When Robin Turner and Trevecca Okholm edited the newest Children's Spirituality Summit book from the 2021 conference they did it with two groups of folks in mind:
Children's directors and ministry volunteers (you know, those over-worked and under-valued folks who do the week-in/week-out ministry with kids in the church)
Professors who teach students best-practices for ministry and are on the lookout for textbooks that will engage their student's understanding for ministry with children.
Beyond the editing and the knowledgeable contributors to this 2021 conference book, we are delighted to receive some encouraging reviews, especially when they come from church workers and pastors who have found this new book user-friendly for equipping and empowering those over-worked and often under-valued directors, volunteers, and parents in their churches!
One such review recently came from Joel Cook, Worship Pastor of Grace Northridge Church in San Antonio, Texas. Joel begins his review by confessing that he honestly, did not expect much of this book. He goes on to write:
"I thought, ‘How much is there to say about children’s ministry that hasn’t already been said?’ Well, I was wrong. Having spent part of my undergraduate time in education courses, I was immediately impressed when I flipped through the book to see the vast number of research studies referenced and cited. Oh, this is legit! This book, however, is not just about the studies. It’s an extremely thoughtful integration of that research into very real, sensitive ministry, accounting for complexity and context, based on years of experience and deep reflection.”
You can read Joel’s full review (and we hope you do because Joel has a lot more to say!) on the AMiA (Anglican Mission in America) website: https://threestreamliving.org/2023/07/27/book-review-childrens-ministry-and-the-spiritual-child/