Articles by Rick Edwards
The articles listed below have been written by Rick Edwards. Rick is a publishing veteran with more than 40 years of experience in ministry, curriculum development, and magazine publishing. He is currently involved as a speaker, author, and Bible teacher while managing a Christian publishing business. He is the owner and publisher of SundaySchoolZone.com.
The Surrounding Environment and Identity
As we have seen, there are a variety of major factors that will impact the development of a child’s identity. These include the God of the Bible, significant individuals, and the community within which the child is living. We would be unwise, however, to minimize or ignore the impact of a child’s surrounding environment that…
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The Power of Community in Shaping Identity
The Nature of Community At some point, children begin to develop an understanding of the nature of a community. A community is different than an individual and is more than a mere collection of individuals. A community has its own identity that can be shared and acquired by the child. A community typically has values,…
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God’s Unfolding Story for Toddlers
We are in the early stages of developing God’s Unfolding Story for Toddlers. At this point it’s too early to know when it will be completed, but our goal is to have it ready for release by October of 2023. We are currently thinking through foundational issues like… Articulating the educational and developmental philosophy undergirding…
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What’s Coming with God’s Unfolding Story for Babies
If you’re reading this, you probably are receiving the free God’s Unfolding Story for Babies Newsletter, which means you have expressed interest in the curriculum, whether or not you are actually using it yet. Thank you for that interest! We know the curriculum is new and people will be curious about where it’s going. So,…
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The Power of the Individual in Shaping Identity
From the very beginning, God Himself declared that “it is not good for the man to be alone” (Gen. 2:18). Then, because of that need, God created Eve and brought her to the man. It’s interesting that while God COULD have met the man’s need in any number of ways, He ultimately chose to provide…
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Attachments and Identity
In the article on Identity and Self, we saw that the Self is weighing information that is coming in through the child’s senses. Parents and teachers can influence how the baby processes this information by forming meaningful attachments with the child. Attachments are happening in young children at two levels; a neurological level, and a…
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Identity and the Self
Somewhere in the early stages of life, we begin to become aware of ourselves as distinct. This awareness fosters self-reflection; the ability to think about ourselves in the third person. Self-reflection is an important and healthy skill for all people. It gives us the capacity to carry on conversations with ourselves and actually form an…
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Identity, Relationships, and Distinction
In addition to our nature as beings created in the image of God, every human being exists within a complex matrix of relationships. This is true from the moment of conception. Even prior to birth, a child is in a relationship with itself, its mother, its mother’s body and the “outside world” that is able…
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Identity and the God of the Bible
It is clear from Genesis 1 that people are created in the image of God. More specifically, people are made in the image of the God of the Bible who’s name we later learn is Yahweh. This God is not one of many gods. He is the Creator of the universe and all people in…
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