By Diana Dworin
Pass the faith
Creating spiritual identity K
ids identify themselves in a variety of ways. Young children learn to see themselves as sons or daughters, brothers or sisters. Through their daily activities, older children view themselves in additional ways: students, athletes, musicians, the list goes on.
Growing up with an overarching sense of belonging to God is a vital way for kids to define themselves. Helping them tap into their identi- ties as children of God is something parents can nurture.
“Parents are apostles, priests and bishops for
their kids,” said Pat Eidsness, a lay mission devel- oper and associate in ministry at Westside Lutheran Church, Sioux Falls, S.D. “What happens at home literally doubles the chances that kids will grow up connected to a church and seeing God in their lives.”
Parents help ground their children with a stronger spiri- tual identity when they: • Talk about God’s presence. Share the day’s highs and lows with each other, perhaps at a meal or at the end of the evening, and talk about ways that God was part of those experiences. Informal conversations like these help children develop a sense of watchfulness for God’s finger- prints in their daily lives, said Eidsness, former director of the South Dakota Synod’s “Faith Family Style” program. “When we start paying attention, we start to see that God’s presence is with us everywhere,” she said. • Show and tell. Collect and display items that tie to your family’s faith, such as a grandparent’s confirmation cer- tificate or a candle from your child’s baptism. Talk about these items and what they represent in your family’s ongo- ing journey of faith. Stories like these can help anchor children in their family’s faith heritage and spur a stronger sense of spiritual identity. • Document it. Start a faith scrapbook for your child, and encourage them to add to it as they grow. Include pages for special Sunday school drawings, pictures of your child at volunteer projects or church events, and other memories that highlight your child’s faith formation. Over the years, children can look back on these pages and remember God’s work in their lives.
Parents help teach kids to see themselves as children of God
DESIGNPICS Now what?
Celebrating a baptismal birthday
Q: We’re coming up on the first anniversary of my son’s baptism, and I want to start a tradi- tion of making this day extra special. What are some ideas? A: Remembering our baptism—that we belong to God—is worth celebrating every day, not just once a year. When parents mark a child’s baptism anni- versary, however, they help emphasize that this relationship to God is something extra special. Ideas for celebrating abound: display pictures
from your child’s baptism, serve white frosted cupcakes as dessert, light the same candle used at your child’s baptism, make contact with your child’s godparents if they don’t remember to contact you first, or arrange to place chancel flowers at your church to mark the occasion. Share your opinion or story at
www.thelutheran.org. Send questions to diana@ passthefaith. org.
Lutheran mom
Dworin, 41, is a mother of three and a former parenting magazine editor.
July 2011 41
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