Dave Csinos

…of Children’s Ministry in the Way of Jesus.

“Finally–a design for children’s ministry that actually takes children seriously! Incisive, thoughtful and creative, David Csinos and Ivy Beckwith have written a wonderful guide, packed full of constructive ideas, for fostering a ‘new ecclesial culture’ in which children are full and lively participants in Christian life and community.”

The reviews and endorsements for Children’s Ministry in the Way of Jesus (hitting bookshelves in the fall) have started coming in. Ivy and I have been overwhelmed by the positive feedback the book is receiving. Here’s one review (more to come later):

“Simply brilliant! If I could influence church leaders and children’s ministry practitioners to read just one book on children’s ministry, Children’s Ministry in the Way of Jesus would be the one. In this book Dave and Ivy have achieved something remarkable as they have captured the current picture of children’s ministry in the West, succinctly set that picture within recent history and used their collective wisdom, experience and knowledge to purposefully provide the settings for an alternative future in children’s work–a future not solely focused on educative or entertaining programs and children’s cognitive ability but a much more holistic approach. One that is more intentionally nurturing and formational to children as spiritual beings, theologians, disciples of Jesus and worshipers of God within, of course, a church community–a community that is intergenerational, humble and willing to journey with them as fellow travelers and colearners as we all seek to grow in the way of Jesus day by day. Children’s Ministry in the Way of Jesus needs and deserves to be one of the most influential texts on children’s ministry of our generation and in years to come.”

Here’s a great piece for Easter weekend. It calls me to have wider eyes, eyes to see the crucified Jesus all around me. And it calls us to live into Good Friday and not rush right to Easter Sunday, to see the crucified Christ as well as the resurrected Christ. For me, pausing at the pain and brokenness of Good Friday that is all around allows the power of the resurrection seems greater. It is not one person’s body that is raised, but it is the whole world that is redeemed as the already-but-not-yet reign of God breaks through. And without pausing at Good Friday and having eyes to see the crucified Christ all around me (even as I crucify those around me), the hope of the resurrection would not seem so potent, so unbelievably beautiful.

…Phil Vischer asks, “What’s in the Bible?” Check out his re-telling of the Easter story in this 11-minute “What’s in the Bible?” video. I love the fact that the telling of the story doesn’t end at Good Friday but moves right to Easter Sunday and reminds us that this is why we celebrate not only at Easter, but each week (and I’d add each day, as we live into God’s reign in our own ways).

After helping clean out the home of an elderly friend that recently passed away, this article by Derek Penwell has got me thinking. Call me an old soul or a reluctant digital immigrant or any other term, but my view of “stuff” is somewhere between the fun-and-fancy-free-don’t-get-tied-down-with-stuff attitude and that acquire-and-acquire-and-acquire-more-stuff-because-I-love-this-stuff attitude. I appreciate great old pieces of furniture, I love my rotary dial phone and I have no use for a cell phone, and I’d rather read a real live book than an ebook. I guess I’m an odd 29-year-old.

But when I read Penwell’s piece, I was struck by the power of his argument. Are we building a church that young people want to inherit? I like the question, but I think it doesn’t hit the mark. Sometimes blessings aren’t things that people necessarily want to receive. Sometimes faithfulness is difficult and the road is narrow and difficult to tread. So while I appreciate the question, I struggle with the fact that it’s built on an individualistic and consumeristic assumption that what one wants is all that matters. Maybe instead of asking “What If the Kids Don’t Want Our Church?” we should ask “What If Our Church Isn’t Best for the Kids?” By turning the question around in this way, we move from focusing on what “the kids” want to what the church ought to be for the kids, for younger generations and those not yet born. And I think that how we answer this second question will shape the faithfulness of the church that is yet to be.

Last weekend, Saturday Night Live showed a 2-minute mock trailer for DJesus Uncrossed, a Tarantino-esque movie that thankfully is just a joke! It’s strangely reminiscent of the Gandhi 2 trailer from the Weird Al movie, UHF (a classic!).

While the DJesus Uncrossed trailer is meant to be funny, it’s carries a serious message that too many folks think is real–the peacemaking Jesus coming back with a vengeance. If this fake movie ever really existed, we’d never show it in Sunday school. But in subtle (and not-so-subtle) ways, churches continue to teach children that Jesus may have said ‘turn the other cheek’ during his first sojourn on earth, but when he comes back he’s bringing fire and brimstone. But this isn’t the Jesus I know. And this isn’t the type of faith I was to nurture in young people. I don’t want to nurture a turn or burn faith. I want to nurture a faith that is loving and humble. I don’t want to nurture a faith that makes room for revenge. I want to nurture a faith that makes room for going the extra mile.  And so DJesus Uncrossed may make me laugh, but it presses me on in my mission to cultivate a generation of young disciples who don’t go around “killing Ro-mans,” but who make peace and seek justice.

Pete Rollins thinks it’s a good idea. I first heard about Pete’s proposal to go Atheist for Lent a few years ago and it really intrigued me. Although he’s criticized for this idea (and I agree that it has limitations), I think there’s something to be said for it:

Lent is a time that is traditionally reserved for a type of psychological purging that leads up to the Crucifixion. In light of this, Atheism for Lent seeks to use some of the most potent critiques of Christianity as a type of purifying fire that might help us appreciate and understand Christ’s cry of dereliction on the Cross in a new way.

Just as Christ experienced the loss of God on the Cross, so Atheism for Lent invites participants into that desert space traditionally called the dark night of the soul.

Atheism for Lent is not for the faint of heart. It is a call to give up what we hold most dear in order to become stronger disciples of Jesus. I can almost be likened to a love relationship. When my parents had been married for 25 years, my mother was offered a job that required her to move about a year before my father was set to retire. Feeling as though their marriage was strong enough to handle the distance, they lived 500km apart from each other for this time–and it made their relationship stronger. Their marriage probably wouldn’t have survived this separation when it was young and blossoming. But it had grown and matured and could do more than withstand the distance–it could grow from it.

I’m not advocating Atheism for Lent as something that we should encourage kids and youth to do–it requires a sincere commitment to discipleship and a faith that is already strong. But I think it has a lot of merit as a spiritual practice for adults who love God so much that they are willing to wave goodbye for 40 days. As disciples of Jesus, we owe it to him to listen to critics of Christianity and become better disciples because of it.