16 Conclusions Parents in the context of family can offer their children a strategy for living beyond behavior modification and rote memorization steeped in the truths of the Bible with an effective spiritual formation curriculum based on the best practices in teaching and learning called the God Cards. This curriculum is all-encompassing but simple to deliver. Spiritual formation curricula should first clearly develop who God is and how one’s identity changes based on a decision to follow Christ. This curriculum should tell the story of God’s love, his creation, and his saving grace. Children should also know that God knows them and calls them by name. God has a plan and a purpose for them. He keeps his promises and will be right with them every step of the way. These are the top God Cards from the spiritual formation experts: Valentine, Creator, Easter, Knows My Name, Artist, Promise Keeper, and Shepherd. This curriculum should also invite conversation and an opportunity for everyone to engage and explore truths. There is a great need to support parents in the home as they lead and disciple their children. Statistically and strategically, parents are the best resource for the spiritual development and formation of the next generation. Just as God designed in Deuteronomy 6:7 and Ephesians 6:4, it is the role and opportunity of the parents to be the spiritual leaders of their children. Therefore, parents need resources that support this endeavor, and the God Cards curriculum is a resource that was noted by a group of spiritual formation and education experts as “relational, accessible, creative, collaborative, and practical” resource to use. The God Cards curriculum and delivery system provides a “vibrant forum for students to question, express doubt and try out new ideas, in both intellectual and imaginative forms” (Court, 2010, p. 408). This “holistic engagement of the mind and heart allows [families] to anchor theoretical and praxis [or experiential] knowledge to [their] faith” (Kim, 2007, p. 319). This culture of discovery in the context of relationship creates meaningful learning. Parents have a curriculum and a plan called the God Cards for working the truth and power of the Bible into fabric of their home, one conversation at a time. Karla Beth Hagan, EdD References Barna Group. (2019a). Households of faith: The rituals and relationships that turn a home into a sacred space. Barna. Barna Group. (2019b). Who is responsible for children’s faith formation? https://www.barna.com/research/children- faith-formation/ Barna, G. (1996). Transforming children into spiritual champions. Regal Books. Barna, G. (2005). Revolution. Tyndale House. Barna, G. (2007). Revolutionary parenting. Tyndale House. Bloom, B. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: Classification of educational goals. Handbook 1: Cognitive domain. Longman, Green & Co. Brooks, D. (2020). The nuclear family was a mistake. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/ archive/2020/03/the-nuclear-family-was-a- mistake/605536/ Chetty, R., Hendren, N., Kline, P., & Saez, E. (2014, September 14). Where is the land of opportunity? The geography of intergenerational mobility in the United States. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 129(4), 1553– 1623. https://www.nber.org/papers/w19843.pdf Cigna. (2018). Are you feeling lonely? https://www.cigna. com/about-us/newsroom/studies-and-reports/ loneliness-questionnaire Cook, G. (2019). The economist who would fix the American dream. The Atlantic, 1–26. https://doi.org/https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/ archive/2019/08/raj-chettys-american-dream/592804/ Court, D. (2010). What happens to children’s faith in the zone of proximal development, and what can religious educators do about it? Religious Education, 105(5), 491–503. https://doi.org/10.1080/00344087.2010.516214 Daggert, W. (2012, September 27). Creating, cultivating, and sustaining a culture of achievement. Educational Leadership, 7(26). www.ascd.org/ascdexpress/vol7/726- newvoices.aspx Dweck, C. (2008). Mindset. Ballantine Books. Ennis, C. (1992). Reconceptualizing learning as a dynamical system. Journal of Curriculum and Supervision, 7, 115–130. www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/journals/jcs/jcs_1992winter_ ennis.pdf
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