Helping Our Children Grow in Faith: How the Church Can Nurture the Spiritual Development of Kids
You can guide children to a deeper, life-long faithWhether you are a Sunday school teacher, volunteer, leader, or parent, you and your church play a vital role in nurturing children's faith. In this practical book, you will find six principles for fostering the kind of three-dimensional faith that affects a child's head, heart, and spirit. Glean from both theory and theology to explore how to• make your children's ministry effective• distinguish between building faith and teaching morals• tailor your teaching to children's developmental levels• give children a faith foundation that stands through doubts and questions• balance age-specific programs with the full life of the churchHelping Our Children Grow in Faithoffers great ideas for turning your church into a child-friendly community--a place where children develop faith that affects every aspect of their lives."A thoughtful, accessible, and practical introduction to the basic building blocks of effective ministries with children. Keeley takes seriously children and their spiritual development, challenging congregations to move beyond simplistic approaches that don't fully engage children."--Eugene C. Roehlkepartain, codirector, Center for Spiritual Development in Childhood and Adolescence, Search Institute, Minneapolis, Minnesota"Keeley offers practical suggestions for welcoming children into the faith community as authentic participants. He envisions church as a 'child-friendly culture,' an environment healthy for the spiritual growth of children. And he points the way to forming such a community."--Cathy Stonehouse, dean, School of Practical Theology and Orlean Bullard Beeson Professor of Christian Discipleship, Asbury Theological Seminary"I loved this book! It is a delight to find someone with a clear vision of how the entire life of the church needs to be developed if we want our children to have a healthy, growing faith in Jesus Christ. This is a must-read for every children's pastor and lay leader who cares about the spiritual nurture of children."--Kevin E. Lawson, director, PhD and EdD programs in Educational Studies, Talbot School of Theology; editor,Christian Education JournalRobert J. Keeley is a professor of education at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and codirector, with his wife, Laura, of children's ministries at Fourteenth Street Christian Reformed Church in Holland, Michigan.