John Wesley and Children - thesis published

Yes - it's done. It's finished - well at least in its current form. My thesis "as a Little Child: Children in the Theology of John Wesley" is now available here. Now before you think this might be too academic or "scholarly" for you let me say check it out first then decide. Yes it's written in a way that meets the requirements of an academic work but I think it's also written in quite a conversational style. And as I say in the section "How to read this thesis"

... whilst written in the style required of an academic scholarly work it is my hope that it is also written in such a way as to be readable by anyone who has an interest in Children’s Ministry and who wants to get at least a small idea of what John Wesley, practical theologian and founder of Methodism, believed and practiced in relation to ministering to children.

It is my intention to publish a book from this work in the near future but in the meantime I offer this suggestion as to how to get the best of this thesis – read it and do it! In reading it -

• the academic / scholar will find the whole work of interest
  
• those who have little or no understanding of who John Wesley was or of his theology will find it helpful to also read the whole work in order to place the lessons I believe we can learn from him in context
  
• those who know who he was but know little of his theology will find they can read from Chapter Two and still be able to place the lessons I believe we can learn from him in context
  
• those who know who he was and feel they have a sufficient grasp of his theology will find that starting from Chapter Three will enable them to place the lessons in Chapter Five in the context of John Wesley, the man and the theologian
  
• and finally those who just want to find out the lessons for today can read the final chapter – Chapter 5 “Concluding Reflections and Potential Applications” and will find they have sufficient information to be able to implement those lessons in their ministry today.

My prayer is that everyone who reads this work , but especially those who minister to children, will learn something that they can apply in their ministry that will help them lead others into right relationship with God.

May God who knows what you do bless you abundantly beyond all you could ever imagine.

Pastor Pete

30 December 2010

Lesson Three: Know your goal

What are you trying to achieve in your Children's Ministry?
What are you trying to achieve in your lesson / activities this week?
What are you aiming to achieve from this part of your time with the kids?

These are vital questions to answer before you get in front of the kids God has entrusted to you. If you don't know where you are going you won't know when you've achieved it and worse still you probably won't achieve what you would like to.

These are all part of planning and as much as this might be the "boring" bit about ministry it's also a vital part. What can John Wesley teach us? Let's see as we look at the third lesson I identified in my thesis "as a Little Child: Children in the Theology of John Wesley"

Lesson Three: Know your goal

It is here that we learn from how Wesley ensured that the goal of education as he saw it informed his educational views and dictated their implementation. That is to say, knowing the goal enabled him to decide what needed to be done and how it needed to be done. With this goal clearly in mind he could, and did, review progress towards its achievement, and he could hold others accountable for their actions having first ensured they were aware of the goal. Knowing the goal he was able to say, near the end of his life, that it was generally being achieved.

Furthermore, with his goal clear in his mind, Wesley was able to take those actions that would maximise the chances of success. In addition he was able to ensure that actions which could thwart his attempts to achieve the aim of education were avoided. For instance, having the goal clearly in mind enabled him to be resolute in waiting to find those teachers who possessed the required level of spirituality and the right motives rather than rushing to employ some who did not.

The same is true in the twenty-first century. Those called to ministry to children need to know the goal they are trying to reach if they are to achieve it having put in place the right activities, personnel and methodology. This is particularly the case where the availability of resources, both personnel and monetary, is limited or restricted. It is even more important if the aim is seen to be similar to that Wesley’s, that is, fitting children to be in right relationship with God both in this world and the next. With this as the goal of ministry to children those in children’s ministry must be focused in ensuring that the actions taken contribute positively to, and thereby maximise the chances of, its attainment. For example, doing as Wesley did and waiting to find ministry workers with the required level of spirituality and the right motives rather than rushing in to use those who happen to be available or, worse still, those who need to be coerced to work with God in his ministry to children.

Blessings

Pastor Pete

Children in the Theology of John Wesley

As many of you following this blog know I have recently completed my MTh. My thesis focused on John Wesley and children. I will publish that in full shortly but to give you a taste of what is to come I will drip feed much of my last chapter out here over the next few weeks. This chapter is titled Concluding Reflections and Potential Applications and presents 6 of the many lessons I believe we can learn from Wesley which may be useful for those called to children’s ministry in the twenty-first century.


Today - the introduction - Lessons for the Twenty-first Century (part 1)
The second major aim of this thesis was to identify lessons from Wesley which may be useful for those called to children’s ministry in the twenty-first century. It is to this which we now turn. As we do so we recognise that his recognition that God works with children as children and not as “little adults” provides the basis for the most important of the many lessons this practical theologian teaches us. We will discuss that lesson later but for now note that with Wesley as a “theological mentor” we have the advantage of being able to learn from both his theology and his practical implementation of that theology.

For instance and perhaps not unsurprisingly given my project management background, I see that Wesley provides us with a planning and implementation framework which, at least in most respects, could serve as a model for planning and implementing any facet of children’s ministry. Indeed it is a model which would be useful in many situations because Wesley, probably without knowing it, followed a reasonably standard project methodology covering planning, implementation and review.

However, not only can we learn from the process he employed, we can also learn from the actions that he took particularly in implementing his educational views. We could for instance discuss his lack of understanding of the value of play in childhood. There is also value in considering his willingness to wait for the right people rather than rushing to appoint someone for the sake of getting things happening. Lastly, his willingness to tie his expectations as regards education into the wider requirements he placed on members of the Methodist movement, and in particular those he placed on his preachers, provides further valuable lessons for us.

Food for thought I hope

Blessings
Pastor Pete