Colleen Derr

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Lorinda Roberts

Southern Baptist Theological seminary

Antonia Schupback

Indiana Wesleyan University

Christopher Talbot

WELCH COLLEGE

Bryan Froehle

Palm Beach Atlantic University

Mark Kuykendall

J. Nathan Holmes, II

University of Birmingham

David Bundy

Joerg Rieger

Vanderbilt University

James Paton

Asbury Theological Seminary

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Papers by Colleen Derr

Guest Editorial Ministry with Today's Diverse Families

Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational Ministry, 2017

Family was the original intended source of Christian education and discipleship as evidenced in t... more Family was the original intended source of Christian education and discipleship as evidenced in the first family of Genesis and the first formal written instruction on how to disciple provided in Deuteronomy 6. Throughout history, families have been the source of religious instruction and faith formation. The Israelites were instructed to celebrate the feasts by including children (and aliens), to erect monuments of stone as prompts for questions by children, and to tell the next generation the wondrous deeds of the Lord (Psalm 78). The New Testament offers a similar narrative in which faiththe coming to it and the practice of it-was a family affair. The early saints also recognized the role of the home in the faith formation of the people. St. John Chrysostom (347-407) viewed the family as an image of the church seeing parents as artists who are "to reveal the image of God in their children" (Chrysostom, 1986, p. 44). St. Augustine introduced us to the concept of home as the "Domestic Church. " Luther saw the advantage of in-home small groups for the purpose of reflection and deeper learning and wrote The Small Catechism (1529) for parents to teach their children the main points of the faith. Likewise Wesley recognized the valuable role of the home in the formation of faith, especially child faith formation, writing multiple sermons of instruction as well as "thoughts, " lessons, prayers, and hymns (Kuske, 1998). It was in recent history that the view of home as the primary place for discipleship diminished. Diana Garland (2012) in Family Ministry: A Comprehensive Guide identifies society and economy as significant factors in the change. Others align the shift with the professionalization of the pastor, especially in the fields of children and youth ministry. Regardless of the cause of the shift in the past, today another shift is occurring as we recognize the valuable role of the home in faith formation. Willard (2005) reminded us that we are all being formed; the question is "who or what is forming us?" With the impact of media immersion, the lim

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Annotated Bibliography: Resources on Family Ministry

Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational Ministry, 2017

(2011). A theology for family ministries. Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group. Anthony and Anth... more (2011). A theology for family ministries. Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group. Anthony and Anthony provide a glimpse, based on scholarly research and practical experiences, into the reality of American families today. They offer biblical examples and expectations for the role of families in faith and offer a concise theology of family. The text offers suggested models of family ministry and practical means of implementation.

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The Role of Obedience in Child Faith Formation: Insights from the Teachings and Practices of John Wesley

Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational Ministry, 2014

This article explores Wesley's directive to “break the will” of the child in order to achieve... more This article explores Wesley's directive to “break the will” of the child in order to achieve obedience, which he saw as the foundation for faith formation, and offers implications of this directive for Christian education today. Wesley saw children as capable of experiencing the full grace of God and possessing the ability to grow in grace. Wesley also realized that a child's natural tendency was to seek his or her own way and please self. Wesley urged parents and ministers to break the will of the child and move the child from seeking after selfish desires to obedience. He suggested that obedience to the parent must first be achieved before a child could learn obedience to God and called for Christian education that resulted in obedience to be consistent, personal, mild, loving, and Spirit-led.

Book Review: Families and faith: How religion is passed down across generations

Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational Ministry, 2014

Book Review: The Spiritual Guidance of Children: Montessori, Godly Play, and the Future

Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational Ministry, 2015

that would benefit from this book. The sound children's ministry philosophy that unfolds in chapt... more that would benefit from this book. The sound children's ministry philosophy that unfolds in chapters 5 through 12 rings true for all ministries involving children-not only those in emerging-style churches. Therefore, I would urge readers from many different theological perspectives to evaluate the contents of the first four chapters critically but graciously, and then to ponder thoughtfully the vision for ministry with children that is cast in the remainder of the book.

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Book Review: Reimagining Faith Formation for the 21st Century: Engaging all Ages & Generations

Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational Ministry, 2016

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Book Review: Biblical and Theological Foundations of the Family: The Domestic Church

Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational Ministry, 2015

Book Review: Teaching the Next Generations: A Comprehensive Guide for Teaching Christian Formation

Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational Ministry, 2017

In this section 15 books are reviewed, presented in the following general order: children/family ... more In this section 15 books are reviewed, presented in the following general order: children/family ministry, youth ministry, adult ministry, foundations, teaching-learning process, spirituality/spiritual formation, and leadership/administration-although reviews may not appear for each area. A list of each area and responsible editors appears after the last review in this section. We invite readers to consider reviewing a book for CEJ. Guidelines are available in downloadable documents at www. biola.edu/cej under the Publications Policy on the drop down menu.  Teaching the NEXT generations: A comprehensive guide for teaching Christian formation. By Terry Linhart. (Ed). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic. 2016. 338 pp. $34.99.

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Book Review: Faith Forward: Re-imagining Children's and Youth Ministry (Vol. 2)

Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational Ministry, 2016

Book Review: Children's Perceptions of the Role of Biblical Narratives in their Spiritual Formation

Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational Ministry, 2017

John Wesley and the faith formation of children: Lesson for the Church

John Wesley, an eighteenth century pastor, practical theologian, and founder of Methodism, offere... more John Wesley, an eighteenth century pastor, practical theologian, and founder of Methodism, offered teachings and writings on child faith formation. Research suggested that there is a lack of literature on Wesley’s teachings and practices that specifically relates to child faith formation. This dissertation seeks to recapture Wesley’s teachings and practices on child faith formation through an historical qualitative study of Wesley’s primary sources that addressed child faith formation. This study focused on answering the three questions Wesley and the first Methodist conference of ministers considered worthy of consideration what to teach, how to teach, and who shall teach. A four step coding process was completed on the document’s text that includes descriptive, topical, and analytical coding. The data analysis resulted in responses to the three research questions and an additional question, why teach. The findings revealed Wesley saw the purpose of Christian education to right the wrong of human nature, parents were seen as the primary “instructors” with the responsibility of child faith formation on everyone within the Methodist societies, and the “instructors” were to have the teachings of Christ in their own minds, hearts, and lives. The findings also revealed that instruction was to be early, frequently, on the child’s developmental level, building on the child’s previous knowledge, relational, experiential, and holistic; and the instruction should include insights into who is God, who are we, what has God done, and how are we to respond. The analysis results presented by document and by code revealed a summation to the questions based on the primary studies, implications for today, and opportunities for further research.

Guest Editorial Ministry with Today's Diverse Families

Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational Ministry, 2017

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Annotated Bibliography: Resources on Family Ministry

Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational Ministry, 2017

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The Role of Obedience in Child Faith Formation: Insights from the Teachings and Practices of John Wesley

Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational Ministry, 2014