CS Chapter 23

Sorry, this went out the first time before I finished it.

Chapter 23 "Ministering to Unchurched,Urban, At-Risk Children by Gary C. Newton author of Growing Towards Spiritual Maturity. This is a chapter written by someone who's first-hand experience with these kids surely guided his research. Here are some of his thoughts:

The thinking that ". . . one of the best ways to begin an outreach ministry to a people group of another culture is through its children..." often drives ministry. It's interesting that the successful organizations that he surveyed didn't consider working with parents and families a primary goal. Although they looked for opportunities to interact with and build relationships with families they focused more on leader/child relationships.

For this project he asked, "What are the components of an effective ministry to such children that eventually results in their long-term spiritual growth and development and the establishment of stable families, churches, and communities?" He describes himself as "ministering to the needs of unchurched children and their families living in my neighborhood." (CS p. 383) It would be interesting to track these kids from the organizations he surveyed into adulthood.

To me, his concern with "long-term" and his experience reaching out "in my neighborhood" are significant. He's also been doing this for 34 years. (CS p. 383)

He looked at 15 programs that focus on unchurched, urban, at-risk children across the US and Canada (kids 8-12). He asked pastors and leaders what they considered to be "the most effective children's outreach ministries in each city that seem to have produced the most fruit in terms of changed lives, families, and communities." His students at Huntington College interviewed the leaders of these organizations by phone or questionaire. (CS p. 384)

When you're talking about Christian formation you can look inward or at individuals but when you're talking about long-term change in children that ultimately affects and effects a whole community of people, the way the work of the first apostles did, numbers become significant. Long-term changes in hundreds of people (hundreds of children) and the generations that follow - that's significant. (CS p. 385-388) But I guess that's the goal, isn't it. Or maybe not, but Jesus does that, doesn't he?

The details in this chapter make this is a valuable read for anyone serving or thinking about serving unchurched, urban, at-risk kids. Too many details to blog about, so I won't bore you, but definately worth reading.