Spiritual formation is taking place every moment of every day. Whether intentional or not, every person is being spiritually formed in the big moments and the small.
Through intentionality, prayer, and the leading of the Holy Spirit, children’s ministry leaders and families, together, can lean into everyday moments as children come to know, love, and follow Jesus.
In this podcast series, INCM and David C Cook aim to equip children’s ministry leaders, volunteers, parents, and leaders involved in children’s lives to pass on a faith that grows in the everyday moments of life—big and small. Through conversations with children’s and family ministry leaders, curriculum developers, parents, and followers of Jesus, this six-episode series will speak to you as you follow Jesus and point children to Him.
Our kids are image-bearing children of God, and we can declare this truth over them!
Episode 1: Understanding Spiritual Formation
What is spiritual formation and why is it important? Simply put, spiritual formation is discipleship. It’s what we all signed up to do and why we’re doing what we’re doing. We want to see the next generation live out a vibrant faith throughout their lifetime.
To be intentional with spiritual formation, it’s imperative that we be authentic, trustworthy, and willing to get out of the way. We must create space for kids and families to encounter the living God.
Let’s ask: How are we going to teach in such a way that it transcends being limited a childhood belief system? And how can we help foster spiritual formation in the homes of the children and families we serve?
Episode 2: The Church’s Role in a Child’s Faith Formation
Christianity is now counter cultural in America. The wind is no longer at our backs. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. If we have been lulled by fair weather, our faith can become stronger as we weather the changes in our cultural environment.
Considering this cultural shift, it’s wise to ask ourselves the following questions.
How are we partnering with other areas of the church for ministry to children? Are we running church in essentially the same way we did twenty years ago?
Episode 3: Children’s Ministry’s Role in a Child’s Faith Formation
Within the context of a healthy, whole-church approach to faith formation, children’s ministry plays an undeniably crucial role.
In 2005, David Kinnaman, now president of Barna Group, summed up why: “Young people are spiritual sponges whose most impressionable years are too important to pass up.” His statement remains as true as ever.
As we continue our Faith Formation discussion, let’s ask the following questions.
Are we resourcing children’s ministry in essentially the same way we did twenty years ago? Are we passing on traditions and programs, only to have lost a clear focus on the very faith they are meant to foster?
Episode 4: The Family’s Role in a Child’s Faith Formation
Hands down, parents are the greatest influencers of their children’s faith formation. If you’re a Christian parent reading this, you feel the gravity of your responsibility. You know the joy and exasperation, the awe and challenge of the parenting journey, and you deeply desire to see your son or daughter become the person God made them to be.
As we continue our Faith Formation discussion, let’s ask these questions: How are we encouraging, equipping, and partnering with families? How are we utilizing other ministries within the church to do the same? Are we resourcing families in essentially the same way we did twenty years ago?
Episode 5: Keeping the Gospel Central in Life and Ministry
With the constant push and pull of ministry life, it’s easy to become distant from the Gospel. It’s not an intentional move, or one we ever hope to make when entering ministry, but slowly over time we can become focused on lesser things.
Keeping the Gospel central keeps our hope alive. It ignites our faith in Christ and reassures us of His goodness. It is why we are in ministry to begin with. His Story pursues our own. Join us! Be encouraged in life and ministry.
Episode 6: Helping Kids Know Who They Were Created to Be
Children are inundated with messages every single day about their identity. It’s our job to help them to know what is always true—what God says is true.
Because what kids believe about themselves influences their thoughts and decisions.
Help kids discover their identity in God’s Big Story—where Jesus is Lord, and the Holy Spirit is present. We need to leave room for their big questions and big ideas while leaving no doubt about who God is or who they are in Him.
Our kids are image-bearing children of God, and we can declare this truth over them!
13 Very Famous Friends and How Jesus Loved Them
13 Very Famous Friends and How Jesus Loved Them
