The Children's Crusade

When I think of the Crusades, the picture that comes to my mind is of hundreds of knights in armour painted with a red cross off on adventure anticipating their opportunity to reclaim the Holy Land. I think of blood, pillage, death and war. So with this picture in mind, I was extremely surprised to read that there was a children’s crusade. But what place do children have in religious war?

According to historical accounts, in 1212 many children were swept along in the popular crusading enthusiasm, along with youths who left their families, shepherds and mothers with babies. Writers have claimed that this was the first popular youth movement, long before the hippy movement, the punk movement or the scouts. Young people left behind the humdrum of daily life for an impossible dream of Jerusalem regained. Albert of Sade mentions the rebellious nature of the movement, as youth left despite their parents’ opposition. The children’s enthusiasm is also a reproach to half-hearted adults, including the Pope!:

Around this time (1212) children without a master, without a leader, ran together with eager steps from all the towns and cities of every region to parts beyond the sea. When people asked them where they were running, they answered, “To Jerusalem, to seek the holy Land”. The parents of many of them confined them at home, but in vain; for they smashed their locks or walls and escaped. The Pope (Innocent III) heard rumours about them, and, sighing, said “These children reproach us, for while we sleep they race to recover the Holy Land”. Even now it is unknown what happened to them. But many of them returned home, and when they were asked for the reason for their journey, they said they did not know. Also, around the same time naked women ran through the towns and cities saying nothing.

(1232 Albert of Stade)

There were in fact two movements in 1212, one in France and the other in Germany. The French Movement was said to involve 15-30,000 people led by Stephen of Cloyes a Shepherd boy. The German Movement was led by another youth Nicholas of Cologne and involved around 8,000. (The statistics are very hard to estimate because medieval chronicles are often myth-history and unreliable). There is some indication that these two movements may have joined together in their march toward the sea.

What motivated these children to leave their homes and families and face death and starvation? It seems they were certainly swept up in the same religious enthusiasm that motivated other pilgrimages and popular crusades. They wished to show their dedication to Jesus and his kingdom by marching to Jerusalem. Many believed that God would open up a pathway through the sea as he did for Moses and the Israelites. Though adults had failed in Crusade, God would bless the attempts of innocent children.

The end of the story, unfortunately, is tragic, an absolute disaster. Many died along the way to the sea. Some arrived in Italy, but then the accounts are quiet. There are myths that some found their way onto ships and were later ship-wrecked or enslaved. Albert of Sade states that many went home, not knowing why they had left in the first place. He also states that “naked women were running around, out of their minds”, thereby associating this erratic behaviour with the religious enthusiasm of the children. Many believed later that the children had been gullible and led astray by evil adults and clergy.

What can we learn from this story as we consider ministry to children and youth? Young people are the same today – they are enthusiastic, and seeking to make an impact in the world on their own apart from their parents and families. We should be thinking of ways to harness their enthusiasm to serve and to make a contribution to growing God’s kingdom, working with their natural passion. This may involve risking the perfectionist quality of our ministries by allowing young people to lead and serve in community outreach events, music, leading services, praying etc. How are your young people involved in Connect 09? Are we leaving it all to the adults?

The story is also a warning to us. Children and young people are vulnerable to charismatic leaders and movements. Are you careful with the way you use your leadership with the precious children God has entrusted you with? We need to be giving them a good biblical foundation so they can make wise choices as they seek to follow Jesus. We must teach children and young people a discernment from God’s word so that they will be able to evaluate true and false teaching themselves.

1. G. Dickson The Children’s Crusade Palgrave Macmillan: New York, 2008.
2. Dickson (2008) p, 109

Teaching our Children God-Esteem

Recently I have been reflecting on the issue of self-esteem. I find myself drawn in two different directions.

Firstly, when talking to people about how they feel about themselves I feel that they must understand themselves in the light of Jesus revelation. That they are made in the image of God, they are part of God’s precious creation that he has pronounced to be “good”. Secondly, they have been important enough to God to send Jesus to die for them, more precious than jewels. Jesus has taken away a Christian’s sin & guilt, they should feel liberated from the old sinful self. They are spotless and blameless.

I have really emphasised our worth in Jesus eyes, that we should feel happy and at peace as a child of God. This is the message of grace.

Because of this emphasis on grace, when my daughter recently was convicted of her sin and wept over her failure before God I felt really uncomfortable. She was a child, she should feel happy and good about herself. I wanted to say to her, don’t worry about that, God forgives you, it doesn’t matter too much. I wondered later on how much my thinking about self-esteem was shaped by the bible and how much was shaped by a culture that emphasises the right to be happy over everything else, the cult of self-esteem.

Meanwhile, I was studying the Evangelical revivals of the 18th century and the response of children. There are many stories of children coming under real repentance and terrible conviction of their sin and their condemnation before God. Do I emphasise God’s grace so much, especially to children that it becomes cheap grace rather than a costly grace that takes away the punishment for our real wickedness and evil. How do we speak to children about their rebellion against God? To Christian children about being both sinners yet justified? Are we encouraging them to continue with repentant hearts, in the ongoing struggle with the sinful nature?

Ian Fry at the Theology of Youth Ministry conference said a wonderful thing that has helped me in thinking about these issues. "We want to hold up to children not a mirror (as the world does) but a window." Their life’s goal should not be their own happiness, but the honour and glory of their heavenly Father who made them. This is the way to genuine lasting joy.

The Family-Friendly Church

Do you want families in your church to know Jesus? Is it your hope that parents in your church will be actively involved in the discipleship of their children? Have you ever wondered how you might be able to encourage and enable families to glorify God within their local community? These are questions that are addressed in The Family Friendly Church by Ben Freudenburg with Rick Lawrence.

In this book, Ben Freudenburg shares his journey of personal discovery in regards to ministry with young people and in particular with young people as they belong to, and interact with their families. In his own experience he has found that ministry to children and families with young children is often overlooked and undervalued. This is not only true in the United States but for many in Australia this can be a common experience. How many of us have seen that when a church grows or adds staff, the first position to be filled, is unlikely to be that of a children’s worker.

However, in this book we are challenged to think more widely about the church’s responsibility to families. Freudenburg says, 'parents are the primary Christian educators in the church’ and that ‘the family is the God-ordained institution for faith building in children and youth and for the passing of faith from one generation to the next’.

This leads us to ask, is it wrong for us as workers to create programs that remove parents from this God-given responsibility? We need to ask ourselves, are we intentionally looking to find the correct balance between the role of Children’s and Youth ministers, Sunday school teachers and youth group leaders with the primary responsibility of Christian parents to pass on their faith?

Having set out his reasoning for why we need to change our focus Freudenburg is particularly helpful in providing practical and helpful suggestions about the way forward. This is a strong characteristic of the book. Its great strength is in biblical principles supported with many ideas for practical application. For example, Freudenburg identifies four simple family habits that make the difference in helping children of all ages to know about faith and to see how this faith works out in practice.

The four "difference makers" are:

Talking about God and your faith with your mother.
Talking about God and your faith with your father.
Praying together as a family each day.
Doing service projects together as a family to help those in need.

He then pinpoints a number of practical ways to implement these ‘difference makers’. For example, here is one of his suggestions in regard to parents talking about their faith:

Use "teachable moments," those moments when you can use events to make a point or open an age-appropriate discussion.

• When you are reading a story or watching a movie, discuss the moral of the story.
• You hear about someone ill or injured, offer a prayer.
• Your child tells you about his friend telling a lie, you talk about honour and the standard of living by God's laws.
• When your child tells you about something troubling him.
• When you see your child is struggling with peer pressure, school pressure or experiencing difficulties with relationships.
  

It is not surprising that that these factors make a difference. Studies have proven again and again that parents are the single most powerful influence in their children's lives. The challenge is to help families recognise and take on board these small but significant steps. How can we help parents to see that giving their children the opportunity to talk with them about God and their faith is easy if they make it a priority? How can we encourage them to have discussions about God with their children as a regular, spontaneous part of life? You will find many helpful and realistic suggestions within this book.

As well as the answers to these questions you will be challenged to broaden your perspective on parent involvement, be encouraged to become committed to educating parents by offering seminars and workshops and be convicted of a need to be scheduling-sensitive. The book provides guidance and resources to help you:

• Walk alongside parents as they lead and teach their children
• Bring families together at church
• Equip families for a home-based, church-supported ministry instead of a church- centred, home-supported ministry.

If this sounds like a change in direction that you and your church are ready for, then I suggest you buy a few copies and pass them around the ministry staff. Plan a day to discuss the concepts and ideas – I’m confident that it will bear fruit for ministry to the families within your care.

Surprised by God!!

Recently I was invited to Moore College for my final interview for Ordination. I have to admit that I had butterflies in my stomach as I waited, with my husband Graham, to be asked in. We were the last interview for the day and had no idea what to expect. The three people interviewing us were warm and welcoming and did everything they could to make us feel at ease. They were interested in us as a couple and took time to learn about our journey of faith and the opportunities that we have in ministry.

As I had previously mentioned I was feeling anxious, although I don’t think this was apparent to the others in the room. However, as I re-lived the interview in my mind, I recognised that I had become more extroverted and had ‘lots to say’. I shared my desire to see Children’s Ministry valued by our churches, to have men and women of all ages taking up the opportunity to be trained and for ministry with children to be recognised as a viable and sustainable career move. Ordination into Children’s Ministry is one way in which I believe people will be encouraged to think long term about ministry with children.

The biggest challenge, however, during the interview was when they asked: “What’s in it for you”?

"Well, what IS in it for me", I thought? I remember replying that I hoped to join the network of ministers within the diocese, to have the support of the Anglican Church, for opportunities to teach the gospel and to be ‘a voice for children’. These are all true and yet I found that I was left feeling as if I had missed something.

Later I tossed and turned, praying, thinking, wondering, examining my motives and asking yet again. Why am I doing this? What is in it for me? SHOULD there even be anything in it for me? As I considered this question I came to the realisation that there is something in it for me. In fact there are many things that benefit me directly from this experience.

Firstly, in order to be ordained, I have embarked on further study. Without the need to do this I would have found it difficult to find the motivation to complete an extra eight subjects for the Advanced Diploma. How sad it would have been to miss out on Andy’s subject on Families and Jim’s teaching of Isaiah.

Secondly, I have been forced to move out of my comfort zone. Writing and presenting my paper, ‘Look at me. I’m a Princess!’ was challenging. I’ve always enjoyed the practical teaching components of my work and struggled to do the critical theological reflection that must stand alongside this. God in his kindness has placed me in an environment that continually encourages me to stop and think. This has not only benefited my ministry but also my personal and spiritual life. It is my hope that being ordained will continue to provide opportunities for rigorous theological reflection on all areas of my ministry.

Lastly, I have been given the opportunity to ‘live the dream’. Many years ago a handful of Children’s Ministers met in St. Andrews House to ‘dream, dreams’. As we shared our vision it was very much with the thought that we would not benefit ourselves but others, particularly our children in the future might benefit from the strategies implemented. The decision by the diocese to ordain Children’s Ministers brings to fruition one of these dreams.
So there you go – although it shouldn’t come as a surprise, God was working things out for my benefit as I sought to benefit others, without me even realising it!

Isn’t our God wonderful in that as we work for him and the building of his kingdom, he is simultaneously working in our hearts and building us to be the people he wants us to be!

It just goes to show that the “what’s in it for me” question does not have to be self-centred but rather can give God glory as we see what he is doing in our OWN lives through our ministry as well as in the lives of those we minister to!

Any thoughts?