Book Review:
Enduring Connections: Creating a Preschool and Children’s Ministry
Janice Haywood, Chalice Press, 2007.

Enduring Connections is written for the minister or layperson who leads the childhood ministry in a church. This book gives guidance for developing a ministry that builds connections – between a child and God, and between a child and their community of faith. The focus is on childhood ministry that makes a spiritual difference in the lives of children and families, not children’s ministries that measure success by counting programs or heads.

The author begins with how to develop a vision for your church’s preschool and children’s ministry, including how to do annual planning to help achieve your goals. This is one example of the combination of philosophical wisdom and practical how-to that is found throughout the book.

For this reviewer, perhaps the most thought-provoking chapter in the book is the second. Entitled “Does Your Church Consider Children a Valued Component of the Congregation?” this section helps leaders to evaluate whether their church simply “provides for” the children so that the “real” ministries of the church can occur, or whether the church recognizes and values childhood ministry as a key part of its overall mission.

Partnering with parents, encouraging and equipping teachers, and appropriately guiding children into a personal relationship with Christ are among the topics that receive attention in further chapters. The work of childhood ministry includes reaching new children, choosing literature for teaching, providing safe and welcoming facilities, and offering appropriate, appealing programs. All of these aspects of ministry are addressed.

Part Two of Enduring Connections focuses on the childhood minister. The author emphasizes the importance of the call of God to minister, and the varied skills and relationships involved in ministry. Practical suggestions are provided to the leader on what to investigate and what to ask when considering a ministry position with a church. There is also information for the church about what they need to consider when calling or hiring a childhood minister and what that minister’s role may include.

The Appendix section of the book contains a variety of information, from sample job descriptions to lists of basic books for ministers.

Enduring Connections: Creating a Preschool and Children’s Ministry is an excellent resource for new leaders in childhood ministry or seasoned veterans, and for both professional and lay leaders.

Review by Sue Harmon, Associate Director for Childhood Ministry, South Carolina Baptist Convention.