ACTS Seminaries of Trinity Western University - Centre for Ministry Excellence
In collaboration with Northwest Baptist Seminary
CHM 593A: Spiritual Formation of a Child
Instructor: Dr. Lucas van Boeschoten
Fall 2014 - 3 Credit Hours
Course Description
This course is designed to enhance students’ ability to function effectively as leaders of children’s 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 two-fold purpose: 1) to study the biblical passages relating to children in regards to spiritual development, disciplines, and practice; and 2) to explore faith development stages.
Course Objectives
This course intends to lead each student toward mastery of 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 children’s spiritual formation, 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 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 within children’s ministry.
Skills …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 children’s ministry; developing an appreciation for the integration of skills, disciplinary concepts, and a Christian worldview.
Character …to cultivate 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 children’s ministry leadership.
Specifically, this course will lead the student to…
- …know the physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual developmental stages of children from birth to age twelve in order to understand the foundational role these play in spiritual development;
- …understand the implications of both theological and secular theories regarding children’s spiritual development;
- …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;
- ...discern the essential elements required for the transformational spiritual growth of a child and understand the spiritual disciplines in relation to a child’s development;
- …explore the connection between discipleship and discipline in order to foster spiritual development and Christian character in children;
- …clearly and understandably present the gospel, ensuring the use of ethical practices;
Required Textbooks
Nye, Rebecca. Children’s Spirituality: What it is and Why it Matters. London: Church House Publishing, 2009.
Ratcliffe, Don, ed. Children's Spirituality: Christian Perspectives, Research, and Applications. Eugene, OR: Cascade, 2004.
Stonehouse, Catherine. Joining Children on the Spiritual Journey: Nurturing a Life of Faith. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1998.
These textbooks will serve as the primary required reading for the course; other required papers and articles will be distributed online during the semester. The Children’s Spirituality text will not need to be read in its entirety; the required chapters, comprising about one half of the book, are noted in the course outline. Assignments will be related to the readings in order to help give perspective on the readings.
Course Assignments
Readings and Lectures (required).
Your interaction with the class content through the presentations, readings, video, and website involvement is crucial to the course. Your reference to this content in forums, your personal learning journal, and through other submissions will indicate your participation and assimilation of course content.
Forum Participation (15%).The student will participate in online forum discussions according to the course schedule, involving one posting and two responses per week. These forum entries will be evaluated for both quality and quantity as a reflection of the students’ learning process. Comments should be brief and to the point, up to about 200 words per entry. The student should aim to have a forum contribution posted each Thursday, and then seek to respond thoughtfully to at least two classmates by each Saturday, with the intent to include all. Due: weekly.
Personal Learning Journal (15%).The student will keep an electronic journal of learning activities that documents both a developing knowledge of leadership and an ability to apply leadership principles to life. A strong journal will have an average two to three concise entries per week, noting the date, the learning or insight, and occasionally linking the entry to an item for future pursuit. While the PLJ is to be submitted at the end of the semester, it is expected that the journal will be relatively current at any given time. Due:December 4, 2014.
Thought Paper: My Spiritual Life as a Child (5%). in light of the first class presentation, the student will spend 1-2 hours in solitude reflecting on their earliest childhood memories. Focus on your encounters with God and the thoughts and questions about God. Where do you see that God was forming you? How has the early part of your journey influenced the rest? Write a 2- to 3-page paper on your earliest memories of your faith journey. Due: September 25, 2014. .
Critical Interaction: (15%). 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, the student will read Children's Spirituality: What it is and Why it Matters, and compose a 7- to 9-page academic essay explaining the implications for their ministry approach. Rather than a book review, the essay should synthesize the concept of formation-based ministry, and come to grips with the shift from program-based to formation-based ministry. At least 3 additional resources need to be consulted. Due: October 23, 2014.
Final Project: A Child’s Spiritual Perspective (30%). The student will undertake a major project in several parts.
Part 1: The student will select one or two families with children of pre-school and elementary age and meet with the children in the children’s home, with the parent(s) in attendance. Over a period of 4 – 6 weeks, the student will engage in 2 sessions of creative play with the children and, in the process raise spiritual questions about the nature of God, the importance of prayer, and truth, and beauty. Each session should last about 75 minutes.
Identificationtags in the records should include only the date of the conversation and the age and gender of the child. Assignments including other identifying information will not be acceptable. If the parent consents, the student may record the conversations with the understanding that the student is obliged to delete the recordings once the course work has been completed.
The student will return a final time to thank the children, share personal findings and answer any questions which the children or parents may raise.
Part 2: The student will prepare a 12-15 page academic paper, including reference to Joining Children on their Spiritual Journey, Children's Spirituality and 5 other sources, and to their findings regarding the spiritual perspectives of children. The focus of this paper will be to answer the question: “What are the elements in the spiritual formation of a child, and what potential approaches in Children's ministry could foster spiritual growth?
Due: November 20, 2014.Note: this assignment is a mandatory requirement for this class and must be passed in order to pass the course.
Participation in Leadership Experience (20%).Using the information from the Child’s Spiritual Perspectivepaper, lead a structured discussion of your findings. Participants could include church leaders, ministry volunteers, parents, or other interested parties. Although your research will contribute to the discussion, you will be a facilitator and not a lecturer. At the conclusion of the discussion, write a brief overview of the discussion, including a summary of the preparation and proceedings,and an evaluation of your capacity to lead others toward an appreciation of the subject and its importance (6 pages). Due: December 4, 2014.
NOTE: All assignments must be attempted in order to receive a final grade.
Determination of Final Grade
As described above, the final grade will be weighted and determined according to the following scale:
Forum15%
Personal Learning Journal15%
My Spiritual Journey 5%
Children’s Spirituality Paper15%
Final Project: The Child’s Spiritual Perspective30%
Participation in Leadership Experience 20%
Total 100%
Grading Scale
A+Superior97-1004.3
AExcellent 94-964.0
A-Very Good 90-933.7
B+Proficient 85-893.3
BGood 80-843.0
B-Average 75-792.7
C+Adequate 70-742.3
CAcceptable 65-692.0
C-Needs Work 60-641.7
FFail 0-59 0
Course Outline
WEEK OF SEPTEMBER16
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
Readings:
- Joining Children on their Spiritual Journey, Chapters 1-3
- MyCourses: “Children and Mature Spirituality” byJerome Berryman.
Forum: Introduce yourself (name, involvement with children, location, hopes for this course) to the others, and to myself, and highlight one early personal glimpse of the Divine.
WEEK OF SEPTEMBER23
What is the trajectory of thought concerning the spirituality of children?
Readings:
- Read pages 23-41 in Children’s Spirituality .
- Children’s Spirituality - Chapter 1, “Identifying Children’s Spirituality…” by Don Ratcliffe.
- Children’s Spirituality - Chapter 3, “Historical Perspectives…” by Marcia Bunge.
- Assigned reading on MyCourses site
Assignment: “My Spiritual Life as a Child” due September 27.
Forum: Using search terms such as Children, Spirituality, Christian, or using names of authors in your course bibliography, look for websites and blogs related to this course with potential to be helpful in your Children's Ministry. On the forum, interact with your classmates about the most helpful sites.
WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 30
What are the differing ways to view a child’s 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.
Readings:
- Joining Children on their Spiritual Journey, Chapters 4-6.
- 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: Observe the children in your midst. Take note of their actions, and take particular note of their interactions. What spiritual helps or obstacles do you observe? This forum helps you prepare for next week’s discussion.
WEEK OF OCTOBER7
Resilience, perspectives and styles in a child’s spiritual journey.Each child is unique with different learning styles, and different spiritual approaches. We will learn to appreciate the differences, and try to find ways to help them build resilience.
Readings:
- Joining Children on their Spiritual Journey, Chapters 7-9
- Children’s Spirituality - Chapter 22, “Spiritual Influences in Helping Children to Cope with Life Stressors” by Sara Pendleton.
- Assigned reading on MyCourses site
- Read 3-5 relevant articles of your choice from Focus on the Family, or from similar sites.
Assignment – Begin to give thought and make plans for your Final Project and Leadership Experience. Plan your activities and goals for the family visit, obtain parental consent, using the verbal consent dialogue provided, and make advance plans with the parent about what activities would open good channels of conversation. Make initial plans for two research visits and one “thank you” visit.
See the assignments section for further details.
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.
WEEK OF OCTOBER14
The settings for spiritual formation; a snapshot of current models of spiritual formation.
Readings:
- Assigned reading on MyCourses site
Forum: Discuss the models of spiritual formation that were described in this week's presentation. Which ones were familiar to you? Which intrigued you? Was anything missing?
WEEK OF OCTOBER21
Assistance with your Structured Discussion leadership experience. This session will walk through your preparation steps for the final course project.
Forum: There is no required forum this week. For those who are interested, I will respond to questions about the leadership experience.
Assignment: Children's Spirituality: What it is and Why it Matters responsepaper due October 23, 2014.
WEEK OF OCTOBER28
Elements of the spiritual formation of a child; the role of scripture.
Readings:
- Children’s Spirituality -Chapter 16, “Children in Congregations” by Joyce Mercer et al.
- Assigned reading on MyCourses site
Forum: Share an item from your Personal Learning Journal that would be helpful to your classmates.
WEEK OF NOVEMBER4
The influence of the home; the importance of intergenerational influences.
Readings:
- Children’s Spirituality - Chapter 17 “Nurturing Children’s Spirituality in Intergenerational Settings” by Holly Allen.
Forum: In your personal and ministry experience, what events and relationships have done the most to help children stay true to their faith through adulthood?
WEEK OF NOVEMBER11
Ethical practices in sharing the message of the Gospel with children.
Readings:
- Assigned reading on MyCourses site
Forum: Discuss your priorities in sharing the gospel with children, and name some hindrances that need to be overcome, along with potential solutions.
WEEK OF NOVEMBER18
The trajectory of thought and theological practice through public markers in the spiritual formation of children: conversion, baptism, and communion.
Readings:
- Assigned reading on MyCourses site
- Children’s Spirituality - Chapter 4 “Biblical Perspectives on Developmental Grace for Nurturing Children’s Spirituality” byKlaus Issler.
Assignment:Final Project – “The Child’s Spiritual Perspective” due November 22.
Forum: What scriptural and developmental basis do I have for my beliefs about conversion, baptism, and communion in ministry to children?
WEEK OF NOVEMBER25
Discipleship and Discipline.The session is devoted to a consideration of the interplay between these two complementary aspects of the spiritual formation of the child.
Readings:
- Assigned reading on MyCourses site
FORUM: Final official forum day. Feel free to raise a topic of interest/concern to you. Remember to respond to topics raised by others.
WEEK OF DECEMBER2
Final session
Assignment: Both the Personal Learning Journal and the Leadership Experience Overview and Evaluation are due December 4, 2014.
Forum: No forum this week.
Assignment Submission and Formatting
All papers are to be submitted online as a Microsoft Word document, and are due at 11:59 p.m. on the date indicated. Consider your intended audience for your papers to be a group of peers who are eager to benefit from your learning.
All written assignments will adhere to Turabian Notes (Bibliography) format. Information on Turabian formatting can be found at or Students are encouraged to use RefWorks as their bibliographical manager and formatting tool. RefWorks is available free of charge to TWU students through the library (
Policy Regarding Extensions and Grade Appeals
Late papers are docked 5% per day or one letter grade per week overdue. Extensions due to extenuating circumstances may be considered when the request is made at least 24 hours in advance of the due date. Extensions beyond oneweek after the close of the classrequire a formal extension request submitted to the ACTS office.
Information on Research
In order to attain the learning objectives of this course, it is vital for the student to engage and interact with a variety of academic materials on children’s ministry. In addition to any local sources to which the student has access, all course participants also have access to the TWU library, both on-campus and online. The TWU library’s online holdings include dozens of ebooks and electronic academic journals, and the student is encouraged to become familiar with the library website ( which contains links to several helpful tutorials for online research. Any inquiries regarding library use should be sent to the course learning coach ().
Research Ethics at TWU
TWU complies with Canadian government guidelines established to ensure ethical research. As such, all TWU students who wish to engage in research involving human subjects, including but not limited to interviews, focus groups, and online surveys, must complete an application to the TWU Research Ethics Board for approval. Generally, this means that while students may carry on conversations about subjects or concepts in the course of everyday life (provided these conversations are not quoted in a project), they are not permitted to carry on conversations about subjects or concepts when these conversations form the basis of their research. Because the line between the two is sometimes difficult to discern, caution is recommended; in case of uncertainty, students should contact their learning coach or the CME office for clarification. Full details of the TWU Research Ethics Policy can be found at
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.
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.