Changing children? A case study approach in Christian education

Abstract

The subject of this thesis is the changing world of childhood within the context of the church’s ministry to children. The connections between models of children's ministry, approaches to Christian education and changing trends in childhood are examined through the concrete situation of the case study, a local church. Much current research in Christian education focuses on those already present within the church, so a substantial analysis of the wider experience of children outside the church is offered through analysis of cultural change and the experience of the case study. The thesis begins with an exploration of the effects of consumerism and technological development upon the experience of childhood. The changing place of children within the church is then examined, with an analysis of new trends in children's ministry. An overview of approaches to Christian education is followed by the case study. The final chapter contains reflections on the case study within a Christian education context. The aim of this thesis is to connect the theory of Christian education with theories of cultural change in the light of the experience of the case study. The reflections on the case study contain the dialogue between the approaches to Christian education and the concrete experience of those involved in children’s ministry, particularly to children from outside the church community.