Overview of data on predictors of positive spiritual development in kids from Protestant families.

1. Raising Spiritual Champions:
What Does the Data Say?
Stephen Grcevich, MD
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
President, Board of Directors
Key Ministry Foundation
April 1, 2011
Key Ministry Foundation, 8401 Chagrin Road, Suite 14B, Chagrin Falls, OH 44023
Stephen Grcevich, MD, President (440) 543-3400, E-mail: drgrcevich@fcbtf.org
Rebecca Hamilton, Executive Director (440) 708-4488 Web: www.keyministry.org

2. What constitutes a “Spiritual
champion?”
 An irrepressible follower of Jesus Christ who
accepts the Bible as truth, lives by its
principles and seeks ways to impact the world
and continually deepen his or her relationship
with God.
George Barna, Revolutionary Parenting, Tyndale (2007)

3. Sources of data:
 Search Institute Study of Impact of Christian
Education…3 ½ year long study, 2,365 kids,
primarily from mainline denominations (PC-
USA, UMC, UCC, ELCA, Disciples of Christ,
Southern Baptists as comparison group)
 Lifeway research project…Clay Reed, Ed
Stetzer…to be published in upcoming book
 Barna Group: Research summarized in book
Revolutionary Parenting (Tyndale Press, 2007)
Benson PL, Elkin CH. Search Institute (1990)
Lifeway Exchange, November, 2010: http://www.edstetzer.com/the-exchange.html
The Barna Group, Ventura, CA http://www.barna.org

4. Challenges faced by Christian
parents (Barna, 2003):
 By age 9, most children have their spiritual moorings in
place
 Four out of every five churched kids in the US do not
know what worship is
 Less than 5% of churched kids have developed a
biblical worldview by age 13
 Less than 5% of churched households ever worship God
outside a church service or have any regular Bible study
or devotional time together
A biblical worldview is characterized by: belief in absolute moral
truth, as contained in the Bible, believes the Bible is accurate in its
teachings, Jesus led a sinless life, Satan is real, all believers are
responsible for sharing their faith with others, the only means to
salvation is by grace through faith in Christ, and God is the all-
knowing and powerful creator of the universe, and still rules today.

5. What are the odds of professing
faith in Christ by age?
Age Category: Likelihood of first expression of faith
in Christ (percent of US population):
5-12 32%
13-18 4%
19+ 6%
George Barna: Transforming Kids into Spiritual Champions, Regal Publishing (2003)

6. Characteristics of a Spiritual
Champion
 Accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior
 Accepts the Bible as truth, a guide for life
 Biblical worldview shapes decision-making
 Believe in moral absolutes
 Believe he/she has been created to serve and
honor God in specific ways
 Believe their life should reflect the character of
Christ
 Donate generously time and money to spiritual
causes
George Barna: Transforming Kids into Spiritual Champions, Regal Publishing (2003)

7. Sources of Data: Search Institute Study of
Impact of Christian Education
 3 ½ year study designed to evaluate
impact of Christian education in five
mainline denominations (PC-USA, UMC,
UCC, ELCA, Disciples of Christ), plus
Southern Baptist Convention
 Primary focus was mainline churches,
comparisons made to SBC churches
 Study hypothesis: revitalized Christian
education may reverse decline of mainline
denominations
 Funded by Lilly Endowment in 1987
Benson PL, Elkin CH. Search Institute (1990)

8. Predictors of “Integrated Faith”
development in teens:
Most important: “Family Religiousness”:
 Frequency of discussions with mother or father about
faith
 Frequency of family prayer (exclusive of meals),
family devotions, Bible study
 Frequency with which parents and children together
were involved in activities to help others
 Lifetime involvement in Christian education
Benson, PL, Elkin CH. Search Institute (1990)

9. Predictors of “Integrated Faith”
development in teens (less important):
 Next in importance: Lifetime church
involvement, religiousness of best friends,
experience of a “caring” church, lifetime
involvement in serving others, non-church
religious activities
 Of lesser importance: age (9th and 10th grade
lowest), gender (females>males), geography
(South, North-Central highest)
Benson, PL, Elkin CH. Search Institute (1990)

10. Lifeway Study…Predictors of Positive
Spiritual Outcomes in Adults:
 1. Regularly spent time in prayer...42% of families
prayed together as a family several times a week
 2. Achieved good grades
 3. Child was not "rebellious" as a child or teen
 4. Connected with pastor or youth pastor
 5. Did not use time out to discipline child...49%
used time out
 6. Regularly served at church while growing up
 7. Participated in ministry or service projects as a
family
http://www.edstetzer.com/the-exchange.html November, 2010

11. Predictors of raising a spiritual
champion:
 Families with fewer children
 Firstborn child more likely to become
champion
 Married vs. single parents
 Parents view parenting as their primary
job in life
 Socioeconomics not a significant factor
George Barna. Revolutionary Parenting. Tyndale (2007)

12. Predictors of raising a spiritual
champion:
 Single-income households
 Radically more time spent with children on a
daily basis (independently verified average is
90-120 minutes of active dialogue per day with
a parent!, US average=less than 15 minutes)
 Intentional pursuit of faith maturity:
1. Family conversations that bring biblical views into their
shared lives
2. Regular engagement in faith activities (Bible
study, worship, prayer) that model integration of faith
into their lives
George Barna. Revolutionary Parenting. Tyndale (2007)

13. Parents of Spiritual Champions: Attitudes Toward the
Church’s Role in Faith Development of Kids:
 Parents (not the church) have primary
responsibility for faith training of kids
 Church’s role is to reinforce lessons taught at
home
 Parents want to be more aware of their child’s
church experience, are more likely than typical
parents to withdraw their children if the
experience doesn’t meet the parent’s
expectations
 Parent satisfaction with children’s/youth ministry
was inversely proportional to their expectations
George Barna. Revolutionary Parenting. Tyndale (2007)

14. Parents of spiritual champions
focus upon character development:
 Society focuses upon honing skills and
grasping information
 Parents of spiritual champions “were more
concerned about the love they show fellow
students as to whether they outperform
them”
 Character matters more than achievement
George Barna. Revolutionary Parenting. Tyndale (2007)

15. Parenting strategies of champion
parents:
 Clear rules that children understood, were
consistently enforced without malice, both
parents operated with agreement and
consistency
 Placed time limits on kids/enforced curfew
 Influenced their child’s choice of friends (but
cautiously and quietly)
 Established media limits (TV time, ratings of
movies, etc.)
 Expectation that the child will live by the family’s
rules and embrace the family’s values
George Barna. Revolutionary Parenting. Tyndale (2007)

16. Parents of spiritual champions: Attitudes
toward rules at home (Barna, 2007):
 96% of champion parents feared a loss their relationship with their child
if they fought over every circumstance in which they disagreed
 Champion families shared twelve common rules:
1. Always tell the truth, regardless of circumstances or consequences
2. Never cheat or steal
3. Always show respect to others
4. Help others whenever the opportunity arises
5. Control your tongue
6. Don’t judge motives of others, only behavior affecting you personally
7. Take good care of your body
8. Be active in the pursuit of your faith
9. Work hard in school to produce the most excellent work possible
10. Carry out household chores
11. Make sure at least one parent always knows where you are
12. Accept the penalties for inappropriate behavior

17. Faith characteristics of champion
parents:
 Genuinely love God
 Pray daily
 Worship regularly
 Read the Bible habitually
 Participate in the life of a spiritual community
 Apply their resources, spiritual gifts and natural
abilities frequently to influence lives
George Barna. Revolutionary Parenting. Tyndale (2007)

18. Behaviors of champion parents:
 Convey a sense of control at home
 Sensitive to the impact of their words
 Often provided explanations for directives
 Self-sacrificial, willingness to prioritize family was
hallmark of fathers of champions
 Highly engaged, invested time, willing to listen
 Purposeful modeling of traits they wished their
children would display: respect, patience, love
 Insistence upon faith in God and obedience to
biblical principles
 Assumed responsibility for in fostering their
child’s faith
George Barna. Revolutionary Parenting. Tyndale (2007)

19. Summary:
Across studies, the most important predictors of
positive spiritual outcomes in kids include…
 Regular prayer times together as a family
 Regular family devotionals/Bible Study
 Serving others together as a family
 Lifetime church attendance
 Meaningful connections with adults outside the
family through church (senior pastor, youth pastor)
 Time spent in conversation with parents on a daily
basis

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21. Stay in Touch!
Church4EveryChild…Steve’s Key Ministry Blog:
http://drgrcevich.wordpress.com
Diving For Pearls…Katie Wetherbee’s Key Ministry Blog
http://katiewetherbee.wordpress.com
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http://cmconnect.org/profile/StephenGrcevichMD