Intergenerational Transmission of Faith: The Biblical Role of the Godly Parent in the Spiritual Formation of the Child
[Thesis]
Fullerton, M. Jason
Goodall, Wayde
Assemblies of God Theological Seminary
2019
303 p.
D.Min.
Assemblies of God Theological Seminary
2019
The extensive research recently completed by the National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR) at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill determined that parents remain the biggest determinants in shaping a child's faith that is strong through the teen years and their transition into adulthood. However, apart from taking their children to church and modeling godliness, most parents remain uncertain of how to participate in the process of intergenerational faith transmission with their children. To assist parents in remedying this issue, a course entitled "The Trek: An Eight-Week Spiritual Journey for Parents and Their Children," was created and implemented at First Assembly of God in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Ten families with fourth to eighth grade students actively participated in the course, which identified eight of the most integral values for spiritual formation and equipped parents to transmit these lessons to their children. As a result of The Trek, parents developed an enhanced understanding of their role in the intergenerational faith transmission process. They also reported feeling better equipped to develop their children as lifelong followers of Christ.