Why is Sunday School Important for Our Children? (click here for Grace Kids website)
Following is a summary of three years of research regarding ministry to children. The survey was conducted by George Barna from 2001-2003. Important Information for Parents & Teachers from Barna Research Online @ www.barna.org (Barna Research Group of Ventura, CA)
- Adults basically carry out the beliefs they embraced as children.
- A person's moral foundations are generally in place by age 9…this is long before they reach the teenage years.
- A person's response to Jesus is usually determined before age 18…a majority of Americans make a lasting determination about Christ's death & resurrection by age 12.
- A belief profile survey of 13-year-olds with the same survey among adults…was identical. Those beliefs included the nature of God, the existence of Satan, the reliability of the Bible, after-life, the holiness of Jesus Christ, the means of gaining God's favor and the influence of spiritual forces in a person's life.
- Most people's minds are made up spiritually by age 13.
- More than 4 out of 5 church leaders surveyed had consistently been involved in children's ministries for an extended period prior to age 13. The church leaders two decades from now are probably active in church programs today.
- As families take the lead in the spiritual development of children, in partnership with their church, our most important resource is prayer for parents and children.
- For our church to have significance in our culture, we must invest in spiritual transformation, in one's ability to interpret life in spiritual terms! Our church must be a place that provides security, belonging, spiritual and moral education, and accountability, especially for our children. Churches must be motivated by the realization that children are of special significance to God.
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