Video Transcript: Lesson 2 Section 4

Developmental psychology lays an important foundation for understanding how faith  develops in the life of a young person. A person's ability to believe in God will be greatly  impacted by his or her psychosocial and cognitive development. A young child may display a  simple faith based on their trust in their parents, and what they say is good and bad. These  are important first steps and should be celebrated. But it is not a belief system that the child  has thought through and can understand fully. In the same way we grow physically, and our  brains develop cognitively, our faith matures as well. Theologian James Fowler has built upon  the work of Erickson and Piaget to help us apply those concepts to faith development. He  divided the human lifespan into six stages and explored how spiritual beliefs develop at each  age. We will explore the first four stages and discuss practical applications to youth ministry.  Remember, these are general age categories, and every child will develop at his or her own  pace. Fowler identifies the first stage starting at age two, and calls this time period one of  projective faith. As children begin their faith journey, they are greatly affected by their family.  It is by watching adults that a child gets his or her first ideas about who God is. Most children  will project their impressions of their parents onto God. They will believe God to be loving,  because their mother is a loving, caring figure in their lives. God as Father will be strong and  protective, just like our own dad. Obviously, human fathers and mothers are not perfect, and  this can be a stumbling block for children in their faith. Any type of emotional, verbal, or  sexual abuse will distort a child's impressions of God. This is the first application point for  ministry. It is important to understand the child's background within their family when  discussing the character of God. A child who has experienced abuse or abandonment by their  earthly father will not have a good impression if you say God is our Heavenly Father. Here are  a few other ideas for ministering to children of this age. Teach children Bible verses using  repetition to help them remember, make sure the concepts are simple and literal. Share Bible  stories that focus on God's actions and positive examples of how to treat others. Remember,  children can understand concrete information and obey directions. But they are not thinking  abstractly yet. The story about God's miracles will be understood at a basic level. They will  understand what happened, but not why. However, they do have a growing imagination,  which aids in faith. One last point to remember is the importance of trust development at this  stage. Consistency is key in developing relationships of trust with Sunday school teachers who will lead children in faith development. As children grow older, they are developing their  thinking and reasoning abilities. Children are beginning to distinguish between what is real  and what is fantasy. That is why Fowler calls this the mythic literal time for faith. Children are  also focused on justice and fairness. This is key to their ability to believe in Jesus as their  Savior. Between the ages of seven and 12, children are able to make a commitment to God  because they can understand the real consequences of Jesus death on the cross. It is  important to emphasize that Jesus death and resurrection were real events in history. As  children grow into teens, we can communicate deeper truths about God and invite them to  choose their faith for themselves. teenagers tend to live in the moment they are growing  cognitively and moving back and forth between concrete ideas and their freedom of more  abstract thinking. They might make a commitment to God easily, but the decision might not  last. Teenagers need to choose faith in God for themselves and understand why they believe  the gospel is real. Let's look at a few application points for youth ministry. When younger  teens show up to an event. Their first question is usually what are we doing today? Activities  are important to keep teens engaged plan games, experiences and hands on learning  opportunities. Remember, younger teens are still concrete thinkers, but are growing an  abstract thought. help them bridge the gap by observing together what happened in a Bible  story. then asking critical thinking questions. You might have them explore how a character in  the Bible might have felt or thought. Assign Bible application activities that have immediate  next steps. share specific times and places in your instructions. For example, tomorrow at  school, or when you get home tonight. Finally, provide teens opportunities to serve and  practice new skills. This might include playing an instrument or singing in the worship band,  using a computer to create flyers for an event, or operating the sound system. As teens age,  they are continuing to establish their unique identity. This is a critical time for faith  developments as they evaluate their beliefs and which ones they will choose for their lives. 

Fowler describes stage three as a time for synthetic conventional faith. Synthetic refers to  something made through a chemical process. Conventional means following tradition or  generally accepted practice. In the context of faith development, Fowler defines these words  a little differently. Synthetic refers to faith developed through a teenager's social  relationships. Faith at this age is another building block in a teens identity. It is something that makes them part of the community and bonds them with their peers. But teens also have an  element of conventional faith. Fowler defines this as responses teens give to fit in with those  around them. This is why a teenager might talk about how strong their faith is at a Sunday  service, but be caught cheating on a school assignment later that week. Teens can tend to  limit their faith to times when it is convenient for them. When they are around Christian  friends, they say do the right things. But in the company of others, they might change their  behavior. Some people never outgrow this phase, and even as adults live one way at church  and another way outside it. These are often the people who grew up in a family where faith  was important, but never made their own decision to follow God fully. Here are a few ideas for ministering to older teens. First, recognize that relationships are important. younger teens  focus on activities and what will happen. Older teens are thinking about people. Before going  to your youth program. They will ask who is going to be there. Teens are learning through  social interactions. They will interpret life based on conversations with peers, teachers,  coaches and other adults. Show teens how the Bible relates to real life situations. How should  they treat their family, friends or classmates? What are some answers in Scripture to the  problems they are facing and questions they are asking. Finally, leave space for authentic  relationships to develop and grow. teens need adults in their lives to guide them on their  spiritual journey. Youth Ministry volunteers and pastors are not just chaperones, but can be  trusted mentors. Fowler's fourth stage of faith development takes teens into adulthood. He  calls it a time of individuated reflective faith. Our goal is to guide teens through this last stage until faith is integrated into all aspects of their lives. In this stage, a teen's faith is his or her  own way it's individual. It's also reflective, because the teen has developed the ability to think critically about their beliefs. Young adults at this age are able to wrestle with opposing ideas  and face tension. For example, they have probably been confronted by the problem of evil in  the world. But they have also been taught about the loving all powerful God of the Bible.  Reconciling these two realities is a sign of mature faith. A properly discipled young adult can  accept that God is still good, even though he allows bad things to happen. Teens will not get  to this point on their own. They need help and guidance. Here are some ideas for ministering  to young adults. First equip them with reasonable ways to defend their faith. Young adults will  face challenges and hard questions. They need to know that belief in God makes sense for  their life. Don't just repeat Bible stories, teach them how to study the Bible and key doctrines  on their own. The main question young adults will be asking is why are we doing this? Help  them connect their faith to real life questions and problems. Show them the Bible solutions.  relationships continue to be important. Design your activities around this. For example, use  group discussions of ideas instead of just one person teaching. The task at this stage of faith  development is to integrate their values and beliefs. with their life choices, but remember,  there is no magic formula for guiding a young person into mature faith. The answer is not in a  perfect program, but in the interaction with trusted mentors and connection to a spiritual  community. As always, you should be praying for the youth in your care and asking God for  wisdom and how to serve their needs.