Formational Children's Ministry (ēmersion: Emergent Village resources for communities of faith)
Formational Children's Ministry (ēmersion: Emergent Village resources for communities of faith)

Author: Ivy Beckwith

Publisher: Baker Books

Published: 2010-01-01

Total Pages: 160

ISBN-13: 144120735X

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Much ministry to children looks more like mere entertainment than authentic spiritual formation. But what if children's ministries were rooted in a mind set whereby we taught children, with our words and actions, how the story of God, the story of church history, the story of the local community, and the story of the child intersect and speak to one another? What if children's ministry was less about downloading information into kids' heads and more about leading them into these powerful, compelling stories? Beckwith aims to help ministers and parents create a ministry that captures children's imaginations not just to keep them occupied, but to live as citizens of the kingdom of God. In addition to providing theological reasons for formational children's ministry, the book offers examples of how Ivy and other practitioners are implementing a formational model.

Spiritual Conversations with Children
Spiritual Conversations with Children

Author: Lacy Finn Borgo

Publisher: InterVarsity Press

Published: 2020-03-10

Total Pages: 183

ISBN-13: 0830848339

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When children have a listening companion who hears, acknowledges, and encourages their early experiences with God, it creates a spiritual footprint that shapes their lives. Lacy Finn Borgo draws on her experience of practicing spiritual direction with children as she introduces key skills for engaging kids in spiritual conversations, offering sample dialogues, prayers to use together, and ideas for play, art, and movement.

Children's Ministry and the Spiritual Child
Children's Ministry and the Spiritual Child

Author: Robin Turner

Publisher: ACU Press

Published: 2023-06-06

Total Pages: 264

ISBN-13: 1684268826

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God is at work in the lives of children. Most ministers are looking for inspiration but feel overwhelmed. Children's Ministry and the Spiritual Child offers practical tools with evidence-based research in an easy-to-read format, perfect for engaging and equipping passionate yet busy children's ministry leaders. Learn from the wisdom and research of some of the leading thinkers in the field of children's spirituality about best practices of ministry in both personal and community settings. - Section 1: Reviews ways to engage a child's innate spiritual capacity - Section 2: Considers the equipping role a family plays in a child's spiritual life - Section 3: Outlines intergenerational involvement in a child's faith formation - Section 4: Offers advice for care and compassion for children when trauma happens - Section 5: Brings everything together with hands-on ideas for putting the research to use

Children's Ministry That Fits
Children's Ministry That Fits

Author: David M. Csinos

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2011-01-14

Total Pages: 189

ISBN-13: 1610971213

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Children know God. They encounter God in diverse ways as they walk along the spiritual journey. Amidst this diversity, four distinct avenues for connecting with God emerge in the lives of children: word, emotion, symbol, and action. These are the four spiritual styles, broad approaches to spirituality and faith through which children experience God and make sense of their lives in the world around them. Children's Ministry that Fits blends insightful research, relevant theory, and practical ministry into a guidebook for discovering and understanding children's spiritual styles. Drawing from theology, personal experience, and the spiritual lives of children, David M. Csinos offers practical wisdom that will help pastors, parents, and teachers to move beyond one-size-fits-all approaches to children's ministry and begin nurturing the spiritual lives of children in welcoming and inclusive environments.

Bridging Theory and Practice in Children's Spirituality
Bridging Theory and Practice in Children's Spirituality

Author: Zondervan,

Publisher: Zondervan

Published: 2020-04-21

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 0310104939

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Bridging Theory and Practice in Children's Spirituality explores the different contexts, methods, and situations that influence and foster a child's spirituality and faith development. Through a blend of theoretical understanding held in tension with practical application, it equips those who are in, or being prepared for, the varied contexts where children are spiritually formed. It represents a broad range of Christian expression writing from a Christ-centered perspective that furthers the conversation about the next steps in children's spirituality and faith development. Moving beyond the basics of faith nurture and what makes for effective ministry, this resource deepens our understanding of the practices in children's lives by bringing together the best of theory and practice and includes contributions from: Dr. Scottie May (Wheaton College) Dr. Kevin Lawson (Biola University) Dr. Erik Carter (Vanderbilt University) John Roberto (Vibrant Faith) Dr. Dana Kennamer Pemberton (Abilene Christian University) Dr. Shirley Morganthaler (Concordia University - Chicago) Dr. Holly Catterton Allen (Lipscomb University) Dr. Robert Keeley (Calvin College and Calvin Seminary) Dr. Mimi Larson (Wheaton College) Lacy Finn Borgo ( Renovaré Institute) and others. Pastors, professors, seminary students and children's ministry leaders and practitioners all believe that nurturing a child's spiritual development is important. Yet often they are unsure about which current trends should be embraced. This book will help equip these people with the grounding needed to evaluate trends and with specific suggestions for moving forward. With short, accessibly written chapters it helps pastors and leaders stay up to date with current trends and is an excellent resource for teaching in college and seminary classrooms.

InterGenerate
InterGenerate

Author: Holly Catterton Allen

Publisher: ACU Press

Published: 2018-07-10

Total Pages: 216

ISBN-13: 1684269849

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Leaders in Christian communities are all asking the same question: How can we bring the generations back together? InterGenerate addresses important questions of why we should bring the generations back together, but even more significantly, how we can bring generations back together. In this edited collection, ministers, church leaders, and Christian educators will find valuable, new generational theory perspectives, fresh biblical and theological insights, and practical outcomes backed by current research. InterGenerate offers important guidance on topics including •intergenerational spiritual disciplines, •transitioning from multigenerational to intergenerational, •new research that focuses directly on intergenerational ministry and offers practical outcomes to implement, and •benefits of intergenerational ministry for the most marginalized generations. An exciting and distinctive aspect of InterGenerate is the vast diversity of voice —men and women ranging in age from millennials to baby boomers, representing multiple countries and over a dozen denominations—all seeking ways to become more intentionally intergenerational in their outlook and practice.

Joining Children on the Spiritual Journey
Joining Children on the Spiritual Journey

Author: Catherine Stonehouse

Publisher: Baker Academic

Published: 1998-03

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 0801058074

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Analyzes the spiritual formation of young children and calls for renewed attention to scripture and the involvement of families in the process.

Listening to Children on the Spiritual Journey
Listening to Children on the Spiritual Journey

Author: Catherine Stonehouse

Publisher: Baker Academic

Published: 2010-06-01

Total Pages: 192

ISBN-13: 1441212035

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How do children experience and understand God? How can adults help children grow their life of faith? Throughout more than a decade of field research, children's spirituality experts Catherine Stonehouse and Scottie May listened to children talk about their relationships with God, observed children and their parents in learning and worship settings, and interviewed adults about their childhood faith experiences. This accessibly written book weaves together their findings to offer a glimpse of the spiritual responsiveness and potential of children. Through case studies, it provides insight into children's perceptions of God and how they process their faith. In addition, the book suggests how parents, teachers, and ministry leaders can more effectively relate to and work with children and pre-adolescents to nurture their faith, offering a helpful picture of adults and children on the spiritual journey together.

Children's Ministry on Purpose
Children's Ministry on Purpose

Author: Steven J. Adams

Publisher: Zondervan

Published: 2017-03-28

Total Pages: 289

ISBN-13: 0310523028

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Many children’s ministries are a flurry of activity, run by dedicated volunteers and staff who put in long hours and work hard for the good of the children and parents they serve. Yet despite good intentions, many children’s ministries today are not effective. They lack purpose and intentionality. A twenty-five year veteran of children’s ministry in the local church, pastor Steve Adams has ministered to families in multiple churches, from tiny church plants to his present position at Saddleback Church. In this book, Steve applies the revolutionary insights of the Purpose Driven Church to children’s ministry and leads readers on a journey of discovery, showing them how to develop an intentional ministry process that moves children toward spiritual health while building a healthy ministry environment for those who work with kids. You will learn how to ask and answer five simple but powerful questions: Why are we on this journey? Where are you and where are you going? Who are we trying to reach? How will we move our children towards spiritual health? What are the essential elements necessary for the journey? There is no single key to a successful children’s ministry, nor is there only one way that works for everyone. But there is a proven process you can follow and Steve shows how children’s ministries all over the world are reaching their God-given potential by discovering their biblical purpose, avoiding the traps of frustration and burnout.

Children's Ministry in the Way of Jesus
Children's Ministry in the Way of Jesus

Author: David M. Csinos

Publisher: InterVarsity Press

Published: 2013-10-04

Total Pages: 210

ISBN-13: 0830864687

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Attract kids to church, the logic often goes, and you get parents in the pews. All that's left is to get the kids out of the way. Here children's ministers David Csinos and Ivy Beckwith draw on research in human development and spiritual formation to show how children become disciples and churches become centers of lifelong discipleship.