Welcome!

Church Publishing Incorporated created buildingfaith to be an on-line community for Christian education and faith formation leaders. Clergy and lay professionals and church volunteers from different denominations can share knowledge and best practices, offering each other encouragement and practical tools. Users needn’t cast aside their distinct doctrines or beliefs. Instead, the focus is on the commonalities that we share. The content within this community is both original and collected from other respected blogs and websites. We will consistently maintain and update this site, ensuring that content is relevant, engaging and accurate. Keeping to our high standards, we will offer diverse, inclusive, respectful, ecumenical and positive reflections related to Christian formation. Your input is invited in this same vein and we are eager to help our wider community join the conversation.

buildingfaith moderator, Sharon Ely Pearson, M.A.C.E., has been involved in education for over three decades in the public and private school sector as well as many religious education and faith formation arenas. Currently, she serves as the Christian Formation Specialist for Church Publishing Incorporated, providing training, resources and consultations to churches throughout the United States. She can be reached at spearson@cpg.org.

Thanks for joining our community!

buildingfaith team:

Carolyn Moomaw Chilton (contributor) has worked for the Episcopal Church for over twenty-five years in Christian Formation, parish training programs for all facets of congregational ministries and leadership development areas.  She has served on the senior staff in the Dioceses of Virginia and Upper South Carolina.  Carolyn has a B.A. from Mary Baldwin College and a Masters in Religion from the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia, SC. She is an E.F.M. graduate and mentor; is a trained Spiritual Director and serves as a spiritual faculty member for CREDO.  She writes and blogs (Nellie’s Garden) as a spiritual discipline and an invitation to conversation with others. She is currently on staff at Grace and Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Richmond VA as the Assistant for Evangelism and Stewardship.  Carolyn and John have been married over 30 years.  John is an Economist. Our family includes our daughter, Ginny, who is a church musician, her husband James who is a physicist, lots of brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, and three cats who mostly drive us crazy.

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Carrie Craig (contributor) is an Episcopal priest of 18 years. She received her BS in Psychology and Religious Studies from the University of Colorado in Boulder. She studied Comparative Religions at Harvard Divinity. After having studied at Duke Divinity for two years, she took her Anglican Studies year at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific graduating with her MDiv in 1992. She has worked as a hospital chaplain, a parish priest and an educator in faith formation. She is particularly interested in how spirituality is expressed in all faith traditions, what is shared in common and what is unique to each. She has offered workshops in “Keeping Sabbath” and “Tools for Faith’s Practices”. Her reflections can be found on her blog, Carrie’s Bench. Carrie serves as a member of the Christian Formation and Education Committee in the Diocese of East Carolina offering support and resources to parishes and educators throughout the diocese. She is a member of NAECED and a consultant to the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music of the Episcopal Church. Carrie is a seeker of the spirit and lover of nature, especially in the hills and mountains of North Carolina. Recently retired, she is a writer and a traveler. Along with her companion, Lilly (a trained assist dog), she is currently taking long “walks”, catching up on her reading and enjoying “real” time for writing and reflection.

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The Reverend Luke F. Fodor (contributor) is the Assistant Rector of St. John’s Church in Cold Spring Harbor, New York, where we works with children, youth and young families. He holds three Master degrees, one from New York University in Philosophy and Critical Theory, one from the University of Durham in the UK in Theology and a M.Div. from Bexley Hall Seminary in Columbus, OH. Luke has worked for the Episcopal Church for the last 9 years, in both parochial and churchwide capacities. In regards to the former, he worked as a youth minister for St. John’s, Park Slope (NY) and Christ Church, Oyster Bay (NY.) Regarding the latter, he worked at the Episcopal Church Center for 7 years, first as the Program Assistant for Young Adult and Higher Education Ministries and then as the Network Coordinator for Episcopal Relief & Development.  While working at ERD, he managed the creation of a formational program for youth entitled, Act Out: Empowering Youth to Heal a Hurting World. Luke is passionate about empowering and equipping young people for missional engagement in the world.  He has spoken widely on the topic and is currently creating linkages between parish outreach and formation programs.  He is particularly interested in exploring how the relationship between childhood and adolescent spirituality and transformative mission might spark renewal in a re-contextualizing Church. He has written for Forward Movement, Anglican Theological Review, D365.org and several other peer-reviewed journals.

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Jenifer Gamber (contributor) has been involved in Christian formation since she began teaching Sunday school as a teenager.  The author of My Faith, My Life for teenagers and Your Faith, Your Life for adults, she is a popular speaker on the topics of spirituality, prayer, and teen faith formation. Her website, offers a wealth of resources for adults who work with youth. In addition, she has an active ministry leading confirmation and baptism preparation at her home church, the Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and is a Companion of the Holy Cross.

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Paula Webster Hartzell (contributor) is the former Director of the Interfaith Resource Center (now retired) in Wilmington, Delaware, a position she held since 2003. A former art educator and director of an inner-city church arts program, Ms. Hartzell is a frequent lecturer on the art of the early Christian era. For eight years she served at Grace United Methodist Church in Wilmington designing and executing numerous arts programs. She is a member of the Diamond State Branch of the National League of American Pen Women. She is married with two grown children and one adorable grandson. Her ministry with the Resource Center gives her the opportunity to combine her greatest passions: faith, the arts and education.

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Adrienne Hymes (contributor) was most recently the Coordinator of Children & Youth Formation at St. James’ in the City, Los Angeles, California before joining the student body at Virginia Theological Seminary in August 2011. Past education has included the Episcopal Theological School in Claremont, CA and the Kaleidoscope Institute. A teacher, speaker and writer, she has been a consultant to the Office of Black Ministries for The Episcopal Church. Adrienne is called to a global ministry of congregational vitality and renewal, and continues to leverage her expertise in broadcast journalism, public relations and marketing, supported by her ongoing theological studies, to build the kingdom of God.

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Amy Fenton Lee (contributor) is a writer who focuses much of her research and writing on helping churches successfully include children with special needs.  Amy’s articles have been featured in a variety of national, regional, Christian and secular publications.   As the daughter of a church pastor and an active children’s ministry volunteer, Amy understands the unique subculture of the church.  Amy administers The Inclusive Church Blog and her writing can be found at her website, Amy Fenton Lee.

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Amy Sander Montanez, D.Min, (contributor) has been a licensed professional counselor, licensed marriage & family therapist and spiritual director for over twenty years.   She has a private practice of psychotherapy in Columbia, South Carolina where she specializes in working with clergy and seminarians.  A teacher in several spiritual direction training programs, one of her greatest joys in life is seeing people grow into their wisdom and strength, living out their God-given potential.  Her areas of expertise include all aspects of women’s issues, leadership, forgiveness, grief work, building healthy families and communities,  healing, and the mind-body-spirit connection. Along with writing for the Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina, Amy writes a weekly blog and has won six National Polly Bond Awards for Special Achievement in Church Communication in the area of Spiritual and Devotional Writings. On a personal note, Amy is married and has a daughter who has left the nest.  She enjoys cooking and entertaining, practicing yoga, ballroom dancing, playing the piano, playing in her garden, and traveling.

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Blount Montgomery (contributor) hails from the South. She attended the University of the South in Sewanee, TN before earning her M.A. in Southern Studies from The University of Mississippi, with her M.A. focusing on Civil Rights’ Era traditions and Youth Organizing. In the Fall of 2012 she will begin work on a PhD in History at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. She enjoys hammocks, lawn games, playing music and cheesecake. She grew up in the Episcopal church in a diocese where youth work is a number one priority and is looking forward to changing the world one mind at a time.

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Sharon Ely Pearson (moderator/admin/contributor) served as Children’s Ministries and Christian Education Coordinator for the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut from 1997-2007 before joining CPI. With a BS in Special Education, a certificate in Christian Education from Hartford Seminary and MACE from Virginia Theological Seminary, she is a longstanding NAECED member. She is a regular contributor to Episcopal Teacher Magazine and publishes a widely read monthly newsletter, Living IN-Formation. Sharon is the co-author/editor of The Prayer Book Guide to Christian Education, 3rd edition (Morehouse, 2009). With experience in Christian formation at the local, judicatory, and church wide level, she is a certified Godly Play teacher, past EfM mentor and recognized for her knowledge of curriculum for children, youth and adults as well as her passion for holistic life long learning. Sharon lives in Norwalk, CT with her husband and cat, with too many books waiting to be read and several waiting to be written. She blogs at Rows of Sharon and Prayer Book Guide. Thankfully, she loves to travel!

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Liz Perraud (contributor) is a Regional Advisor for The LOGOS Ministry, a non-denominational Christian organization that works in partnership with local church leaders to build disciples of Jesus Christ. She supports and coaches churches and serves as a training leader on topics related to effective ministry – particularly with children and youth.  Liz has over 20 years of experience in the field of Christian Education. Her home is in Columbia, Maryland with her husband and two sons in various stages of leaving the nest.

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George W. Rizor, Jr. (contributor) is Senior Minister of Landover Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Landover, Maryland.  Also a Professor of Social Sciences at Westwood College in Annandale, Virginia, his academic background includes undergraduate study in Psychology and graduate study in Research Methodology, Statistics and Cognitive Psychology.  He served in the United States Navy and as a Naval Photographer, stationed in Washington DC, doing VIP photography at the White House and Capitol. He flew as a crewmember with Marine Corps helicopter HMX-1, the President’s helicopter squadron. The author of A Theology of Joy, a book of inspirational short stories (Fairway Press, 2000) and the content editor of Law and Psychology: Working Together, a textbook on Forensic Psychology (Pearson, 2010), he also authored the only resolution on denomination wide anti-discrimination leadership policies adopted by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).   A former host of the radio show, “Doveworks” in southwestern Pennsylvania,  Rev. Rizor is an accomplished preacher, writer, teacher, seminar presenter, curriculum designer, and computer software designer.  He is currently writing a book on scriptural Gospel primacy, titled, “The Jesus We Ignore.”  He is very involved in social action and distributive justice ministries.

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John Roberto (contributor) is president of LifelongFaith Associates, editor of the journal Lifelong Faith, and coordinator for the Faith Formation 2020 Initiative. John also works on the Vibrant Faith Ministries team as project coordinator of the Faith Formation LearningExchange. John works as a consultant to churches and national organizations, teaches courses and conducts workshops in faith formation, and has authored books and program manuals in youth ministry, family ministry, and intergenerational faith formation. John created the theory and practice of Generations of Faith — an intergenerational, lifelong approach to faith formation; and administered the five-year Lilly Endowment funded project to develop lifelong faith formation in Catholic parishes across the U.S. His latest publications include Faith Formation 2020: Designing the Future of Faith, The Spirit and Culture of Youth Ministry (co-authored), Living Well: Christian Practices for Everyday Life, Becoming a Church of Lifelong Learners, and four volumes of intergenerational learning programs in the People of Faith series. John is the founder and was director of the Center for Ministry Development, where he worked for 28 years.

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Stephanie Spellers (contributor) is an energizing, recognized presenter at conferences and other venues across the United States.  She is the lead priest at The Crossing, the emergent community based at the Cathedral of St. Paul in Boston. An acclaimed preacher, she is the author of Radical Welcome: Embracing God, the Other and the Spirit of Transformation and co-editor of Ancient Faith, Future Mission: Fresh Expressions in the Sacramental Tradition. She has traveled the country studying and supporting communities seeking to live into the radical welcome vision. Spellers earned her bachelor’s degree in religious studies at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and holds master’s degrees from Harvard Divinity School and the Episcopal Divinity School. Prior to her ordination, she served as a religion reporter at the Knoxville News-Sentinel in Tennessee.

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Phyllis Strupp (contributor), author and speaker, motivates people to improve brain health and memory. She is a graduate of the Brain Research in Education Certificate Program of the University of Washington-Seattle and a faculty member of the CREDO Episcopal Clergy Wellness Program. She is the founder and a leader of the Episcopal Diocese of Arizona’s Nature and Spirituality Program. Her published works include The Richest of Fare: Seeking Spiritual Security in the Sonoran Desert, winner of the Independent Publishing award for best mind-body-spirit book in 2005 and a companion small group curriculum entitled Faith and Nature: The Divine Adventure of Life on Earth. Her background includes over 30 years of finance and sales experience, an MBA in Finance from Columbia University (1982) and a B.A. in History from Rutgers University (1978). Visit her website, Brain Wealth.

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Fiona Vidal-White (contributor) is a musician, Christian educator and Liturgist with a Bachelors Degree in Performing Arts, a Masters Degree in Sacred Music (BU), and most recently, a Masters Degree in Elementary Education (Lesley University).  Her Hymnal and accompanying Teacher’s Guide My Heart Sings Out are published by Church Publishing.  Her passion for transformative change, in Sunday worship and in the whole wide church, is a gift from her father.  She lives with her husband Jeremy and 14 year old son Aidan, both “card-carrying atheists”, and her theologically precocious daughter Zoe, aged 10.  Fiona also writes poetry and prose, and loves to do anything creative with paper, photos, fabric, paints, especially anything sparkly.

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Dr. Elizabeth L. Windsor (contributor) is a professional Christian educator and consultant with 22 years experience in congregations throughout Massachusetts. Christian formation throughout the life cycle is both her profession and her passion. Although born an Episcopalian, Elizabeth is now a professing member of the United Methodist Church and serves as the Director of Christian Education at Sudbury United Methodist Church in Sudbury, MA.  She is active in the New England Conference Educator’s Group and teaches Christian Formation at Local Pastor Licensing School. Elizabeth holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University, a Master of Divinity degree from Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, MA, and received her Doctor of Ministry degree from EDS in May 2009. A two-time recipient of the Adelaide Teague Case Prize for Excellence in Christian Education, her doctoral thesis is entitled God’s Story, Our Story: Narrative Portals for Transformation throughout the Life Cycle. She has also taught prayerful yoga and has lead retreats featuring the integration of prayer and body movement. Elizabeth lives with her husband, Tom, and their three boys (22, 16 and 11) in Massachusetts. In her free time, Elizabeth enjoys counted-cross stitch, reading, scrap booking, and belly dancing.

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Genelda Woggon (contributor) is a catechist in all three levels of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.  She has accompanied her husband, Harry an Episcopal priest, to various dioceses and parishes during recent years of service as an Intentional Interim Consultant.  During that time Genelda served as a free lance Christian Education Consultant, introduced the Catechesis to a variety of places on the east coast and midwest, and wrote The Seed of God.  She also serves as a retreat leader, having trained with the Shalem Institute of Spiritual Formation.   With four adult children and numerous grandchildren, the Woggons have now retired to their permanent home in Asheville, NC where they serve part-time in a joint ministry with a small congregation.