Growing Up Christian

Brief Description

McGuffey’s Readers. Public school. Family prayers. In the 1800s, these were primary — and successful — strategies by which children learned to become Christians. Sunday school was developed to support what was already being done at home and in school. Today many churches still rely on the nineteenth-century model to encourage young people to become disciples of Christ.

In Growing Up Christian, Dr. C. Ellis Nelson explores why these strategies are inadequate for the twenty-first century and offers practical, specific guidance for congregations who wish to nurture disciples of Christ more effectively. Part 1 describes the pattern of influences that form our images of God. Given the way culture and family influence the rising generation, Part 2 outlines a strategy for nurturing disciples that capitalizes on the persuasive power of the congregation in fellowship, worship, and instruction. A detailed discussion guide further assists congregations who wish to form a study group to assess and improve their Christian education.

About the Author

C. Ellis Nelson, research professor of Christian education at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, has written many books and articles about the biblical and theological basis for Christian education. Dr. Nelson has been a research fellow at Oxford University and has lectured in many seminaries and universities in North America, Australia, and Europe. His book How Faith Matures was named one of the ten best religious books of 1989.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Part One: Patterns of Influence
1: Why the Strategy of the 1800s Is Inadequate for the 2000s
2: Parents: The Primary Source for Children’s Image of God
3: Family and Community: The Secondary Source for Children’s Image of God
Part Two: A Congregational Strategy for Christian Formation
4: The Persuasive Power of Congregations
5: Informal Processes of Nurturing
6: Formal Processes of Nurturing: Worship and Sermon
7: Formal Processes of Nurturing: Instruction
Discussion Guide