It feels like we were just welcoming in the warm winds of summer, and now we blinked, and fall is almost here! The summer was filled with lots of fun activities – we loved following your adventures with our #FlatJesus program, joining you at Youth Gathering, and offering a new faith formation club for your little ones.

In this blog post, we’ll celebrate your favorite blog posts from the month. Check out which ones made our top five list.

Join us as we celebrate Reason for the Season

Each year, Advent and Christmas seems to get a little bit more lost in the mix as we focus on everything else that comes with the holiday season. Here at Sparkhouse, we’re changing that a bit as we celebrate the Reason for the Season with intentional, faith-based activities for you to share with your communities and use at church and home.

Oh no! What happened to all of my Sunday school students?

You aren’t alone! In this blog post, guest contributor Melissa Cooper offers insight into what to do if your Sunday school attendance starts to dwindle – and what you can do to get it to increase once again. (And, if you are facing this challenge and have a multiage classroom, be sure to check out Sparkhouse’s new All Kids curricula!)

The refugee crisis: How your church can help

Today’s refugee crisis creates challenges for communities and churches. 1517 Media’s Naomi Krueger offers her perspective on what your church can do to help refugees and immigrants in embattled in today’s refugee crisis here in the United States.

Engaging teens and opening their minds

Earlier this year, Sparkhouse launched a new small group curriculum for teens, T.B.D.: Think. Believe. Do. The curriculum meets teens where they are and helps them unpack their beliefs to develop a system that they believe in. In this blog post, Sparkhouse’s Bryan Bliss offers his thoughts on how and why you need to engage teens in this way to build their faith.

Congratulations to the winner of our Flat Jesus program!

Thank you all who participated in our #FlatJesus program! Over the course of the summer, we journeyed with you and Jesus as you traveled across the world, to the ELCA Youth Gathering, and even to your everyday activities like getting your oil changed. Check out this blog post to learn who was named our winner of this program.

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