2. Provide services that encourage and support quality programs of religious education and

lifespan faith development in all congregations in the district.

1. Strong District professional and office staff

2. Creativity, new ideas, a willingness to change old patterns

3. Excellent opportunities for training – Renaissance modules, OWL leader training, youth

leadership training, etc.

4. Hard working religious education professionals and volunteers in local congregations

5. Popular youth conferences, retreats and summer events

6. Helpful district library

1. Many smaller congregations have few children or young adults involved in their congregations

and limited religious education or lifespan faith development programs

2. Clarify priorities – is the greatest need for program development in the area of programs for

children, youth, college students, young adults, young families, or older adults?

3. Find new ways to involve youth and young adults in local congregational life.

4. Assessment – do present programs effectively serve the interests and needs of youth, young

adults, seniors?

5. Support district staff with fair compensation, ongoing opportunities for learning, inspiration, and

renewal.

6. Pay consultants when appropriate rather than ask staff of one congregation to continually

volunteer their time and services to another congregation

7. Work toward full or part time program planner/trainer/consultant in the district who focuses on

lifespan faith development

8. Clarify the relationship between LREDA, district and congregation’s responsibilities, interests and

goals.

1. Encourage congregations to participate in existing programs of religious education leadership

training.

2. Learn about successful innovations and best practices used in other districts

3. Develop "how to" manuals and "road maps" for program development in congregations

4. Establish teams of regional consultants to work with particular congregations

5. More extensive youth advisor training and more extensive orientation for youth and adult

advisors prior to youth conferences

6. Coordinate LREDA and district RE activities

7. Offer a variety of regional workshops, retreats, and training events for all ages

8. Increase district library holdings and publicize descriptions of the materials available.

1. Adequate budget for supplies, travel, training, acquisition of library materials, staff and

consultant compensation

1. Shift focus from "RE for children" to programs of lifespan faith development that are valuable to

everyone

2. Strengthen cluster system. Locate more services and activities in regions and clusters rather

than seeing services primarily from the district

3. Determine "who’s in charge" of cluster activities, who convenes local meetings, sets priorities,

etc.

4. Build teams of volunteers and/or consultants in regions or clusters who provide services and

communicate regularly with local congregations so that no congregation is left out.

5. Consider hiring full or part time MDD staff member with specific responsibility for lifespan faith

development.