BOOK REVIEW BLOG

Full disclosure: I practice yoga. It is a respite for me, despite the fact that I often have a toddler hanging off my back as I move from down dog to a lunge into warrior…

Twenty years ago, I served as the director of Christian Education in a congregation in the town where I lived. Whenever the kids would see me out at the grocery store, the library, or playground,…

I spend a lot of time with children. In fact, it would be fair to state that I binge-watch kids. I love to hear about what matters to them, I love to be involved in…

Have you ever hedgehogged a book? Put so many sticky notes and bookmarks in it that there are pieces of paper sticking out in every direction, akin to the quills on a hedgehog? That’s how…

I think it’s fair to say that everyone has a subtle rhythm to their households, myriad little practices that flow into one another that help us make room for what matters, equip us to get…

I am blessed to receive texts from friends and friends of friends who are looking for information to help the children in their lives. Sometimes the texts are simple, like what’s your favorite sneaker to…

Jill J. Duffield When I begin working on a new concept with a class of learners, I like to spend time connecting what they already know about to what we are about to learn. Basically,…

Alan Fadling If someone were collecting data on the most common answers to the question of how one is doing, certainly one of the top three answers would be busy. People, especially as they emerge…

Growing in Grace My husband and I met due to a shared love of music. We invest a LOT of time and money each month in piano lessons for our children. We have a collection…

Shani E. McIlwain I must admit that I have written and rewritten and rewritten the rewrites of this introductory paragraph at least a dozen times. I am not qualified to make analogies, discuss my experiences,…

Edited by John Roberto When March, 2020 rolled around, I had been in my current position (director of educational ministries for a small congregation) for five months. We had gone from an average of 1.2…

Glenys Nellist When my husband and I got married a long time ago, the family of one of my students gave us a magnet for our refrigerator. It had 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 printed on…

Linsey Davis I have heard some fabulous questions from children over the past 25 years; how old is the stuff in lava, will deer swim in a pool if no one is watching, can I…

Sarah Cowan Johnson I will own the fact that I find human development and pedagogy fascinating. They are not your everyday interests, but I can find people that share them and have conversations about what…

Susan Eaddy My family has an affinity for the story of Jesus’s birth. My husband and I met while he was performing as one of the Three Kings in Gian Carlo Menotti’s Amahl and The…

Krin Van Tatenhove and Rob Mueller As we all process the lessons we have learned from the pandemic, one resounding cry we hear from people is that they only want to be part of what…

Justine Froelker Our children and youth have an unprecedented amount of stress in their day-to-day lives. Our culture has made it more difficult for them to find places of calm and peace, adding new layers…

Ruth Haley Barton Some days, for me, start at 11:43 pm the night before with one kid falling out of bed and needing a back rub to help them settle back in, continue at 2:13…

Irene Kraegel There is a handful of questions that I get time and again. It’s almost predictable at this point- very rarely does a week go by without one of them being asked. Towards the…

Glenys Nellist I have mentioned that I am the mother of seven children and that my home is filled with books. We literally have floor to ceiling bookshelves in every room, on our staircase landing,…

Glenys Nellist It’s a rare day that I find a devotional that works for my whole family. Two parents, three teens, a tween, two elementary school aged kids, and a toddler equal a wide range…

Jill J. Duffield Whenever I begin introducing a new topic to a group of learners, I spend a significant amount of time activating everyone’s background knowledge. What experiences have we had with it? What do…

Cheryl Minor Like many of you, I am in a special place with my work; processing the lessons I’ve learned through the pandemic, altering what faith formation looks like based upon those lessons, tinkering with…

Donna Schaper Because of my work, my children have been brought to so many different churches that we really cannot count the number. They have honed a rating system of congregations, based on genuine friendliness,…

Les Carpenter Full disclosure: I absolutely love improv comedy. I have spent years of my life feeding my babies in the wee hours of the night while watching reruns of Whose Line Is It Anyway.…

Rebecca L. McClain I have been working in children’s ministries for over two decades and have definite favorites when it comes to pedagogy and faith formation. Godly Play has elements that I have loved and…

Talbot Davis My mornings begin at dark o’clock, eastern time, with a steaming cup of coffee and the only silence I will have all day. I learned quickly that if I didn’t steal away early…

Open Waters Publishing Pandemic life has taught us many lessons; one of them being we stick with what matters most. One of the biggest comforts I have found for children and families is sinking into…