In the month of October 2013, the 4/14 Window Global Summit was held in Bangkok, Thailand. Seventeen Nazarene leaders from around the world, including Dr. Ruben Fernandez, representing the Nazarene Seminary of the Americas, attended the interdenominational conference. In all, there were more than 800 child advocates present from 70 countries. With more than 40% of the world’s population under the age of 20 years, the Church is called to face the challenge of ministering to this age group.
The theme for the event was Rooted and Released: Empowering the Body of Christ to embrace children and youth as partners in mission. According to the 4/14 Window Movement Website, the purpose of the summit to “explore this new paradigm of seeing children as agents of mission along with the challenges and opportunities this gives the church” and to find “creative solutions to challenges facing children and youth in this generation.”
The event featured plenary sessions led by leaders such as Dr. Luis Bush, who coined the phrase 10/40 Window and 4/14 Window. There were diverse workshop areas including Orphans and Vulnerable Children, Missions and Missiology, Holistic Child Ministry in the Local Church, Academic and Theological Transformation, among others. At the end of each day, Nazarene leaders came together to discuss their insights from the day’s events.
The 4/14 Window is not a geographical area, but instead an age range. It refers to the demographic group from age four to fourteen years old, which is the most open and receptive to every form of spiritual and developmental input. This is a people group that has been ignored for too long. If you would like more information about the 4/14 Window Movement, visit this website: http://www.4to14window.com/about/overview/#
Dr. Fernandez was invited to this event to share about SENDAS’ emphasis on children and youth through the Bachelor degree with concentration in Holistic Child and Adolescent Development. This degree is available through educational centers and online courses. For more information about this degree, visit the SENDAS website at http://www.seminarionazareno.net/academico/bachillerato
Dr. Fernandez shares his reaction from being part of the 2011 event in Nairobi, Kenya “Now and Next: Theological Conference on Children” as well as the most recent conference in Thailand. “It was a life-changing conference for me. I felt honored to be invited. It is time to wake up. It is time to do something in our local churches, districts and seminaries for the abandoned, broken and exploited children! I feel honored to have been invited. I am convinced that God is working in this movement.»
