Parallels Between Raising A Child & Raising The Church

Stages of an individual’s life

1. Birth (Newborn)
   1. Speaking in tongues.
   2. Babies tend to draw people in.
2. Foundational Years (Ages 1 – 12)
   1. Learning & Growing a lot.
   2. Setting up the foundation for the rest of their lives.
3. Teenage Years (Ages 13 – 19)
   1. Refusal to conform while conforming.
   2. Stubbornness, comparisons, and attempts are made to be somebody else.
4. Young Adult (Ages 20 – 26)
   1. Learning a lot more than ever before.
   2. This is the average age group that attends college.
5. Adult (Age 27 onward)
   1. Assimilated into life.
   2. Career-working individual.
   3. The most responsibility ever obtained before.

Stages of the Church’s life

1. Birth (33 – 44 A.D.)
   1. Speaking in tongues.
   2. They made their presence known to everyone around [crying, laughing, pooping (think about Ananias and Sapphira), etc.] because babies tend to draw people in.
2. Foundational Years (45 – 430 A.D.)
   1. The Apostles began writing their books.
   2. This was the age of the church fathers [i.e. Augustine]. So, they were learning & growing a lot.
3. Teenage Years (431 – 1516 A.D.)
   1. They refused to translate the Scriptures.
   2. They refused to be who God made them to be [they tried to be Augustine].
4. Young Adult (1517 – 1800 A.D.)
   1. Learning a lot more than ever before.
   2. Finding our path in life and beginning to do all that we can to get there.
5. Adult (1801 – Present)
   1. We are finally into our career and it is taking off [the Great Commission]!
   2. We have more responsibility today than ever before in Church history.