An interview with the authors of Planning for Christian Education Formation

In these first few blog entries the authors of Planning for Christian Education Formation: A Community of Faith Approach (Chalice Press, 2010), Israel Galindo and Marty Canaday, will answer questions about the book. Here are the first two questions and their responses:

Q: What motivated you to write this book?

ISRAEL: I’ve been wanting to write this book for several years. It contains in large part the answers to the questions I am asked most by congregational leaders seeking help for their church education program. The timing was right when Marty became available and willing to work on the book with me.

MARTY: During a series of conversations we compared notes and realized that there was a “top ten” list of questions we received about how to plan an effective Christian education ministry from pastors, educators, and seminary students. It was clear to us that the congregations most of these leaders served did not have an intentional process for educating persons in faith, an understanding of how to do so, or a leadership team that was giving appropriate to educational planning issues beyond general calendaring. Eventually we decided to produce a resource to address these issues.

Q: So what are those common issues that you address in the book?

MARTY: The book addresses the following common congregational problems and issues: “Lone Ranger” leaders, lack of organization, silo mentalities, lack of coordination and cooperation, lack of framework, lack of planning, lack of evaluation, and an inappropriate (and ineffective) educational approach to faith formation.