EXPERIENTIAL STAGE / AGES 0-6

The primary mode of spiritual engagement is experience, rather than a cognitive understanding of faith. “This is what we do. I can do that! This is how we act. I can do that! This is what following Jesus is like!"

In this stage, the parent is the primary model for what God is like. For example, the idea that “Jesus loves you” is only understood via the child’s reference point for “love.” At this age, this reference point is not some abstract theory of love, but the experience of being loved by their parent(s). 

Children in this stage learn by doing, and they discover what to do by imitating those closest to them. Rituals, behaviors, and repeated experiences help the child to engage spiritually and learn what following Jesus is like. 

Many of these practices are better suited for slightly older, verbal children. However, I encourage you to start engaging in spiritual practices as a family even now. Your baby will be ready to participate sooner than you might think and, while they are nonverbal for a season, the practices will serve to lay the groundwork in YOU for the kind of family you want to be.

Also, it's important to stress that God IS interacting with our babies, even before they are able to tell us about it. We often think that because kids aren't abstract thinkers, that they aren’t capable of comprehending or interacting with God directly. But the miracle is that human beings in all our limited finiteness can interact with God at all. For this to be possible, it wasn’t us that bridged the gap - it was God who drew near and made himself known. So, if we believe that God can interact with humans at all, it’s not all that more miraculous to believe that God can interact with our kids - even our infants - and that they can interact with him.