Newsletters

October 2025 Newsletter

October 2025 Newsletter
IACS Events and News
Save the Date: IACS 2026 In-Person Conference
We are excited to announce that our 2026 in-person conference will be hosted at Canterbury Christ Church University – Care Leaver Covenant, N Holmes Rd, Canterbury CT1 1QU, United Kingdom, from 14–16 July 2026.

The Children’s Spirituality Hub will be sponsoring this event to help lower costs for all participants, with further details to follow soon.

Upcoming Webinars
13 January 2026, 8:00-9:00 NY ET
James Hardy will be facilitating a webinar; more information will be shared closer to the date.

Facilitate a webinar!
IACS members love to talk about anything and everything related to children’s spirituality. Volunteer to facilitate a webinar conversation about something you are exploring in your work, a practice you’ve developed, or any other topic that interests you. Webinars are scheduled for an hour (typically 8:00-9:00 NY ET) on a date of your choosing. Facilitators provide a short (2-3 page) paper or other resource in advance to orient participants to the topic and then take 10-15 minutes at the beginning of the webinar to share some thoughts and get the conversation started. The bulk of the hour is spent in interactive discussion, and the webinar is recorded for those who cannot participate during the scheduled time. Graduate students, practitioners, established scholars, and retired members are all encouraged to volunteer.

If you have an idea and want to learn more, contact Karen-Marie Yust at karen-marie.yust@upsem.edu (cc: admin@RealKidsRealFaith.org) and we will find a date and time that works.

IACS Publications Page
I would like to remind members of IACS about the publications page of the website, which can be found at Publications | International Association for Children's Spirituality. This gives details of many articles and books related to children’s spirituality. If you know of any publications which are not on that page (whether written by yourself or anyone else) and which you think will be of interest to members, please complete the short form which can be found on the link above. Any queries, please contact Tony on tony@edperspectives.org.uk

IACS Where Are We page
If you would like to be included on the IACS “Where are We” page, please send Erin Reibel your name, location, a brief bio, and if you would like a picture, to Erin Reibel at ereibel@gmail.com.

Member Events, News, and Updates
Spanish-speaking Research Group
The Spanish-speaking Research Group on the Spirituality of Children is hosting an inaugural Symposium on Children’s Spirituality on 20 November. If you are interested, you can access the details to find out more about this important event on their website: symposium on children’s spirituality.

Child Theology Movement Inaugural Annual Lecture
Join us on Wednesday, 26 November at 4:00 pm GMT for the Child Theology Movement’s Inaugural Annual Lecture, featuring Professor Frances Young. The lecture will be held on Zoom, and further details, including how to join, can be found on the Child Theology Movement website.

Towson University Dedicates Kirmani Circle for Faith, Spirituality, and Peace
Towson University is dedicating a space in the main Albert S. Cook Library that will be named, "Kirmani Circle for Faith, Spirituality and Peace". The dedication and opening will be held on October 6, 2025. Dr. Sanaullah Kirmani, a celebrated scholar, spent over five decades fostering spiritual and interfaith engagement locally and globally for the purpose of peace.

At Towson University he was a Muslim chaplain who held weekly Islamic worship services for the campus, and he worked across the campus to encourage interfaith dialogue and understanding. He founded the Interfaith Campus Ministry. He and his wife also conducted scholarly research on the nature of spirituality. He advised international students in their transition into the campus culture. His most recent endeavor, before his passing, was supporting and advising the writing of the book Supporting Children and Youth Through Spiritual Education to which several IACS members contributed chapters.

The purpose of this special space on campus will be to hold educational programs and activities that will foster skills for conflict resolution, restorative justice, and peace, as well as be a space where interfaith dialogue and understanding can grow, spirituality is respected, and peace is nurtured. Additionally, the goal for this space is to be a place that supports and encourages the development of inner peace and mental wellbeing.

There will be occasions for IACS participation in this dedicated space where research, articles, and lectures created by IACS members can be shared, which will add to the knowledge of children’s spirituality.

Free resources (shipping included)!
The Children’s Spirituality Research & Innovation Hub has developed several English language resources for working with children 12 and under and their parents/caregivers. All were designed and/or tested collaboratively with practitioners, and all are available FREE for the asking! Just email admin@RealKidsRealFaith.org and request however many copies you would like to facilitate your own work or disseminate to others. Our current resources include:

Trauma & Resiliency Workbook for Families (teaches families and communities wellness skills for managing major and minor traumas) – contains occasional references to Christian themes in sidebars but not in the primary text
Spiritual Practices for NeuroSpicy Kids (set of 6 cards that outline spiritual practices for helping neurodiverse children navigate everyday experiences such as meal time, separation anxiety, medical visits, etc.) – no explicit religious language
Guided Meditation for Social Justice (audio recordings of 6 meditations that children and families can use to reflect on a variety of social issues, such as hunger, homelessness, and climate change)
Spiritual Question Cards (set of 5 cards that help parents/caregivers and group leaders respect children’s agency and exploration as they look for answers to spiritual and religious questions)
Movement Meditations (video recordings of 6 movement-based meditations that help children and families experience connection with self, others, the world, and the transcendent in their bodies) – some meditations reference ‘God’
Faith Foundations for Anti-Racism (includes 7 sessions that Christian families and communities might use to help children explore race and racism in relation to faith)
No Trauma Bible Stories (provides 6 session to help Christian families and communities explore gender identity, neurodiversity, collective trauma, and other themes often neglected in children’s ministry settings)

To receive notifications when new resources are available, subscribe to www.RealKidsRealFaith.org or follow us on Facebook or Instagram. Karen-Marie Yust (Hub director) and Erin Reibel (Hub associate director)

Call for Abstracts – Special Issue on Spirituality in Times of Disruption
Submissions are invited for the Special Issue of Religions: “Evolving and Flourishing in an Age of Disruption: The Role of Spirituality in Realignment and Transformation.” The deadline for abstracts is end of October 2025. Further details, including submission guidelines and benefits of publishing in a special issue, can be found at MDPI Religions Special Issue.

Exploring Young People’s Spiritual Experiences at Taizé
This summer, Trudie Morris spent a wonderful week with 15–17-year-olds from across Europe at Taizé, the ecumenical monastic community in Burgundy, France. Since its foundation in 1942, Taizé has welcomed young people to experience its unique rhythm of life, including shared community, common prayer three times a day, a daily Bible introduction, and discussion in small groups.

Following the visit, Trudie invited participants to complete a survey about their Taizé experience. She is now interested to hear from others who have stayed at Taizé with this age group or who have researched the spiritual experiences of young people in similar contexts. Please email Trudie for further reflections: revtrudie@gmail.com

Bi-annual Berryman Lecture Series
Join the Center for the Theology of Childhood for the upcoming Bi-annual Berryman Lecture Series, featuring Dr. Marcia Bunge, Professor of Religion at Gustavus College, who will present “Honoring Children’s Full Humanity: Berryman’s Sacred Gift, Our Shared Calling.” The lecture will be held on Zoom on November 12 from 12–2 pm EST, with a registration fee of $5–15. To participate, please register at bit.ly/berrymanlectureseries; more information is available at the Center for the Theology of Childhood.

Celebrating the Relaunch of the Journal of Childhood and Religion
The Journal of Childhood and Religion will begin publishing again after a hiatus under the direction of the Center for the Theology of Childhood. We invite you to celebrate the journal's past leadership and its relaunch at the AAR/SBL annual meeting in Boston. The event will take place on Sunday, November 23, from 2:00-3:00 p.m. local time in the Room Regis of the Boston Marriott Copley Place. RSVP is helpful, but not required. Please email hannah@godlyplayfoundation.org.

New Publication on Understanding Children’s Spirituality
Jennifer Mata-McMahon is pleased to share that an article, “Understanding Children’s Spirituality: Conceptualisations by Chilean In-Service Early Childhood Educators,” has just been published in the International Journal of Children’s Spirituality and is now available for download online. This study, conducted in collaboration with colleagues from Chile, was featured in the bilingual presentation at the IACS Conference this past summer.

New Publication on the ChaPTheR-Project
Marina Kiroudi and Bert Roebben are pleased to announce the publication of their paper on the ChaPTheR-project: “Children as Participants in Theological Research.” The paper appears in an open-access book on innovative research in religious education.

New Publication Highlight
Heather Boynton shared a recent publication of interest to our members:
Boynton, H.M. (2025). Establishing spiritual competencies. Proceedings from the Social Work and Spirituality: Interfaith Forum to Address Future Challenges Conference. International Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Social Work. https://doi.org/10.1080/154264...

New Book: Nature and Spirituality During the Early Years by Ruth Wilson
A new book integrating nature connectedness and spirituality to promote child development is now available. Information about this book, Nature and Spirituality During the Early Years by Ruth Wilson can be accessed through this link. Readers interested in reviewing this book for an academic journal can request a review copy through this link. For further information, please contact Ruth at wilson.rutha@gmail.com.