Parenting Children for a Life of Purpose: Empowering
children to become who they are called to be
Rachel Turner
BRF £7.99
(978-0-85746-163-6)
Church Times Bookshop £7.20 (Use code
CT343 )
THIS little book from BRF examines parenting from a New Wine
perspective, looking at how we encourage our children to
participate fully in the worshipping life of the Church, and enable
children to take a full part in the Church's mission. It contains
some good ideas, and helpful suggestions for those who want to
raise their children within this tradition.
This is frequently done through reference to a six-stage cycle,
reinforcing and encouraging children in their ministry. Throughout
the book, ideas about how to enable children are illustrated with
practical examples, and these ensure that it is always easy to
understand what Turner is talking about.
A common language sometimes divides rather than unites us,
however, and herein lies the problem for many Church Times
readers with this book; for it is written in New Wine-speak. If you
are from that tradition, the language will be fine, but I found
some of the text difficult from my middle-of-the road Anglican
perspective.
Children become teenagers and then adults, but Turner hardly
mentions that this usually involves their asking profound
existential questions about life, the universe, and everything.
Because the purpose of the book is to help parents to bring their
children up as Christians, the underlying assumption is that
everything in the garden will continue to be rosy; but development
theories inform us that teenagers take time, often many years, to
form their own ideas about faith. If they are to remain Christians,
they need to own the faith for themselves, not adopt it from their
parents.
Also missing from the book are references to fun, play, or
creativity - among the most God-like aspects of anyone. So it can
read a bit like a training manual rather than an encouragement to
open our eyes to the amazing way in which children minister to us,
if we let them.
The Revd Ronni Lamont is a freelance writer and
trainer.