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April 2025 Newsletter
April 2025 NewsletterIACS Events and News
IACS Virtual Conference
Mark your calendar the IACS 2025 Virtual International Conference will be held via Zoom 24-25 & 28-29 July 2025. The 2025 virtual conference will focus on new and continuing challenges in children’s spirituality in an uncertain world and how the research and practices of participants are responding to these challenges. We particularly invite papers and online presentations that address children’s spirituality in an uncertain world in light of 1) school-based policies and practices, 2) faith community-based practices, 3) public/policy-oriented issues, 4) children’s health and wellbeing.
Upcoming Webinars
30 April, 8:00-9:00 NY ET
Expanding the Framework: U.S. In-service Early Childhood Educators on Children’s Spirituality (Facilitated by Jennifer Mata-McMahon, Xixellonje Nebihu, and Ana Katrina Aquino)
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87518114657 (Meeting ID: 875 1811 4657)
A short paper setting up the conversation is available here: 16. April 30, 2025 - Google Drive
21 May, 8:00-9:00 NY ET
Nurturing Young Children as Spiritual Beings in a Globalized World (open book discussion) (Facilitated by Liz Rouse, Brendan Hyde and Tony Eaude)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88677609202 (Meeting ID: 886 7760 9202)
A short paper setting up the conversation will be available two weeks beforehand: 17. May 21, 2025 - Google Drive
Lead a Webinar!
Do you have a favorite topic you're exploring in your spare time? A paper you've been working on? A grad school project in process or just completed? Please consider sharing your interests and work with the larger membership through a webinar.
IACS sponsors online webinars every 4-8 weeks on topics members are engaging, All that is required to sponsor a webinar is a short (2-3 page) paper introducing the topic and a willingness to lead a discussion on the issue. IACS provides the Zoom link, access to the paper, advertising, and tech support during the hour-long session.
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
The IACS website contains a publications page Publications | International Association for Children's Spirituality (childrenspirituality.org). We hope researchers, teachers, or others who want to find details about books, articles, and other resources related to children’s spirituality find this useful. However, we are still adding new publications and depend on suitable ones being suggested. Please look at the page, and if you know of any publications that should be added, whether newly published ones or old favorites (including your own), suggest that they use the form on that page. Doing so is very easy and quick and will help to create a more comprehensive bank of resources. For any queries, please contact Tony Eaude 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
New Article by Tony Eaude
Tony Eaude’s article ‘The role of ritualized activities in nurturing children’s spiritual growth’ has just been published online in the Journal of Religious Education
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40839...
This is not open access. Those attached to an HE institution should be able to access this. If anyone cannot do so, please let Tony know at tony@edperspectives.org.uk and he will try to ensure that you receive a copy.
Seeking Research Participants
Professor Kate Adams, at Leeds Trinity University, UK, is seeking adult research participants who remember having an invisible/imaginary friend in their childhood. The project seeks all interpretations of this phenomenon, from imagination through to spiritual beings. The project explores participants’ experiences and understanding about them, including any learning that may have occurred in the interactions. There is an online survey which can be completed anonymously, but has an option to leave contact details for a follow up interview if desired. More information can be found here: https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/ltu/memories-of-imaginary-or-invisible-friends
New Book: Nurturing Young Children as Spiritual Beings in a Globalized World
This book brings together leading academics and practitioners to provide research-informed
strategies for nurturing young children as spiritual beings. Globalization and performativity
have led to a narrowing of education in early years settings and schools, and this book considers the types of knowledge and capabilities children and educators need to address the challenges this presents. The chapters explore and critique existing practices in a range of areas including sustainability, inclusion, relationships with parents, ethics of care, and the role of the arts. Written by contributors based in Australia, Canada, Malta, the UK, and the USA and edited by Elizabeth Rouse, Brendan Hyde & Tony Eaude, the book offers theoretical discussion and practical strategies to help educators nurture young children’s spirituality emphasizing holistic approaches and caring relationships as an antidote to current neoliberal discourse.
Read more here: nurturingyoungchildrenpublicity.docx
New Open-access Paper on Death Education
Kate Adams and colleagues have published a paper which is free to access without a journal subscription, based on a project with a primary school, helping teachers to talk about death with children in schools:
Adams, K., Erle, S., Ungerer, S. and Sossi, M. (2024). Supporting primary teachers to address loss and death in the classroom: a case study of an interdisciplinary, creative pedagogical intervention using education, children’s literature, architecture/design and the arts. Published in Pastoral Care in Education: An international journal of personal, social and emotional development.
Evolving and Flourishing 2025 Conference
In an era of rapid transformation, global challenges, and social disruption, the role of spirituality in fostering individual and collective flourishing has never been more relevant. The 12th International Spirituality Conference is a transdisciplinary gathering that invites academics, practitioners, students, and advocates to explore how spirituality can serve as a force for systemic realignment and social change.
The conference will offer a diverse range of talks, presentations, research sessions, and interactive workshops centered around themes of connection, belonging, well-being, and transformation—within individuals, communities, and societies at large. Learn more or register here: https://socialwork.ucalgary.ca/research/news-events/Evolving-and-Flourishing-2025
Children as Participants in Theological Research
From April 28 to 30, 2025, an expert seminar of the project Children as Participants in Theological Research (ChaPTheR), organized by Prof. Bert Roebben and Dr. Marina Kiroudi, will take place at the University of Bonn (Germany). As part of this event, Prof. Shantelle Weber (University of Stellenbosch/South Africa) will give a public lecture on Monday, April 28 at 7 pm (CET) entitled “A child will lead us: Exploring childhood and theological education through simplicity and play”. Everyone is welcome to attend. The event will take place in person, but participation via Zoom is also possible. Please register for participation by April 22 at relpaed@uni-bonn.de. After registering, you will receive further information and the Zoom link for digital participation.
Read more here:
Godly Play North American Gathering
The Godly Play Foundation with the Center for the Theology of Childhood invites you to this year’s Godly Play North American Gathering, themed "The Deep Well: Refresh, Renew, Rejuvenate," August 14-16, 2025, in Vancouver, BC.
This unique and immersive event embraces the wisdom of the circle, honors the diversity of our lived experiences, and engages Godly Play practices to shape our time together. Through story, wonder, and play, we lift up the importance of deepening the connection to yourself, others, and the children in your circles.
On August 13, we are excited to offer a special pre-gathering Scholar's Dinner where attendees will have an opportunity to meet with scholars and practitioners and learn about recent research on Godly Play and the study of children’s spirituality. For more information, please email hannah@godlyplayfoundation.org.
Discounted registration fees are still available! To learn more or register, go to godlyplayfoundation.org/events/conference.
Sensory Stories
Sensory stories are short stories broken up into seven to ten parts designed to engage the senses.
Why Stories for Easter – Blackburn Diocesan Board of Education
This set of “why” stories are short descriptions which answer the question relating to the Easter story. They have been created to help children to understand how Christians respond to the Easter Story. This resource sits alongside our collection of the Sensory Stories for Easter.
Sensory Stories for Easter – Blackburn Diocesan Board of Education
This collection of six sensory stories for Easter share the accounts of Jesus’ Entry to Jerusalem, The Last Supper, Jesus’ Arrest and Trial, Peter’s Denial, The Crucifixion and The Resurrection. To accompany the Story Scripts, you will find Storyteller Notes and a list of recommended sensory resources. There are also a set of Widgit Symbols to accompany these stories that can be downloaded.
More Sensory Stories for Easter – Blackburn Diocesan Board of Education
This collection of four more sensory stories for Easter share the accounts of the disciples encounter with Jesus on the road to Emmaus, Breakfast by Galilee, the Ascension of Jesus and the Holy Spirit coming at Pentecost. To accompany the Story Scripts, you will find Storyteller Notes and a list of recommended sensory resources.
Flourishing Together
Series One of the Flourishing Together podcast series focuses on different aspects of spirituality in schools to support school leaders in this important work. Recent episodes include ‘Reflections on Spirituality’ with Tony Eaude, and an upcoming episode focuses on ‘Nature, spirituality and the early years’ with Ruth Wills. Episodes can be found here Flourishing Together • A podcast on Spotify for Creators, as well as through Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Núvol Interior
From the digital platform Núvol Interior, a creative space for the audiovisual series Atzucac and for inner landscapes of spirituality for children and young people, we are looking for alliances and collaborations to create materials in English. The original content is created in Catalan! Here is a sample: Meditació marciana (2n capítol de Paraules en mínúscula)