We are excited to announce a special six-part webinar series on the theme of God’s Heart for Children taking place throughout 2023.

Each session will unpack themes from the recently published book of the same name, with the aim of equipping Christians in their calling and ministry with or for children.

The webinars aim to hold a mirror to the wider church. They will draw upon the unique intersection of childhood, development, theology and mission studies and practice, broadening the conversation and ensuring the experiences of children in difficult and complex situations are central.

God’s Heart for Children: Practical Theology from Global Perspectives is a ground-breaking book. It is among the first predominantly African, Asian and Latin American authored titles of its kind concerning God’s heart for ministry with and for children in some of the world’s most complex situations.

In light of this, this collaborative webinar series will afford the opportunity to explore the core affirmations from the book in more depth, together, alongside authors and partner organisations. We hope they will engage, encourage, equip and network those in ministry in a variety of contexts globally.

The six webinars are:

• Created in Dignity (17 January)
• Placed in Families (14 March)
• Community Advocacy and Care (9 May)
• Included in Church and Mission (4 July)
• Secured in Hope (12 September)
• Engaged in Creation Care (14 November)

The webinars are facilitated by a collaborative team from Viva, All Nations Christian College, the Global Children’s Forum, the Lausanne Movement and Langham Publishing.

Each webinar includes an interview with the author of the relevant chapter, a case study of a local project engaging with the theme, a keynote talk to ground what has been discussed in practice plus breakout rooms for networking and sharing practice, tips and ideas, and a panel discussion.

For more information and to register your place on any of the webinars, go to https://www.viva.org/ghfcwebinars

To find out more or to request an interview please email Vicki Price at [email protected]

About the organisations behind the webinars:

Viva is dedicated to changing more children’s lives to fulfil their God-given potential. It builds and supports networks of churches and grassroots organisations to protect and provide for children. https://www.viva.org

All Nations Christian College is an independent, evangelical, interdenominational mission training Bible College. The purpose of All Nations is to train students in cross-cultural mission. https://www.allnations.ac.uk/

Langham Publishing is an initiative of the Langham Partnership and publishes books to equip Christian leaders in the Majority World church in three main programmes – Preaching, Literature, and Scholars. https://langhamliterature.org/

Global Children’s Forum is an emerging and growing partnering network of children’s ministry agencies and leaders that operate with a global or major regional focus. http://gcf.max7.org/en

The Lausanne Movement has connected influencers and ideas for global mission for over 40 years, convening world congresses, global gatherings, and issue-specific forums. https://lausanne.org/

About the God’s Heart for Children Book

This book explores the theological implications and practical realities of ministry with children in a globalised world. Affirming eight core beliefs regarding the place of children in creation – that they are created with dignity and intended to be placed in families, cared for in community, advocated by society, secured in hope, affirmed in God’s church, included in God’s mission, and engaged in creation care – this book traces the impact of such far-reaching issues as displacement, climate change, human trafficking, persecution, and gender discrimination on childhood development. Written by over 20 contributors from around the world, each section roots its premise in contextual theology, examines the implications for praxis, provides a case study, and includes questions for discussion and reflection.

“The fingerprints of God are on this book” (Camilla Symes, World Vision International)

“The subject of this book ought to be a concern for all Christians thinking about the church’s existence, both today and in the future” (Harvey Kwiyani, Global Connections)

Find out more at: https://langhamliterature.org/books/god-s-heart-for-children