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TRANSFORMING CHILDREN INTO SPIRITUAL CHAMPIONS Why Children Should Be Your Church’s #1 Priority George Barna Regal, 2003, 140 pp.
ISBN 0-8307-3293-4 |
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Barna’s
research is often discouraging, but I am encouraged by his personal
commitment to Christ and his high standards for godliness. See, for example, his personal and
poignant explanation to his daughter of how she can be sure he loves her (p.
135-36). This book is a powerful
apologetic for the crucial importance of effective children’s
ministries. It focuses on the 31
million children aged 5 to 12, “the years that lifelong habits, values,
beliefs and attitudes are formed.” (18) “Our
children will define the future, which makes them our most significant and
enduring legacy. ...but also one of
our greatest personal responsibilities.”
(18) Major
challenges for kids: overweight; sexual activity; substance abuse; violence;
adequate medical attention (for the 1 out of 8 who have no health insurance);
emotional effects of cohabitation, divorce, unmarried parents, and working
mothers; lack of sufficient meaningful time with parents; and intake of mass
media. (20-23) “The
majority of America’s kids are ... constantly seduced and tantalized by
messages and imagery that blur or overstep the boundaries of decency.” (26) “Our
nation’s children will struggle to maintain a healthy balance in life. Constantly exposed to evil, they will win
the battle most of the time but never escape the sense of jeopardy. They will seek to live a normal life but
fall prey to the constantly deteriorating definitions of normality.” “The gifts of childhood that have become
or are rapidly becoming extinct include innocence, civility, patience, joy
and trust.” (26) “Many
of the choices and outcomes in children’s lives relate to...the moral and
spiritual dimension.” “A biblical
understanding of ‘the good life’ is...to experience, obey and serve God and
other people. The existence of
difficulties, failures and even persecution are not so much indicators of
failure as they are events that build character and test our resolve to know,
love and serve God.” (27) “The
route to significance and success, therefore, demands that we develop the
moral and spiritual foundations that permit us to lead holy and servantlike
lifestyles.” (27) “The
most significant aspect of every person’s life is his or her spiritual
health.” (28) “We
can strive to give our youngsters all the advantages the world has to offer,
... but unless their spiritual life is prioritized and nurtured, they will
miss out on much of the meaning, purpose and joy of life.” (29) “Every
choice we make is ultimately a spiritual decision.” (30) “Because everything is ultimately a spiritual and moral
issue, the more intentional and clear minded we are regarding their spiritual
development, the better off they will be for the duration of their
lives.” (32) Research
statistics: (33) 93%
consider themselves to be Christian by age 13. 34%
(est.) are ‘born again’ by age 13. But
only 4% of 13 year-olds have a worldview, or belief system, aligned with
biblical teachings, that serves as the foundation for their decision making.
(37) “If
people do not embrace Jesus Christ as their Savior before they reach their
teenage years, the chance of their doing so at all is slim.” (34) Young
people are more likely to base their decisions on feelings (37%) or other
people’s expectations (26%) than on the Bible (8%). But many young people also embrace theological distortions as
truth. (37) There
is an astounding level of consistency between the religious beliefs of adults
and children. Whatever beliefs one
holds in childhood are not likely to change as the individual ages. (37) “A
deep and robust spiritual life demands intentional and strategic spiritual
nurturing during the early childhood and adolescent years.” (41) “If
you want to have a lasting influence upon the world, you must invest in
people’s lives; and if you want to maximize that investment, then you must
invest in those people while they are young.” (42) “Can
we afford to let the moral and spiritual dimension of our future leaders be
shaped by default?” “The moral
foundations of children are generally determined by the time the individual
reaches age nine.” (47) Most
adults received “ministry leftovers” as children, and “they became exactly
what we made them: well-intentioned, inadequately nurtured, minimally
equipped secular people who dabble in religious thought and activity.” (48) “We
must pour a larger percentage of our vast resources into people rather than
programs and buildings.” (49) “I
am now convinced that the greatest hope for the local church lies in raising
godly children.” “Further, we have
discovered that peer evangelism among young children—one kid leading another
kid to the foot of the Cross for a life-changing encounter with Jesus—is one
of the most prolific and effective means of evangelism in the nation.” (49) “The
battlefront is found in the minds, hearts and souls of our children.” (50) “In
American society today, it appears that the most dominant agents of influence
are contemporary music, movies, television, the Internet, publications, laws
and public policies, and parents. The
second tier of influence agents includes peers, schools, radio, mentors,
colleges and universities and siblings.
The lower tier of influence encompasses churches and faith
communities, adult education, counseling and therapy experiences, and
extended family.” “The older a child
gets, the more distracted and vulnerable he or she becomes to nonfamily
influences.” (58) “Our
challenge is to enable them to develop a biblical worldview, which is a means
of interpreting and responding to reality that is consistent with God’s ways
as described for us in the Bible.” (60) Kids
need help with 1.
“Purpose – identifying their purpose in life 2.
Perspective – clarifying their core life perspectives 3.
Provision – providing basic conditions and benefits they need to grow
in a healthy manner 4.
Performance – describing the performance of specific activities that
enable them to lead productive and meaningful lives.” (61) A
worldview is a “life lens [that] enables them to quickly size up a situation
and respond in ways that are consistent with what they believe is
appropriate.” “They are prone to
behavior that is consistent with their beliefs, and their beliefs are the
result of their worldview.” (67) Foundations
for a biblical worldview include the Bible as source of wisdom, knowledge of
its teachings, understanding its organizing principles, and a burning desire
to obey God. (68-69) Help
young people process these seven significant questions: 1.
“Does God exist? 2.
What is the character and nature of God? 3.
How and why was the world created? 4.
What is the nature and purpose of humanity? 5.
What happens after we die on Earth? 6.
What spiritual authorities exist? 7.
What is truth?” The
six pillars of Christian formation: worship, evangelism, discipleship,
stewardship, service and community.
[Note that these are the same as the 5 purposes of the Purpose-Driven
Church with the addition of stewardship.] (72-74) “...the
Church exists to support us in our efforts to raise our children.... We cannot legitimately pawn off our kids
on a church and expect it to do the job we as parents have been given by
God. However, we can partner with the
church to compensate for our own areas of developmental weakness or
inability....” (75) Fewer
than 10% of parents who regularly attend church with their kids read the
Bible together or pray together in a typical week. And adults tend to revert
to what was modeled for them. (78) “God’s
plan is for families to lead in the provision of spiritual development for
their children.” (82) Some
methods of instruction include behavioral modeling (most powerful), formal
instruction, reading, creative applications, personal experiences,
discipline, and combinations of the above.
(94-88) “The
content of their needs relates to developing a biblical worldview, knowing
themselves and God well enough to discern their mission and vision, achieving
genuine security in their relationship with God..., attaining a sense of
empowerment to carry out His will regardless of the consequences, developing
the supportive relationships that produce both encouragement and
accountability and being competent in living out the six pillars of a truly
spiritual life (worship, evangelism, discipleship, stewardship, service, and
spiritual community).” (93) “Spiritual
development is not so much about what your children know but who they are.”
(93) Churches
usually do not measure or track their nurturing outcomes. Churches
that help to produce spiritually mature children are distinguished by the
following: ·
They clarify what they stand for and what they attempt to produce ·
They deliberately assist parents in the process ·
They integrate children’s ministry throughout staff and programs in a
continual process ·
They recognize and plan for a lifelong maturation process ·
They begin early, by age four or five. ·
They have specific indicators of success. ·
They make a major prayer investment. ·
They have a chief advocate in the senior pastor. ·
Their children’s leaders are ongoing and eager learners. ·
They set specific goals informed by development theory. ·
They communicate in ways that relate. ·
They have a good adult-child ratio. ·
They balance small group and large group activities. ·
They build genuine relationships with children. ·
They identify core principles to communicate and return to them in
greater depth each year. (see examples, pp. 108-9) ·
They insist on the regular participation of parents. ·
They help children understand the principles and application as well
as the Bible stories. ·
They get every child personally involved in some form of ministry,
actively serving others. ·
They strategically recruit and train workers. ·
The laity leads the ministry and the staff support them. ·
The ministry is lead by a team. ·
The training is minimal but high quality and provided by experts. ·
The children are fully protected. ·
The workers are intentionally made to fee valued. (96-117) Many
children think they are educated because they know the Bible stories but they
are “clueless regarding the fundamental principles and lessons to be drawn
from those narratives.” (110) Three
critical factors for effectiveness: leadership, focus on the information,
experiences, skills and encouragement required to steadfastly develop and
live in concert with a biblical worldview, and perseverance. (119-20) “At
its root, effective ministry to children—by parents or church-related youth
workers—demands substantial energy, time and interaction. There is no substitute for the personal
touch.” (129) Three
important Scripture passages that provide a guide to personal holiness: the
Ten Commandments (Ex 20), the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5-7), and the fruit of
the spirit (Gal. 5). (129) Means
to evaluate outcomes: (130) ·
Formal evaluation tools – tests, essays, assignments, etc. ·
Self-report evaluation tools – surveys, inventories and profiles ·
Conversation and dialogue – language used, reasoning skills, foundational
worldview expressed and interactive engagement ·
Observable behavior or perspectives – attendance, volunteerism, invitations,
donations, professed beliefs, memorized beliefs, physical condition and boyd
language ·
Inference from choices—character of friends, media preference, spending
habits, social activism, attire and appearance For
more information on a biblical worldview and the development process, see
George Barna, Think Like Jesus (Nashville, TN: Integrity Publishers,
2003) |
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