In Let the Little Children Come, Scott Aniol strives to convince church leaders and parents that children best grow into faithful, mature worshipers of Jesus Christ when they are led to Jesus by their parents in the context of intergenerational church gatherings and in daily worship at home. In Part 1, Scott presents biblical and theological reasons families should worship together both on Sundays and the other six days too, addressing common objections and suggesting some practical ways family worship might be recovered. In Part 2, Scott then offers practical tips and myriads of resources for engaging children in church worship as well as family worship at home.

Are children safe at your church? What precautions have you taken to ensure they won't be abused? Do you know how to recognize the signs of child abuse and neglect? What should you do if you suspect a child in your church or neighborhood is being abused or neglected? If you aren't sure how to answer those questions, you need Let the Children Come, a new book from Herald Press that helps churches and church-related ministries learn how to keep children safe and strengthen families. In the context of the Bible and faith, Let the Children Come helps Christians learn about their role in ending child abuse and neglect in all communities: church, home, extended family, neighborhood, school, work. Each chapter contains real-life stories, discussion questions and action items; the appendix includes prayers, readings and exercises for use in adult education. About the author Jeanette Harder is on faculty at the Grace Abbott School of Social Work at the University of Nebraska of Omaha, where she teaches graduate and undergraduate courses. She is a member of First Mennonite Church in Lincoln, Nebraska. Endorsements "A valuable tool for helping make our homes, churches and communities safer places for children." —Carolyn Holderread Heggen, author Sexual Abuse in Christian Homes and Churches "In clear, readable, and quite practical terms, Harder provides fundamental resources for understanding and taking seriously our responsibility to protect our children." —David A. Sherwood, Editor-in-Chief, Social Work & Christianity "Weaving biblical texts, social research, and stories, Let the Children Come arrives at a compelling conclusion: the faith community must respond to child abuse .. . . there is no excuse for every church not to own a copy and to share it with staff, volunteers, and parents." —Beth A. Swagman, Director of Safe Church Ministry for Christian Reformed Church in NA "Let the Children Come offers valuable equipping tools for all congregations." —Jane Woelk, Program Coordinator Voices for Non-Violence, MCC Manitoba About the book In the context of the Bible and faith, Let the Children Come will help Christians learn about their role in ending child abuse and neglect in all communities: church, home, extended family, neighborhood, school, work. Each chapter contains real-life stories, discussion questions and action items; the appendix includes prayers, readings and exercises for use in adult education. From the author "Sadly, children are being hurt and killed every day through abuse and neglect. While the church would like to believe that 'it doesn't happen here,' research and experience tell us that it does. Members of our faith communities need training to recognize the signs of abuse and to know how to respond. Faith communities need to be reminded of their role in protecting children, strengthening families, and ending child abuse and neglect." Read a press release about the book Read a feature article by the author Read the full list of endorsements Table of Contents

Explore what faithful parenting might look like today In Let the Children Come, Bonnie J. Miller-McLemore explores the question, What does faithful parenting look like today? As she addresses this query, she updates outmoded and distorted assumptions about and conceptions of children in popular US culture. She also shows important insights and contributions religious traditions and communities, Christianity in particular, make as we examine how to regard and treat children well. Miller-McLemore draws on historical and contemporary understandings of Christianity, psychology, and feminism to push back against negative trends, such as the narcissistic use of children for adult benefit, the market use of children to sell products, and the failure to give children meaningful roles in the domestic work of the family and the life of wider society. Miller-McLemore views children as full participants in families and religious communities and as human beings deserving of greater respect and understanding than people typically grant them. In particular, the book rethinks five ways adults have viewed (and misperceived) children--as victims, sinful, gifts, work (the labor of love), and agents. Reimagining children, she proposes, will lead to a renewed conception of the care of children as a religious practice.

The Children's Sermon during the worship hour is one of the strongest attractions for young families in choosing a church to attend. Robert Lantz understands how to talk to children. He brings the meaning and message of the scripture text to their level of understanding. When members of his congregation began asking for copies of his children's sermons so they could use them as bedtime stories for their children, he decided it was time to put them into print. Robert B. Lantz is a Presbyterian minister who served for eighteen years as a Chaplain in the United States Air Force. He has served churches in Florida, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Washington, Delaware, New Zealand, and London, England. He is a graduate of Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington and Gordon Divinity School in Wenham, Massachusetts.

Most children find plenty of time for TV, sports, and games, but how many make time for God? If the Catholic Faith is an important part of your family life, you need this book! Within these pages you'll find the secrets to helping even the smallest toddler or active teenager develop an interest in God through simple child-focused approaches that will help you lead your children to Jesus. The purpose of this book is to help you find ways of letting those little children come unto Jesus. As the Scriptural quote says, "Let the little children come unto me." Remember Jesus saying that? He wanted the little children to come to Him. And we as parents have the privilege of holding our children by the hand and going to Jesus. How do we do this? The most powerful guide we have is our Catholic faith. It has a wealth of avenues to assist us on the journey of parenting the children with Catholic Christian values. This book discusses more than 60 ways of leading our children to Jesus.

Have you ever been in a situation where you were responsible for the care of children, you wanted to teach them about Jesus, but you weren't quite sure where to begin? "Let the Children Come" removes the anxiety in such a situation. Open the book to any page and you will find a simple, easy-to-prepare lesson that teaches a truth appropriate for meeting the spiritual needs of children. Author Pat Lamb shows an understanding of the thoughts and feelings of children and has designed pleasant activities to help develop attitudes and habits pleasing to our Lord (and parents). You will want to reach for "Let the Children Come" over and over. Easily adapted as a 'home school manual, ' grandparents and parents should have this book on hand.

In order to minister more effectively to children with disabilities, we first must understand the context surrounding children with disabilities and the consequences of disability on them. This book, complied by Phyliss Kilbourn, provides helpful training to those who desire to engage in more informed ministry to disabled children.

This book helps children understand everything Jesus did for them and teaches them to walk through life in the fullness of His freedom. They will learn the importance of living a life that reflects the high price paid for them, preparing them for the calling of God on their lives.

This dynamic 12-week study teaches children that they are an important and valuable child of God. They will learn who Jesus is, why He died for us, and what His death accomplished. Examples from Biblical characters and practical how-to's help them live their life in the fullness of Jesus' freedom. They will also learn how to live a life of devotion to Him and that they have a purpose in life that He wants them to fulfill. Each week they will be introduced to new spiritual truths that have been simplified into language they can understand. Real life examples help them relate to the material on a personal level. This study presents the gospel in a way that settles in their young hearts like never before! Written as both a devotional and small group curriculum, this powerful material can be tailored for almost any study environment. Designed for ages 4-12 years.