The battle we are engaged in for children is spiritual. The battlefield is the spirit, mind, will, and character of our children. Since the formation of the spirit begins at the earliest ages, the answer lies in our engagement with the child’s spirit to encounter God.

Godly spiritual and character formation is not a subject that adults can simply teach to children, as math or Bible stories might be taught. Instead, it takes place when children, not only as they hear about God’s nature and character from trusted adults, but also as they experience those adults modeling and living out God’s character in their personal lives and community. Our task is to seek to help the spirit of children meet the spirit of God.

The forming of children’s spirits into Christlikeness takes place as we guide children to allow God’s Holy Spirit to accomplish God’s formation work in them at the earliest ages.

Those who desire to guide children into a true vision and life with God must add to their quiet example intentional patterns and practices that create experiences that grow their personal friendship and relationship with God the Father, God the Son, Jesus, and God the Holy Spirit. It is important as we introduce patterns and practices to guide children to ask and depend on the spirit of God to develop His character and ways in them. Children’s thinking is concrete and responds to firsthand encounters or experiences.

Because integrity is greatly lacking in our culture, and it is true that God is a truth-teller, here is an example of a practice to guide children into becoming “truth tellers” using guided conversation. It goes like this:

“Let’s take turns thinking together about things that are true. I’ll start. Dogs have noses. Your turn (Allow ideas.) Rain makes things wet. Your turn (Allow ideas.) Jesus is God’s Son. Your turn (Allow ideas.) God loves you. Your turn. (Allow ideas.) I was unkind to my friend today. Your turn. God is a truth teller. (Allow ideas.”)

As with all practices, keep in mind attention spans and age level appropriateness of the children you are guiding.

The following training and curriculum for guiding intentional patterns and practices are available:
Spiritual Disciplines for Children – book
Voyage of Spiritual Formation with Children – video series
A Child’s Journey of Spiritual Formation – curriculum
Coaching – in-person or virtual consultations
​
​Contact www.characterchoice.org or info@characterchoice.org

Vernie Schorr Love is the founder of Character Choice, who is an Education Consultant working in public and private education in North America for the past 30 years. She and her team offer training to prepare parents and teachers to develop children’s conscience, character, and life with God. Vernie has done master's work at Azusa Pacific University in Marriage and Family Counseling and at Talbot in Value-Based Education. She is the author of several curriculum courses for children ages 6-12, and a training manual titled “Recruiting, Training and Developing Volunteer Children’s Workers”, a one-year curriculum titled “A Child’s Journey of Spiritual formation and two books, “Compass, A Guide for Character and Spiritual Formation in Children" and “Spiritual Disciplines for Children.”

Andrea Asher is an ordained Pastor of Partnerships and Strategy at Character Choice. With a background in spiritual formation, leadership development, missional community planting, and pastoral ministry, Andrea loves being innovative to meet families in current struggles. Andrea's studies fuel her passion to ignite spiritual formation as a movement (MA Leadership, MA Spiritual Formation & Soul Care, and MBA in progress).
​