Children’s Spirituality
Mary Hawes
January 2011
Children’s Spirituality
Painting by numbers?
Children’s Spirituality
Looking at the landscape…..
Baby/toddler
3 – 5 years
5 – 7 years
8 – 11 years
Children’s Spirituality

Children…have spiritual abilities that defy conventional
chronological categories of faith development. Religious
faith does not develop in quite the same way as other parts
of our bodies and minds from small to large or from
immature to mature. Growing up, in fact, does not
guarantee spiritual development.
Bonnie J. Miller-McLemore
Children’s Spirituality

Full of potential
Children’s Spirituality
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Children should be helped to develop the spiritual
qualities of wonder and inner peace – and the
sense of something greater than
themselves……No child is complete without some
passionate spiritual engagement of this kind.
A Good Childhood: Layard & Dunn
Children’s Spirituality
Everyday
Integrated
Endangered
Children’s
Spirituality
Depth
Surprise
Challenge
Verbal and
Non-verbal
Erratic
Children’s Spirituality

Nourishing the roots

Being shaped

Shooting and fruiting
Children’s Spirituality
 Space
 Process
 Imagination
 Relationship
 Intimacy
 Trust
Children’s Spirituality
SPACE
Physical
 Focus
 Threshold to the sacred
 Emotional
 Stillness and silence

Children’s Spirituality
PROCESS
Journey not end result
 Genuine open questions
 Opportunity to explore

Children’s Spirituality
IMAGINATION
Looking at things differently
 Spontaneity
 Opening windows not closing doors

Children’s Spirituality
RELATIONSHIP
More than words
 Depth of engagement
 Integrity
 With each other
 With God

Children’s Spirituality
INTIMACY
Coming close
 Feeling safe
 Becoming vulnerable

Children’s Spirituality
TRUST
Trusting the child
 Trusting God
 Trusting the material

Children’s Spirituality
Church/Collective Worship
child-friendly?
child-spirituality friendly?
What are the foundations we are laying to
support the child’s spiritual growth?
Children’s Spirituality
Going for Growth

Growth…




In spirituality
In understanding
In quality of care and
nurture
In children and young
people themselves
Going for Growth: theology
Made in God’s image
Created to be
in relationship
Called to be
active citizens
Going for Growth: principles
Precious and valued
Importance and
quality of relationship
Reflecting the
values of the Kingdom
Going for Growth: action
Enabling encounters
Embracing
transformation
and change
Providing support
and development
Children’s Spirituality
http://www.going4growth.org.uk
Children’s Spirituality

Children’s Spirituality

Dr Rebecca Nye
Children’s Spirituality
Through the Eyes of a Child
ed. Richards and Privett
Children’s Spirituality