About The Child in God’s Church Substack
How does faith develop in children?
Specifically, how does Christian faith form (develop, grow, mature) and express itself in the lives of our children? What is the influence of parents and households? What is the influence of the church community that the child is a part of?
These are the questions that spark my curiosity and fuel my research.
As a Reformed Practical Theology project, I am interested in bringing together the best understanding of child and human development from the social sciences into a conversation with confessional Christian theology.
I am particularly curious about the role of the church community. How do all ages and all stages in the “village” of an intergenerational church help a child to express and understand their faith, right now as children, and as they continue to grow up in the household of believers?
After twelve years of reading, writing, lecturing, training and coaching in the field of children’s and intergenerational ministry for Youthworks in Sydney, I consolidated my thoughts into my first book, The Child In God’s Church: Faith-formative Relationships That Grow Disciples Who Know, Love and Obey King Jesus (Youthworks Media, 2025).
Still fascinated by the intersection of theology, sociology, child development, and ministry practice, this Substack documents my ongoing musings of all things children and church.
Posts include articles, book reviews, links to podcast episodes and archived posts from previously released blog articles.
I value feedback, collaboration, conversation, and, most of all, learning from others. I would love to hear from other researchers, thinkers or practitioners in any of these intersecting fields of theology, children’s ministry, children’s spirituality, intergenerationality, educational psychology, and sociocultural development.
If you would like to reach out, or you have suggestions for topics, books to review or topics to engage with, feel free to message me through the button below, or email me at timbeilharz@substack.com.
About
Tim Beilharz is the Children’s Pastor at Soul Revival Church in Sydney and lectures in Children’s Ministry and Intergenerational Ministry at Youthworks College. He is the regular co-host of The Shock Absorber Podcast for Soul Revival Church which discusses how the church can adapt to a constantly changing culture.
Tim lives in Sydney with his wife and kids and finds few things more enjoyable than grabbing a strong coffee with either a book or a friend and thinking through how to help kids know, love and obey King Jesus.
Academic CV
Education
Macquarie University - Bachelor of Philosophy 2024
Moore Theological College - Master of Arts (Theology) 2018
Australian College of Theology (SMBC/PTC) - Master of Divinity 2011
University of Wollongong - Bachelor of Arts (Philosophy) 2003
Publications
The Child In God’s Church: Faith-formative relationships that grow disciples who know, love and obey King Jesus. Sydney South, AUS: Youthworks Media. 2025
Chapters and Journal Articles
‘Rogoff’s Sociocultural Theory: Why Intergenerational Faith Communities are Good for Faith and Good for the Church’. In Imagining All Generations: A Renewed Vision for an Intergenerational Church. Edited by Wilson McCoy. Abilene, Texas: ACU Press, 2025.
‘The importance of fathers and supporting the ‘fatherless’’. In Parenting in God’s Family: Biblical wisdom for everyday issues. Edited by Harriet Connor. Sydney South, AU.: Youthworks Media, 2024.
‘Children’s Ministry in the Third Place’. In Australian Evangelical Perspectives on Youth Ministry: Identity, church, culture, and discipleship. Edited by Ruth Lukabyo. Sydney, AU.: Australian College of Theology. 2023.
‘Integrating Rogoff's Sociocultural Development Theories for Effective Faith Transmission in Confessional Anglican Churches: A Case Study of Sydney Anglican Diocese’. Christian Education Journal, Issue 20, Vol. 2, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1177/07398913231201190
‘Intergenerational Church and Sociocultural Faith Formation’. Pages 42-52 in Engaging All Generations: A Strategic Toolkit for Creating Intergenerational Faith Communities. Edited by C. Seibel. Abilene, Texas: Abilene Christian University Press, 2021.
Conference Papers
‘Remembering Together: How Intergenerational Churches Serve as Communities of Faithful Memory’. Intergenerate Conference, Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore 2025.
‘The Child In The Church: Faith Transmission Through Collaborative Congregational Memory’. Children’s Spirituality Summit, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Chicago 2024.
‘A Theology of Friendship as a Foundation for Intergenerational Ministry’. Intergenerate Australia Conference, Sydney 2023.
‘Why Intergenerational Faith Communities Are Good for Faith and Good for the Church: “Intent Community Participation”’. Intergenerate Conference, Lipscomb University, Nashville 2023.
‘Intergenerational Church and Sociocultural Faith Development’. Intergenerate Australia Conference, Sydney 2022.
‘Rogoff Comes to Church: The sociocultural development theory of Barbara Rogoff and its implications for a childhood faith development’. International Association for the Study of Youth Ministry Regional Conference, Sydney 2021.
‘Intergenerational Church as a Key Locus of Sociocultural Faith Formation’. Intergenerate Conference, Lipscomb University, Nashville 2019.
‘Faith in the Suburbs: The Formative Nature of Church Communities in the Faith Development of Children and Young People’. International Association for the Study of Youth Ministry Regional Conference, Auckland 2019.
