DESCRIPTION:

What does a person need to know about a child in order to effectively promote formation? What factors affect who the child is today? What skills and abilities has the Creator poured into these early years of life? This course deals with the biblical and educational perspectives of the foundation years in a life. What are the needs of the child that cause this to be a vulnerable period of formation? How does it feel to be a child and see life through limited perceptions? If these are to be years of formation for Christian concepts, what do we know about how the child learns best? What can we learn about the basis for his moral and valuation training? How the child sees self and the significant others will further or hinder grasp and application of biblical truth. What factors have been found to build self-esteem and socialization in the person of the child? This course will aid the student in becoming a Parent Equipper, Agent of Salvation, Discipline Designer, Value Engineer, and Learning Enabler.

This course enables participants to recognize the place of children in the ministry of the home and church and equips with skills to minister to and program for children.

Three hours of class once a week with demonstrations, discussion and small group involvement in class.

*Coles Robert. The Spiritual Life of Children. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.

Haystead, Wesley. Teaching Your Child about God. Rev. ed. Gospel Light, 1995.

Prichard, Gretchen. Offering the Gospel to Children. Cowley Publications, 1992.

Ratcliff, Donald, ed. Handbook of Children's Religious Education. Religious Education Press, 1992.

Richards, Lawrence. Children's Ministry: Nursing Faith Within the Family of God. Zondervan, 1988.

*Also required for Children's Ministry Concentration.

Additional reading will be on reserve.

In addition to reading preparation and participation in class discussion, class members will observe children's TV and interview parents. To make practical the application of classroom principles, each member will design a learning experience for children as well as a children's talk/sermon. Class members will be asked to write out the plan of salvation in terms that a child can understand.

Additional reading will be assigned from the class reading list.

None.

Meets M. Div. core requirement in Christian Formation and Discipleship (MIN 4).

None.