Chalice Press has published the Rev. Marty C. Canaday’s debut book, “Planning for Christian Education Formation: A Community of Faith Approach.” Written for congregational leaders, clergy, staff and laypersons, the book provides a guide for planning and organizing a Christian education ministry, stressing the importance of a community of faith in Christian formation.
Canaday is the Minister of Discipleship at Bethany United Methodist Church in Summerville. He has over 30 years of educational experience in local congregations, serving churches in Georgia, Virginia and South Carolina. Over the years he has provided workshop and conference leadership in the areas of church growth, leadership development and spiritual formation. As Bethany’s Minister of Discipleship, he is responsible for coordinating the religious education ministry of the congregation.
The book was co-written with Israel Galindo, Dean and professor of Christian Education at the Baptist Theological Seminary, Richmond, Virginia.
“Planning for Christian Education Formation: A Community of Faith Approach” provides a model for churches to use in organizing a Christian education leadership committee or team, demonstrates how to use the church year as a framework for planning a Christian education ministry, and gives guidance for assessing the effectiveness of a church’s educational ministry. It also provides a process to help congregations move toward the Christian Education Formation approach.
Said Judith FaGalde Bennett, adjunct profession at the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University, “We’re beginning to see the outlines of what Christian education needs to look like in this twenty-first century. Galindo and Canaday have offered us the road map – an accessible nuts-and-bolts process to get us from where we are to where we need to be.”
“Planning for Christian Education Formation: A Community of Faith Approach” is available through area booksellers and at www.chalicepress.com, and www.amazon.com.
For more information about Bethany United Methodist Church call 843-873-1230 or email?ballain@bethany-umc.com