Embracing the Milestones of Faith

Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts. Psalm 145:4

Here at Calvin, we are committed to partnering with parents/guardians to raise a generation for Christ. To that end, the church has created a rhythm through nine rites of passage we call milestones. Milestones are a tangible expression of a child’s spiritual maturity and an important way for us as a church family to recognize, celebrate, and make commitments with one another.

For more information about any of the milestones, please contact Pastor Emily at children@calvinpc.org.

Baptism

In this sacrament, we celebrate that God first loves us—there is grace and God’s initiative before we were ever aware—and that, in baptism, we become a part of God’s worldwide family.

Worship

We delight when a child moves from the nursery to joining us fully in worship. We hope that each child experiences the Sanctuary as a place of belonging and welcome. We host a “worship readiness” gathering that explores the what, who, why, and how of our worship at Calvin.

Prayer

We hope that each child at Calvin discovers joy and peace as she or he continues in the regular practice of talking with God: in praising God, asking God for our own needs, asking God for the needs of others, and thanking God for our blessings. At the center of this milestone is memorizing the Lord’s Prayer, the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples to pray.

Communion

This milestone provides a framework for inviting children to this sacred meal through hands-on instruction, so that the sacrament becomes a memorable and meaningful ritual for them. We help children understand that the Lord’s Supper is a meal of remembrance, connection, and hope.

Scripture

Author Elizabeth Caldwell writes, “Reading the Bible is one of the most important ways for children to learn a vocabulary of faith.” During this milestone, children will learn how the Bible came to be and how to study the Bible for themselves. At the completion of the milestone, children will receive their own Bibles from the Calvin congregation.

Identity

As a child enters adolescence, we want the child to find their core identity as a beloved child of God. We provide classes that help students grow in confidence that they are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God.

Membership

Over the course of a school year, students are invited to explore the foundations of the faith, our denomination – PC(USA) – as well as the big questions of the faith. We want to increase their sense of belonging to the Body of Christ and invite them to make formal and make public their commitment to the church as well as reaffirm Calvin’s commitment to them.

Mission

We want students to serve the world in Christ’s name, so we provide annual opportunities for them to grow in cross-cultural understanding, broadening their worldview and their view of God’s kingdom, and discovering God’s heart for justice and compassion.

Commissioning

As a child prepares to graduate from high school, we want to bless them and help them to have greater wisdom and confidence in God’s calling for their lives, supporting the maturation of their faith and their articulation of who God is and who God has made them to be. The commissioning milestone involves meeting with a mentor who is older who can listen well to the youth, share stories of their own vocation and discernment process, and pray for their mentee throughout their senior year and beyond.