Discipleship
The Importance of Generational Connections
‘Intergenerational’ seems to be the buzz word of the moment. There are large international research programmes in the secular world devoted to intergenerational issues and there’s even a dedicated journal of intergenerational relationships. It is now widely recognized, even outside the church, that good intergenerational connections are a source of hope for healthy societies…
Read MoreIntergenerational Ministry Beyond the Rhetoric | Fuller Youth Institute
“I knew we were starting to get somewhere when my six-year-old son was rattling off who he wanted at his birthday party. There were as many adults as kids on that list.” A pastor recently shared this with me (Brad) as we talked about the emerging conversation surrounding intergenerational (sometimes called cross-generational, or multi-generational) ministry. …
Read MoreWhat environment are we creating for our children? – Helps and hindrances
What is shaping the environment in which our children are growing up? I am sure there are many ‘things’ that come to mind. Is there something that you can do to contribute and help? Well we may get a clue about one of the ‘things’ that contribute to the problem from the comment below. This is attributed…
Read MorePositive Peer Community & Child Discipleship
We are not mean to travel alone in this life, true friends are important! It is true in life that we grow to be like our friends. Therefore, the more time we spend with our friends the more we will be influenced by their values and the actions that result. It is also true in…
Read MoreThinking Again About Large Group Salvation Prayer
When I started in children’s ministry years ago, I was passionate about seeing kids step across the line of faith and become followers of Jesus. Each time I had the opportunity in a large group setting, I would lead kids in a prayer of salvation. 26 years later, I’m still just as passionate about seeing…
Read MoreWhat Is a Rite of Passage Experience?
One of the rites of passage for the Burns family was when my wife, Cathy, took each of our daughters away for an overnight trip when they were eleven years old to read and discuss a book about healthy, God-honoring sexuality. The twenty-four-hour trip was geared for good dialogue and fun. They went out for…
Read MoreShalom – God’s heart for children
Shalom – God’s heart for children Shahid was physically broken – he was born paralysed and unable to use his legs. He lived in a broken environment – a poor urban area in South Asia where his family couldn’t even afford a wheelchair for him. He had a broken relationship with God – he had…
Read MoreRespond With Compassion (Helping children learn to serve)
How can we model the compassion of Jesus for the needs of the world around us? We are acutely aware of the brokenness in the world which surrounds them. We all have hopes and fears about the future. Too often we provide our children with the adult solutions to some of the world’s problems rather than presenting…
Read MoreWe are what we sing – children, song and memory
I parked my car and headed up the footpath towards the shops past two children aged about three and five years sitting on a bus-stop seat They were singing quietly to themselves,”I can feel a fourex coming on…!’. I stopped. “What other songs do you know?” I asked. They named several – all advertising jingles.…
Read MoreSmall Commitments, Big Faith
During many children’s ministry programs, there will be opportunities given for children to respond to what they have learned and heard in that particular lesson. Some responses will be to the Gospel message that Jesus died for our sins to bring us back to God. Some of these responses will be to a challenge about…
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