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  “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven”
--Jesus (Matthew 18:3)
 
 

 
Four Methods of Encouraging Children's Spirituality

While the book ChildFaith provides dozens of ways parents can influence their children spiritually, and in turn be influenced by them, there are four distinctive approaches that can encourage them spiritually. All four of these approaches depart significantly from standard school models as well as the typical approaches found in churches.

 

PowerPoint Presentation Summarizing the Four Approaches
Presented at Nazarene Theological Seminary, Spring 2007

 

godlyplay

1. Reflection, Imagination, and Spiritual Experience

Godly Play  and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
Reflective, experiential approaches to encouraging spiritual experience in children
Do children experience God with these approaches?

Video: Godly Play by Catherine Stonehouse 6 min 

Video: Godly Play (extended) by Catherine Stonehouse
16 min 43 sec
(requires free Facebook account) 

 

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2. Children Ministering in the Church and Other Contexts

Becky Fischer's Redefining Children's Ministry
A radical vision for children actively using their gifts in ministry to others. Have we expected too little of children? Can her ideas be adapted to more traditional churches?

Video: Kids in Ministry 1 min

 

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3. Dramatizing Biblical Stories

Drama Story
A very effective approach is to have children enact a story. This can be done in the church or family context,
and helps the children understand the biblical account from the characters' perspectives. 

Video: Drama Story 5 min 4 sec

 

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4. Celebrating the Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith

Biblical Holidays Curriculum   Holy Land Adventure   Shabbat School Curriculum
It can be exciting, and a learning experience for parents and children alike, to celebrate the Old Testament holidays.
These celebrations honor the Jewish heritage of Christianity, complemented by New Testament understandings.

Video: Messianic Children Celebrating the Holidays
5 min 11 sec

Video: Highlights from a Passover Seder (1995)
4 min 49 sec

Please keep other parents (and us!) informed about the activities you are doing, whether they include the above four possibilities or if you are using other strategies. Share what you have learned, so others can benefit from your experiences! Log on to the ChildFaith discussion web site (see the right tab at the top of this page), and describe what you are doing on the personal blog provided (there is no charge for joining the page). Upload pictures showing how your family does spiritual formation. I hope you will upload some videos that show this as well. Tell us the story of how your church is encouraging parents and their children in spiritual formation, if they are involved. You may also want to include web sites you are using that are helpful in this task (please include the web addresses). If you have new ideas, or creative adaptations of the ideas provided here (or in the book!), please add those to the discussions and forums as well. This is a community effort—the community of God working to encourage one another in this important task of nurturing—and being nurtured by—the youngsters in our families and churches. We can all learn from one another!