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God's revelation of himself and his good design of the church that we find in Scripture coheres with insights from the social sciences about how a child's engagement in community is mutually and reciprocally formative. (125)

Timothy Paul Jones argues for the practice of the spiritual discipline of diversity as a way to grow as disciples of Jesus: "The sharing of life with persons who are different from us is—no less than praying or worship or study of the Scriptures—a spiritual discipline.” This theological perspective on the intergenerational church is a specifically Christian take on Vygotsky's zone of proximal development.(121)

When children, who are capable of saving faith, have faith appropriate to their age and stage of development, they are part of Christ's body at that moment.(116)

“The act of remembering in the Old Testament was more than simply recalling the past; it involved commemorating the past, learning from experience and living in a way consistent with the identity that had been shaped. This required not just passing down knowledge but familial and kinship engagement with the rhythms, patterns and practices of the community.” (113)

When all parents say about religion to children during a week is something like 'OK, everyone, leaving for church in 30 minutes, that is telling. When conversations immediately turn after religious worship services to non-religious interests, that is telling, too. The messages may be subliminal, but their accumulated socialisation effects are powerful.

“A eucalyptus sapling is no less real for being too small to hold a koalas weight. In our churches and households, we can take the prayers of toddlers, the faith affirmations of young children, and the acts of service of older kids as signs of real faith, despite their lack of sophistication and theological depth.” (22)

Beautifully said … and with an Aussie accent, too!

“On Sunday nights, I have to reckon with the fact that I accomplished very little. I didn't clock in … or run any errands. I have less money in my bank account, having left some in the offering plate. I've completed no assignments…. But … I had food in my stomach and breath in my lungs; the sun continued to shine, and the earth continued to turn. I did nothing, and the Lord did everything. (15)

“All come to Jesus by faith. No one comes by formula.”