Faith Alive Book Cited As 'Essential'

Christian Century magazine in its current issue cites two books, written by authors associated with the Christian Reformed Church, as being among five "essential books on children’s ministry."

One book is "Homegrown: Handbook for Christian Parenting," written by Karen DeBoer and published by Faith Alive Christian Resources, the publishing agency of the Christian Reformed Church.

The other book is "Helping Our Children Grow in Faith: How the Church Can Nurture the Spiritual Development of Kids" by Robert Keeley. It was published by Baker Books.

Keeley is a professor of education and chair of the Education Department at Calvin College. He and his wife, Laura, serve as directors of children's ministries at 14th St. Christian Reformed Church in Holland, Mich. They have four children.

The article "Essential Books On Children’s Ministry" is in the Books section of Christian Century. Karen-Marie Yust, a Christian education teacher at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Virginia, selected the books and wrote the article.

"Children's ministries are most effective when congregations partner with parents in nurturing childhood faith," she writes in a short review of DeBoer's book.

"DeBoer organizes this book as series of responses to 111 questions that parents might ask church leaders and draws on interviews with several evangelical and mainstream Protestant scholars to inform her answers."

Of Robert Keeley's book, Yust writes: "Keeley presents six principles for children’s ministry, including an emphasis on God's mystery and a distinction between faith and moral development. The author also provides concrete suggestions for involving children in all aspects of congregational life, including weekly worship."

Keeley has more than 30 years of experience working with children and young people in churches and schools. He and his wife, Laura, have four children.

For Faith Alive, he has written "Shaped by God: Twelve Essentials for Nurturing Faith in Children, Youth and Adults." Also for Faith Alive, he and his wife have co-authored "Celebrating the Milestones of Faith: A Guide for Churches" and 11 Christmas plays for children.

For more information on Robert Keeley, visit Keeley's website. For information on their books for Faith Alive, visit and search: Faith Alive catalogue.

DeBoer is the mother of four, an early childhood educator, and a curriculum editor who's been involved in children's ministry for more than 25 years.

"We are gratified that her book has found recognition in the broader Protestant mainstream audience of Christian Century," said Leonard Vander Zee, editor in chief at Faith Alive. "We are always trying to reach a wider audience while remaining the publishing agency of the CRC." 

Vander Zee says that the book is meant "to help parents nurture faith in their children both within the home and within the covenant community of the church." The book is accompanied by a study guide and video for small groups.

Topics in DeBoer’s book include:

• How can I help my kids trust God when they're worried or bad things happen?
• How do I explain tough things like death and divorce?
• Is it okay that we don't have family devotions?
• How can I make our home a place where my kids' faith will grow?

"God—the only perfect Parent—has planted the seeds of faith in your children. You get to nurture those seeds and watch their faith grow. This book is designed to provide you with helpful information and hopeful inspiration along the way," writes DeBoer in the introduction to her book.

Other books cited by Christian Century are: "Listening to Children on the Spiritual Journey," by Catherine Stonehouse and Scottie May; "Enduring Connections: Creating a Preschool and Children's Ministry" by Janice Haywood, and "The Child in the Bible," edited by Marcia J. Bunge, Terence E. Fretheim, and Beverly Roberts Gaventa.