Customer Reviews

Children Matter: Celebrating Their Place in the Church, Family, and Community

5 star:		(3)
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Although this book is written by a group of educators it is one of the best books I have ever read on children's spirituality and show us with many examples how the faith community can nurture its youngest members. Children Matter emphasized relationships between people and encourages the church to welcome all children as valued participants in the people of God.
A wide range of examples from the Protestant traditions and drawing on the Bible, history and psychology to lay good foundations. The examples were excellent and evualated with strengths and weaknesses for all ages from toddler through grade school. The evidence of teaching is learning; how the children respond, the questions they ask, the attitudes they demonstrate in actual behavior and the way they use Scripture to inform their lives and decisions.

A wide ranges of examples were given from ancient times to the present. The book was exciting in the responses from the children. Anyone who works with children would find this an excellent tool, it has a great bibliography, footnotes, scripture list ---you couldn't ask for more.
It left me with a great sense of hope and urgency to give our teachers and parents great tools.

Imagine the faith journey with children as a pilgrimage or dance with God. Explore the contexts in which children live, make an informed and animated commitment to nurture a vibrant faith in your churchs youngest members. Theory and practice are interwoven ---if your church cares that children matter this is the book for you.

Everything I spent ten years learning about children's ministry, these authors have managed to boil down into a FANASTIC resource for church leaders and volunteers. This is an exceptional blending of theory and practice, covering both logistical and philosophical issues. If you want to read just one book about ministry to children, this is it!

Children Matter is a useful tool for church education committees to read and study together. It provides a broad overview of the componants of educational programing in a parish setting. It introduces aspects of educational ministry that lay persons need to develop an understanding and articulation of today's approach.

I would also reccomend it for college and seminary introduction courses.

Karen Cross
Church Educator

Children do matter. That's the basic point of the book which then provides ways to have ministries see that children do matter. After all, children grow up to be the next leaders and workers.