Discipleship Pathway
At Cloverhill Church, our mission is to connect your child to Christ and move them along in their spiritual journey. This pathway is a cohesive discipleship plan designed for parents and the church to partner together in leading your children from birth to young adulthood. Studies show that the root of having an everlasting faith is correlated to spiritual disciplines. The focus of this pathway is to instill 7 spiritual habits in your child's life so that they will be trained for righteousness (1 Timothy 4:7), have been discipled, and are mobilized to make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20).
Preschool (0-5yr)
In the first five years of life, a child forms impressions about themselves and their world. They’re asking, Am I safe? Am I able? And Am I okay? We create environments of trust, confidence and love. Preschoolers relate to an invisible God they can imagine. Our hope is to incite wonder about their creator, God. We ignite their imaginations through engaging Bible stories and activate their senses through games, worship, crafts, and of course, snacks! We structure their experience by recruiting consistent leaders that show God’s love and by creating an environment where children are safe and feel a sense of belonging.
-
- Child Dedication: A time for parents to identify their community and support. You are publicly expressing your commitment to raising your child with a focus on the future of their faith.
- A grasp of who made you and the world around you
-
- Spend time with your kids, build the relationships, and introduce the reality of our loving, powerful and living God. While they may be too young to practice certain elements of our faith, modeling it goes a long way. Let your child see you engage in these spiritual disciplines. Be intentional, as life happens, maximize moments to show how God is a part of our every day life!
Elementary (6-12yr)
In the Elementary years, a child develops skills and competencies that equip their future. They’re asking, Do I have your attention? Do I have what it takes? And Do I have friends?. We want to point them to the truth of the gospel to answer these questions, creating an authentic and lasting faith. Elementary aged kids relate to God through stories. They know the difference between history and fiction and can relate to a God who heals the sick, conquers evil, and teaches them to win at life. We engage them in “God’s One Big Story”, the Bible, through illustrated lessons and videos. We spend time in worship with motions and individual and corporate prayer. Our small group time, designated by grade, fosters friendships and a sense of belonging for kids. Through fun games, songs, illustrations and scripture memorization, we spend this time applying God’s word to their lives.
-
- Salvation
- Water Baptism
- Scripture memorization & Bible reading
- Learning and gaining the confidence to pray on their own and for others
- Growing to understand that all we have is from God and belongs to God
-
- As your child gets older they will begin to…. Model what relationship with our God looks like and invite them in.
Youth (13-18)
The season of middle and high school is an incredibly formative time in a young person's life. During this time, they enter into the learner stage, a season of rapid physical, emotional, relational, intellectual, and spiritual growth and change.1 During this stage, they are exposed to other opinions, ideas, worldviews, and ways of doing things. Students wrestle with the three big questions of Who am I, What is my purpose, and Where do I belong. We want to point them to Scripture and discover that the Gospel of Jesus has the answer for all of these questions. Our goal is to lead students to reach a place to which their faith truly becomes their own and they can know who they are in Christ, their purpose/calling in Christ, and their acceptance and belonging in the body of Christ. We want to see every student confidently answer the question of, Why do I believe what I believe, as they transition into the young adult season of life. We accomplish this through:
- Biblical preaching
- Worship services and altar time moments
- Small Group Leader mentorship
- Life giving small groups
- Large student events (Retreats, camps, conventions)
- Serving & outreach opportunities
-
- Salvation
- Water Baptism
- Scripture memorization
- Public prayer
- Sharing faith with others
- Serving on a dream team
- Student leadership
-
- Your role is to be a Teacher for your kids. However, this is more than simply telling your kids what to do, but leading them to integrate new ideas, skills, and competencies into the framework your teens already possess. Model what it looks like to follow Jesus with an authentic faith in the real world we live in. Create space for students to ask questions, wrestle, and doubt with their faith, in order to solidify their faith.
Young Adults (18-29)
It is helpful to break this stage into two parts, 18-23 and 24-29. During this first stage (18-23) our kids become adults and enter into the explorer stage. They are excited about the freedom and possibilities that adulthood brings, while also wrestling with the fear that comes alongside it. They will explore different career paths, personal interests and talents, personal desires, more romantic relationships, new ways to relate to their parents, and how what they believe informs the way that they live3. Our goal is to surround them with a Biblical community so they can have the space to be honest with where they want to go and where they are right now. We will provide them with opportunities to serve and lead, while also building them up to strengthen their faith and convictions as they begin their journey of following Jesus as an adult.
As they step into the 2nd stage (24-29), they enter into the focuser stage. They will have developed a clearer sense of who they are and have likely made educational, vocational, and relational choices that have them set on a particular path4. While most will feel on track with life, others may still feel behind. During this time they will be focusing on their careers, relationships, and beliefs. Our goal is to continue to surround them with Biblical community, people whom they can walk alongside as they focus on their families and careers. We will provide them with opportunities to serve and lead, as well as shift the focus to raising kids of their own.
-
- Leading small groups
- Serving on dream teams
-
- Parents of Explorers (18-23) - Serve as a guide as they begin their journey of adulthood. Shift away from setting goals for your kids and focus more on walking alongside your kids as they begin to set goals for themselves. Point out both the beautiful and dangerous things that may lie ahead on their journey. Use wisdom to know when you need to promote independence, and when you need to step in and redirect them.
- Parents of Focusers (24-29) - Your role is no longer to serve as a teacher or guide, but as a resourcer. Now, you need to wait for them to come to you. Be available and be ready to offer wisdom, perspective, and guidance as they step into new challenges and opportunities.
