This episode features the first part of a panel discusison hosted by Atlantic School of Theology. Dave Csinos interviews Mary Nichol, Steven Argue, and Traci Smith about how the COVID-19 pandemic has shaped and re-shaped how ministry happens with children, youth, and families.

Episode 14 - Pandemic-Era Innovation, with Mary Nichol, Steven Argue, and Traci Smith (Part 1)

Episode 15 - Pandemic-Era Innovation, with Mary Nichol, Steven Argue, and Traci Smith (Part 2)

In this episode, Dave Csinos talks with Annie Lockhart-Gilroy, an expert in youth ministry and religious education and author of Nurturing the Sanctified Imagination of Urban Youth. Believing that there is tremendous value doing new things with youth, she shares from her research into emancipatory faith formation practices with adolescents. You'll learn how young people from all contexts can become freed from adult expectations and assumptions and how their imaginations can transform the church and the world.

Episode 16 - Emancipatory Youth Ministry, with Annie Lockhart-Gilroy

Lacy Finn Borgo joins Dave Csinos to describe holy listening with children, a process for engaging in spiritual direction with young people. Based on her book Spiritual Conversations with Children, Lacy unpacks key ideas undergirding "holy listening sessions" and explores how adults can engage with practices of deep listening with young people. Whether you're a parent, grandparent, pastor, teacher, or volunteer leader, you'll be empowered to have spiritual conversations with the children in your lives.

Episode 17 - Holy Listening with Children, with Lacy Finn Borgo

Holly Allen shares about her new book Forming Resilient Children and how nurturing spirituality in children and youth can help promote resilience in the face of grief and trauma. There aren't any steps to follow to form resilience in young people. But there are ordinary practices that parents and pastoral leaders can do that make a world of difference.
For more information, see https://www.ivpress.com/forming-resilient-children

Episode 19 - Children, Spirituality, and Resilience, with Holly Allen

Claire Brown and Anita Peebles sit down with Dave Csinos to talk about how families and churches can nurture the theological imaginations of young people. They tell the story behind their new book New Directions for Holy Questions and unpack all sorts of ways that families and faith communities can engage the ideas within it for the sake of forming progressive theological curiosity among young people.
Learn more at https://www.churchpublishing.org/newdirectionsforholyquestions

Episode 20 - New Directions for Holy Questions, with Claire Brown and Anita Peebles

This episode is sponsored by Atlantic School of Theology.

Dr Eser Kim discusses her recent research into identify formation and empowerment of young people in congregations. She explains why youth remain marginalized in churches, why racialized and immigrant young people experience a double marginalization, and what faith communities can do about it.

Episode 21 - Youth Ministry, Identity, and Empowerment, with Eser Kim

This episode is sponsored by Atlantic School of Theology.

How can adults join children in making theological meaning? In this episode, Dr Tanya Marie Eustace Campen shares about her recent book Holy Work with Children: Making Meaning Together. She explains how children's ministry is rehearsal for the reign of God and how ministry leaders can encourage wonder, bravery, and exploration in faith formation with children.

Episode 22 - Holy Work with Children, with Tanya Marie Eustace Campen

This episode is sponsored by Atlantic School of Theology.

Godly Play has become a well-known and well-loved approach to nurturing faith in children in many different contexts. But how did it begin? What does it aim to accomplish? And where might it be going next? Dave Csinos sits down with Godly Play founder Jerome Berryman to talk about all these things and more! As you listen to Jerome share from his heart, you'll lose sense of time and become caught up in his sense of joy and wonder.

Episode 23 - The Past, Present, and Future of Godly Play, with Jerome Berryman

This episode is sponsored by Atlantic School of Theology.

In this episode, the Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III joins Dave Csinos to talk about his new book "Dancing in the Darkness." Dr. Moss shares about how hope can help to heal the spiritual crisis in which we find ourselves and how parents can become the primary storytellers in their families.

Episode 24 - Dancing in the Darkness, with the Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III

Ivy Beckwith and Dave Csinos celebrate the ten-year anniversary of their book, Children's Ministry in the Way of Jesus. They talk about their visions for the book, how children's spiritual formation has changed in the past decade, and their hopes for the future.

Shine A Light

Episode 25 - A Decade of Children's Ministry in the Way of Jesus, with Ivy Beckwith

Faith Forward podcast host Dave Csinos recently met Natasha Crozier at a conference where she presented about how children's literature can be an avenue for fostering wonder and curiosity. In this episode, they talk about how families, faith leaders, and faith communities can rediscover the imaginative power of children's books.

Episode 26 - The Wonder-full World of Children's Literature, with Natasha Crozier

Andrew Root's presentation from the 2014 Faith Forward gathering, May 19-22 in Nashville, TN.

Andrew Root, "What is the Theological Turn in Youth Ministry?," Faith Forward 2014

Rabbi Sandy Sasso's presentation from the 2014 Faith Forward gathering, May 19-22 in Nashville, TN.

Sandy Sasso, "Tell Me a Story," Faith Forward 2014

Melvin Bray's presentation from the 2014 Faith Forward gathering, May 19-22 in Nashville, TN.

Melvin Bray, "Why Young People Need Better Sacred Myths," Faith Forward 2014

Archbishop Paul-André Durocher's presentation from the 2014 Faith Forward gathering, May 19-22 in Nashville, TN.

Paul-André Durocher, "Symbols: The Drum Kit of Life," Faith Forward 2014

Mark Yaconelli's presentation from the 2014 Faith Forward gathering, May 19-22 in Nashville, TN.

Mark Yaconelli, "Why Recalling Sacred Presence Matters to Young People," Faith Forward 2014

Phyllis Tickle's presentation from the 2014 Faith Forward gathering, May 19-22 in Nashville, TN.

Phyllis Tickle, "Village Vitality," Faith Forward 2014

Anne Streaty Wimberly's presentation from the 2014 Faith Forward gathering, May 19-22 in Nashville, TN.


Anne Streaty Wimberly, "Village Vitality," Faith Forward 2014

Ivy Beckwith and Dave Csinos' presentation from the 2014 Faith Forward gathering, May 19-22 in Nashville, TN.

Ivy Beckwith & Dave Csinos, "Megachurches, Dark Nights & Wonder Bread Communion," Faith Forward 2014

Bonnie Miller-McLemore's presentation from the 2014 Faith Forward gathering, May 19-22 in Nashville, TN.

Bonnie Miller-McLemore, "Christian Constructions of Children and Youth," Faith Forward 2014

In this podcast episode, Dave Csinos interviews Lilly Lewin about the power of sacred space in the spiritual lives of young people. Lilly shares about the benefits, dreams, and struggles she encountered on her quest to help children and youth encounter God in meaning way. You'll gain valuable insight and practical tips for how you can use sacred space to form faith in the young people in your family and church.

Curating Sacred Space with Children and Youth - An Interview with Lilly Lewin

The Faith Forward podcast returns with a conversation with Glenys Nellist. Glenys is an author of many pictures books, including 'Twas the Morning of Easter, God's Perfect Peace, and the I Wonder story Bible. You can learn more about her work at www.glenysnellist.com.

Episode 27 - Reading and Writing Stories for Children, with Glenys Nellist

Amy Yu sits down to share about her experience in leading intergenerational ministry at Scarborough Chinese Baptist Church in Toronto. Through her research, she has learned about the dynamics of engaging in all-age ministry at a church with multiple languages and cultural dynamics.

Episode 28 - Intergenerational Ministry, with Amy Yu

Almeda Wright's presentation from Faith Forward 2015, April 20-23 in Chicago. 

Alemeda Wright, "From Florida to Ferguson," Faith Forward 2015

Marcia Bunge's presentation from Faith Forward 2015, April 20-23 in Chicago. 

Marcia Bunge, "Biblical Perspectives on Children & Our Obligations to Them," Faith Forward 2015

Leslie Neugent's presentation from Faith Forward 2015, April 20-23 in Chicago.

Leslie Nugent, “Radical Welcome: Breaking Down Barriers in Sunday Worship," Faith Forward 2015

Amy Butler's closing presentation from Faith Forward 2015, April 20-23 in Chicago.

Amy Butler, "Bread on the Water," Faith Forward 2015

In this episode Dave Csinos speaks with Mary Hawes and Murray Wilkinson about their work to pioneer a revolution in ministry with children and youth across the United Kingdom. After being part of Faith Forward they returned to Britain on a mission to start a similar movement across the pond, one that focuses on nurturing and releasing instead of capturing and conquering.

Episode 2 - Mary Hawes and Murray Wilkinson

Dave Csinos is joined by Daneen Akers to discuss how learning about unconventional faith leaders can catalyze a spirit of faith-filled activism among children and youth. Daneen shares about how a dearth of resources for progressive families spurred her toward creating “Holy Troublemakers and Unconventional Saints,” an illustrated children's storybook about people of diverse faiths who rocked the religious boat on behalf of love and justice.

Episode 4 - Daneen Akers

In the wake of George Floyd's murder, Melvin Bray shares about how God calls us to do better. Tackling difficult but necessary topics, like what lives are worth protesting and the supremacist logic built into the church, Melvin doesn't mince word. Hear Melvin as he opens his heart and expands our minds for how the church - and the world - can become better by re-imagining our stories.

Episode 9 - Melvin Bray

In this episode, sociologist and former children's pastor Henry Zonio explores his PhD dissertation research into how children's ministry curricula teach about race and gender in implicit and explicit ways. You'll learn about how you can ensure that the messages your church is conveying to its young people are consistent with God's love of diversity and God's desire for justice.

Episode 12 - Talking Race and Gender in Sunday School, with Henry Zonio

Faith Forward joins forward-thinking practitioners, theologians, and activists to network, resource, and inspire one another toward innovative theology and practice.

Faith Forward

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