The Spiritual Lives of Children (Birth-High School)
Linked below are benchmarks by stage informed by scripture & best practices of spiritual formation, as well as varied resources regarding the holistic growth & development of children.
Along with the benchmarks for each age is a collection of tips, helpful questions, and resources to help support your child’s growth & spiritual life during that stage. These are yours to print, share, & use as you would like!
Cultivate environments where nurturing love surrounds your littlest ones in order to create a foundation for their understanding of God.
Infants & toddlers can experience the gospel through nurturing relationships in their community and at home.
Cultivate environments where your three to seven year olds can interact with wisdom and truth to construct a framework of knowledge that will help them understand God and God’s healing work in the world.
Early elementary aged kids can understand the gospel through meaningful interactions with God and God’s Story.
Cultivate environments where your seven to ten year olds can thrive by experiencing and embodying grace. A foundation of love and a framework built of wisdom makes the way for grace to create a faith that allows our kids to feel at home with God and empowers them to make others feel at home as well.
Upper elementary kids can articulate the gospel through increasing familiarity with the Scriptures & practices of reconciliation and forgiveness.
Cultivate environments where your student can discover that they are created with purpose & value in God’s design. Create nurturing spaces for them to explore who they are, what they enjoy, & the gifts they bring to their communities, helping them see their worth reflected both in God’s eyes & in their relationships with others.
Middle school students can take an active role in the gospel by discovering their place in God’s design and understanding they are created with purpose & called to live out their unique gifts, seeing the gospel at work both in them and through them.
Cultivate environments where your student can see beyond their own walls — creating opportunities for perspective, compassion, and curiosity. Help them recognize how faith connects them to God, others, and the wider world through a shared story.
High school students can live out the gospel by understanding that they are part of God’s ongoing story of redemption, a story written in community. As their vision expands, they can grow in empathy and humility, learning more about God by listening to and learning from the stories of others.
