Dr Tara VinCross is senior pastor of Azure Hills Church in Grand Terrace, California. She is the author of the Deep Calling Discipleship Series and she talked recently about her books for children.
As the senior pastor of a large church, why write books for children?
I write for children because they’re asking the biggest questions. As a pastor for 25 years and a mother of an 11-year-old and 7-year-old, I’ve learned that children are natural theologians—curious, open and deeply spiritual. While my role as senior pastor involves preaching, visioning, and leading a large congregation, I believe some of the most important discipleship happens in the everyday moments of childhood. I love that children’s books become part of family worship, bedtime rituals, and those tender moments when a child asks, “Who is God?” or “What happens when we die?” These books aren’t just for children—they’re for all God’s children, young and old, creating opportunities for everyone to encounter God’s love, find acceptance, experience transformation, and grow deeper in relationship with Jesus and one another.
Why are the ideas presented in Who is God? so important?
Who is God? was inspired by my daughter’s question at bedtime worship, asking that very question. As a parent and pastor, I recognised this as a sacred moment—when a child’s genuine curiosity opens the door to spiritual discovery. I decided to explore the rich diversity of images of God in Scripture, highlighting pictures we might overlook or underemphasise: God as healer, a loving father and mother, an open door, bread, and a gardener. Children’s understanding of God shapes their spiritual foundation for life. When we only present God in limited ways, we inadvertently limit their ability to connect with God in different seasons and circumstances.
How did you go about thinking through talking about death and grief to young children?
My approach was informed by both extensive training and lived experience. As an adoptive parent, I’ve completed more than 100 hours of training in child development and trauma-informed parenting. I’m also an avid reader, particularly in grief, psychology, and parenting. When I began writing It’s Hard to Say Goodbye, I purchased and read every children’s book on grief and loss I could find, studying how others approached this tender topic. Beyond research, I brought 25 years of pastoral ministry—sitting with families in hospital rooms, homes, and at gravesides. My theological education and lived ministry experience taught me that holding space for grief is sacred work, blessed by the Holy Spirit’s presence.
How have you incorporated unique Adventist beliefs into It’s Hard to Say Goodbye?
One of my primary motivations for writing this book was to help children understand death in a way that is both theologically accurate and emotionally healthy. As Seventh-day Adventists, we have a unique understanding of death as a sleep and the hope of resurrection, but we also recognise that grief is real and necessary here on this earth.
First Thessalonians 4:13–18 beautifully captures this balance: we don’t grieve like those who have no hope—but we still grieve. Truth becomes comfort when shared in a way that holds space for grief and creates connection. Everyone grieves differently, even within the same family, so this book provides space to acknowledge those differences and build understanding. It offers both theological hope and emotional permission to feel the weight of loss—because both are necessary for healing.
What do you hope kids and their families take away from your books?
My deepest hope is that these books draw God’s children closer to His heart. With everything I write, my prayer is simple: that it creates sacred space for God’s beloved children to encounter the One who loves them beyond measure and longs to be in relationship with them. Ultimately, I want every child who reads these books to know: You are deeply loved, you are not alone, and God is closer than you think.
Who is God? and It’s Hard to Say Goodbye are available now from Adventist bookshops in Australia and New Zealand, or online.
