In most churches, Christian education for children is run by enthusiastic volunteers from the worshipping community. But how much support and training do they receive? Do they get the opportunity to explore and apply principles of child development or current theories of faith development? And to what extent are they supported by their ministers and congregations with a clear focus on children's work?
Including empirical research and drawing on the author's extensive experience of working with children, Faith in Children offers a window into the process going on inside our children and enables those who work with them to understand what makes a particular child tick. With insights into a range of teaching methods, learning styles and the unique spirituality of children, this book suggests how adults can truly learn from children as they learn from us.
There are tips for ministers and educators on how this precious teaching and nurturing resource can be sustained and used to work with children in a more effective manner. Through this increasing knowledge and understanding, adults can come closer to understanding children understanding God.
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A book about children in the church, and how to reach and nurture them.
Contents
Introduction 6
Chapter 1 Spirituality 9
Chapter 2 Psychological theories of childhood: intellectual development 20
Chapter 3 Personality development 33
Chapter 4 Spiritual styles 47
Chapter 5 Social development 59
Chapter 6 Faith and how it grows 75
Chapter 7 The story so far 94
Chapter 8 Godly Play 106
Chapter 9 Play 122
Chapter 10 Children thinking about God 136
Chapter 11 Home, school, and church: how do we work together for the benefit of the child? 154
Chapter 12 The way forward: growing faith 165
Chapter 13 A sharing of good practice 179
Appendix 1 Time, space, story, ritual: a year of Godly Play 193
Appendix 2 Creative Christmas 207
Notes 210
Bibliography 218
Index 220
Ronni Lamont worked for many years as a teacher, was the vicar at StJohn's Bexley and chaplain and governor at the local primary school andchair of the Rochester Diocesan Children's Committee. She is currently aFaith and Nurture advisor at the diocese of Canterbury. Ronni is an accredited Godly Play teacher and her MA dissertation explored storytellingin relation to children's spirituality. She is the author of Faithin Children.
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