This collection of children's sermons communicates the gospel to youngsters on their level and in a way that interests them. Just as Jesus referred to common objects when he taught, these lessons use everyday items to illustrate the them. Each message includes the scriptural background and a list of materials needed.

This volume provides a key text for debates on spiritual education in the 21st . It presents spiritual education as a distinctive field of academic enquiry in its own right.The strengths of the book lie in its international appeal, research based orientation, and interdisciplinary character, and is divided into three main sections: religious and theological approaches; psychological and anthropological approaches; and pedagogical approaches. Issues of cultural, religious, gender and social difference are addressed in research and pedagogical terms, and the ways in which faith traditions and secular stancescontribute to values and understanding of human purpose are explored.

Why is it, James Moore asks, that we try to justify anything and everything we want to do? We use words, scapegoats, blaming other people, circumstances, past events, even evil spirits ("the devil made me do it ") to attempt to excuse bad choices we make with our own free will. What does the Christian faith have to say about all this? The author reminds us of what our faith tells us about excuses: first, that God sees through them; second, that God is more interested in forgiving us than in hearing our excuses; third, that God wants penitence - not excuses - from us. In his warm, embracing style, James Moore encourages us to seek forgiveness. After all, we are justified, not by our eloquent excuses but by the grace of a loving, caring, forgiving God.

This volume provides a key text for debates on spiritual education in the 21st . It presents spiritual education as a distinctive field of academic enquiry in its own right.The strengths of the book lie in its international appeal, research based orientation, and interdisciplinary character, and is divided into three main sections: religious and theological approaches; psychological and anthropological approaches; and pedagogical approaches. Issues of cultural, religious, gender and social difference are addressed in research and pedagogical terms, and the ways in which faith traditions and secular stancescontribute to values and understanding of human purpose are explored.

This unique manual has spiritual exercises, guided meditations, and lesson plans that bring the experience of worship off the page and into the heart of the worshiper. The exercises are intended for youth and adult audiences, and a variety of settings including Jewish schools of all kinds, synagogues and havurot, camps and informal educational programming and retreats. There are introductions on how and why to use the manual.

Most children love animals -- and because of their natural appeal, animals are an excellent way to capture children's attention and teach biblical truths. These charming lessons by Julia Bland use animals to illustrate God's word -- and they're practical, too. Each lesson is accompanied by a coloring page for younger children and an activity page for older children.

This collection of 52 children's sermons is designed to captivate and educate young children. Busy clergy are constantly searching for ready- to-use, interactive children's sermons that will stimulate the thinking and capture the interest of both youngsters and adults in the congregation. These messages are presented to challenge, nurture, teach, and enlighten children as they take their first steps of faith. They cover a wide variety of topics. Some are object lessons while others are story lessons, but all are lessons that will leave an impression on those who hear them.
Imagine the curious anticipation of the children and the congregation as the pastor/leader reaches into a plastic garbage bag and distributes empty pizza boxes, old newspapers, and soft drink cans to introduce "God, the Recycler," the one who can make everything new. Watch them readily grasp the concept as they observe a game of tug-of-war in which all the participants are on the same team, demonstrating how in the church we all pull together for a common purpose and no one struggles to pull anyone into the mud. These brief sketches are representative of the many well-loved children's sermons created, collected, and delivered during the years of this staff pastor's ministry.
Teresa L. Major is an ordained Baptist minister currently serving as Associate Pastor of Skipwith Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia. She holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, a Master of Arts in Christian Education degree from the Presbyterian School of Christian Education, and a Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary, Richmond.

Only a century ago, almost all state universities held compulsory chapel services, and some required Sunday church attendance as well. Today, however, the once pervasive influence of religion in the intellectual and cultural life of America's preeminent colleges and universities has all but vanished. In The Soul of the American University, George M. Marsden explores how, and why, these dramatic changes occurred.

Far from a lament for a lost golden age when mainline Protestants ruled American education, The Soul of the American University offers a penetrating critique of that era, surveying the role of Protestantism in higher education from the founding of Harvard in the 1630s through the collapse of the WASP establishment in the 1960s. Ranging from stories of many of our pace-setting universities at defining moments in their histories to an analysis of such poignant issues as the debates over Darwinism and the impact of changing student mores, Marsden argues persuasively that just as the academy has made room for feminist and multicultural perspectives, so should there be room once again for traditional religious viewpoints. A thoughtful blend of historical narrative and searching analysis, The Soul of the American University exemplifies what it advocates: that religious perspectives can provide a legitimate contribution to the highest level of scholarship.

Mortonson combines his engineering and theological background to reveal insights into Christian beliefs and teachings. These 52 lessons include a purpose, material needed, scriptural background, and times to use the illustrations in the home. Also included are topical and scriptural indexes.

This program involves children of all ages and one adult with a few participants or many. While the narrative dialogue is being read, a silent, active nativity scene is shown to illustrate the first Christmas present ever.

A fresh look at scripture, a new presentation of the gospel, a deeper communication for God's truths -- this is what church drama has to offer.
"Sunday Morning Readers' Theater, C," offers 19 skits for use during the church year. Each skit's performance falls between five and 10 minutes with the exception of readings for major church days.
"What I hope to do is to help people see the gospels. Jesus and the other scripture passages with new vision. unclouded by familiarity," writes Pamela Urfer of these readings.
This series provides one more form of worship designed to unfold the meaning of selected readings, either as a replacement or a supplement to the sermon. The style varies from comic to tragic and the skits are set in both biblical and modern times.
Readings include the Sundays of Advent and Lent, Christmas Eve/Day, Martin Luther King Sunday, Ash Wednesday, Holy Week selections, Pentecost Sunday, and All Saints' Sunday.
This is volume two of a three-book series.
Pamela Urfer, Soquel, California, has written a number of plays for school and church productions. She taught classes in church drama at Bethany Bible College and Mount Hermon Christian Conference Center. She holds a master of arts degree in literature from the University of California.

"On the Move with Jesus" is a book of epistle lessons come to life through the spoken word and the use of an easy-to-find object that means something to children. Wesley Runk, in the style that has made him famous and brought the gospel to many thousands of children, offers this volume of 52 object lessons from the Bible to help the pastor communicate with God's little ones.
Wesley T. Runk, owner of the CSS Publishing Company, Inc., is a pastor of the Lutheran Church in America. He has a special ability to communicate the good news of God's love to children through his children's object lessons from the Bible. Wesley Runk is a graduate of Wittenberg University and the Hamma School of Theology, Springfield, Ohio. He has served parishes in Englewood and Lima, Ohio, and is active in community organizations.

Der Band ermoeglicht unterschiedliche Zugange und Denkkulturen zu verschiedenen theologischen Thematiken, die vordergrundig aus einer Bildungsperspektive gedacht werden. Dabei wird die Breite der muslimischen Konzepte in ihrer Pluralitat abgedeckt, mit je nach Autorin oder Autor systematischen, philologischen, philosophischen oder historischen Schwerpunktsetzungen, sowie einer padagogischen Schwerpunktsetzung.