Scottie May

Nothing excites me more than to come alongside the church thinking about ways to help people meet God and grow in their relationship with Him. In past generations we evangelicals have been very good at teaching people about God, but we have not been as effective in helping them "know" Him and enter into His presence. After about 20 years of lay church ministry, I went back to school to explore what it means to BE Christian. Thus, I am a late-comer to teaching in an academic setting.

In my own church I'm active in ministry with children. It's very rewarding for me to be in this department where I did my Master's work--the place where I was thoroughly "disequilibrated" by Dr. Jim Plueddemann and his colleagues. I also have been influenced by the pedagogy of Dr. Ted Ward and Dr. Linda Cannell. It's hard for me to identify books that have informed my thinking and ministry because there are so many. But my spiritual formation has been significantly shaped by the contemporary writings of Henri Nouwen, Brennan Manning, and Dallas Willard.

My life is not totally consumed by the academy and ministry. My three children have blessed me with eight grandchildren. They all bring me unspeakable joy, and I steal away as much time as possible to be with them. It is an enriching privilege to be part of the Christian Formation and Ministry Department. My colleagues are a delight to work with. We have a great time together.

• 1993 Doctor of Philosophy degree in Christian Education; emphasis in children’s ministry, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, IL
• 1987 M.A., Educational Ministries; emphasis in family studies, Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL
• 1985 Bachelor of Arts degree in Applied Christian Studies, Trinity College, Deerfield, IL
• 1962 Diploma in Nursing, followed by subsequent course work at the Universities of Minnesota and Iowa, Immanuel Hospital School of Nursing, Omaha, Nebraska

• CE 222 Transformational Education
• CFM 621/CE 425 Children’s Ministry
• CFM 521 Personal Spiritual Formation
• CFM 611/CE 451 Family Ministry 

SPCE - Society of Professors in Christian Education

Some of the areas of study that energize me relate to the teaching ministries of the church and especially the Christian nurture of children and families. I love exploring ways to help people enter into the biblical text to "experience" the world of the Bible. My research interests lie in these areas, including the spirituality of children and how they come to faith.

Listening to Children on Their Spiritual Journey, with Catherine Stonehouse. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2010.

The spiritual formation of children in the church and in the home, with Catherine Stonehouse, in Nurturing Children’s Spirituality: Christian Perspectives and Best Practices, Holly Catterton Allen, ed. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2007, 378-387.

A contemplative model of children’s ministry, in Perspectives on Children’s Spiritual Formation: Four Views, Michael Anthony, ed. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2006.

Children Matter: Celebrating Their Place in the Church, Family, and Community with Catherine Stonehouse, Beth Posterski, and Linda Cannell, Grand Rapids: Eerdmanns, 2005.

Contributing editor, Children’s Spirituality, Wipf, 2004.