The Child Safeguarding Policy for Churches and Ministries by GRACE

Does your church or ministry need help developing a policy to keep children safe? The GRACE team with multi-disciplinary knowledge, headed by Boz Tchividjian, a lawyer and former child abuse prosecutor, want to help you create a plan with their new book and resource, The Child Safeguarding Policy for Churches and Ministries. Creating a policy can seem too overwhelming, and it feels like an impossible task to plan for every contingency. This handbook is designed for use by a group that will be formulating policies and procedures to protect children and deal with possible child abuse in their ministry, school, and/or church. Working through this book will assist churches and ministries to assess their current child abuse polices and then guide them through each step they need to take to address the safety of children under their care.

About the Book

The Child Safeguarding Policy for Churches and Ministries (New Growth Press, August 2017)

Churches have always sought to be a safe haven for children and families, but many today are dealing with the tragic reality of child sexual abuse.

This handbook, authored and edited by a multidisciplinary team of child abuse experts, is designed for use by a group that will be formulating policies and procedures to protect children and deal with possible child abuse in their ministry, school, and/or church. Working through this book will assist churches and ministries to assess their current child abuse polices and then guide them through each step they need to take to address the safety of children under their care. It will cover vitally important topics including:

—Protecting the children in a Christian environment from child abuse
—The warning signs of child abuse
—Crafting and implement a child protection policy
—Responding to abuse allegations
—Caring for victims of child abuse
—The legal implications and requirements for churches and Christian ministries

Written by a GRACE team with multi-disciplinary knowledge, headed by Boz Tchividjian, a lawyer and former child abuse prosecutor, this handbook will be an invaluable resource to Christians who are seeking to educate themselves and others about child abuse and how to best protect the little ones under their care.

Learn more and purchase a copy.

 

About the Authors

(Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment) is a nonprofit organization made up of highly trained, experienced multidisciplinary professionals who seek to educate and empower the Christian community to identify, confront, and respond to the sin of child abuse.

Find out more about GRACE at http://www.netgrace.org.

Margie’s Comments

The Child Safeguarding Policy for Churches and Ministries is the book any Christian ministry needs in order to set up a policy for employees and volunteers in a church, school, camp, or any para-church ministry that works with children. Over the years I have worked in almost every area of ministry at our church, including the school and camp our church owns. Twenty years ago, the state of Colorado required all “religious” entities that work with children to have a written policy of what abuse is, and how we intended to keep the laws set up to protect the children who came through the church, school, or camp.

                 

Today my son and daughter-in-love head up the training each employee or volunteer at our church must go through each year in order to work with the children the Lord brings into each ministry. (They will get my copy of this e-book that was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.) There are many organizations out there who actually can help in training employees and volunteers in order to be in compliance with each state’s laws concerning abuse. But those who wrote this policy book are considered among the most experienced with the most practical advice.

The book is divided into five sections covering a definition of every kind of abuse, a plan for protecting the children in our ministry, a plan for responding to policy violations and child abuse, a plan for ministering to those who have been abused, and a plan for living the policy. Each chapter ends with a sample wording for a church policy manual, plus sample forms located in the Appendices. Having been through the training for adults working in children’s ministries, I found this book to cover each topic thoroughly with easy to understand narrative and case studies. The sample forms easily delineate what each is for and why it exists. As a former teacher, mom, grandma, camp kitchen coordinator and counselor, I found this book extremely helpful and thorough in helping a ministry like ours make sure they are in compliance with the law. I highly recommend the book and commend the authors for addressing this difficult topic in a kind and compassionate way.

Dragon Seed by Marty Machowski

About the Book:

Dragon Seed (New Growth Press, June 2017)

An angry teen, a desperate mother, a missing father, and a shadow lurking in the background.

Things were going from bad to worse for Nick and his family. Tempted to run away after yet another argument with his mom, Nick receives a handwritten, leather-bound copy of an old book—a family legend passed down to him from his great grandfather. The book, called Dragon Seed, leads Nick deep into his family’s history and introduces him to another angry young man who lived in the shadows (the shadows of the tombs). Like Nick, you’ll be shocked to discover where he fits in this story of epic proportions!

This page-turning, young adult fiction story invites older children and teens into the real-life struggles of Nick. But it also ushers them into an imaginative exploration of the life of the young man Jesus saved as he wandered through the tombs. Best-selling author Marty Machowski uses both stories to introduce the reality of spiritual warfare and how its shadows affect and change us.

Machowski, a trusted teacher for children of all ages, presents a thoroughly biblical view of spiritual warfare that emphasizes the importance of humility and dangers of pride. Teens will be drawn to the story of Nick and his struggles and will learn, as they read, to also identify the shadows in their own life and turn from them. While the biblical teaching is evident throughout the narrative of Dragon Seed, Machowski also includes a twelve-lesson Bible study at the end of the book to help teens ground their understanding of spiritual warfare on biblical principles.

Youth pastors, leaders, and parents will also want to explore with teens the small group study at the end of the book with its unique take on spiritual warfare that emphasizes the biblical theme of humility. This is a perfect book to read with a group and discuss together the implications of Nick’s struggles for their lives.

Learn more and purchase a copy.

About the Author:

 

 Marty Machowski is the Family Life Pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, where he has served on the pastoral staff for over 25 years. Marty leads Promise Kingdom, the children's ministry of Covenant Fellowship. He is the author of a systematic theology for children entitled "The Ology," "Long Story Short," "Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God," "The Gospel Story Sunday School Curriculum" and the companion "Gospel Story Children's Bible." He and his wife, Lois, and their six children reside in West Chester, Pennsylvania area.

Margie’s Comments:

While Dragon Seed by Marty Machowski was written for older children and teens, I loved this book and found it difficult to put down! What a unique way to get a good look at Jesus and who He is and what He did while He was on the earth in man’s form!

Nick is a teen who is struggling against his mother’s good intentions and desires for him. When he fights her decision, she hands him the book and asks him to read it while he is isolated in his room. With nothing else to do, he reads the book. And he, too, finds it difficult to put down. There’s a surprise for him in the reading, but at the end he is ready to listen to the Lord as Lord of his life.

The author finished the book with a twelve-day devotional. These are based on Scripture and on the principles of spiritual warfare

brought out in the story. It’s a good reinforcement to children and teens to see where in Scripture these principles are upheld.

If anyone has a teenager at home (maybe more than one) they are struggling with spiritually, I highly recommend this book for your teen(s) to read. Read it yourself, then have your teen read it. Sooner or later it will lead to some great discussions because of the content.

(I was sent an ebook free from the publisher and the publicity group in exchange for an honest review.)

Think Again by Jared Mellinger

About the Book:

Think Again: Relief from the Burden of Introspection (New Growth Press, April 2017)

Evaluating yourself—being mindful of who you are and what you are doing—is necessary and can lead to positive change.

But what about the dark side of introspection? Do you ever feel weighed down and exhausted by your own self-analysis? Perhaps you made a mistake, said a careless word, or even messed up big time. Your self-examination spirals into a full-blown cross-examination. You keep revisiting what happened. Your mind circles around the event, fruitlessly trying to somehow make the outcome different so you don’t feel the embarrassment, shame, and regret.

The modern self-esteem movement has left us empty and self-focused. We exhaust our healthy introspection and pervert it into constant self-evaluation, wrong views of ourselves, self-accusation, and false guilt. Introspection was never meant to bear such weight.

Think Again offers real relief from the burden of introspection that so many of us carry each day. Pastor Jared Mellinger, who tends to overdose on self-analysis himself, shows us how the hope of the gospel can rescue us from the bad fruit of unsound introspection. Mellinger’s short, story-filled chapters help readers identify and turn away from unhealthy introspection.

There is an outward-focused God who delights to rescue an inward-focused people and lead them into a better way to live. When we truly understand it, we’ll see that the gospel actually sets us free from thinking about ourselves too much. We can seek after and pray for the peace and joy—the sanity—that comes from thinking about ourselves less often. Think Again includes practical instructions for self-examination, fighting false guilt, breaking free from hyper-introspection, and more. Ultimately, Think Again demonstrates that the solution to thinking too much about ourselves is to look to Christ, and it gives readers the tools to begin to turn from the mirror.

Learn more, purchase a copy, and read a sample here.

About the Author:

 

Jared Mellinger joined the Covenant Fellowship Church pastoral team in 2006, upon graduating from Pastors College of Sovereign Grace Churches. He became senior pastor in 2008. Jared graduated from Kutztown University in 2001 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Art Education. He enjoys reading, rollerblading, poetry, drinking coffee, building fires, and listening to Josh Garrels. Jared is the author of Think Again: Relief from the Burden of Introspection. He resides in Glen Mills, PA with his wife Meghan and their six children.

Margie’s Comments:

I must admit that when the opportunity to review Think Again by Jared Mellinger came, I almost turned it down. I was already stuck in the pit of introspection, and my extra-special group of ladies with whom I pray twice a month (well, more than that, but we meet twice a month for purpose-filled prayer) were working with me on solutions to the problem. But at the last moment I did agree to do a review (for which I received a free copy of the ebook). And I am so thankful I did.

Think Again talks about the problems inherent with excessive introspection, why we get into the trap and can’t seem to find our way out, and how to “examine” our motives and actions biblically so we can be released from the trap. It isn’t a long book, and the author has a style that is very easy to read and understand. And while the solution to excessive introspection is simple, it can also be difficult to implement. Any time we have to change our thinking patterns, we’re in for a spiritual battle because Satan’s main battlefield is for control of our thoughts. The author suggests that we don’t try to do it alone, for this reason. Reading Think Again has reminded me once again how thankful I am for the ladies I mentioned. We are truly iron-sharpening-iron friends.

With our focus first of all on God alone (who He is, His promises, and His love and tender care) and then on others, we will find ourselves free from the trap of introspection and can face life with joy. I highly recommend this book.

Getting Jesus Wrong by Matt Johnson

About the Book:

We all want something from Jesus, whether that’s help to get through life, a new job, a new direction, a new exercise plan. Learn why that approach doesn’t result in real faith or love in Matt Johnson’s new book, Getting Jesus Wrong. Whether we’ve followed a false Jesus or attempted to coopt the real Jesus, Getting Jesus Wrong ultimately offers us hope because it helps us see Jesus as he is. Getting Jesus right gives us more than spiritual vitamins or a blueprint for living; it gives us a full, rich life spent exploring the depths of gospel love together.

###

Getting Jesus Wrong (New Growth Press, February 2017)

Jesus is not a life coach, a movement leader, a cultural visionary, or a blessing dispenser—but you might not know that by listening to many Christians talk about their faith.

Feel-good slogans promote a caricatured Jesus made in our own image who cannot save us and leave us feeling guilty for not saving ourselves. Following the wrong Jesus disappoints us and produces anxiety, pride, and despair.

The first half of Getting Jesus Wrong recounts pastor and author Matt Johnson’s personal encounters with a string of false saviors—false saviors that many, especially young adults, will recognize. Johnson’s humor and transparency in recounting his own painful experiences will appeal to those who have tried a “brand” of Christianity and found it lacking.

The truth is, we all want something from Jesus. Some are just hoping for a little help to get through life—a new direction, a purpose that will get us up in the morning, an exercise plan, a way to get organized. But that approach to Jesus doesn’t result in real faith or love.

Whether we’ve followed a false Jesus or attempted to coopt the real Jesus, Getting Jesus Wrong ultimately offers us hope because it helps us see Jesus as he is. Getting Jesus Wrong shows that the message of the Bible is about Jesus coming to us as we are—which is good news for exhausted and disillusioned disciples. It shows us that getting Jesus right means a whole new way of thinking (the way up is down) and a whole new way of life (daily dependence on the one who knows the beginning from the end). Getting Jesus right gives us more than spiritual vitamins or a blueprint for living; it gives us a full, rich life spent exploring the depths of gospel love together.

Learn more and purchase a copy.

About the Author:

 

Matt Johnson is a husband, father to two little girls, and is an armchair student of theology living in Seattle. He is also a freelance writer and editor. Until recently, Matt spent 7 years as an associate volunteer pastor in counseling and recovery ministry.

Find out more about Matt at https://www.therealmattjohnson.com.

Margie’s Comments: Getting Jesus Wrong by Matt Johnson is an interesting read—one that I needed right now. We all want Jesus to be the person we need Him to be, but as humans we tend to focus on the aspect of Christ that we see ourselves needing most. And because of that we tend to limit Him by putting Him into a “box” of our own making. After a time we wonder what went wrong, why Jesus isn’t doing what we want Him to do. While I identified with many of the false Jesus persona the author presents, I think checklist Jesus was the one that convicted me the most.

Not only does the author talk about the “false Jesus” but he also includes a section of who the true Jesus is and how we can learn to depend on Him alone daily and in every situation. While reading Getting Jesus Wrong, I kept thinking of the discussion Jesus has with His disciples in John 15 about abiding in Him, especially verse 5: “In am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing” (emphasis added, NASB). God is using this book and circumstances in my life right now to teach me this lesson: without Him I can do absolutely nothing!!!

If you are frustrated with your limited faith in Jesus, I highly recommend this book. Even if you aren’t, but wonder if you’re “getting it all,” read this book. Don’t just read it. Study it. Check out the verses the author quotes, and pray for God’s direction and understanding.

The Seed by Erik Guzman

About the Book:

The Seed (New Growth Press, May 2016)

Young Madeline and Roark are desperately running from the shadow that destroyed their home and is threatening their lives.

One day, they encounter Tatus, an older man who has sworn to avenge the death of his family at the hands of the shadow, and they form an alliance with him. Tatus promises that he can keep them safe from the shadow if they will help him build a fortress. So they build.

But as fortress-building consumes their lives, Madeline and Roark are increasingly filled with anger and fear, and an unseen evil threatens to ultimately destroy them. When they finally face the shadow, he presents them with an unthinkable offer that will reveal shocking secrets of the forgotten past, the unseen present, and the unimaginable future.

We’ve all had the feeling that something’s not quite right with our lives. It’s bigger than any specific failure or disappointment. It’s bigger than any person. No matter what you achieve or how much you drink or sleep, you can’t shake it. It haunts you-night and day-and propels you to do something. So you build. You build and build the maze that is your exhausting life. Sound vaguely familiar?

The Seed: A True Myth is a journey into the personal labyrinths we create to protect ourselves and those we love from the pain of living in a broken world. Guzman’s “true myth” takes the reader on an unforgettable journey that is, in essence, the grand narrative of God’s redemptive work in the world. This page-turning Christian fantasy tale is packed with mystery and drama, and readers will feel the weight and power of redemption as they journey alongside Guzman’s characters in their epic battle. The Seed deftly communicates the heart of Trinitarian theology through story—without using theological language or Christian terms—and reinforces biblical themes such as God’s character and man’s true identity and calling.

Learn more and purchase a copy.

 

About the Author:

Erik Guzman is Vice President of Communications and Executive Producer at Key Life Network. He’s the cohost of the nationally syndicated talk show Steve Brown, Etc. and announcer for "Key Life." His writing has been featured in Key Life's magazine and online at KeyLife.org, Liberate.org, Burnside Writers Collective, and Sojourners (sojo.net). He is also a Lay Eucharistic Minister, a drummer, and a 5th degree black belt in Aikido. Erik, his wife, and three children live near Orlando, Florida.

Margie’s Comments:

The Seed is an interesting book on several levels, though I found it somewhat difficult reading. I’m not sure why. I don’t normally mind reading allegorical or mythical books. In fact I’m in the minority when it comes to other writer/editor friends in that I like speculative/fantasy/allegorical fiction.

But this was hard for me to get into. Maybe because it started out rather dark. But I kind of expected that, knowing the basic subject matter. Maybe because the timeline jumped about rather than in a straight line. But even that I could handle once I understood why the author chose to write it that way.

The characters were okay, though I had trouble getting into them at first as well. Again I think that might have been the timeline-jumping thing. Also the lack of names and then name changes for each of the characters was a little tricky to keep up with.

But in the end, I did like the book. However, I think you’ve really got to enjoy this genre if you’re going to read this book. And it does help to have a good grasp of allegory and allegorical features and the theology behind the story. So not a highly recommended book, but not a “don’t ever read this book,” either.

The Ology by Marty Machowski

-->

The Ology: Ancient Truths Ever New
(New Growth Press, October 2015)

A page-turning storybook of theology for kids

In the cellar of the old stone cathedral, Carla and Timothy uncover a life-changing treasure, a carefully wrapped ancient book known as The Ology. What adults might describe as a beautifully illustrated storybook of systematic theology, the kids discover to be a story of adventure, mystery, and wonder that leads them to the truth about God, themselves, and the world around them.

Truth is for kids, not just for adults! So The Ology gives kids of all ages a beginner’s theology book to help them understand who God is and how we, as his children, relate to him. Arranged within a traditional systematic theological framework, each truth in The Ology is also connected to the larger redemptive story of Scripture. The doctrine of God, for example, is presented in the larger framework of creation, where the attributes of God are more clearly on display. The Ology takes abstract theological concepts and makes them easier to understand with the use of creative examples, illustrations, and analogies. The goal is not to say everything that could be said about a theological topic, but rather to share the key thoughts behind a theological concept. The Ology is a starting point to learning theology and aims to create a hunger and desire in children to learn more as they grow older.

Designed for six-year-olds through preteens, this flexible resource includes built-in adaptations for use with younger or older children, so that entire families can enjoy it together. Read The Ology to preschoolers, read it with grade-school kids, and let older kids discover the “hidden” truths by reading the corresponding Scripture passages for each section. However you read it, The Ology will give your children a gift that will last a lifetime—a solid foundation of life-changing biblical truth that will point them to the God who loves them and gave himself for them.

Check out this preview!

A companion The Ology CD from Bob Kauflin and Sovereign Music is also available.


Learn more and purchase a copy.

 

 Marty Machowski is a Family Life Pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, where he has served on the pastoral staff for over twenty years. He is the author of the Gospel Story for Kids series, which includes "The Gospel Story Bible," "Long Story Short," "Old Story New," and the "Gospel Story Curriculum," as well as the Advent devotional and curriculum "Prepare Him Room." He and his wife, Lois, and their six children reside in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

Margie’s Comments: With a 17-month-old granddaughter, I’m looking for books that teach sound biblical doctrine without being dry and boring. While The Ology is written for children a little bit older, there are still things that her parents can do with the book to give her a strong foundation in the tenets of our faith. (Thankfully, she has parents who want this for their children.)

I love the short chapters, and the illustrations are spectacular. Not only does each page of text contains Scripture, each illustration also has other Scripture references to expand and make the book useful to read over and over with children as they grow older. As a former elementary schoolteacher, I look for these possibilities when looking for teaching material. While the book was written for children, its usefulness expands well into the teen years and adulthood. I’m very impressed with what Marty Machowski and New Growth Press has done with this book.

And just for the record, while I received a complimentary copy of The Ology from the publisher in exchange for a review, I’m passing the book along to my son and daughter-in-love to use as they train their children to love the Lord and His Word.