Child In The Midst

“child in the midst”

Saturday 14th November 2009

Fareham Deanery

Introduction

Aim:• To reflect on how children grow and develop. To

consider how to enable our programmes to allow children to flourish spiritually.

Learning Outcomes• To explore how children develop and how that

might impact our ministry with them• To engage with key “faith development” models.• To know the six main areas the spiritual quality

of work with children.

Session One

• How children grow and develop

• Faith development

Then and now

THEN

NOW

Then and nowWhen you were seven:• What was your favourite food?• What was your favourite toy or

game?• What was your favourite story?• What was your favourite TV or

radio programme?• Did you know any Christians?• What did you know about

Christianity and Christian faith?• Did you feel part of a church?

Why/why not?

Now they are seven:• What foods are popular with

seven-year-olds today?• What toys and games do they play

with?• What sorts of stories do they like?• What TV programmes are the

most popular with this age group?• Do the children in your group

know any Christians other than you?

• What do they know about Christianity and Christian faith?

• Do they feel part of your church? Why/why not? 

How children grow and develop

1. Draw the outline of a child and write on the main characteristics of the age group.

2. Think about all aspects of a child’s being: physical, social, emotional, spiritual intellectual.

3. When finished, compare and contrast your diagram with the ‘Child development’ charts.

Reflections

• Do the charts help you to understand better how children develop? Why/why not?

• To what extent are they relevant to children with special needs?

• What insights has this exercise given into understanding the children you work with?

Motivation & NeedsHello, I am Abraham Maslow

Mia Keller PringleSignificant needs in the

development of Children:• The need for love and

security• The need for new

experiences• The need for praise and

recognition• The need for responsibility

Focus on faith

Faith is…?

IMAGES OF FAITH

• How does your view of faith affect the way you work with children?

• How does your experience of faith affect the way you work with children?

Faith Development

Westerhoff’s Stages:

• EXPERIENCED FAITH (preschool & early childhood)

• AFFILIATIVE FAITH (childhood & early adolescent years)

• SEARCHING FAITH (late adolescence)

• OWNED FAITH (early adulthood)

Faith Development

David Hay’s four fundamental questions:

• Who am I?

• Where have I come from?

• Where am I going?

• What am I meant to do?

Biblical thought

Session Two

• Nurturing Children’s Spirituality

• Audit Tool?

S.P.I.R.I.T.

Space

• Physical Space– What do spaces say to children?– Spaces say something about us– Spaces display value

• Emotional Space– Space to be apart - Space to be close

• Auditory Space– Talk less, listen more– Taking silence seriously

Process

• More about process than product

• Less concerned with fixed outcomes –teaching product

• Task orientated or person orientated?

• Limit rewards for products

Imagination

• Give permission to imagine

• Children need to develop of habit of using imagination

• Do adults leave enough room for children to be imaginative

Relationship

• Relationships can set parameters for how relate spiritually

• A listening respectful ethos will develop better relationships

• The space between individuals can be seen as Holy Ground

Intimacy

• Spirituality thrives on intimacy

• It is not about privacy, small groups and cosiness

• Feeling safe is important

• Some factors threaten intimacy– Leaders on rotation– Irregular attendance by children

Trust

• Essential to the maintenance of spiritual life

• Concerned with process over product

• Trust evident in how we view our adult roles

• Trust is not about having the right answers… it’s more about how we answer, if at all.

Audit

• S

• P

• I

• R

• I

• T

Key Questions in handout!

Any Questions

Worship