Churches are supposed to be a safe haven, but many deal with the tragic reality of child sexual abuse. This guide, supported by a multidisciplinary team of child abuse experts, helps churches and faith communities formulate policies and procedures to protect children and address possible abuse in their ministries.

Jesus was the descendant of sexually exploited women, narrowly survived a child homicide, and grew up to be the world's most prominent defender of children. Jesus reserved his harshest words for those who abused or neglected children and went so far as to say our treatment of children says everything about our view of God. Although the early church took this message to heart and distinguished itself by its treatment of children, this message has been distorted or ignored by many modern Christian leaders. As a result, the church has often failed to protect children from abuse and, in many instances, has contributed to their maltreatment. In this insightful book, Christian theologian and internationally recognized child abuse expert Victor Vieth examines the role of Jesus' life and teachings in reducing child abuse in the New Testament world. Vieth urges Christians to once again take seriously everything Jesus had to say about children. Using the teachings of Jesus as a blueprint, Vieth sets forth a proposal for church reform to prevent many cases of abuse, improve the pastoral care of survivors of abuse, and witness to the world that Christian faith shows itself in service to children.

Empower the children in your faith community. Children are marginalized in our churches, dismissed into Sunday school or silenced for lengthy sermons aimed at adults. R. L. Stollar has spent his career advocating for the rights of children, and he thinks it’s time to stop talking down to children and start listening to them. In The Kingdom of Children, Stollar proposes a liberation theology of the child. Stollar begins with a theoretical framework that centers children in our theology and ecclesial life. Reframing biblical stories to center children, we can see how the binding of Isaac reflects the spiritual effects of child abuse, or how children like Miriam can serve as leaders in their communities. Using scriptural examples as well as real studies of children’s spiritual lives, Stollar asserts that children can be priests, prophets, and theologians in our communities. Each chapter concludes with activities and discussion points for introducing the book’s concepts to children. The Kingdom of Children is a must-read for youth ministers, parents, and anyone who works with children. By embracing the liberation of children, we can avoid stunting their spiritual growth and passing on trauma. And when we lift up children—truly value and learn from them—we build up the kingdom of God here in our communities.

Assault on the Body presents a Christ-centred response to sexual violence, through testimonies by sexual assault survivors and articles by theologians, pastors, academics, social workers, counsellors, lawyers and advocates. Taken together, these chapters reveal God’s heart for victims of sexual violence, demonstrate how to be a supportive church community, explain how to avoid common mistakes when responding to and journeying with victims, and propose how to safeguard our churches responsibly. Whether you are a pastor managing a sexual assault case, a lay person who wants to equip your church community to be a safe space, or someone journeying with a victim of sexual violence, this book is for you.

"Timely and necessary...This book is not only a warning. It is an opportunity. An opportunity to live out the gospel we so passionately proclaim. And it starts with listening."—J.D. Greear, President of the Southern Baptist Convention Time’s Up: Addressing the Unspoken Crisis in the Church We like to think the church is a haven for the hurting. But what happens when it’s not? Author and advocate Mary DeMuth urges the church she loves to rise up and face the evil of sexual abuse and harassment with candor and empathy. Based on research and survivors’ stories, along with fierce fidelity to Scripture, DeMuth unpacks the church’s response to sexual violence and provides a healthy framework for the church to become a haven of healing instead of an institution of judgment. In the throes of the #MeToo movement, our response as Christians is vital. God beckons us to be good Samaritans to those facing trauma and brokenness in the aftermath of abuse and provide safe spaces to heal. DeMuth advocates for a culture of honesty and listening and calls on the church to enter the places where people are hurting. In the circle of that kind of empathetic #WeToo community, the church must become what it’s meant to be—a place of justice and healing for everyone.

There are more than 40 million enslaved people in the world today. This is overwhelming. A number so large leaves us asking, What could I even do to help? In his book Vulnerable: Rethinking Human Trafficking, Raleigh Sadler, president and founder of Let My People Go, makes the case that anyone can fight human trafficking by focusing on those who are most often targeted. This book invites the reader to understand their role in the problem of human trafficking, but more importantly, their role in the solution. Human trafficking can be defined as the exploitation of vulnerability for commercial gain. Using the power of story and candid interviews, Sadler seeks to discover how ordinary people can fight human trafficking by recognizing vulnerability and entering in. As vulnerable people, we can empower other vulnerable people, because Christ was made vulnerable for us.

Alive: Gospel Sexuality for Students gives teenagers and young adults a biblical, gospel-centered framework to apply to issues of sexuality. In a changing culture where feelings about our identity inform our sexual choices, this ten-week small group resource from Harvest USA applies biblical truth in a compassionate way to sexual struggles.

A Guide to Worship Ministry centers on four main areas of worship ministry: preparing for worship ministry, leading the worship ministry, preparing for Sunday, and discipling the generations through worship ministry. The book addresses topics such as discerning your call to ministry, working on a church staff, planning and leading worship services, and equipping your worship teams. A Guide to Worship Ministry looks at the day-to-day work of the worship minister, offering insights and personal stories. It is an important book for those getting started in worship ministry and a refresher for those who have years of experience in ministry.

"Theologians rethink and reinterpret theological doctrines and practices regarding the strengths and vulnerabilities of one of the world's most exploited and marginalized groups: children"--

This is the first comprehensive book on Anglican and Pentecostal ecumenical relations. It introduces both movements with a particular focus on their approaches to ecumenism, before exploring sacraments, ministry, ecclesiology, pneumatology, and mission with respect to both traditions. As well as providing more theological and historical discussion, the book also offers personal accounts of local, national, and international ecumenical engagement by both Anglicans and Pentecostals. It is written predominantly—although not exclusively—from a British perspective. Even so, as the first major published dialogue between these two global Christian traditions, the book will be of value to all interested in Anglicanism, Pentecostalism, and ecumenism.