From The Ground Up

The insights in this book come out of the experience of working with children in the inner city. In other words, they have started in the world of the child and been developed 'from the ground up'. In a broader sense, however, it is about the spirituality of every child whatever the context.

The material begins with the child, looking first at what it means to be made in God's image, then stepping sideways to look at the innate developmental needs that must be met in order for the child to grow into a healthy individual.

Next the biblical perspecitive on children is explored - including the upside-down values that Jesus demonstrated - before the discussion is further earthed by setting it in an urban context and offering practical suggestions to implement the insights and help the church as a whole to become more child and family aware.

Kathryn Copsey is the project leader of CURBS (Children in URBan Situations) and author of Become Like a Child (SU 1994). A trained community worker, she has worked with children for the past 30 years, the majority of which have been in urban situations such as East London. Kathryn is former editor of SU's SALT programme for 5-7s. She has been part of the authorship team and provided editorial input for all the resources produced under the CURBS umbrella over the past seven years. Kathryn and her husband both live and work in East London and have two grown-up children.

'A rare opportunity to explore the upside-down world of the kingdom of heaven, with urban children leading us by the hand'.
Dr Keith J. White, Director Mill Grove

From: Church Times 9 September 2005

There has been much consideration of the spirituality and theology of the child in certain areas, and so this is a timely publication. The author, Kathryn Copsey, is the project leader of CURBS (Children in URBan Situations), which models working with the whole child, believing that spiritual development is inextricably linked to developmental issues and the urban context.

Relationships are crucial, and it is when these break down that the spirituality of the child is damaged, and thus the ability to experience and to come to faith is impaired. Positive relationships with adults can begin the repair process by entering the child's world, giving time to listen, and showing the child he or she has value.

The author constructs a comprehensive overview of key aspects of the spiritual and faith nurture of children, using insights gained from 30 years of practical experience. She draws on current thinking and research in social work, child development, education, theology, and psychology. She considers the nature of child spirituality, what it means to be 'made in God's image', and the emergence of a 'life script'. She then explores the biblical perspective on children - not least the 'upside-down' values Jesus demonstrated, the child's need for unconditional love, the importance of a child-centred attitude, and subsequent implications for the local church.

This is not just another (yawn) take-it-or-leave-it book about children's work. Through it, you will come to challenge the concept of exclusion (and yes, churches to this as well), to consider what might have been done to children to make them disruptive, and to see the image of God in every child rather than demonising and dismissing them.

One of the most interesting aspects of the book is the way in which readers are led to reflect on the influence of their childhood experiences. We all have a 'life script', which is 'written in childhood, revised, rehearsed ... and performed in adulthood'.

This is a must-read for parents, families, and all who work with children, in both urban and rural contexts. As the current 'Every Child Matters' government legislation is being implemented, this information could enable teachers, social workers, and health and childcare professionals to see the positive part the local church has to play.

But, most crucially, it needs to be read by the Church itself. Educators and those who set policy, including the theological colleges, will find this book renders much of the Church's current theory, practice, and understanding of child spirituality and faith nurture redundant.

From: The Baptist Times 18 August 2005

Kathryn Copsey has a wealth of experience as a community children's worker in East London; a writer and trainer for Scripture Union and now project leader for Children in Urban Situations (CURBS).

Her latest book deals with how we should be working with children in the 21st century and engaging with their spiritual world. Kathryn recently was one of the keynote speakers at the London Baptist Association's Children in the Church training day.

This is not a quick fix book, but looks at deeper issues. She tackles children's spirituality, how it is damaged and how to repair that damage, nurturing it and making the child receptive to God's Holy Spirit. Her thesis doesn't just apply to the urban context, but, is, valid wherever children are.

Christian Research has shown that we are losing children from the ages of seven to nine. There is something wrong with the way we have been approaching children's work. This book goes a long way to addressing the foundation issues that affect how we plan our programmes and deal with children.

She uses a biblical perspective to underpin all she says following in Jesus' attitude to children.

There is a rich reference from different thinkers and practitioners informing this thesis. Copsey uses insights from theology, psychology, therapy and practical experience, knitting the whole together into a garment that anyone dealing with children in a church context would be naked without.

This book is a must for all who work with children. from Sunday school teachers to youth workers and ministers. 1 would dare to suggest that it is obligatory reading for youth workers, unless trained in children's work by Gill Dallow at LBC, Cliff College or Glasgow's International Christian College.

Working with children is miles away from working with teenagers. This book should also be required reading by all ministers, all of whom do children's addresses or all age worship. It must be on the required reading for students in all our Baptist training colleges if we are going to take children seriously.

For too long children have been the spiritual Cinderellas of the church. This book sets out to revise that situation.

Reviewed by Moira Kleissner who is a teacher and a volunteer for Children in Urban Situations (CURBS)

From Diocese of Gloucester Summer reading suggestions Summer 2005

Kathryn Copsey is the project leader of CURBS(Children in URBan Situations) and has worked with children for 30 years, mainly in urban - often innercity-areas. She recalls her early days of running an after-school club for 5-11 year olds:{'I discovered wonderful gifts in these children: a sense of adventure, spontaneity, imagination, gentleness, joy and wonder in small things, candour, trust, resilience, innocence, giving hearts ... the list could go on. And then it clicked! These qualities were what the child's spirituality was all about-not mystical experiences, but very ordinary, everyday living'.

Kathryn goes on to look at damaged spirituality and how to set about creating the conditions where that damage can be repaired and the image of God in the child restored. She challenges us to look at what our aims are in our children's ministry, pointing out that schools may have far clearer aims for children's spiritual growth than we often do in the church!

Although Kathryn writes especially from an urban perspective, there is little here that is not relevant to any parish, no matter how large or small, urban or rural. This is an excellent guide for those relatively new to children's ministry - and a good refresher for those of us who are longer in the tooth!

Reviewed by Children's Officer Chris Chesterton

From: First (the youth and children's work section of The Congregationalist) 2005

A child's way of seeing the world is formed by the age of seven (page 69).

This book helps us see how spirituality develops in children; how it can get damaged along the way; and how all ministry with children needs to take account of that damage and other factors.

Kathryn draws together psychological insights into child nurture and the fruits of her own extensive experience of working with children, particularly in an urban setting.

If, like me, you have been stimulated by Kathryn's training, or her creative work for Scripture Union and CURBS (Children in Urban Situations), then it will come as no surprise that the book is easy to read and full of insight and challenge.

Kathryn calls us back from what we thought we said to what children actually hear and experience in our church clubs and Sunday schools. What we need to ask is, 'How does the gospel look, feel or sound from the child's perspective?' (page 136).

This book affirms children's value in God's sight in the midst of an outcome culture and offers practical strategies for building up high-quality relationships with them.

'We engage', says Kathryn, not as Christian to non-Christian 'because this means seeing the child as an object' but as person to person 'because this means respecting the child as an individual'. Out of such genuine relationships, it is then possible to 'cross the bridge' and share our Gospel. (p.134)

So read this book, and if you are working in an urban context, read it twice over!

Reviewed by Stephen Haward

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