Ariel M. Barr
CHMN 301: Foundation of NextGen Ministry
Professor Stephen Vandergriffin
It’s Just a Phase Assignment: Reading Report
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Contents
Introdcution……………………………………………………………………………………1
Summary……………………………………………………………………………………......1
Personal Response…………………………………………………………………………...….3
Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………...….3
Bibliography…………………………………………………………………………………….4
1
Introduction
Given the basis of the book is to teach, inform, and provide a greater knowledge of
children at all ages, levels, and learning capabilities, the book effectively does that. I read f
chapters 9 until 13 and was informed on the different ways that children connect with God
how this will look different given the age and grade of that said child. I also learned about h
love plays a huge part in how you lead children and that even though they are young they st
can be led with love and understand how that looks coming from an adult. As I continue my
review of this book, I will include a plethora of things that are interesting, worth mentioning
on topic for any person trying to fully comprehend children at any age, especially as it conc
their relationship with God.
Summary
Starting from Chapter 9, this chapter speaks about how all children should be treated the
same way and are all loved by God in the same way, but the expresses are different. When y
view children in the image of God, it becomes easier to for them to see himself that way als
made in the image of God. The author says this, “When you learn to see God’s image in kids
increases the potential for kids to see God”1. This alludes to treating children the way they
be treated so that they can know that they are a child of the Most High and deserve nothing
from the adults that are raising them up. Chapter 9 also talks about how children who are tr
and led like they are the child of the Most High, they will want to grow up knowing who it is.
The text says this, “When kids grow up believing they are made by God, they will grow up
wanting to know the God who made”2. This is a very crucial aspect to leading kids, as it goe
into the next chapter of the book, Chapter 10: Play to Your Audience. This chapter talks abo
1 Joiner & Ivy, Its Just a
Phase, p. 141 2 Joiner & Ivy,
It’s Just a Phase, p.148
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how you have to change the way you represent who God is at all different stages (elementa
preschool, middle school, and high school). The author then goes into a further analysis of w
this matters by saying, “When it comes to leading the next generation, spiritual growth mea
helping kids mature in their ability to relate to God”3. At each age or stage of life, children
to be directed on how to view God in the way that should so that they don’t miss Him at any
stage of life. With every advancement in age and mindset, we all have to view God different
and this is what this chapter explains. The next chapter, Chapter 11: Lead Like Love Matters
talks about not only leading effectively but leading effectively with love. The authors sum u
chapter with this one sentence: You can’t really love God if you don’t love who God loves …
least according to Jesus”4. Teaching kids to love first will take them a long way in life and t
informs they way that they have relationships with people and with God when they get olde
Chapter 12 speaks about communicating what is important to teach children in the time the
with you throughout the year. Knowing what to teach and talk about from the Bible when yo
with them requires a strategy in what to teach. We cannot teach the Bible cover to cover in
Children’s ministry, or we can but it will not produce the most fruit in terms of what sticks w
the children when they leave. We can “rethink your strategy to make the most of the limited
you will have at every phase”5. Once we rethink what we are going to talk about on any give
day in children’s ministry, we have all three dials turning within the children: wonder, disco
and passion. The last chapter of the book is Chapter 13: Celebrate the Big Moments. This ch
talks about when to celebrate certain moments in a child’s life, and how not to “over celebr
certain events in a child’s life. The authors put it this way: “If you celebrate too soon or too
3 Joiner & Ivy, It’s Just a
Phase, p. 156 4 Joiner & Ivy,
It’s Just a Phase, p. 173 5
Joiner & Ivy, It’s Just a Phase,
p. 187
Bibliography
Joiner, Reggie, and Kristen Ivy. It’s Just a Phase, so Don’t Miss It : Why Every Life Stage of a
Kid Matters, and at Least 13 Things Your Church Should Do about It. Cumming, GA,
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you risk making the big moments smaller”6. They are not saying just don’t celebrate if something
amazing in their life happens, they are saying put in the right perspective of what should be
celebrated and how it should be properly celebrated. The authors then go on to explain
themselves further, “It’s okay to save some things for later so they can actually matter when they
matter”7.
Personal Response
As I am always on the side of children, this books gives insight on why I am so
fascinated with all the stages of life that children go through. How they can relate to God
differently at different stages in life, how they can be shown love from their leaders and thus
show the same love to other when they get older, and how we should show them how to
celebrate the big moments, so they can actually be big. Children are not underestimated, and this
book wonderfully depicts that.
Conclusion
Overall, I think, from the pages that I read, that this book properly explains the way that a
child should be brought up at any point in life. This book is helpful to all parents and youth
involved adults who are looking to not only better their skills but change the lives of the children
around them. This book will produce great fruit and guide the way we take care and raise
children up, especially in church.
6 Joiner & Ivy, It’s Just a Phase, p. 214
7 Joiner & Ivy, It’s Just a Phase, p. 217
Orange Books, 2015, pp. 136–245, app.logos.com/books/LLS
%3AWS_D6BE4899863140F9BF804095102DCE73/references/page.46?layout=one.
Accessed 23 May 2023.
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