Shirley Carlson
La Crescenta Presbyterian Church
How do we know if our children are growing spiritually? According to Barna’s research in the book Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions, “a person’s moral foundation is either based on Christian spirituality and God’s Word, or, it is based on worldly perspectives.”
I am sure you prefer the former to the latter. A lot of our children’s spiritual development is aided by what they learn at church, especially through a ministry such as LOGOS. However, spiritual development must also be encouraged at home. You can find a review of Barna’s book here. Decide for yourself if the book would be a good resource for your home library. Some say a child’s moral development is set by the age of nine, other sources say age 13.
Here are five key spiritual disciplines that may help your family to grow spiritually.
If you have teenagers, this site gives some helpful suggestions.
Spirituality is the quality of being concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things. Christian spirituality is defined as a set of beliefs, values, and a way of life that reflects the teachings of the Bible. This site is more secular, but does have some good suggestions that can easily be related to God by asking “what might God or Jesus want us to do in this situation?”
If you need a spiritual boost for your family, you will find plenty of devotional books for children or families. Before selecting them, I encourage you to read their reviews. This article started with a quote from Barna. I end it with another of his quotes: “May your household provide a nurturing environment of faith, love, and spiritual growth so that the emerging generation of children will be all that their creator intends them to be.” My prayers are with you and your family on your transformational spiritual journey.
Other GenOn Connect Jan-Feb 2019 Articles
One Great Idea: Cookie Night
Two Questions: John Roberto
All Aboard for Transformation!