CREATE

The second of our three core objectives is to

create scholarly and holistic practical resources for transformative church music ministries to integrate children into the liturgical life of the congregation.

Our work so far has revealed seven primary themes that require attention for transformative music ministry with children. Through categorical analysis of the responses to our Children in Your Church survey, comparison with our interview data, and information gathered through the Learning Communities, we found the following primary themes that reflect both 1) the interest of practitioners working with children and 2) the concerns of church communities at large.

Seven Themes toward Transformative Music Ministry (in no particular order)

• Spiritual Formation: Learning "how to think, feel, and do as Christ Himself would"
• Music Skills Development: Theory and Practice
• Belongingness Development: Community Building
• Inclusion of Children with Disabilities
• Leadership Development: Recruiting and Mentoring Co-laborers
• Christian Worship: Theory and Practice
• Cultivating Positive Parental/Caregiver Involvement

These themes guide the CREATE objective, including our continued Learning Community discussions and the publications and other resources to come.