A Message from Our President, Diane McGeoch

IN THE MIDDLE

I am the third of four children – an older brother and sister, and a younger sister. We middle children learn how to be organizers, peacemakers, negotiators, and many other skills. These skills have helped me in many faith formation roles through the years. I was always communicating messages from one sibling to another – and when arguments happened – I was often the one brokering the peace agreements. It is not easy being in the middle. I sometimes envied my older and younger siblings. They got attention because of their birth order – the first child, then the oldest girl and youngest girl. Yet there I was in the middle, and I learned how to get attention. We are in the middle of something wonderful and exciting and scary all at the same time. The Christian Education Network is in conversation with the Association of Partners in Christian Education about a merger. Our Board has voted on this merger and a Covenant Task Force has been meeting. We have two representatives from our Board serving on this Task Force, along with two members of APCE’s Coordinating Council. The Task Force is working out the details of faithful steps and how to live out together our mission of supporting faith formation leaders. Transitions have defined beginnings and endings, but often there is a middle phase that is vital and important. We as a Network are living into this phase with the Task Force’s important work. You are invited to two question and answer sessions to learn about this merger, and you will be asked to vote on it after these meetings. As a member, your input and concerns are what we are focusing on during this middle phase. We look back to our years of being a Christian Education Network and look forward to continuing our work in a new way. The question-and-answer sessions will be held on zoom: Thursday, February 22 at 4 pm Eastern Thursday, February 29 at 7 pm Eastern CE Network Board members and APCE representatives will participate and be available to address your concerns and answer your questions. Please attend whichever session best fits your schedule. To register for a session, please email Janet Renick, our Membership Coordinator at cencoordinator@faithfulteaching.org. The zoom link will be emailed to you the day before the session. We are on this journey into something new together. You can reach out to me at any time as well. If I don’t respond right away, it is because I am attending my niece’s wedding and have some significant travel happening before and after the wedding on February 3rd. I will be visiting family out east, including my older siblings! Yes, I will be in the middle again. Your co-creator of middle places,

Deacon Diane McGeoch cenpresident@faithfulteaching.org

Christian Education Network of the ELCA

Understanding & Experiencing Transitions - February 2024 Resources!

UNDERSTANDING AND EXPERIENCING TRANSITIONS

• This article “Letting Go is Key to Living Well” by Joy McDonald Coltvet speaks to the process of letting go of possessions, and how this can be letting go of the past. The letting go process, while difficult, can also be energizing. The sorting of books and cleaning out an office can be compared to the stages of a transition. 

https://faithlead.org/blog/letting-go-is-key-to-living-well/

• This model of transition is from William Bridges Associates. William Bridges is an author on many aspects of transitions, especially stages of transition and definitions of transitions. The three stages outlined here are the ending, the neutral zone, and the new beginning. New possibilities emerge in the neutral zone, which matches where the Christian Education Network is at in our process with APCE.

https://wmbridges.com/about/what-is-transition/

• This article “Unexpected Transitions” by Angela !Khabeb is from the June 2023 issue of Living Lutheran. It recounts some biblical journeys of transition and how a special hymn comforted the author during a time of transition. It is a reminder of God’s presence during times of change.

https://www.livinglutheran.org/2023/06/unexpected-transitions/

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