ACTS Seminaries of Trinity Western University - Centre for Ministry Excellence In collaboration with Northwest Baptist Seminary

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1 ACTS Seminaries of Trinity Western University - Centre for Ministry Excellence In collaboration with Northwest Baptist Seminary CHM 591, SPIRITUAL FORMATION OF A CHILD Instructor: Dr. Lucas van Boeschoten Fall Credit Hours Course Description This course is designed to enhance students ability to function effectively in leading and discipling a child in their spiritual formation. It engages students in an in-depth critical study of relevant issues and concepts, and promotes growth in skills that are pertinent to that area of ministry leadership. Graduate credit for this course is offered by ACTS Seminaries (Trinity Western University) in partnership with Northwest Baptist Seminary through the ACTS Centre for Ministry Excellence. This course has a three-fold purpose: 1) to study the biblical passages relating to children and the use of narrative theology in understanding scripture; 2) to explore faith development stages; 3) to investigate cultural trends affecting the spiritual development of children, including family systems and media. Course Objectives This course intends to lead each student toward mastery of the study of the spiritual formation of the child as seen through four different, though complementary domains. This course will lead the student Knowledge to be able to understand and speak knowledgeably about spiritual formation of the child, demonstrating an awareness of the models and styles of leadership relevant to the field, and displaying a critical understanding and broadening perspective on the subject of leadership within this fruitful and valuable area of study. Research to lead the student to become conversant with the strategic literature (classical and current), the key issues under discussion, and the prominent practices and theories, that can help him or her develop the capacity to think critically and analytically about leadership and the spiritual formation processes of a child. Skills to enable students to develop their leadership skills by applying theory to practice in a specific context that will allow them to increasingly critique, problem solve, and modify their practice of leadership to the demands of spiritual formation of the child; developing an appreciation for the integration of skills, disciplinary concepts, and a Christian worldview; Character to train students in the characteristics of personal mastery that will enable them to hone their personal leadership styles, form personal conclusions, and apply creative concepts to the practice of the spiritual formation of the child. The class participants will explore the nature of spiritual formation in children, giving particular regard to Christian settings. Careful attention will be given to the elements of and the settings for spiritual formation, as well as the potential hazards and obstacles faced in a child s spiritual journey. You will explore various models of spiritual formation will develop a personal model applicable to your current involvement with children. Specifically, this course will lead the student to 1. Describe the theological perspectives on children, and the role and importance these perspectives have in the life of the child and of the church as a whole;

2 2. Describe the stages of spiritual development and understanding in order to implement age appropriate programming and curriculum; 3. Understand the affect the cultural influences of media, sexual issues, disintegrating family norms, divorce, and crime have on the spiritual formation of a child, and develop a means to assist children to grow spiritually in today s world; 4. Understand the affects of social culture on the child (social mobility, peer pressure, bullying, selfesteem, etc) and their spiritual formation, assisting them in Christian maturity; 5. Understand the spiritual disciplines in relation to a child s development, ensuring spiritual understanding and growth; 6. Explore the connection between discipleship and discipline in order to foster spiritual development and Christian character in children; 7. Articulate the importance of using a sequence of Biblical history in teaching children an understanding of the Big Picture of the Bible; 8. Clearly and understandably present the gospel, ensuring the use of ethical practices; and 9. Discuss important theological issues relating to children (conversion, baptism, communion) showing an understanding of theological traditions within historic Christianity, and recognizing the significance of such concepts in their own ministry setting. Required Textbooks Beckwith, Ivy. Formational Children's Ministry: Shepherding Children Using Story, Ritual, and Relationship. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, Ratcliffe, Don (ed.). Children's Spirituality: Christian Perspectives, Research, and Applications. Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, Stonehouse, Catherine. Joining Children on the Spiritual Journey: Nurturing a Life of Faith. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, Yust, Karen Marie. Real Kids, Real Faith: Practices for Nurturing Children s Spiritual Lives. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass, Course Pack. There will be other papers and articles distributed online, during the semester. Timing for reading will be noted in online class. NOTE: Weekly chapters for reading will be assigned at the first class. These textbooks will serve as the primary required reading for the course. The Children s Spirituality text will not need to be read in its entirety; the required chapters, comprising about one half of the book, will be noted in the course outline. Assignments will be related to the readings in order to help give perspective on the readings. Course Outline September 14 - What is spiritual formation, and what is the spiritual formation of children? We will begin with an inner look at our own spiritual formation, and will lay the foundation for a theology of children s spiritual formation Textbook readings: Joining Children on the Spiritual Journey, Chapters 1-2 Children s Spirituality, Chapter 2, Children and Mature Spirituality by Jerome Berryman.

3 FORUM: Introduce yourself (name, involvement with children, location, hopes for this course) to the others, and to me, and highlight one early personal glimpse of the Divine. September 21 - What is the trajectory of thought concerning the spirituality of children? Textbook readings: Children s Spirituality - Chapter 1, Identifying Children s Spirituality by Don Ratcliffe. Children s Spirituality - Chapter 3, Historical Perspectives. by Marcia Bunge. Children s Spirituality - Chapter 8, Exploring Scientific and Theological Perspectives on Children s Spirituality by Eugene C. Roehlkepartain. Assignment: My Spiritual Life as a Child due September 23 FORUM: Look up some of the websites listed in any of the Children s Spirituality readings for this week. On the forum, interact with your classmates about the most helpful sites. September 28 - What are the differing ways to view a child s spiritual development? The study of children s development assumes a new freshness when viewed from a spiritual perspective. It is the goal that this week s presentation will enable you to link formational goals to developmental abilities. Textbook readings: Joining Children on their Spiritual Journey, Chapters 3-7. FORUM: Observe the children in your midst. Take note of their actions, and take particular note of their interactions. How do they respond to others, and what impact do they experience as a result of the way that others relate with them? October 5 - Open day available for review or special interest Textbook readings: (Theme continues from previous week) Children s Spirituality - Chapter 15, Six Children Seeking God by Dana K. Hood. Children s Spirituality - Chapter 21, Using Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Faith-Based Early-Childhood Settings by Joyce Ruppell. Children s Spirituality - Chapter 13, The Child s Concept of God by Joyce Bellous. FORUM: Consider yourself as an observer of children. How are you changed by what you see? October 12 - Obstacles and hazards faced in a child s spiritual journey This will be the week to consider the societal atmosphere that our children and we breathe. We will discuss the damaging external influences as well as those that spring from within the child. Textbook Reading: Joining Children on their Spiritual Journey, Chapters 8-9 Children s Spirituality - Chapter 22, Spiritual Influences in Helping Children to Cope with Life Stressors, by Sara Pendleton. read 3-5 relevant articles of your choice from Focus on the Family, or from similar sites. Assignment: Response paper to Beckwith and Yust due October 14, FORUM: View the Ruby Bridges video clips mentioned in this week s class presentation. Discuss the sources of Ruby s resilience as mentioned by Robert Coles. October 19 - The settings for spiritual formation; a snapshot of current models of spiritual formation. Readings: Class handouts FORUM: Live real time chat. Date and Time TBA. TOPIC: Models of Spiritual Formation

4 October 26 Reading Break No class and no online postings. Be blessed and be refreshed. November 2 - Elements of the spiritual formation of a child; the role of scripture; Textbook Readings: Children s Spirituality - Chapter 16, Children in Congregations by Joyce Mercer et al. Children s Spirituality - Chapter 17 Nurturing Children s Spirituality in Intergenerational Settings by Holly Allen. FORUM: If you were to develop a list of 7 10 elements of healthy childhood spirituality within the Christian tradition. Assignment: The Cultural Influences upon a Child due November 4. November 9 - The use of Narrative theology in the spiritual formation of the child. FORUM: Open forum. Feel free to raise a topic of interest/concern to you. Remember to respond to topics raised by others. November 16 - Ethical practices in sharing the message of the Gospel with children. Assignment: A Sympathetic View of the Child due November 18. FORUM: Discuss your priorities in sharing the gospel with children, and name some hindrances that need to be overcome, along with potential solutions. November 23 - The trajectory of thought and theological practice through public markers in the spiritual formation of children: conversion, baptism, and communion. Textbook Readings: Children s Spirituality - Chapter 4 Biblical Perspectives on Developmental Grace for Nurturing Children s Spirituality by Klaus Issler. FORUM: Reflections on how I have benefitted from understanding others spiritual practices. November 30 - Discipleship and Discipline. A consideration of the interplay between these two complementary aspects of the spiritual formation of the child. Textbook Readings: No textbook readings this week. FORUM: What elements have you found that contribute to / hinder effective discipline? December 7 - Final session Assignment: Theology of the Spiritual Formation of the Child due December 9, FORUM: No Forum this week. Course Assignments NOTE: All assignments must be attempted in order to receive a final grade. Throughout this course, I would urge you to make a particular effort to observe the children in your midst. Take note of their actions, and take particular note of their interactions. How do they respond to others, and what impact do they experience as a result of the way that others relate with them? Observe their experience in their church and in their homes.

5 When particular insights arise from your observations, or from learnings related to the spiritual formation of children, feel free to share them through the online forums. All papers are to be submitted online, using Turabian format, and are due at 11:59 p.m. on the date indicated. Late papers are docked 5% per day or one letter grade per week overdue. Consider your intended audience for your papers to be a group of peers who are eager to benefit from your learning. 1. Online forums (10%) Students are required to engage in a public forum discussion, once a week on average, for the duration of term, beginning on Tuesday, September 14, after the first module posting, to answer questions designed to review each of the assigned readings. These questions will be posted under the forum section. Keep your comments brief and to the point, no more than 200 words per entry. The goal of the forum is to foster interaction among the members of the class. I will be checking these discussions every Thursday, beginning September 16, till the end of term. I will also go on line from time to time to see how the discussion is going, to give some direction to the discussion, and/or to add my own insights. You should aim to have each forum contribution posted each Thursday. Seek to respond thoughtfully to at least two classmates per week, with the intent to include all. You must participate in this forum weekly, giving evidence that you have kept up with the readings and lecture notes in your dialogue. Your grade for the readings will be based on the combination of these assignments. Failure to do so will result in low grades. 2. My spiritual journey (5%) Spend 1-2 hours in solitude in a sacred space reflecting on your earliest childhood memories. Focus on your encounters with God and the thoughts and questions about God. Where do you see God forming you? How has the early part of your journey influenced the rest? Write a 2-3-page paper on your earliest memories of your faith journey. Due September 23, Textbook Reading and Assignments (30%) Read the assigned texts and readings as listed in the course outline: a) To become aware of the current thought concerning the Spiritual Formation of Children, and to engage in a discussion the significance of this area of thought, read: Karen Marie Yust. Real Kids, Real Faith. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass, Ivy Beckwith. Formational Children s Ministry. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, Then compose a 7 page academic essay in which you recount the implications of the materials recounted in these books for your ministry. Rather than being a book review, your essay should be an attempt to come to grips with the shift from program-based to formation-based ministry. (15%) Due October 14, b) To grasp the implications of the developmental perspectives on the spiritual journey of the child, read: Catherine Stonehouse. Joining Children on the Spiritual Journey. Grand Rapids, MI: Then compose a 5-page paper, providing a sympathetic view of the child. Discuss the spiritual readiness of the child in early childhood, early elementary and in pre-adolescence in light of their development to that point. Conclude with implications of this information in your relationship with children. (15%) Due November 18, 2010.

6 c) To appreciate the multifaceted aspects of children s spirituality, read the assigned chapters in Children s Spirituality as noted in the course outline, giving evidence of your reading in your postings to the forum and in your final paper. 4. The Cultural Influences upon the Child (20%) Review a major newspaper in your area and note all articles relating to children over at least a one-week period. Take note of the themes and important categories. Discuss, with an elementary school teacher, the social pressures facing children in your community. Ask what role the church and home could play. Read Spiritual Influences in Helping Children to Cope with Life Stressors (Children s Spirituality ) and read 3-5 relevant articles of your choice from Focus on the Family, or other sites. With this information in hand, write a 7-10 page paper summarizing your findings, paying special attention to the resources needed to help children build resilience. Post your essay to the class module on November 4, Final Paper: My theology of children s spiritual formation (35%) This summative / reflective paper, pages in length, should provide your thoughtful, researched consideration of the nature of the spiritual formation of children: the goals and processes, the obstacles and the importance of this issue from the perspective of scripture and of the Christian faith. Due December 9, Determination of Final Grade As described above, the final grade will be weighted and determined according to the following scale: Forum 10% My Spiritual Journey 5% Textbook Readings and Assignments 30% The Cultural Influences Upon the Child 20% Final Paper 35% Total 100% Grading Scale A+ Superior A Excellent A- Very Good B+ Proficient B Good B- Average C+ Adequate C Acceptable C- Needs Work F Below Standard Professor Biography Lucas van Boeschoten has a passion for children, small groups, spiritual formation and the church. His genuine love for each has granted him a variety of ministry and learning experiences.

7 Lucas holds a Doctor of Ministry in Leadership and Spiritual Formation from ACTS Seminary of Trinity Western University (2008). His dissertation topic was "Intergenerational Small Groups: The Difference Children Make to the Small Group Experience." He also has a Master of Divinity in Biblical Studies (1975) from Western Evangelical Seminary of George Fox University. In 2009 he received his certification as a Spiritual Director with the FCJ (Faithful Companions of Jesus) Christian Life Centre in Calgary. In his pastoral work, Lucas has led churches in establishing and expanding children's discipleship and outreach ministries. He currently serves as 'Community Pastor' at Centre Street Church in Calgary, where he works with small groups. This includes working with Intergenerational Small Groups as they develop the spiritual environment that helps believers of all ages thrive and reach out. For almost 20 years, Lucas served as faculty at Rocky Mountain College in Calgary, AB. His roles included instructing, Dean of Students, and Department Head of the Children and Family Ministries program. During part of this time he served concurrently with Promiseland Ministries at Centre Street Church. Lucas has also served as Director of Christian Education for the Evangelical Church in Canada and then the Evangelical Missionary Church from One of the favorite parts of Lucas week continues to be large group teaching with "bouncing bunnies" and "courageous camels" (3 and 4 year old children) in the Children s Ministry at his church. He is married to Pat, and they are the proud progenitors of four children and four grandchildren. Web Support Student Portal: students.twu.ca All students at TWU have a TWUPass username and password. This is determined at the time of an online application or can be managed through the computing services help desk or the link on the student portal. A student s account is available through this portal and is vital for communication about grades, account statements, lost passwords, sign-up instructions, and other such matters. This course will utilize the TWU MyCourse system ( require the TWUPass username and password for access. Technical problems can be addressed to the helpdesk found at Transcription of Credit and Letters of Permission to Transfer Credit Upon completion of this course, a transcript can be made available for the purpose of transferring this credit to another institution. Whether such an institution will accept such credit is solely at their discretion. A student may wish to seek a letter of permission (LOP) from the alternate school in advance of taking the course in order to assure the applicability of this course to a given program. Supplement: Important Academic Notes from ACTS Campus Closure In the event of deteriorating weather conditions overnight or other emergency situations, every effort will be made to communicate information regarding the cancellation of classes to the radio stations CKNW (980 AM), CKWX (1130 AM), MAX (850 AM), PRAISE (106.5 FM) and KARI (550 AM) by 6:30 a.m., and an announcement will be placed on the University's switchboard as well as on the website The first announcement regarding a closure will cover the period up to 1:00 p.m. only. If classes are to be cancelled beyond 1:00 p.m., this decision will be announced by the same means before 11:00 a.m. that day. Students and faculty should assume that all night classes will continue to operate. If the emergency continues into the evening, students and faculty may check for a closure notice on the University's switchboard and website after 3:00 p.m. that day.

8 Paper Formatting Students need to adhere to Turabian Notes (Bibliography) format except for in counseling courses, for which APA format is used and for CanIL courses. Students are strongly encouraged to use RefWorks (available through the library home page ( as their bibliographical manager and as a tool for formatting bibliographies. They will need to be aware of the need to clean up most bibliographies generated by this program. Students are encouraged to view the documents on the following websites for format samples: or Note that in RefWorks the available formatting styles are those of Turabian (Notes), 7th edition, and APA American Psychological Association, 5th edition. For Turabian, note that there are two formats Notes (or Bibliography Style) and Reference List (a short format citation style). ACTS uses the Notes (Bibliography) format, not Reference List. Counselling students are expected to purchase the APA Publications Manual. More information found at the following website. For free online programs that will enable you to create properly formatted bibliography citations, go to ("Chicago stands for "Turabian") or CANIL students can locate this on the CANIL intranet, under the student side. A hard copy is given to incoming students in the fall. Please check with your professor to see which one he/she recommends you use!! Research Ethics Please note that all research projects involving human participants undertaken by members of the TWU university community (including projects done by ACTS students to satisfy course or degree requirements) MUST be approved by the Trinity Western University Research Ethics Board. Information and forms may be found at Those needing additional clarification may contact Dr. Bruce Guenther. Please allow at least three (3) weeks from the date of submission for a review of the application. Academic Integrity and Avoiding Plagiarism at TWU As Christian scholars pursuing higher education, academic integrity is a core value of the entire TWU community. Students are invited into this scholarly culture and required to abide by the principles of sound academic scholarship at TWU. This includes, but is not limited to, avoiding all forms of plagiarism and cheating in scholarly work. TWU has a strict policy on plagiarism (see academic calendar , pp ). Further details on this subject are contained in the ACTS Student Handbook in section The handbook is available online on the ACTS webpage ( at the following link: Learning what constitutes plagiarism and avoiding it is the student's responsibility. An excellent resource describing plagiarism and how to avoid it has been prepared by TWU Librarian William Badke and is freely available for download (PPT file) or used as flash (self running) tutorials of varying lengths from: (14 minute flash tutorial) (8 minute flash tutorial)

9 Equity of Access It is the responsibility of a student with a learning disability to inform the ACTS Director of Student Life of that fact before the beginning of a course so that necessary arrangements may be made to facilitate the student s learning experience. We are unable to accommodate any student who informs the Director of Student Life of a disability after the beginning of class.