2003 Family Camp
Living the Faith
Sunday, 10:00-11:30
Finding Time to Do Theology
Estimate your time schedule for a typical week:
1. Hours working in career————————-____________
2. Hours commuting or carpooling—————-____________
3. Hours housekeeping, shopping, and so on—-____________
4. Hours as a volunteer in community————____________
5. Hours socializing with friends——————____________
6. Hours in recreational activities—————–____________
7. Hours resting and sleeping———————-____________
8. Hours growing closer to God through study,
worship, and prayer———————————____________
9. Other hours you spend—————————____________
Total number of hours per week 7 X 24 = 168
How might you readjust the hours in your week to spend more time growing closer to God?
Small Groups
Share your understanding of the Trinity.
2003 Family Camp
Personal Mission
Monday, 10:00-11:30
Stages of Faith
James Fowler (1981) finds that we grow in our faith through a definite pattern. Fowler defines a pre-stage of undifferentiated faith (where we learn by experiencing concepts of God from those around us) followed by six stages.
1. Intuitive-Projective Faith We learn by imitating.
2. Mythic-Literal Faith We take literally the stories of faith supplied to us.
3. Synthetic-Conventional Faith We pull the different stories together
and begin to form our own faith.
4. Individuative-Reflective Faith We begin to take responsibility for our
own commitments and beliefs.
5. Conjunctive Faith We pull decisions together into a unifying faith, continuing to examine it.
6. Universalizing Faith We become totally immersed in the being of God, yet see life as a whole.
Styles of Faith
John H. Westerhoff (1976) suggests four styles of faith. The first two are gifts that we receive from others. These begin early in our lives. The last two require our own work, and some people never acquire those styles.
1. Experiential Faith.
In this style we act, react, observe, and copy. Interaction with others and opportunities to explore and test are vital in this style. This is why it is important that we begin early to help children experience God through other person and in the world. This is why good curriculum contains many experiential learning opportunities for children.
2. Affiliated Faith.
This begins as soon as we relate with other persons. It is of vital importance during pre-teen and teen years. Belonging, feelings, and authority are important factors in this style. Opportunities need to be provided for us to share our faith in groups. Expression is important through arts, singing, drama, creative movements, and so on. Art forms in worship give these expressions. This is the time when we begin to appreciate faith as our story—our way.
3. Searching Faith.
This stage or inquiring faith develops during late adolescence and the young adult years. At that time we need opportunities to question and experiment. Critical judgment emerges, and we are developing a commitment to our faith, following through with appropriate action. Adults can best help as clarifiers during this time, enabling persons to think through their beliefs and encouraging dialogue.
4. Owned Faith.
After moving through the other styles of faith, we may arrive at our owned faith. We develop personal beliefs of which we are sure, and this allows us to be open to other people’s points of view without feeling a threat to our own. At this stage, our belief has integrity; our belief takes action. We have an identity, and we witness to that belief.
According to Westerhoff, all persons must grow through these styles. Sometimes we get hung up on one style or another. Like rings of a growing tree, each is important. And just as we cannot peel off several rings of a tree and have it remain healthy, we continue to need activity in all styles of faith in order to be healthy.
2003 Family Camp
My Goals for My Child (Myself)
I want my child to:
*think
________________________________________________about the world.
*feel my love when
_____________________________________________________________.
*experience the joy in the church family when
_____________________________________________________________.
*think
_______________________________________________about him/herself.
*realize that
______________________________________________________________
in our physical world is a gift from God.
*know
____________________________________________________about Jesus.
*learn
_________________________________________________about the Bible.
*begin praying by
_____________________________________________________________.
*feel that God is
_____________________________________________________to her/him.
(signed)_______________________________
Foremost Teacher of Faith for My Child