Landmark 2 Deals with Salvation and Baptism. Studies show that most people who receive Jesus as Savior do this between the ages of 6 & 12. The older a person gets the less likely they are to become a Christian. Perhaps your own experience reflects these findings. These are certainly God Moment years for our children, As Christian parents, we look forward to the days when our child becomes a Christian.

There are 3 things to concentrate on during this Landmark:

1. We need to teach them what they need to know
2. We need to be diligent (consistent & intentional) in teaching them what to do
3. We need to follow the direction of the Holy Spirit

John 3:16 covers the first two:

• God Loved
• God Gave
• We believe
• We receive

As you get closer to this milestone, you will discover more about these two in the Parent Summit that will be planned later in the year.

 What about the Holy Spirit in the part of salvation? God is always moving. As parents, our challenge is to pray (our greatest ally in Landmarks) and watch (sometimes the hardest thing to do.)

Our prayers are to be centered on God's activity in our child's life. Is my child asking questions about spiritual things? Do I see them mimicking my activities (reading the Bible, praying, singing, etc.)? Do I see pieces of their spiritual journey coming together? This may be the activity of God's Spirit. Take every occasion to talk to your children when you see them showing interest or asking questions about things they see in church and worship.

 Remember this: A child can believe what a child can believe. Their level of processing information is at a child's level of thinking. Don't expect them to think mature, adult thoughts about God. Frankly, their child-like thoughts are probably closer to God's ideals that our point of view.

Two cautions: Even though we may not see changes in our child's attitude toward spiritual things, they may still be picking up some ideas about God. Also, don't be tempted to force a decision on your child they are not ready to make. They may be able to give lots of examples of sin in general, but if they can't see their personal sin, the time may not be right. Let God continue to work.

More about celebration of Landmark 2 and baptism next time

Do you want your new born to learn how to clap? Start a celebration with clapping and praises like "Yeah for Sam" or "Yeah for Taylor," or whatever the name of your child. Soon they will join the celebration and add to the applause. This is Landmark 1, a Parent and Baby Celebration. It's a time for the parents to celebrate their responsibility as the primary Faith Trainers of their children. Periodically in the year, Anderson Mill will have a dedication service where parents affirm their roles in training and the church affirms its part in praying for the family. Milestone 1 is part of our worship on those special days.

Prior to the celebration comes one of the first equipping sessions with Pastor Rod as he guides the parents down the path to maturity. Yes, this is mandatory because the Bible is very serious about training this new generation according to Deut. 6:4-7. The vision begins to clarify and parents are challenged to provide spiritually for their child. New parents feel a sense of urgency when the first child comes. They want the very best they can supply.

The walk down the Legacy path takes on meaning. In this first Milestone, parents learn about Faith Talks, God Moments and Celebrating Landmarks. As God's special gifts to parents, children need parents, not friends or caretakers, to be the "hands on" people in their life. This is why children are dedicated to the Lord and By His Word during this special day.

You're on the way!