Baptizing an 8 year old?

The question from my friend was, "What have you done in raising him to develop such a keen sense of spirituality at such a young age?"
I think what we have done and are doing with our boys is praying and being “intentional”.

My nightly prayer for our boys is that they would “grow to be men of integrity, purity and holiness; men after God’s own heart, desiring to walk in obedience to His will. May they show love, care and compassion to others.” John’s prayer for the boys is for prudence, discernment, grace and love.

My husband, John, is a philosopher and is very intentional. He thinks things through and plans things well. Parenting is part of that, too. Before we were married he came up with a set of values and mission statement for our family. Of course this has gone through a few adjustments, but it is still primarily as it was when we discussed it during our courtship. When I became pregnant and we were expecting John, my husband began focusing on our role as parents and added to it. Here is the current version:
Family Mission, Vision & Values
Vision : To be a family being conformed to Christ’s image, entering God’s rest and reflecting God’s kingdom.
Mission: To spread the fragrance of Christ.
Values:
- The unexamined life is not worth living.
- Holding in tension my God, Husband/Wife, Children, Church.
- Endeavour to treat my husband/wife and children with: bearing, consistency, fairness, faithfulness, forgiveness, grace, humbleness, love, patience.
- Not to go to bed mad at my husband/wife or children. To sincerely reconcile, or attempt to, differences
- To give my family the good life in the truest Christian understanding. To be in awe and wonder of God’s creation and desire to know God’s mind.
- To bequeath my family our rich Christian traditions
- To hold in tension the needs of my family with my own: servant Leadership, spiritual formation & development
- To provide a home that is a haven and comfort to all who dwell and visit within.

John even developed a philosophy of educating our boys. Every year, I try to keep him from inflicting it on our sons’ teachers during parent/teacher interviews. I’m just not sure if she’s prepared to be hit with something like this; as a teacher I would be shocked and maybe even a little intimidated to see this. Having said that, it was a worthwhile exercise to think through some of this and led me to home school John N. for a period of time. I would do it again with all three boys if our situation were to change. If you wish, here it is:
John’s, Josh’s & Austin’s Education
Vision Statement: Raising and equipping Godly Men to grow God’s Kingdom.
Purpose Statement: Equipping and inspiring John, Josh and Austin to think critically and be in awe of God’s creation.
Educational Values: Critical thinking; Curiosity; Relevant; Kingdom oriented; Challenging; Healing; Oasis/safe place/place of acceptance; Parental involvement and support; Engage the rich tradition of the Occident.
Characteristics of John, Josh & Austin
¨ a person who thinks in kingdom terms.
¨ A person who lives for Christ.
¨ A person who serves Christ.
¨ A person who thinks critically.
¨ A person with a sense of wonder.
¨ A person with a vibrant imagination.
¨ A person with a desire for life long learning.
¨ A person who influences for Christ.
¨ A person who is able to lead effectively.
¨ A person desiring to mature spiritually.
¨ A person who seeks healing for themselves and others.
¨ A person who sees with Christian eyes.
¨ A person not afraid of the world but equipped to go into the world.
¨ A person who honours and respects their parents.
¨ A person who is a good steward.
How do we define success?
- Boldly engage culture – community involvement through arts, science, sports, ministry, charity involvement
- Sound thinking – marks, dialogue
- Character transformation – demonstrating fruit of the Spirit.

So having said all of this, we simply spend time talking about God and sharing our journeys with our boys so that they can see God’s hands in their lives. Both John and Josh have made commitments to Christ, as I did as a child of five. I pray that Austin will also accept Christ as his Saviour at a young age. We are committed to making sure they can grow in their Christian walks through Sunday School, children’s Church, Awana clubs, camp (yeah Redberry) and VBS. They also look forward to family devotions at bedtime. It was during devotions on a camping trip with Dad that the topic of baptism came up. Our boys hear lots about God, but I hope they also see God through John and I on a daily basis. Hopefully we can help influence, instruct and train our boys in the path they should follow.