And Social Justice for All: Empowering Families, Churches, and Schools to Make a Difference in God's World

by Lisa Van Engen

Overview

Equips parents to inspire kids to take on social injustice—at any age

With the constant barrage of difficult stories through news and social media, today's kids are increasingly aware of the real problems real people confront every day. And they're quicker than ever to come to parents and other trusted adults to ask how they can help—or why they're not already doing so. And Social Justice for All equips Christian families to tackle social justice issues together. It inspires them to bring light and love to a dark and scary world.

Educator and mom Lisa Van Engen creates innovative resources to engage kids in understanding and responding to fourteen justice issues such as clean water, creation care, immigration and refugees, hunger, race, and poverty. After placing each issue in kid-friendly context, she offers interactive features:

• High-interest conversation starters for each age group to challenge thinking and assumptions
• A family devotional to anchor each social justice issue in God's Word
• Engaging, age-tiered activities for reading, playing, observing, creating, connecting, and experimenting in God's world
• Tips and internet links to extend awareness and invest resources in social justice

Throughout each chapter, children speak their own thoughts about injustice and what they think God is calling them to do.

By looking at both the roots of injustice and what Christians can do right now to help, And Social Justice for All empowers both adults and children to encounter a broken world with insight and empathy. Simple yet powerful, it lights the path for families to make a real, God-directed difference together.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780825445064
Publisher:	Kregel Publications
Publication date:	02/26/2019
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Lisa Van Engen is a freelance writer and a Title I reading and writing interventionist with kindergarten through junior high kids. She is coauthor of the Changed for Life curriculum. Lisa lives in Holland, Michigan. This is her first book. Find her at www.lisavanengen.com.

Table of Contents

Preface: Proximity 11

Introduction 17

1 Clean Water and Sanitation; Cracked Cisterns 21

2 Creation Care: An Open Window 41

3 Disabilities: A Place for Everyone 63

4 Education: Summoning the Best of Us 85

5 Fair Trade: Giving Beyond Our Means 105

6 Families: Those We Love 121

7 Health Care: To Touch the Hem of His Robe 141

8 Human Trafficking: Modern-Day Abolitionists 161

9 Hunger: Gleaning the Edges 179

10 Immigrants and Refugees: The Gift We Received 199

11 Peace: How We See Others 219

12 Poverty; Having Been Entrusted Much 237

13 Race: Mend Our Fractures 257

14 Changemakers: Fierce Light 279

Epilogue: Let This Be Written 297

Acknowledgments 299

Appendix A How to Plan a Community Gathering 301

Appendix B Book Resources for Adults to Deepen Understanding of Global Issues 303

Appendix C Film Guide for Adults to Deepen Understanding of Global Issues 309

Appendix D Raise Awareness by Month 311

Notes 317

Editorial Reviews

"As real world practical and effective as it is inspired and inspiring, And Social Justice for All truly lives up to the promise of its subtitle: Empowering Families, Churches, and Schools to Make a Difference in God's World. Exceptionally well written, organized, and presented, it is very highly recommended for both community, church, and academic library collections."

Midwest Book Review

Lisa Van Engen has a beautiful heart for sharing God’s love. Through And Social Justice for All, she has given us an accessible, practical guide for families to meet our communities’ deepest needs. With activities geared for children of all ages, your family can begin to live out God’s love in a hands-on, life-changing way. This is a book you will refer back to for years to come! The devotionals will shape your family conversations deeper into the heart of Christ. I highly recommend it!

Amelia Rhodes

For Christians, the biblical command to seek justice is a core element of our faith. But in a world rife with complex issues of injustice, it can be difficult to know where to begin. For those of us who are parents, teachers, or others influencing children, bringing kids along on this journey can seem even more overwhelming. That’s why I’m so grateful for Lisa Van Engen’s superb And Social Justice for All, which examines a broad range of justice issues in age-appropriate ways for children, teenagers, and adults, combining biblical analysis, helpful explanations of the issues, questions for discussion, and a plethora of suggestions for diving deeper. My family and I will be referring back to this resource frequently.

Matthew Soerens

In her debut book, Lisa Van Engen presents an educational manual that not only identifies justice issues, universal but immediate, but also offers both hope and resources to engage these life-and-death issues in our everyday living and learning. Very rarely do we find a combination of passion for the gospel so deep, commitment to justice so contagious, and language and style so accessible in one volume. A valuable resource to adults and children alike!

James Taneti

There’s much discussion in Christian circles about whether or not we should be concerned with social justice. Lisa Van Engen lends her voice to the conversation with And Social Justice for All. Van Engen encourages us that justice is the action of a good neighbor, who is mindful of her duty to those on the other side of the globe as well as across the fence. Not just another book about the ills of this world, And Social Justice for All gives resources, custom fit to various ages, social groups, and faith communities to effect change in the world around us.


“At its core, this is a book about hope. Hope that our God cares about those to whom he gave breath, and hope that he can use us to make a difference for those who need it most.

Susan Finkbeiner

And Social Justice for All is a thoughtfully curated collection of resources for families, classes, and small groups. Lisa Van Engen weaves a rich tapestry of Scripture, activities, questions, and ideas to provide a valuable guide for following God in seeking justice. The stories Van Engen tells and the insights she offers provide a beautiful image of the diverse, and sometimes surprising, ways that Christ is at work in communities today.

Shannon Jammal-Hollemans

A wonderful read. This is a great resource to help folks understand basic social justice issues in their community and around the world. Even more importantly, it gives practical ways for people of faith to get engaged. And Social Justice for All is an essential read for Christians who want to live out their faith and be the hands and feet of Christ in their neighborhood and across the globe.

Chris Palusky

Read More