Five Habits that Nurture a Lifelong Faith
Five habits that nurture a lifelong faith
Among the many good gifts the Lord has given our church is the gift of children - and many of them!
We believe God has beautifully designed the Christian family to be the primary place where children learn of His holiness, grace, and love; discover what it means to belong to the family of God; and learn to love and serve their neighbors.
As a church, we want to come alongside parents in this joyful calling. The Faithful Five are five fundamental convictions that shape how we seek to raise lifelong disciples of Jesus. While each reflects a value we seek to embody as a church, they also reflect some of the most significant factors research has consistently associated with a faith that endures into adulthood.
1. Worship Together
Faith is formed through regular participation in the Divine Service. Week after week, children gather with God’s people to hear His Word, receive His gifts, pray, sing, and participate in the life of the Church. These rhythms of worship shape hearts to know, trust, and follow Christ throughout life.
2. Faith at Home
Faith is nurtured through the everyday life of the home. Parents don’t need to be perfect - they need to be faithful and authentic. Children are shaped as they see their parents love Jesus, turn to His Word, pray together, repent when they fail, forgive freely, joyfully participate in the life of the Church, and make Christ part of the ordinary rhythms of life.
3. Meaningful Relationships in the Church
Faith flourishes within the family of God. Children need more than Christian parents; they need a spiritual family. Pastors who know their names, grandparents in the faith, teachers, mentors, and other families who model faithful Christian living all help surround children with a community that points them to Christ.
4. Rooted in God’s Word
Faith grows deep when it is rooted in Scripture. Through hearing and reading God’s Word, catechesis, Bible study, sound doctrine, and space for honest questions, children learn what they believe, why they believe it, and how God’s Word shapes every part of life. We embody this by having our families worship together, Sunday school, First Communion, Confirmation, and many other ministries.
5. Active Participation in Christ’s Mission
Faith is lived out in love and service. Children learn the joy of following Jesus as they serve others, participate in worship, practice hospitality, care for their neighbors, and take their place in Christ’s mission in the world.
Our goal is not simply to raise children who know about Jesus, butlifelong disciples who know His love, trust His promises, love His Church, and joyfully follow Him.
~ Pastor Matthew Ballmann