God’s Heart for Children

Description

In the New Testament, Jesus is explicit in communicating God’s heart for children. Yet what does it look like for that heart to encounter the contextual realities of life in the twenty-first century?
This book explores the theological implications and practical realities of ministry with children in a globalized world. Affirming eight core beliefs regarding the place of children in creation – that they are created with dignity and intended to be placed in families, cared for in community, advocated by society, secured in hope, affirmed in God’s church, included in God’s mission, and engaged in creation care – this book traces the impact of such far-reaching issues as displacement, climate change, human trafficking, persecution, and gender discrimination on childhood development. Written by over twenty contributors from around the world, each section roots its premise in contextual theology, examines the implications for praxis, provides a case study, and includes questions for discussion and reflection.
Through each chapter the conversation around childhood development is broadened, prioritizing the experiences of children and practitioners to truly reflect the realities of our changing world. This is an excellent resource for all those concerned with the current risks facing children, especially among the world’s most vulnerable populations, and what best practice looks like as the people of God work to bring God’s heart, and hope, to children in their communities and beyond.

Sujets

• Religion
• Christianisme
• Christian Theology
• Philosophie et théologie

Informations

• Publié par: Langham Creative Projects
• Date de parution: 31 mai 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781839736926
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Safeguarding children’s dignity has become a main concern in today’s world. Within the pages of this book, one is presented with a kaleidoscopic representation of inspiring life stories that highlight similarities among cultures over differences. Written by a diversified authorship, with writers from countries across Asia, Africa, and South America, this book is very enriching. Although the reader’s typical eagerness to learn more is toppled by a strong sense of sadness for the many hardships endured by children all around the world, the book carries a great message of resilience and hope. Each of the authors carry the reader in their way through the realities of Christian and non-Christian communities in various cultures. I see in this work an opportune journey to explore what is happening to children and their inalienable right to live in peace and dignity, in our increasingly complex, harsh, and cruel global world.
Hiba Al-Jamal
Director, SKILD,
Smart Kids with Individual Learning Differences Center,
Mansourieh El Maten, Lebanon
This book honors children by enlarging our view of their vulnerabilities, strengths, and contributions and offering creative strategies for protecting, learning from, and collaborating with them. The volume brings together highly respected faith leaders from diverse contexts in the Majority World and is divided into eight chapters that address urgent challenges children are facing worldwide. Chapters are both sobering and inspiring because they carefully examine multiple dimensions of the suffering and agency of children and provide practical strategies and biblical and theological foundations for hope and positive change. The chapters speak powerfully and effectively to the church worldwide by incorporating insights from a range of sources, including the Bible, theologians past and present, the social sciences, policies and best practices of secular and faith-based organizations, national and international reports and agreements regarding child well-being, and the stories and experiences of children themselves.
Marcia J. Bunge, PhD
Professor of Religion and the Drell and Adeline Bernhardson Distinguished Chair,
Department of Religion, Gustavus Adolphus College, Minnesota,USA
Extraordinary Research Professor, North-West University, South Africa
As I reflected on this book, I was deeply conscious that the book is being released at a time when the world is haunted by the images out of Ukraine – a weeping child carrying a stuffed teddy bear walking to “nowhere.” It is reported that there have been more than 1.5 million children who have fled the country and more than 75,000 children becoming refugees every day (over 50 children every minute). As the global powers skirt around the issues involved in this war, are the children paying the price for someone’s deeply overgrown ego and the helplessness of the nations? Will the church in obedience to her God be able to say with conviction, “I have seen violence done to the helpless, and I have heard the groans of the poor [children]. Now I will rise up to rescue them” (Psalm 12)?
God’s Heart for Children is in many ways a search for an answer to this desire to see God and the church act. This book locates itself stubbornly on the margins alongside vulnerable children. It places the child as the “lens” for developing perspectives on humanitarian issues and framing a counter narrative to challenge the adult-centric flawed paradigms dominant in the humanitarian space. The book weaves a fine tapestry with simple stories of children, reflections on theological motifs, and the rich experiences of authors drawn from all across our nations.
Jayakumar Christian
Former National Director World Vision India,
Chennai, India
When we worked two decades ago on the collective project of a biblical framework to understand God’s heart for children, our hope was that a new generation of practitioners and theologians would take on the assignment to help Christians with a sound biblical theology of ministry to and with children. God’s Heart for Children is just the fulfillment of a dream that was planted in our hearts back then. I’m blessed to know that this new generation of scholars and practitioners have taken on the value of children in the mission of God and they have done it with passion, depth, and commitment to both children and God’s word.
Gustavo Crocker, PhD
General Superintendent,
Church of the Nazarene, USA
As the church seeks to participate in God’s mission, and does so “to, for, and with children,” volumes like this one make for essential reading and remind us that the church participates in God’s mission “as” children as well. This wide-ranging and rich collection of essays by authors from around the globe illustrates why it is so important to take context seriously in our theological reflection, and why we need one another – children and adults – to discern how to live and speak as faithful disciples of Jesus today.
Tim J. Davy, PhD
Lecturer and Head of Research and Consultancy,
All Nations Christian College, Ware, UK
God’s Heart for Children: Practical Theology from Global Perspectives is a practical, contextual, and contemporary resource for any Christian organization working with children, mainly focusing on children at risk. It is great to see such important theological reflections, case studies, and contributions from across the globe, which is particularly exciting for me, especially in relation to our work across Asia.
Prabu Deepan
Regional Director for Asia,
Tearfund, Sri Lanka
Over a decade on from the original Understanding God’s Heart for Children , this edition of God’s Heart for Children draws out important voices from around the world in helpfully constructive ways. Hearing the contextual theological and biblical responses to both the issues statements and case studies is particularly enlightening. With strong experienced voices, the children who are at the center of this book are seen and heard. Thank you for doing this so respectfully and honorably. Their resilience against all the odds is awe-inspiring, and yet so often the authors call upon the church at large to learn, reflect, and do better.
The discussion questions at the end of each chapter are helpful to pause, reflect, and put it into our contexts, looking through familiar lenses. Combined with this is a very helpful Scripture reference index and many extended footnotes as well as bibliography. Do read the author bios, they are inspirational people!
This digest of contemporary issues facing children today is a study compendium for all students, churches, and missions as they seek to do no harm, to combine efforts to build God’s kingdom, and to see children in their context, honoring them, and giving a hope and a future.
I am going to keenly encourage all my students and faculty at All Nations Christian College to engage with this excellent compendium. Thank you very much each and every author, editor, and support team. Let’s get this out to a global audience who need to read it too!
Andy Dipper
Principal & Chief Executive,
All Nations Christian College, London, UK
God’s Heart for Children challenges us to examine how we perceive children: do we see the same value, the same dignity, and the same potential that God sees in them? Do we consider them as prepared by God to participate in his work and actively contribute to his kingdom? And how can we help them overcome what keeps them from fulfilling their God-given calling? Experts from different regions of the world allow us to hear the voices of children by telling their stories. With profound theological insights, unsettling facts and statistics, and deeply relatable testimonies, the authors give a face to the issues children experience in various cultures and contexts. The book also provides proven practical steps on how the church can effectively respond. It is a valuable resource for anyone who works with children and desires to see them flourish in accordance with God’s will.
Rebecca Goropevsek, DMin
Coordinator, Children’s Network,
World Evangelical Alliance, New York, USA
I was deeply influenced in my work in the Christian development sector by the 2007 publication of Understanding God’s Heart for Children . The perspectives it presented shaped my understanding of the centrality of children, and especially children at risk, in community-based work informed by a Christian perspective.
I was therefore delighted to receive this new edition with its global voices and contextual approach. It is a valuable resource for individual and group study to inform action that reflects God’s heart for children. I recommend this book highly, not only for those working directly with children, but for all those seeking to understand the importance of children in God’s mission. My hope and belief is that this book will fuel thinking and action that will substantially increase the flourishing of all children and especially of those currently living in very difficult circumstances.
Deborah Hancox, PhD
Micah Global International Coordinator,
South Africa
God’s Heart for Children: Practical Theology from Global Perspectives provides a seven-point roadmap of a kingdom approach to our responsibility to fulfil God’s mandate to, for, and with children. Situating contextual theologies from the Majority World as the basis for reflection and praxis, the authors have diligently provided a biblical foundation for a missional, intergenerational, and a holistic spiritual formation of inclusion of children in the congregational community and society. This is a must-read book by all undergraduate level students of theology and ministry, as well as children at risk practitioners such as those leading ministries and organizations.
Malinda N. Harrahs, PhD
Deputy Vice Chancellor – Academic Affairs,
Scott Christian University, Kenya
This is a broad, yet deep, exploration of children and their value