Milestone Ideas by Age

Spend some time considering the different life-stages and events that your child might encounter and design some family discipleship milestones that you could dedicate to the Lord along the way.

At Birth

• Baby Dedication:  Dedicate your baby to the Lord with your church family.
• Life Verse:  Choose a verse to pray over your child nightly as a part of their bedtime routine.

Two to Four Years Old

• Bible:  Get your child his or her first Bible.   We recommend My First Hands-On Bible because it includes pictures, summaries, learning activities, and questions.

Five to Ten Years Old

• Believe:  When your child believes in Jesus, celebrate with them and encourage them to tell others about Jesus.
• Communion:  After they have believed, take communion with them either at home or at church so that they remember what Jesus has done for them.
• Baptism:  Encourage your child to go public with their faith by being baptized.  Make baptism a big deal by inviting others to witness and celebrate it.
• Serve:  Find an opportunity for them to serve with you regularly in the church.

Eleven to Fourteen Years Old

• Purity:  Have a substantial talk about purity and sexuality.
• Bible:  Give them their first study Bible.

Fifteen to Seventeen Years Old

• Serve:  Encourage them to discover their ministry to serve Jesus in the church or the community.
• Driver’s License:  Celebrate earning a driver’s license and have a significant conversation regarding the responsibility that comes with freedom.
• Responsibility:  Add responsibilities that build independence your child will need after high school.
• Dating:  If they begin dating,  have a one-on-one conversation on boundaries and guarding their heart.
• Gifts:  Share family heirlooms or keepsakes to remind your teen of the relationship they have with their family and with God.

Eighteen Years and Older

• Celebrate:  Acknowledge their accomplishments such as graduation and lead them to see how this prepares them to take their next step in life.
• Adulthood:  Celebrate their 18th birthday and have a discussion about their growing responsibility to themselves and to the family.
• Launch:  Mark the moment that they move from your house to college, the workforce, or marriage.