ABC 201 4

1. 北美華人基督徒教育大會 Access Bible Convention ABC 2014 課碼(Workshop): 教室(Room #): Room 200 講員(Speaker): 林淑美牧師 授課語言:華/英 題目(Topic):兒童靈命成長的研究 專題簡介: 針對南加州15間台福基督教會137位三至六年級 學童，研究父母、主日學老師和牧師對兒童靈命 塑造的影響。

2. 林淑美牧師Amy Shu-Mei Lin 教育背景:Talbot School of Theology, La Mirada, CAPh. D. 2013 Emphasis: Educational studiesTalbot School of Theology, La Mirada, CAM. Div. 1999 Emphasis: General PastoralEmporia State University, Emporia, KSM.B.A. 1983 Emphasis: Business Admin.

3. 經歷:愛恩台福基督教會Evangelical Formosan Church of Irvine 台語堂/教育牧師Taiwanese Ministry/Education Pastor1999 – Present基督徒教育 Christian Education 1999 – 2005 文教中心 Education Center 2002 – 2009 兒童事工 Children‘s Ministry 2010 – Present台語堂牧養Taiwanese Ministry

4. 研究目的: 兒童靈命塑造 主日學教師和牧師 父母

5. CHAPTER 1INTRODUCTION TO THE PROBLEM

6. Description of the ProblemA. Regardless of the understanding of the important role that parents play in their children’s lives for spiritual formation, many parents fail to make their home a spiritually nurturing environment.

7. B. Children’s spiritual formation generally is overlooked in the Evangelical Formosan churches (EFCs). or

8. Importance of the StudyChildren’s spiritual formation is heavily dependent on God’s truth being both modeled and intentionally taught by parents and non-parental adults (Sunday school teachers and pastors).

9. Statement of the Research QuestionsThe primary research question for the study is: What is the relationship between parents and non-parental adults and the spiritual formation of children in the Evangelical Formosan churches in Southern California?

10. CHAPTER 2REVIEW OF RELEVANT LITERATURE

11. 1st domain - Children’s spiritual formation 2nd domain – The relationship between parents and the spiritual formation of children. 3rd domain – The relationship between non-parental adults and the spiritual formation of children. 4th domain - The social context of children’s spiritual formation in the Evangelical Formosan Churches.

12. CHAPTER 3CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW INTEGRATION

13. A. Children are valuable and need to be nurtured as they develop their faith.B. Parents and non-parental Adults (pastors and Sunday school teachers) are called to nurture the spiritual formation of children. 1. The role of parents is to impress on their children the love and character of God. 2. Pastors and Sunday school teachers are called to offer spiritual nurturing to children.

14. C. Case studies of nurturing children to follow the Lord Parents in the Old Testament Parents in the New Testament Non-parental Adults in the Old Testament Non-parental Adults in the New Testament

15. CHAPTER 4RESEARCH DESIGN AND PROCEDURES

16. Research DesignThis study aims to explore the relationship between parents and non-parental adults and the spiritual formation of children. Thus, a quantitative research design, including a descriptive and correlational research method, was used.

17. The study used a self-reporting instrument, composed of eight short questionnaires, with a total of 84 items: (a) The Background Information Questionnaire (BIQ, 9 items)(b) The Inventory of Parent Attachment (IParA, 10 items) (c) The Inventory of Pastor Attachment (IPasA, 10 items) (d) The Inventory of Sunday school Teacher Attachment (ISSTA, 10 items)

18. (e) The Questionnaire for Relationship between Parents and Pastors (RPP, 14 items) (f) The Questionnaire for Relationship between Parents and Sunday school teachers (RPSST, 13 items) (g) The Revised Religious Experience Questionnaire (RREQ, 12 items) (h) Six additional questions from chapter 3 It should take approximately 35 minutes to complete the entire survey instrument.

19. Sample Selection ProceduresThe population of this study was 137 third to sixth grade children in the 15 Evangelical Formosan Churches (EFCs) in Southern California. This was a convenience sample because I serve as an EFC pastor and have been involved in the children’s ministry for the past eight years, and I am known in the EFC Pastor Association and am familiar with the conditions of other EFC churches’ children ministry as well.

20. CHAPTER 5RESULTS

22. CHAPTER 6CONCLUSIONS

23. First, it was found that the relationship between the child and the child's feeling about his or her closest parents is associated with children's spiritual formation. 14% Inventory of Parents Attachment (IParA) scores Revised Religious Experience Questionnaire (RREQ) scores

24. Second, the relationship between the child and the child's feeling about his or her closest non-parental adult (pastor and Sunday school teacher) is also associated with children's spiritual formation. 14% Inventory of Pastor Attachment (IPasA) scores 13% Revised Religious Experience Questionnaire (RREQ) scores Inventory of Sunday School Teachers Attachment (ISSTA) scores

25. Third, among the five kind of relationships (the relationship between parents and children, the relationship between pastors and children, the relationship between Sunday school teachers and children, the relationship between parents and pastors, and the relationship between parents and Sunday school teachers), parents, as much as pastors, were revealed to be significantly important people related to children's spiritual formation.

26. Implications for Ministry and Education Practice • In this section, these implications will be discussed for • Parents • Non-parental adults (pastors and Sunday school • teachers) • Relationship between parents and non-parental • adults at home • Relationship between non-parental adults and • parents in the church. • EFCs churches’ leaders

27. Limitations of the Study • There are five limitations on the generalization of the findings of this study.

28. Recommendations for Future Research

29. Family Parents Church Non-parental adults (Sunday school teacher, Pastors)