Joining Children on the Spiritual Journey: Nurturing a Life of Faith (BridgePoint Books) [Paperback]

Catherine Stonehouse (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1998 | Series: BridgePoint Books

Understanding how a child's faith forms is crucial to knowing how adults can most significantly enhance the child's spiritual development. Joining Children on the Spiritual Journey provides parents, teachers, and Christian education leaders with valuable insights into spiritual formation during childhood. By carefully "setting the stage" through liturgy, sacred stories, and parables, Christian educators can help children meet with God.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Catherine Stonehouse (Ph.D., Michigan State University) is Orlean Bullard Beeson Professor of Christian Education at Asbury Theological Seminary. She is the author of Patterns in Moral Development and has had extensive experience directing Christian education at both the local and denominational levels.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Baker Academic (March 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801058074
• ISBN-13: 978-0801058073
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #489,729 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book available on children's spiritual formation!, October 10, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Joining Children on the Spiritual Journey: Nurturing a Life of Faith (BridgePoint Books) (Paperback)

This is by far the most thoughtful presentation I have read about children's spiritual nurture (and I've read most of the titles now available on the market). Fowler's clsssic may be the standard for explaining stages of spiritual formation, but Dr. Stonehouse truly fleshes out children's experience of faith and how parents and educators can most effectively feed children spiritually. She writes from a Christian perspective. Her approach is scholarly and draws from solid research, yet the text is engaging and highly readable with wise suggestions parents will want to implement. It is not a gimmick-filled idea book, but rather a well grounded guide in understanding, encouraging, and joining children on a shared spiritual journey. Dr. Stonehouse shows great insight into children's experience of faith at various stages, and gives parents and the wider church family a solid understanding of how to share a rich, worshipful life with kids. Besides the clear writing, the strength of this book is the wisdom it imparts that nurturing a life of faith is as much about adults growing and maturing as it is about their modeling and encouraging spiritual growth for children. This book will prove valuable to parents, christian educators, Sunday school program directors, and those in relational ministry to children. She includes a great bibliography.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book available on children's spiritual formation!, October 10, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Joining Children on the Spiritual Journey: Nurturing a Life of Faith (BridgePoint Books) (Paperback)

This is by far the most thoughtful presentation I have read about children's spiritual nurture (and I've read most of the titles now available on the market). Fowler's clsssic may be the standard for explaining stages of spiritual formation, but Ms. Stonehouse truly fleshes out children's experience of faith and how parents can most effectively feed their children spiritually. She writes from a Christian perspective. Her approach is scholarly and draws from solid research, yet the text is engaging and highly readable with wise suggestions parents will want to implement. It is not so much a detailed "how to" guide as it is an encouragement to join children on a shared journey. Ms. Stonehouse shows great insight into children's experience of faith at various stages, and gives parents a solid understanding of how to share a rich, worshipful life with their kids. Besides the clear writing, the strength of this book is the wisdom it imparts that nurturing a life of faith is as much about parents growing and maturing as it is about their modeling and encouraging spiritual growth for their children. She includes a great bibliography.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Faith confirmed by science, January 23, 2009

By 

T. Smithson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Joining Children on the Spiritual Journey: Nurturing a Life of Faith (BridgePoint Books) (Paperback)

Stonehouse does a wonderful job of wedding faith development and modern psycology to help Christians be more intentional and wise as they seek to lead children into a maturing faith in God.