Following Jesus : More About Young Children And Worship

In this sequel to the best-selling “Young Children And Worship,” Sonja Stewart offers another valuable educational resource to help introduce three to eight-year-old children to the wonder of worship. She applies the method first presented in that book to the life and teachings of Jesus; her goal is to extend and deepen children’s understanding of Jesus and his teaching in preparation for Christian discipleship.

Stewart believes that children need a special environment where they can meet and worship God and where their faith can be nurtured in preparation for joining in the full life of the congregation. Her approach, which integrates religious education and worship, has been presented at numerous workshops and training sessions.

Stewart provides clear and specific instructions to teachers about how to create and use the children’s worship center, a unique environment where children are introduced to the meaning of worship through biblical stories and parables. She uses felt and wooden materials to enable children to experience the stories visually as well as to hear them. The stories then become incorporated into a fourfold order of worship that is both parallel to adult worship and age-appropriate for young children.