Stories & Reflections

When Sammy’s parents told him that their family would be traveling from Ohio to Dallas for a three-day Ethiopian Orthodox summer camp, he had little interest in going. They had encouraged him to attend church and participate in Sunday school for years, and while he usually complied, he did so more out of obligation than enthusiasm. Summer was supposed to offer a break, and he hoped to spend it another way. His parents brought him anyway. When the family arrived, Sammy encount

When Dr. Nelson Cowan was asked to write a book about engaging children in church worship services, he initially declined. “I think you’ve got the wrong person. I have no formal background in children’s ministry, and I was never a youth pastor.” But when he heard that the publisher wanted him to focus on pastors and congregational leaders, he agreed. That was an audience to whom he could speak. Dr. Cowan, a PhD in Liturgical Studies (Boston University) and former United Meth