• Wallace Benton, who offered invaluable assist to the Constructing Religion crew in his position as Affiliate Director of Lifelong Studying in planning, brainstorming, modifying, and extra
• Josh Brown, who contributed in quite a few methods behind the scenes in his position as Operations Supervisor for Lifelong Studying to handle logistical particulars and assist Constructing Religion attain extra individuals and be as efficient as attainable
• Casey Jones, who served as an editor in the course of the first half of 2024 and whose time, vitality, and ability helped make Constructing Religion articles shine
• Lorenzo Lebrija, who collaborated with our crew in his position as Govt Director of TryTank Analysis Institute to facilitate focus teams within the fall to discover how Constructing Religion en español can higher serve the formation ministries of Spanish-speaking and bilingual congregations
• Krizia Vargas-García, who introduced experience and ability as an editor for an article in Spanish, which enabled the writer’s work to be revealed on Constructing Religion in English and Spanish and attain audiences in each languages

I’m profoundly grateful for the prospect to get to know every of those colleagues and for all they’ve completed to make it attainable for Constructing Religion to minister to Christian communities throughout contexts and denominations all through the U.S. and past.

Wanting Forward

Whereas none of us is aware of what this 12 months holds, my deep hope is that Constructing Religion could provide the type of assist and assets that matter most to your formation ministries all through 2025.

We’ll proceed to comb curriculum choices, spotlight new assets, assemble toolkits for church seasons, and have actions and educating suggestions that leaders like you’re growing to your formation contexts. We’ll maintain looking for tales, assets, and sensible knowledge that equip and encourage Christian communities to attempt for justice, take care of creation, and minister with essentially the most susceptible individuals in our native and world communities. We may also maintain searching for methods to make Constructing Religion extra enriching, inclusive, and accessible to your ministries and communities.

To those ends, we wish to hear from you!

• What are your ministry wants and challenges?
• What subjects would you like Constructing Religion articles to handle?
• What can Constructing Religion do higher to assist your ministry and context in 2025?

I hope you’ll get in contact and share your tales, successes, and wishes. You attain our crew by electronic mail or by leaving a remark beneath. Constructing Religion is what it’s due to this group of readers, subscribers, and authors. Your presence and voice matter to us so please attain out!

I want you and your communities a life-giving Epiphany season!

Jodi

Featured picture is by an unknown creator on Pixabay