Travis Wright

“Too often, churches hold stereotypical views of children. They can buy into stereotypes and generalizations that kids are happiest when they are running around (or even that they need to run around all the time), that children always make lots of noise, that they crave constant entertainment, or that they have the most fun when they’re on the verge of being out of control. But by viewing each unique child through stereotypes and labels we attach to them, children’s ministry can become co-opted by consumerist, market-driven agendas, and it forgets the church’s mission of offering radical hospitality to the least of these.”
― David M. Csinos, Children's Ministry in the Way of Jesus

“We need to ask ourselves what our ministry with children (every part of it, not just the content) teaches young people about what it means to be a person who follows Jesus. We need to explore how what we do helps nurture the souls of the children involved”
― David M. Csinos, Children's Ministry in the Way of Jesus

“What current practices are central to your congregation? How can you more fully engage children in these practices? How can children offer leadership to these practices?”
― David M. Csinos, Children's Ministry in the Way of Jesus

“The relationships that children develop with people of other generations allow them to learn within the zone of proximal development and to pass on what they’ve learned to younger and less-experienced peers. All this goes to show the importance of fostering intergenerational community as a means for nurturing the spiritual lives of children (and people of other ages too!).”
― David M. Csinos, Children's Ministry in the Way of Jesus