Articles
Stretching Your Thinking About Ministry With Families – 7 Must Read Articles
Dave Roberts gathers 7 key articles into this guide to recent thinking on ministry with families. Three Models for Intergenerational Faith Formation The three models described are not the only ways to do intergenerational ministry, and this is by no means an exhaustive or authoritative list. This is however a short but helpful way of…
Read MoreHere to Stay – Discipleship and the Generations
How do we help others to be “Here2Stay”, when there are so many reasons for “them2go.” The world is to be explored. The “prodigal story” is alive and well in 2015. In Western Society in particular the world is their oyster, and we have been taught that we are our own “destiny makers.” As a…
Read MoreWhat is Family – An African Perspective
There is an African saying, “IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD” hence the statement, “IAM BECAUSE WE ARE”. This has been the base and foundation for the African Family Unit for generations. In the village of Kufa lives an old woman who could be over ninety years of age. Her real age is…
Read MoreJesus Asked – Open Ended Questions & Ministry With Children
The ‘open-ended’ question is used to prompt a longer thinking process in the listener/responder. A closed question requires a yes, no, or a straightforward factual answer. An open-ended question may be rhetorical, but is more likely to be asking the listener to search for an answer in themselves that they have not considered before (thus…
Read More8 ideas to help you connect with families
Ideas for connecting the children’s ministry at church with the children’s families and supporting parents in their role. Children are part of families and while friends grow in their influence as children reach their teens, families are still the biggest influence on the life of a child. How do we support families as they develop…
Read MoreBible Handling Goals for Children – 5 years old and under
An age-appropriate guide for children’s use of the Bible – their knowledge of its content, skills in using it and attitudes towards it. Children of different ages approach the Bible in different ways. As their general skills grow, so does their understanding of the Bible and their skill in using it. The statements below represent…
Read MoreRediscovering the Domestic Church
Domestic Church is a way of describing spiritual activities taking place in a home setting. It has been practised across the centuries, although not always called by this name. At a time when faith in the homes of many Christian families consists of bedtime stories and prayers, Domestic Church is a way of tapping into…
Read MoreWhat does a discipled child look like?
After writing about “Developing a Biblical World View in Children” for a magazine I have not been able to get this question out of my head. If our job as children’s pastors is to do what Matthew 28:19 tells use to do, (and I believe it is) “Therefore go and make disciples of all…
Read MoreGrandparents, family support and faith formation
Alison buried her face in her grandad’s cardigan and smelt the same aroma of soap she remembered as a child. Now, aged 15, she felt comfortable that at least some things hadn’t changed. But she also felt ashamed, that at her age, she still needed the reassurance of her Grandad’s presence through all that had…
Read MoreReleasing a Sense of Wonder
How deliberate are we in helping children think carefully about popular culture? How do we help them be creative. Here is a provocative thought. We will intentionally seek out and promote to our children, (via home and church) music, reading and other cultural expressions of a Biblical faith. We will by this means impart a…
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