Cover story:

Create a spiritual environment

At church and home

As adults, it’s not our job to give children faith. The Spirit has already taken care of that. Our role is to help children recognize God’s presence in their lives and in the world, and to nurture faithfulness by teaching them the language of faith.

Here are the fundamentals parents, caregivers, teachers and pastors have at their disposal to create a spiritual environment where children will flourish and live abundant lives in Christ:

Teacher Shirley Crawford spends quality time with Beth Cox, Cassidy Simmons and Emma Cox during Sunday school at Pleasant Valley Lutheran Church in Staunton, Va.

Begins with baptism

Too often we regard baptism as an event rather than the starting point of an amazing journey. The Spirit’s action informs and influences every aspect of Christian formation. What did God say to you at baptism? By asking that question of children over and over in a variety of ways, we assure them they are named and claimed as God’s own. Invite children to greet worshipers on the day of a baptism and tell about its meaning.

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