Judy Gattis Smith

Teaching the Mystery of God to Children Judy Gattis Smith

This is a book of clues... clues to the awe and immensity of God that will lead children to think about, rather than "learn" about, God. Instead of teaching in the traditional sense, it provides "clues" for a shared journey toward discovering the Divine Mystery at the core of the universe. The recent trend in Christian education has been to emphasize knowledge, and to make church school more fun and entertaining. But in our zeal to pass on the basics of the faith, we have often neglected to guide children into truly experiencing the full wonder of the almighty. We have taught them about religion, but we have not always helped them to establish a deep and meaningful relationship with God. This book approaches the mission from a different perspective - one that identifies and reaffirms the spiritual experiences young people are already having. Each chapter suggest numerous ideas for use in classes, as well as a "Time to Reflect" section for adults to recall and meditate on their own spiritual life as children. Teaching The Mystery Of God To Children is an essential resource for any parent or church school teacher who is interested in the spiritual development of their children. Subjects discussed include: ? The Bible ? Art ? Symbols ? Music ? Sounds ? Movement ? Words ? Poetry ? Nature ? Sacred Space ? Koans and Miracles ? Death Judy Gattis Smith is the author of more than a dozen books, including Teaching to Wonder, Planting Spiritual Seeds, and Developing a Child's Spiritual Growth through the Senses (Abingdon). She has also written three books for grandmothers, and she is a regular contributor to Episcopal Teacher magazine. Smith has led more than 200 workshops and seminars, and has been a keynote speaker at conferences throughout the United States.