God Sighting: Faith Formation at Sheridan

Faith Formation at Sheridan

This post is so relevant as I sit at my computer this evening writing this. As a congregation, we just celebrated Rally Day for the 2022-2023 year. God is truly doing amazing work for our children and families through Sheridan’s Faith Formation ministries! I want to take just a moment to share my thoughts, experiences and God sightings from the perspective of both a volunteer and a parent.

On Rally Day, the children created terrariums as they learned about the creation story, how God created EVERYTHING and it was GOOD! They “created” their own balanced environments and eagerly shared their creations with their friends. The terrariums are symbolic to Faith Formation Ministry at Sheridan. “How?” you might ask—let me explain.

At Sheridan, Faith Formation starts at a very young age, and this is of course intentional. Like the kids planting, watering, and caring for the seeds in their terrariums, Sheridan is planting the seeds of faith to take root and last a lifetime. Bibles are placed into children’s hands at the age of three years old. As the child’s “faith seed” begins to sprout, the kids move into Children’s Faith Formation where that sprout is nurtured and begins to grow through Sunday School, Wednesdays @ the Well and Faith Stepping Stones. As children complete grade 5, their “sprout” has grown into a sprawling “faith plant” with many leaves, off-shoots and branches. Growth, budding and flowering continues as the child moves into Confirmation Ministry and Middle School Youth Group. It is here where the kids begin to truly take ownership of their faith. At the conclusion of Confirmation, they will affirm their baptisms and profess their very own faith statements. And finally, as they mature, young adults then move into High School and College faith formation, just like our “faith-plant,” they will produce fruits of their faith, sharing their blessings and the Good News of our Lord with others and throughout the body of Christ.

For the reader, I want to briefly take you back to September of 2017. My family and I were new members at Sheridan, and we were excited as a family to be a part of this amazing community. We had gone through our new member workshop and had our children enrolled in Faith Formation. Rally Day that year was upon us, and I had not yet gotten involved as a volunteer, however, I felt it was important for us to attend worship as a family. I would take the kids to their classes and hang out in the Family Life Center while they attended class. When class had completed, I would pick them up and we would then go to worship together. This went on for a couple of weeks, when one day God spoke to me and put on my heart that I should be doing more, that I should be contributing my time by sharing his Word through the Faith Formation ministry. I then spoke to Julie Hestermann and the rest, as they say, is history. I started out as a Shepherd helping in the classroom, I am now entering my third year as a teacher, and I am also a Small Group Leader for Confirmation for my oldest daughter and her group. I have also recently taken on a role within the Youth Ministry Leadership Team helping to plan and coordinate the many awesome events and service opportunities our middle school and high school youth can participate in.

Through my involvement in Faith Formation Ministry both as a volunteer and a parent with two children, I have witnessed many God Sightings:

• Love:  We know that God loves us no matter what! Faith Formation is undoubtedly a love-filled place. Every staff member and volunteer truly love what they are doing and share God’s love with everyone, child and adult alike.
• Joy:  Joy manifests in several ways through Faith Formation. Joy in singing God’s praises through song during opening worship, joy in laughter amongst students and peers, joy in earning a certificate for completing memory work, joy in serving others and the community doing service learning, and joy in families as students tell their parents what they learned or to show off a craft that they made, just to name a few.  
• Encouragement:  Whether it be Confirmation students encouraging each other through discussion of highs, lows and God moments, staff and volunteers encouraging each other through affirmations or a simple re-assuring “You got this!” or students building each other up through discussion or games, Faith Formation is a positive, encouraging place for everyone. 
• Friendship:  We all have a friend though Christ, however, friendship abounds through Faith Formation! Both my children have developed long-lasting friendships with their peers. I witness friendships form and flourish between students. Personally, through Faith Formation, I have met several individuals whom I consider close friends.
• Patience:  Let’s be honest, sometimes things don’t always go swimmingly, and that’s OK. Whether we are making some last-minute lesson preparations, tech is not cooperating, or a kiddo may not be having the best day. Patience, understanding and grace smooths everything out.  

Woah! I’m starting to pick up a theme here and it is not coincidental. Faith Formation embodies the fruits of the Spirit that we learn about in Galatians 5:22-23 – Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Generosity, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control. Come to Faith Formation on any given Sunday, Wednesday, or other event and you are sure to see this in action!

We are also reminded in our Bible verse from worship on September 11, Matthew 9:14 – but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” This is Faith Formation at its core, children coming to our Lord, learning and strengthening their faith through His Word, and sharing their blessings with others, the community, and the church. Amen!

Blessings to you all!
Michael Koerwitz