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Let the Children come to Me
 Nurturing Anabaptist Faith Within Families
by Lisa Weaver
and
Elizabeth Miller

Afterword by
John D. Roth


Summary (also available through PDF flier): In full color, with photos and illustrations throughout, Let the Children Come to Me is a resource for families nurturing faith development of elementary-aged children structured around twelve Anabaptist faith practices: Scripture reading, prayer, community, bearing witness, service to one another, worship, non-violence, steadfast faith, the centrality of Christ, communion, believer’s baptism, and stewardship. Congregations interested in a bulletin insert are welcome to download this one (and we can provide two-up PDFs if preferred.)

Each faith practice is developed as a short unit (the equivalent of two page-spreads) and explored through stories from Anabaptist/Mennonite history—one from the sixteenth century and one contemporary, global story. These stories are accompanied by scripture passages, conversation-starters, prayers, and multiple options for family activities.

The book is supported by the Institute for the Study of Global Anabaptism (ISGA) of Goshen College, through the Bearing Witness Stories Project.

“This resource is an amazing treasure for our families! A great balance of principles and experience, contextual relevance and cultural diversity, historic and contemporary challenges, Anabaptist values, and teaching resources. Highly recommended.” —César García, Executive Secretary, Mennonite World Conference

Let the Children Come to Me fills an important gap in Anabaptist faith formation resources by holistically blending scripture, historical and current stories, spiritual practices, and hands-on activities in a visually appealing, child-friendly format. It could easily be used by grandparents with visiting grandchildren or by younger leaders club, camp, or Sunday school settings. I will certainly recommend it for use in my congregation.”—Elsie Rempel, Faith formation consultant, Winnipeg, Canada; Author, Please Pass the Faith: the Art of Spiritual Grandparenting

“The materials . . .  in this book beautifully illustrate . . . central convictions of the Anabaptist tradition. Children are both innocent before God and in need of instruction. In twelve simple, clear, and creative chapters, Lisa Weaver and Elizabeth Miller have provided a resource for families, mentors, and Sunday school teachers . . . committed to nurturing . . . children in . . . basic teachings of the Christian faith.” —John D. Roth, in the Afterword

“Mennonites have become increasingly aware that Christian faith and spirituality are formed over time. A seed popped into the ground doesn’t instantly become a tree. Similarly, Anabaptists can’t expect that showing up at church every Sunday will turn adults or children into fully formed believers. The beauty and importance of this book is in its gentle and firm encouragement that we have stories to share about following Jesus over time. While some Anabaptists have died for the faith as martyrs, many have have lived out and are living their faith. This book can help us develop skills and confidence as parents and with children to tell those stories—to bear witness to the faith alive and growing in us.” —Malinda Elizabeth Berry, Assistant Professor of Theology and Ethics, Anabaptist Menonite Biblical Seminary

The Authors: Lisa Weaver has over 25 years teaching experience in public elementary schools, adult ESL classes, and Christian Education settings. She is co-author of Living the Anabaptist Story. Elizabeth Miller is co-director of Mennonite Central Committee Colombia-Ecuador. Tapping into Lisa’s expertise as a teacher and Elizabeth’s experience with global Anabaptist  history, they teamed up to create a family-based faith-development resource.

The Designer: Judith Rempel Smucker brings each unit to life with engaging full-color images, photos, and designs that invite participation.

Market: This book will help North American Anabaptists connect their own faith with early Anabaptist history and with global Mennonites in the present while deepening their own spiritual practices as a family. Back-matter suggestions enable easy adaptation of this resource for Sunday school teaching or children’s workshops at congregational, conference, or camp retreats.

Shelving: Christian education—Mennonite; Global Anabaptist community; sixteenth-century Anabaptist beginnings; Family faith development; Children’s activities

Publisher: Cascadia Publishing House LLC
Potential Copublisher: None
Publication date: May 1, 2019, available now for preorders and delivery by April 2019
Tentative Pages: 64
Format: 8 x 8" full color designed by Judith Rempel Smucker with photos throughout
Prices: $18.95 US/19.95 Can. ISBN 13:  978-1-68027-013-6;  ISBN 10: 1-68027-013-3

 
 

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