Once again, I’ve got a book and an author I think you’re going to want to check out! Lisa Van Engen is a new friend, but I don’t think either one of us intend to dwell in that newness for very long. Personally, I’m SO excited to dig into Lisa’s book, especially as a parent of young, justice-minded children. Check out the interview with her and head over to your local bookseller to pick up a copy of And Social Justice for All just as soon as you can!
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Tell us about yourself. I’m a Mom to a tween, teenager, and a naughty dog. My family loves going to the beaches of Lake Michigan and hiking. I teach writing and reading at a K-8 school. Young people greatly inspire me. My favorite things are ice cream, reading, colorful markers, and being outside.
What is your book about? And Social Justice for All, encourages families, churches, and schools to make a difference in God’s world. I sought to provide background information, hope, innovation, discussion questions, activities, ideas, and Biblical basis for engaging in the work of social justice. In our fast-paced world I wanted to provide the resources people need to create margin space in their lives for others and to challenge injustice.
What is the inspiration behind it? During a conversation with my friend and fellow-writer Amy Sullivan, we talked about the importance of teaching our kids about the hard things that people face. From that conversation, I wrote about social justice topics on my blog and also hosted Talk Justice Playgroups in my community. We gathered groups of people to learn and serve around various issues. These experiences built the structure of the book.
In many ways, I feel this was the book God wrote on my heart long ago. My parents work with marginalized communities shaped my childhood and directed my future in social work, youth ministry, and education. The kids in my life have inspired me a thousand times over in the importance of this topic, they have an enormous capacity to be changemakers.
How do you hope readers are changed by your book? When people read this book, I pray and hope they would feel their hearts expand. I hope we may all know in greater depth the importance of empowering our young people to engage in the social justice issues that are so close to the heart of Christ. Not just to serve, but to understand the root causes of injustice, be willing to challenge those unjust systems, and elevate the voices of the marginalized.
How have you been changed by the book? In writing this book, I was affirmed that young people are the hope for the future. Their profound answers to the questionnaire split my heart wide open. One issue I feel especially important in this book is race. I feel that we desperately need to listen to the voices of people of color and those that are marginalized. While I wrote, I felt God pressing this on my heart in an even deeper way.
Where can we find you? You can find me at lisavanengen.com, Facebook at Lisa Van Engen, Writer, Twitter @aboutproximity, and Instagram @lisa_vanengen. Or send me a note at [email protected]. I love to hear from readers!
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Well, I don’t know about you, but this sounds like my kind of book! To win a copy of And Social Justice for All, just leave a comment on this post telling Lisa why you’re excited to read her words. Be sure to visit my Instagram account later this week for more chances to win.
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