PRESENTER: Leslee Nestingen 

Leslee Nestingen has served congregations in various capacities throughout her career, most recently as one of the congregational and seminary relations managers for Augsburg Fortress. Prior to joining Augsburg Fortress five years ago, Leslee worked with the national volunteer network at Lutheran Brotherhood/Thrivent and learned from Lutherans at a grassroots level while serving as a church organist, choir director, Sunday school teacher and youth leader. Nestingen’s roots are in Southwestern MN Synod’s Clarkfield Lutheran Church, and she and her sons, Hans & Per Kristian, are currently members of St. Peder’s Lutheran in south Minneapolis.

This workshop will focus on understanding the importance of providing faith formation opportunities for the youngest members of your parish through teaching them their first language of faith—Scripture!    From the youngest to the oldest, we will look at ways individuals and congregations can make the Bible a part of everyday life.   We will explore the creative language and artwork of Spark Story Bible (age 2 – Gr. 2) and experience a design that encourages kids’ imagination.   We will also look at how the Spark Bible (Gr. 2 – Gr. 6) helps kids think about Biblical texts in a personal way and helps us move from ‘zippers to stickers’ thinking!

Equipping, Empowering & Encouraging Teachers

How can we help both our faith formation program and our teachers grow?   Uplifting and encouraging our volunteers to recognize the gifts they bring to our programs is essential.   Developing a leadership team while also equipping and empowering them to do God’s work is key.  Connecting with one another and with children each week can have a powerful impact on the faith life of the entire congregation.    This session focuses on sharing ideas and on identifying some practical ways that program administrators, pastors, and directors can better support teacher teams to ensure lasting results.  

 
Fed & Forgiven:   A Feast for All Ages

Looking for a Bible-focused resource to help prepare members of your congregation for First Communion?    Hoping for a way to highlight (for those of all ages) how Communion prepares us to serve others?    Learn about this comprehensive new set of resources designed to prepare children, youth, and adults for regular participation in the Sacrament of Holy Communion.      View learner resource DVD clips for PreK-K, Grades 1-3, Grades 4-6, and Adults which complement the 4-part series for each age grouping.    Explore this reverent and engaging approach to teaching your congregation about the Sacrament of Holy Communion—and foster engagement in the Feast for all ages!