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"Faith Arc" in the Summer 2016 VISION Newsletter
When we look at other people, we assign them to a certain season of life almost without realizing it: she is a baby, he is a teenager, she is middle-aged, he is a senior. Once we’ve recognized this about a person, we narrow it down ever more: she is a student, he is a father, she is a wife, he is a widower. While some of the seasons of life depend on one’s age, not all seasons have the same start and end times for every person. Experiences, combined with how one’s maturity develops, can determine when one moves into their next season of life.
Because our congregations are filled with people at all different stages in life, we have to be intentional in making sure that each soul is integrated into the Body of Christ. We want to make sure that the “baton” gets passed from season to season and that nothing is segmented. Since 2011, the NAC-USA has been working on an overarching concept called “Faith Arc.” It is a strategy that supports the continual development of a soul as it transitions to different life stages. The way that people learn changes over time and the Faith Arc responds to that change. We want to foster a culture of learning that is continuous – each person in their season of life can continue to learn and grow and also help others to do the same. This requires a relationship to exist between congregations and families. God gave us the community of believers, and to steward this gift from Him, we want to use those relationships to grow.
We can look at Deuteronomy 6:4-9 for guidance on how to help ourselves and others grow:
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Loving God has to be more than just in our words, it needs to be part of all of our actions, when we’re at home or when we’re out, when we’re resting or when we’re active. This is how we can teach others about the love of God, specifically children as they grow and change so quickly and observe the words and actions of those around them.