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One of
the greatest gifts that God has given us is the freedom
to choose.
You exercise this
freedom of choice daily. You choose to get up in the
morning or stay home, to stay on your diet or have that
donut, and you have the choice to read this article or
put it down. Likewise, we exercise our spiritual freedom
of choice. God created man for a purpose, with a master
plan scripted from conception. However, He grants us
each the choice to believe and follow that plan or turn
away and choose our own route.
The choices you make in life not only affect you but the
world around you. For some, the choices made influence a
broad sphere of individuals. Others may not possess as
wide a range; but with certainty our area of influence
extends to our families. Did you know that the spiritual
decisions that your child(ren) will make when they are
adults will be formed at an early age? Consider the
following information gathered by the Barna* group.
Barna has found that:
1) A child’s moral behavior is generally defined before
the age of nine.
2) A child will have a personal belief and an opinion of
the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ by the
age of eighteen.
3) The spiritual beliefs of people in general are
conceived by the age of 13.
“In essence,” the researcher noted, “what you believe by
the time you are 13, is what you will die believing.”
As
parents, we have a great responsibility for the
spiritual development of our children. Parental choices
have a profound affect on the spiritual development of a
child.
What an exciting role I play as children’s Pastor. It is
my hearts desire to provide a place that will help serve
you in the spiritual development of your children by
providing a safe and conducive environment in which your
child can learn and grow in his/her walk with Jesus
Christ.
As we partner together, we can ensure that the
foundation is laid for a solid relationship with Jesus
Christ. Our mission is to “raise a generation who are
filled with the Spirit, led by the Spirit, and serve
with the Spirit in God’s Kingdom”.
* The Barna Group is a full-service marketing research
company that has been providing information and analysis
regarding cultural trends and the Christian Church since
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