Milestones and Crossroads in the Life of the Child – Introduction

How do we honour milestones and ‘anchor points’ in the life of the child?

Anticipating, honouring and celebrating with children and young people ‘transitions’ and ‘rites of passage’ is something we need to be intentional about. It needs to be public and an event or experience that can become an anchor memory in a person’s life. This anchor can become something that helps them to stay on track with God when times are tough.

 Why are rites of passage so important in the faith formation process?


Here are 3 reasons….

1. There are anchor points throughout the Bible for memory and understanding
2. They anchor us in our culture – helping us understandwho we are and where we belong
3. Many young men and women are making up their own rites of passage

What about peak experiences or ‘crossroads’ in the life of the child?

A peak experience is a vital complement to the regular activities within the faith community. The experience may be a residential camp, a day camp, a special Saturday programme, a concert, a special evening program, and so on. In these contexts, faith is deepened through the mixture of meeting new people with a real faith, being inspired by new leaders with fresh insights, living in community, the ‘wow’ factor of a bigger or special event and the sense that you are part of a wider community of faith.

A peak experience can also be unplanned, a time where the Holy Spirit prompts you to new insight or understanding and something happens that challenges you to take new steps in your faith journey.

• Milestones & Rites of Passage – Facebook Group
• Milestones and Crossroads in the Life of the Child – Introduction