Yet when I think about it, I do know children who seem to enjoy the reverence and mild spectacle of a church service, and who struggle a bit in a classic ‘Sunday school’ context. I’ve also experienced children’s group sessions where a shift in emphasis – perhaps towards performing arts or high-energy activities – has made normally disengaged children spring into life and helped them to engage with God. The key point: just as not all children learn in the same way, not all children connect with God in the same way. David outlines four ‘spiritual styles’ which indicate how people of all ages tend to relate spiritually. His article challenges us to seriously consider whether our ministry to children really does take account of these differences in makeup. Because if it doesn’t, we’re only going to properly serve children who connect in the style we’re offering. Instead, we need to provide activities and groups for children that blend cognitive, relational, contemplative and kinetic approaches, and which seek to understand how those children learn and grow best. Sound challenging? You bet – but if the outcome is fully engaged children, and the alternative is disconnection, then it’s surely worth the effort.
Before I became a Christian in my teens, I briefly attended a children’s group (aged 10) through a churchgoing friend. The leaders got me to rote-learn memory verses and sing dull but theologically correct songs. In the light of David’s article I’m left to reflect: if they’d given me a context to explore my feelings or get creative, I might never have walked away. MS
