In 1996, the Council of Bishops called upon the United Methodist Church to reshape its mission in response to the crisis among children and the impoverished within the primary goal of evangelization. As one response to the Bishops' Initiative on Children and Poverty, congregations may undertake specific actions to make their churches more…

This guide is intended to help church congregations develop and/or strengthen plans for children's ministries and child advocacy. Specifically the work aims to affirm children's growth, discoveries, and experiences and to provide strategies to congregations for helping children whose physical, emotional, social, economic, and educational…

This resource packet includes information relating to the inclusion of people with disabilities in the Christian church. The first article, "Changing Attitudes, Creating Awareness," highlights several critical areas where churches can begin to understand the barriers of exclusion to people with disabilities. The following article, "Victim…

This self-study serves as a guide for churches and early childhood education programs, focusing on the relationship between a congregation and its early childhood program. A revision of an earlier self-study which was developed by a Seattle-based team of church-related early childhood professionals, the study complements the accreditation program…

This guidebook presents information for use by religious leaders to plan and implement financially sound, high quality child care programs. A foreword describes child care provision as a ministry within the mainstream of congregational activity. Chapter 1, "Assessing the Need," provides a statewide overview of the need for child care…