the Episcopal parish in Middletown since 1702 We believe that God has a Mission: “…to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.” We are a Church for God's Mission 90 Kings Highway Middletown, NJ 07748 732-671-2524 christchurchmiddletown@verizon.net
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Raising Christian Children We offer the following Faith Formation articles adapted from materials from the Youth and Family Institute by The Reverend Victoria Cuff:
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Faith Formation for Families: For Children Birth - Age 2 We are born into the human family and are thus all children of God. To be faithful Christians is something else. If we as parents expect that our children will be faithful Christians, then we must take some positive actions to form that faith. Recent research in brain development makes it clear that the first years of life are critical moments for intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and relational growth. Sight, sound and touch are all important to infants. Every experience that is present in their immediate environment can be profound. It is never too soon to tell children about God. The advertising industry knows this very well and makes it a goal to create product and brand loyalty by age three. Consider this. Instead of memorizing commercial tunes and product logos our children could sing songs of love, joy and faith. There is no such thing as letting a child grow up to decide for him/herself. Form the beginning of life we are surrounded by choices in values and beliefs. Which ones will we help our children make? What can, we as parents do to gently guide our youngest children birth – age 2.
Faith Formation for Families: For children age 3 – 5 Children aged 3 –5 are growing rapidly and their world is expanding by leaps and bounds. This is a time that language development really takes off. Encourage your children to tell about their experiences and feelings. Children experience God’s loving presence through the words and actions of loving adults. Encourage their imaginations through play and exploration. Play is children’s work. Children between 3 & 5 are more aware of outside sources of interaction such as friends, and television. They see and understand more than we realize. Encourage them to participate in service to others at home and outside the family. Read to your children at least 15 minutes a day or more. Stimulate their senses with well-supervised play and other experiences at home, church and in the community. Encourage your children to tell the Godly Play stories at home. Model peaceful ways to resolve conflict! The Youth and Family Institute suggests the following activities to do with your children:
Faith Formation for Families: Children in Primary Grades What a wonderful and exciting time this is. Children begin to develop personal friendship. They sense the needs of others and begin to balance self-interest and sharing. It is a time when they develop personal competencies and a sense that they can accomplish tasks by themselves. They seek new information and begin to reason how things relate to each other in cause and effect sequence. Expanded cognitive skills help them follow and remember longer stories. (It is at this time that we introduce longer and more complicated presentations in Godly Play.) Physical skills also grow considerably. Children develop a greater sense of independence and ability. Things to do with your children:
Faith Formation for Families: Children in the Intermediate Grades It’s hard to believe how fast our children grow up. Children in the intermediate grades are on the threshold of adolescence. This is a time that they especially need consistent input from significant adults. They are more and more influenced by the expectations of others. We may begin to see physical and sexual development and a newfound interest in the opposite sex. One minute they have a great need for independence and the next minute they are dependent little children again. Their relationships may be marked by moodiness. They may show improved social and verbal skills. They are beginning to reason and question on a more abstract level. Things to do with intermediate grade children (suggestions from the Youth & Family Institute):
Faith Formation for Families: Middle School Youth Young people in middle school are rapidly developing skills in abstract reasoning and thought. They reflect both morally and religiously and they have developed a fairly high degree of social competency. This is an exciting and challenging time. Youth are questioning others as they themselves are challenged internally to clarify their own self-image, values and faith. Sometimes they seem wise beyond their years but in a flash they are again little boys and girls. They are very attached to their peer groups regarding social behavior, fads. However issues of values, faith and lifelong goals are still in the domain of parents and other adult mentoring figures.
Faith Formation for Families: High School/Young Adults This is the time when young people will give serious attention those issues that will affect their future, college, job, friendships, and dating and perhaps eventually marriage. They are often idealistic and be come involved in political and ecological causes. They make choices and form attitudes that are challenged and reviewed both internally and externally. The Church as a social institution may diminish in importance for them at this time, but religious issues will continue to remain important to their developing identity and future relationships. Young adults in their early twenties have an even greater drive to determine their future and establish their own patterns of living. Relationships with parents evolve and change. New cognitive, moral and social challenges lead them to reevaluate basic meanings and religious convictions that were largely assumed in earlier years. Things to Do:
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Christ Church is accessible to persons with disabilities. updated February 1, 2010 |
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