Lifelong Faith
I have long been a fan of John Roberto’s work and have a shelf full of his resources that I have dog-eared and continue to pull out with great frequency. I had my eye on his new release, Lifelong Faith; Formation for All Ages and Generations and was waiting for when money appeared in our family’s budget to purchase it when the heavens opened and FedEx dropped a copy from the publisher right on my doorstep. I squealed in glee, threw some snacks at my kids, and declared that it was quiet reading time for everyone.
Are you doing the hard and important work of discerning the lessons learned through pandemic faith formation ministries? This book is an invaluable resource. Are you gathering your team and looking to firm up your faith formation offerings in response to your congregation’s calling? This resource will bolster and guide each of you. Are you seeking ready-to-use surveys to give to targeted groups within your congregation so that you have authentic data to guide your planning? This resource has them. Are you trying to figure out how to do all of this in multiple settings (in person, online, and hybrid)? This has some of the best examples and strategies I have seen, and I spend a significant amount of time searching.
Unlike so many other resources, Mr. Roberto gives you information and suggestions you can use in our current cultural context. It is up to date. You don’t need to dig and see if a recommended resource still exists. You don’t have to do searches to find current examples of playlists, how to transform existing models into ones that will work better for your congregation’s current situation, or how to take one ministry offering and translate it into alternate settings.
Do you have limited reading time? Each chapter is a stand-alone resource. Do you work with a tiny congregation? This book applies. Do you work with a mid sized congregation? This book applies. And, yes, it also applies for large congregations. No one is overlooked, which is very rare in resources on faith formation. The curated list of resources he refers to is of a very high quality. In sum, you need this book. I have already bought copies for the congregation I work with and will be passing them out like Reese’s cups on Halloween. No more struggling about how to go forth in faith formation as we emerge on the other side of the pandemic- this book is the perfect guide.
