Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions: Why Children Should Be Your Church's #1 Priority

From the Back CoverFaith that withstands a hostile culture is no accidentA child's moral compass is set by the age of nine. Whether that compass points toward faith in God or is drawn toward the things of this world is, in large part, up to those influencing the lives of our children from the very earliest years. Parents tend to leave that spiritual training up to the church, yet churches often focus on older children.There's a better way, and Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions blazes the trail.Award-winning and bestselling author George Barna shows how churches can come alongside parents to provide them biblical worldview training, parenting information, and counseling that will equip them to help their children become the spiritually mature church of tomorrow. This helpful and hopeful book unpacks just how to develop this kind of dynamic church/parent relationship and includes profiles of churches that are effectively ministering to children and winning the war for their hearts and minds.The next generation of Christians is counting on us. Where will we lead them?George Barna is the award-winning author of many books, including bestsellers such as Revolution, The Power of Vision, The Frog in the Kettle, and The Seven Faith Tribes. He is also founder of The Barna Group, a leading research firm that specializes in faith-related surveys. George has led several churches and lives with his family in Southern California.No one can deny our culture is opposed to Christian values, and the influences bombarding our children's moral development are difficult to contend with. But few parents and church leaders realize that a child's moral development is set by the age of nine. It is therefore critical to start developing a child's biblical worldview from the very earliest years of life.The problem is complex: parents who themselves did not receive early spiritual training leave their children's training to the church. Yet the church often focuses on older children. The answer is for churches to come alongside parents to provide them biblical worldview training, parenting information, and counseling that will equip them to help their children become the spiritually mature church of tomorrow. This helpful and hopeful book unpacks just how to develop this kind of dynamic church/parent relationship and includes profiles of churches that are effectively ministering to children and winning the war for their hearts and minds.About the AuthorGeorge Barna currently serves as the executive director of the American Culture and Faith Institute, conducting research on governance, elections, worldview, and cultural transformation. He is the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of more than fifty books, and his work is frequently cited as an authoritative source by the media. A frequent speaker at ministry conferences around the world, he has been on the faculty at several universities and seminaries. George and his wife, Nancy, have three adopted daughters and two grandchildren and live on the central California coast.