Hennepin Avenue UMC Our mission is to help students feel and share the love of Christ in order to confirm the vows taken at their baptism and become full members of Hennepin Avenue UMC. TUTORIAL: Faith Journal We will use WordPress as our online hub. New Methods are posted each week at haumcconfirmation.wordpress.com. Then, teens use their personal WordPress blog to write and comment to each other. Teens will subscribe to each other s blogs and haumcconfirmation.wordpress.com (parents can subscribe to that, too!). Materials Needed 1. A personal email address you check regularly. 2. Create your own free WordPress.com blog as your faith journal. Invite your peers, your mentor, and Pastor Nate to subscribe. Use your family s rules about privacy settings beyond that. 3. Internet access for haumc.org, Google Calendar, and WordPress.com.
How to Start Your Faith Journal 1. Go to wordpress.com and tap/click Get Started. 2. Select Start with a blog.
3. Choose your theme. Let your creative side shine! 4. Choose your Faith Journal s name. It can be whatever you want as long as it uses appropriate language. Remember: your pastor, your mentor, and your peers will have access to your blog!
5. When it gives you the option to select an address, simply select the free option. 6. Again, select the free option.
7. Create your account by making a new username, password and using a personal email address you check on a regular basis and/or you receive notifications with regularly. Be sure to write down your username and password so you don t forget! 8. Your blog is officially up and running! Now, take some time to get to know your Dashboard. Customizing your Faith Journal You re encouraged to make your Faith Journal your own! Use your Dashboard for all your customization needs. This is where you can change your privacy settings so it s only available to your peers, pastor, and mentor, or if you want to invite other people to read it, or keep it public. It s also where you can customize your theme, create an About Me page, and write a new post. Assignment #1: Create your About Me Page (due Nov. 1, 2017) On your Dashboard, tap/click Pages, then Add New. Name it About Me or something similar, then populate it with content about you. What do you want your readers to know? What big questions are you wrestling with? Might be fun to add a photo of yourself, too. This is a great chance to tell your class who you are! Assignment #2: Create your About Me Page (due Nov. 1, 2017) On your Dashboard, tap/click Users, then Invite New, then enter Pastor Nate Melcher s email address, nate@haumc.org, and then tap/click Send Invitation. Once Pastor Nate has everyone s email address, he will send them to you so you can invite your peers in the same way.
Weekly Methods for your Faith Journal (starts Nov. 5, 2017) Most teens should be able to complete all three Weekly Assignments in less than 30 minutes per week. If you wish to add creative elements like a podcast, video, artwork, original song, slideshow, etc. please contact Pastor Nate ahead of time to make sure we re on the same page. 1. Faith Journal Write a response (1-2 paragraphs) to the Faith Journey topic each week. a. Where do I get it? haumcconfirmation.wordpress.com > New post Sunday afternoon. c. When is it due? Write by Wednesday night so your peers can comment on time. d. Why do this? After writing about your faith on a weekly basis, you ll have a record of your faith journey you can look back on as you craft your faith statement and prepare to take your membership vows. Faith Journal topics are designed to enhance that week s in-class session but not directly rely on it, so even if you miss a session, you re able to be a participant in the class - especially helpful during your sports or theater season! e. Bonus: Pastor Nate will read your Faith Journal and write you a Support Comment every week so you have feedback on your faith journey throughout Confirmation. 2. Support Comment Read a peer s Faith Journal and write a comment on it (2-3 sentences). a. Where do I get it? Peers post their Faith Journals by Thursday on their blogs. b. Where do I submit it? Comment directly on their blog. c. When is it due? By the next Sunday before class. d. Why do this? We don t go through life alone, and we don t go on our faith journey alone, either. By reading what your peers write and offering feedback, you re supporting one another and deepening your relationships. You ll see others may have the same challenges or celebrations as you and you ll gain new ideas from peer learning. 3. Theology Challenge Read or watch the Theology Challenge post (ex: article, video, story, image, scripture with commentary, etc.). Then, post a response (1-2 paragraphs). a. Where do I get it? haumcconfirmation.wordpress.com > New post Sunday afternoon. c. When is it due? By the next Sunday before class. d. Why do this? Getting different voices and ways of learning beyond the classroom helps you go deeper. When you learn something, it s helpful to process what you think about it. Plus, the internet is full of stuff on religion; Pastor Nate will offer guidance/curation.
Periodic Methods (starts immediately!) These periodic methods all flow according to the teen s schedule. Cut stress and space them apart! If you wish to add creative elements like a podcast, video, artwork, original song, slideshow, etc. please contact Pastor Nate ahead of time to make sure we re on the same page. 1. Missional Outreach Do at least 10 hours of community service; (1 paragraph per experience). a. Where do I get it? Nowhere, you post as your community service happens. c. When is it due? Within a week of your service. d. Why do this? Faith without works is dead! We serve because it makes us feel good and because it helps someone out. When we serve because Jesus calls us to share his love with our neighbor, we learn to pair our faith with our actions in this world. You ll get to choose from opportunities presented throughout the year during Church of Youth ministry activities or on your own. 2. Mentor Reflection Meet with your Mentor 8 times/year; journal about it (1 paragraph each). a. Where do I get it? Nowhere, you post as your meetings happen. c. When is it due? Within a week of your meeting. d. Why do this? After writing about your interactions with your Mentor, you ll have a record of your conversations with this adult who cares about you and encourages you as you craft your faith statement and prepare to take your membership vows. Remember: we don t go through life alone, and we don t go on our faith journey alone, either. Semester Methods (starts after your first 1:1 with Pastor Nate) These three semester methods start off / cap off the seasons of the class in the fall, winter, and spring, approximately. If you wish to add creative elements like a podcast, video, artwork, original song, slideshow, etc. please contact Pastor Nate ahead of time to make sure we re on the same page. 1. Plumb Line #1-3 Write about your life story / faith journey (5 paragraphs) a. Where do I get it? Available at 1:1 with Pastor Nate b. Where do I write? Write on your own blog. c. When is it due? One month after your 1:1 with Pastor Nate d. Why do this? To know where you re going, it s good to know where you ve been and where you re at. By writing a Plumb Line, you ll help both you and Pastor Nate know where you are emotionally and spiritually at different points of Confirmation. Plus, it s like writing your autobiography leading up to your faith statement / membership vows.