Extending Hospitality to Singles in a Family-Oriented Congregation
Soozung Sa
Reprinted from GBOD

We seem to be caught between a rock and hard place when it comes to ministering with singles. Some single people do not want to be ministered to as single people. They are fine adjusting to the culture in which they find themselves. Other singles have specific needs, and they want the church to meet their needs as people who are single. Regardless of the needs and desires of both the congregation and the single people who find themselves in the pews, there are some things the church can do to better extend hospitality to the single population.

Parenting Children With Disabilities: What the Local Church Can Do

Naomi Mitchum
Reprinted from GBOD

From asthma and diabetes to developmental delays and everything in between, physical and mental challenges of children with disabilities push parents to face constant change. The parents' lifestyles and the way they spend their time and money must change quickly. Too often, the constant stress of parenting a child with disabilities breaks up families. Statistics support the need for ongoing, well-grounded work as children grow to maturity, and their needs change. Churches need to examine the issues families must face when they are blessed with a child with special needs.

Faith Development of Children
MaryJane Pierce Norton
Reprinted from GBOD

When we look at the work of Piaget, Kohlberg, Fowler,and others who have looked at development, we are trying to discern the ways children can let us know they understand faith. This means children having the ability to verbally tell what they know and the ability — in many ways — to reason and reflect. It is important to remember that this is a dimension of faith, but does not reflect in any true way the total faith a child has. It might be stated as the way the child understands different aspects of faith.

In the book Faith Passages and Patterns by Thomas Droege (Fortress Press, 1983), the author makes the following statement: ". . . it is important to remember that a particular pattern of thinking determines the stage of knowing (also in matters of faith) and not the content of the person's faith" (pages 50-51). Droege gives a helpful synopsis of the stages of faith. I have summarized his explanations related to children and youth below: