Resources

The Walk On book lists many excellent resources on faith formation. You may also want to check out these additional resources:

Helping Our Children Grow in Faith: How the Church can Nurture the Spiritual Development of Kids by Robert J. Keeley

From the Publisher: "Children have serious faith questions that require serious answers, answers that adults often find themselves under-prepared to give. But the Christian community has a responsibility to help its children develop a three-dimensional faith, a faith that affects their heads, their hearts, and their spirits. Helping Our Children Grow in Faith is designed for children's ministry and worship leaders, Sunday school teachers, and pastors as well as parents who want to nurture the spiritual development of the children in their lives. It shows how to integrate children into congregational worship, how to teach them the Bible but leave room for the mystery of God, and how to distinguish the difference between faith development and moral development."

Practicing our Faith: A Way of Life for Searching People edited by Dorothy C. Bass

From the back cover: "Many Christians are looking for ways to deepen their relationship with God by practicing their faith in everyday life?.This book explores twelve central Christian practices?shared activities that address fundamental human needs and that, woven together, form a way of life. . . . Shaped by the Christian community over the centuries yet richly grounded in the experiences of living communities today, these practices show us how Christian spiritual disciplines can become an integral part of how we live each day."

Check out these articles about faith formation:

• Learn more about authentic community from this article "What The Monks Taught Me" by Tim Morey.
• What are our responsibilities in raising children of God?  Read the article by Roc Bottomly, an experienced father of four called "Prayer, Pizza, Play (and Other Ingredients for Effective Parenting)"
• Ever felt like this:  "I feel more like a chauffeur than a parent. How can I make the most of time on the go with my family?" Read this article by Keri Wyatt Kent which offers ideas for the family driving time. 
• "10 Questions To Ask To Make Sure You're Still Growing" by Donald S. Whitney
• Our journey of faith is not one that we walk alone.  Read or view the sermon called "The Long Road of Faith" by Craig Kocher

Spiritual Formation Resources from the RCA

“We must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ" (Ephesians 4:15). The Reformed Church in America has identified spiritual formation and lifelong learning as priorities for the Commission of Christian Education and Discipleship. Explore the RCA’s online resources for spiritual formation. Read “Spiritual Formation and Lifelong Learning,” a paper presented to the RCA’s 2005 general synod. 

Ministry to Seniors

To be communities of lifelong learners, churches must minister to people of all ages. Check out the Reformed Church in America’s website article titled “Resources for Senior Adult Ministry.”

The Barna Update

"Six out of ten twenty-somethings were involved in a church during their teen years, but have failed to translate that into active spirituality during their early adulthood."

"Currently two-thirds of Americans believe that God is best described as the all-powerful, all-knowing perfect creator of the universe who rules the world today (66%). However, this proportion is lower than it was a year ago (71%) and represents the lowest percentage in more than twenty years of similar surveys."

These quotes are taken from the Barna Update, a regular e-communication from the Barna Group. Addressing issues related to ministry and Christian life, the Barna Update will keep you informed of the latest research. Check out the website and sign up for the Barna Update at www.barna.org.

Household Worship: A Tradition of Blessing

"Home worship provides an ideal context for faith formation" states Deb Rienstra. Read more about how families can be blessed by worship at home at http://www.thebanner.org/magazine/article.cfm?article_id=942.

Autism and Your Church: Nurturing the Spiritual Growth of People with Autism Spectrum Disorders

by Barbara J. Newman (Faith Alive Christian Resources, 2006)

From the web site:  This unique resource will help your church to welcome people with autism into the full life of your congregation.  Autism has evolved from an unfamiliar term to an everyday reality for millions of people. Bookstore shelves are filled with resources that address how Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) affect children and adults at school, work, and home.

This resource will enable your congregation to appreciate those with ASD as persons created in God’s image, learn about five specific disorders included in ASD, discover ten strategies for including people with ASD, and develop an action plan for ongoing ministry.

For more information about ministry to people with cognitive impairments, check out Friendship Ministry at www.friendship.org

The Child in Christian Thought

by Marcia J. Bunge, editor (Eerdmans, 2001)

This book examines the history of Christian thought about children and childhood. The views of theologians such as Martin Luther, Jonathan Edwards, and John Calvin are carefully and thoughtfully discussed. The authors also consider how the past influences our view of children today. While respecting multiple theological traditions, the book builds on them in a positive way for a more meaningful Christian view of childhood.

Discover Your Faith and Learn How to Live It

by Norman D. Stolpe (Faith Alive Christian Resources, 2001)

Adapted from the back cover: What do your students really believe about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Bible, and the church? What impact do their beliefs have on their lives? Written for young people in middle school, this six-session study will help your students learn that faith involves our head (knowledge), our heart (experiences and conviction) and our hands (practicing your faith).

Expressing Faith in Jesus: Church Membership for People with Cognitive Impairments

by Ronald C. Vredeveld (Faith Alive Christian Resources, 2005)

From the web site: This book and resource kit will guide your church leaders and friends with cognitive impairments to go through the process of church membership.Expressing Faith in Jesus is an invaluable resource for helping the Christian community grow in its acceptance of and love for persons with cognitive impairments.

For more information about ministry to people with cognitive impairments, check out Friendship Ministry at www.friendship.org

Helping Kids Include Kids with Disabilities

by Barb Newman, Faith Alive Christian Resources,  2001.

From the web site:  This how-to manual equips teachers, church activity leaders, and kids with the information they need to practice inclusive education in community. The book includes information for understanding children with special needs, guidelines for churches, information about specific and general areas of impairment, lesson plans, letters to families, and devotions for families.

For more information about ministry to people with cognitive impairments, check out Friendship Ministry at www.friendship.org

The Religious Nature and Biblical Nurture of God’s Children: A Guide for Parents and Teachers

by Jack Fennema (Dordt College Press, 2005)

From the book’s preface: “Who indeed, feels prepared and adequate to nurture children in a manner that is pleasing to God? Who are these children? What makes them tick? And what about their created nature should I be aware of so that I can parent and teach them in a way God intended? Those are the questions that I want to address in this book, first by focusing on the nature of the children whom God has given to us and second by focusing on the nurture that God has entrusted us to provide his kingdom kids.”