2. A Snapshot of Life in the Decade of Childhood

3. What’s Happening?
(Big Picture)

4. Children are trying to develop a “container” that can hold together their experience of the world.
Children are learning to manage continual and rapid growth.

5. What’s Happening?
(Ground Level)

6. Physically : Children are seeking physical affirmation and nourishment.
Emotionally: Children are seeking love, belonging, and security.
Psychologically: Children are seeking boundaries, expectations, consequences, and consistency
Spiritually: Children are in the early stages of identity formation and “worldview coherence”

7. What are the major spiritual challenges of childhood?

8. A. Developing Trust

9. B. Overcoming a lack of nurture and care from adults
A. Developing Trust
B. Overcoming a lack of nurture and care from adults

10. The Bible and Children

11. Deuteronomy 6:6-9
6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

12. Matthew 19:  Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them.14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 15 When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

13. Counsel to Parents

14. Parenting is difficult. Don’t give up!
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Gal. 6:9
Habits matter.
“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” Galatians 6:7
Disciple your child.
“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6

15. Seek healing for a childhood lost.
Keep it simple: ABC’s
Be a disciple yourself.
21 When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?”22 Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” John 21:21-22
Seek healing for a childhood lost.
“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten” Joel 2:25

16. Our spiritual vibrancy is tied to the children around us

17. A High and Holy Calling