{Book Review} Caring for the Souls of Children

Caring for the Souls of Children is a wonderful biblical counseling book published by New Growth Press and edited by Amy Baker. 

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Caring for the Souls of Children: A Biblical Counselor’s Manual

I have been long-awaiting for this book! This book is a phenomenal compilation of writings from leaders in the biblical counseling movement, and it sure to be one of the most helpful resources to the church today.

The book is broken up into two parts:

1. Foundation and Methodological Issues
2. Specific Counseling Issues

Part 1: Foundation and Methodological Issues

Amy Baker and Julie Lowe tackle the first three chapters which provide the foundation and methodological underpinning. Baker’s introductory chapter gives the flavor of what you’ll taste in the rest of the book as she sets the course direction.

Chapter two highlights the key components of counseling children. This chapter is very similar to any other biblical counseling chapter on the elements of a counseling session, because there is tremendous overlap between the counseling of adults and counseling of  children.

Part 2: Specific Counseling Issues

I found part two to be of immense help to my own ministry! Part two consists of 16 chapters written by different counselors. This section could also be further divided into four subsections:

1. Children and Their Relationships
2. Children and Their Emotions
3. Children and Their Bodies
4. Children and Trauma

These sixteen chapters covered some very important topics, such as navigating the parent/child relationship, anxiety, anger, suicide, shame, sex, identity, self-harm, disability, abuse, going through divorce, death and grief, and more. That almost runs the full gamut, does it not? This book covers a lot of terrain, and it offers some wonderful practical tips on how to help children in these very specific areas. 

Who Should Read Caring for the Souls of Children?

This book is not only an incredible resource for biblical counselors and pastors, but it’s also a great book for parents to dive into. It’s sure to help equip parents and counselors navigate the very difficult and important waters that our children are wading through.

I hope that this book is warmly received by the church and all Christian families. There are not many resources out there like this, and we are better off by receiving this excellent resource. Tolle lege, take up and read! 

Disclaimer: My thanks to New Growth Press for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. The opinions expressed are my own.