Articles
How Does Partnering Work
Though all partnering efforts and collaborative initiatives are different, there seems to be some common processes, principles, and best practices. The following seeks to summarize some of those. Stage One Activities: Identify (Laying the foundation of partnering) The exploration stage will likely take longer than you think! If at all possible, the process should never…
Read MoreRaising Samuel – Releasing Children to Discover Godʼs Purpose
I do not believe that valuing children as a strategic means to church growth and as missionary targets fully embraces a biblical, ethical or respectful value of children in the Kingdom or the Church. BY SUSAN GREENER Introduction A mother bound by the One Child Policy hopes for a son. In disappointment she aborts the…
Read MoreChildren at the Heart of Mission
REDISCOVERING CHILDREN AT THE HEART OF MISSION There is a misconception of serious proportions among Christians that ‘the Bible says very little about children’. Let’s examine that. An Old Testament Cast of Children (from Genesis to Malachi) Ishmael (Gen 16) means ‘God hears’. His pregnant mother, Hagar, had all but given up hope, but God was…
Read MoreGod’s People – Serving in Unity for Children
IMAGINE … GOD’S PEOPLE EVERYWHERE SERVING IN UNITY… “What you can accomplish with a partner will always be greater than what you could accomplish alone” Many of us live in parts of the world where the prevailing culture is one that encourages us to be self-centred and independent. As Christ-followers we are of course called…
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.…
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