Christian education used to be the name of my area of expertise. Then many of us who work in the field found that for a lot of people, the word "education" brought to mind sitting up straight in desks and absorbing information from teachers who had definitive answers to give us about what the Bible means and how church traditions should be practiced in our daily lives.  As we looked around and saw fewer and fewer adults engaged in education hour on Sunday mornings -both as Sunday school teachers and adult learners - we realized that too many people did not understand how lively and engaging growing in our faith can be. So the term "Christian formation" came into practice. It brings to mind a sloppier image -- maybe working with clay -- that better portrays what happens when a group of Christians get together to study our faith. We listen and question and argue and reflect. We share stories. We learn from each other, not only from the "experts."  Godly Play and Journey to Adulthood are two approaches to Christian formation for young people that reflect the shift in attitude away from learning facts about the Bible toward making meaning in our lives through learning the faith stories of the people of God.

Now, I've seen an even newer term emerge: Lifelong Christian Learning.  It is in the job title of Amy Richter, our diocesan staff person in the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland.  And now, it appears in the title of a conference I am about to participate in at Kanuga, the national Episcopal retreat center in the mountains of North Carolina. I will present two workshops at the Week of Lifelong Learning: Making Disciples, Healing the World.  From what I know about the keynote speakers and other workshop presenters, this looks to be an amazing formation experience for everyone who attends.  And the title conveys my deepest hope for the children and youth I work with.  This generation of children and youth seem focused on healing the world -- they are acutely aware of both ecology and justice issues. But they feel overwhelmed and want guidance about how to change the world.  No matter how much my title evolves, I believe that "making disciples" is the best way to make the changes we all yearn for.  I want to help the children learn all the amazing ways Jesus showed us --through his life and example -- how to heal the world.