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

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

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.

Postmodern Children's Ministry

Postmodern Children's Ministry PDF

Author: Ivy Beckwith

Publisher: Zondervan

Published: 2009-08-30

Total Pages: 169

ISBN-13: 0310863465

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This practical, thought-provoking book presents a new paradigm for children’s ministry in the emerging 21ST century and explores how churches are currently putting that vision into practice. Advocating the need to regard children as full participants in their faith communities, the book provides strategies for building intergenerational community where children feel they belong and have the opportunity to serve.

Children's Ministry That Fits

Children's Ministry That Fits PDF

Author: David M. Csinos

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2011-01-14

Total Pages: 188

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.

Children’s Perceptions of the Role of Biblical Narratives in Their Spiritual Formation

Children’s Perceptions of the Role of Biblical Narratives in Their Spiritual Formation PDF

Author: Annie George

Publisher: Langham Publishing

Published: 2017-02-28

Total Pages: 303

ISBN-13: 178368237X

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In the Bible, storytelling is an important means to pass on the revelation of God. God repeatedly commanded the people of Israel to tell his mighty acts to the next generation. Invariably churches follow this mandate and use biblical narratives as a means to transmit God’s self-revelation to enable transformation. The author, Dr Annie George, listens to the voices of children in order to understand their perceptions of how storytelling of biblical narratives help them in their spiritual formation. Dr George’s research highlights the importance of evaluating the impact of biblical narratives from a child’s perspective as well as emphasising the need to give the same priority to the spiritual transformation of children as with other areas of study and ministry.

Children's Ministry in the Way of Jesus

Children's Ministry in the Way of Jesus PDF

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, then, 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. For too long, the local church has focused primarily on programs for children rather than ways of doing ministry with children. But in light of emerging missional movements, the church is changing and forming a new kind of ecclesial culture. And children's ministry must follow suit. Csinos and Beckwith propose a new way of thinking for these modern churches—they suggest that children can contribute to our theological understandings, as well as invest in and practice Biblical justice just like adult church members. Here is a unique resource that explores children's ministry in light of true spiritual formation and discipleship.

Young Children and Worship

Young Children and Worship PDF

Author: Sonja M. Stewart

Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press

Published: 1989-01-01

Total Pages: 334

ISBN-13: 9780664250409

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The authors have devised an exciting way to introduce three- to - seven year olds to the wonder of worship. Activities are developed around the order of worship commonly used in Reformed churches: assemble in God's name; proclaim, give thanks to and go in God's name.

Don't Have a Messed-Up Sunday School or Church School

Don't Have a Messed-Up Sunday School or Church School PDF

Author: Dr. Oneal C. Sandidge

Publisher: AuthorHouse

Published: 2004-01-09

Total Pages: 204

ISBN-13: 1410752283

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This book is like no other book because it is the only known book to provide the ABC's for organizing or reorganizing the Sunday school or church school. The book is also loaded with suggestive forms to help any leader to construct his or her own forms for Sunday school or church school administration. This book reminds the prospective teacher, the current teacher, the VBS coordinator, training administrators, and the support leader and workers of their responsibilities. Any church pastor, superintendent, church leader, professor of Christian education, or director of Christian education will find this book as a valuable tool in Christian education.

Encyclopedia of Christian Education

Encyclopedia of Christian Education PDF

Author: George Thomas Kurian

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2015-05-07

Total Pages: 1667

ISBN-13: 0810884933

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Christianity regards teaching as one of the most foundational and critically sustaining ministries of the Church. As a result, Christian education remains one of the largest and oldest continuously functioning educational systems in the world, comprising both formal day schools and higher education institutions as well as informal church study groups and parachurch ministries in more than 140 countries. In The Encyclopedia of Christian Education, contributors explore the many facets of Christian education in terms of its impact on curriculum, literacy, teacher training, outcomes, and professional standards. This encyclopedia is the first reference work devoted exclusively to chronicling the unique history of Christian education across the globe, illustrating how Christian educators pioneered such educational institutions and reforms as universal literacy, home schooling, Sunday schools, women’s education, graded schools, compulsory education of the deaf and blind, and kindergarten. With an editorial advisory board of more than 30 distinguished scholars and five consulting editors, TheEncyclopedia of Christian Education contains more than 1,200 entries by 400 contributors from 75 countries. These volumes covers a vast range of topics from Christian education: History spanning from the church’s founding through the Middle Ages to the modern day Denominational and institutional profiles Intellectual traditions in Christian education Biblical and theological frameworks, curricula, missions, adolescent and higher education, theological training, and Christian pedagogy Biographies of distinguished Christian educators This work is ideal for scholars of both the history of Christianity and education, as well as researchers and students of contemporary Christianity and modern religious education.

Exploring and Engaging Spirituality for Today’s Children

Exploring and Engaging Spirituality for Today’s Children PDF

Author: La Verne Tolbert

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2014-05-19

Total Pages: 461

ISBN-13: 1630871753

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Exploring and Engaging Spirituality for Today's Children: A Holistic Approach answers questions about the most effective ways to help children, pre-teens, and teens develop spiritually. This collection of research gleaned from presentations during the Fourth Triennial Children's Spirituality Conference at Concordia University in 2012 is divided into four major sections: (1) theological and historical foundations, (2) engaging parents and congregations, (3) engaging methodologies, and (4) exploring children at risk, child pornography, social justice, intercultural diversity, and abstinence education. Researchers acknowledge that the home is the foundation for Christian nurture. In Exploring and Engaging Spirituality for Today's Children, both scholars and ministry leaders come together with parents to promote a holistic environment where children are encouraged to love, respect, and obey God. From birth to high school, children's voices resonate throughout these studies as they are invited to share their reflections and experiences. Exploring and Engaging Spirituality for Today's Children is a lively, easy-to-read collection that reflects a broad range of faith traditions and is ideal for all those who are committed to the spiritual development of children.

Shaped by the Story

Shaped by the Story PDF

Author: Michael Novelli

Publisher: Sparkhouse Congregational

Published: 2013-10-15

Total Pages: 93

ISBN-13: 1451472897

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After more than a decade in youth ministry, Michael Novelli felt like he’d tried everything to connect his students to the Bible. Then a missionary introduced him to the art of Bible storying--an imaginative way to engage in the scriptures through storytelling, creative reflection, and dialogue. He soon discovered that Bible storying was not only an effective teaching approach, but a powerful way to awaken people to new purpose and identity rooted in the biblical narrative. In 2012, Michael partnered with sparkhouse to create Echo the Story curriculum, based on his approach to Bible storying. Michael has seen people of all ages benefit from this imaginative way of encountering God through the Bible. In this book, you’ll find methods for adapting Bible storying for varied contexts and ages, testimonials from people using this approach, tools to create your own Bible storying narratives, and details about the proven learning theories guiding this approach.