Understanding of Christian Nurture

The Biblical view of nurture is related to distorted human nature. Humans lost their image of God, through Jesus, God shows the concrete goal of our lives which is to regain God’s image. The process of regaining God’s image is Christian nurture. This is a changing process. Humans need to convert, and also, to nurture in the Christian faith. Therefore, Christian nurture is based on the developmental possibility of human. The content of Christian nurture is Christian faith. The Bible teaches that the goal of Christian nurture is Christlikeness. We need to strive for full maturity and completeness in our spiritual lives. Conversion in Bushnell meant coming more and more to the love of God, in other words, this is a process, a growth in grace and the development of a new spirit. Faith as it is defined includes the content of believing and a process toward higher stages, that is maturity. The goal in faith development is to reach maturity. Maturity in human being has a dynamic point of view, that is, a process of becoming. We cannot see maturity as a static point of view. Maturity is not a state of being. Maturity is not the highest moment in developmental stages. Maturity is an ongoing process towards growth, and a continuing development. Therefore, the concept of content and development in Christian nurture gives Christian educators some implications. First, Christian educators need to understand theology and science. Second, spiritual maturity which is the aim of Christian nurture can be led by education and by the Holy Spirit. Third, the content of Christian nurture should be the Bible. Fourth, through the understanding of content and aim of Christian nurture, Christian nurture can be understood as content and development. Fifth, through the understanding of Christian nurture, Christian educators can get insights of concrete ways for Christian nurture. This expanded understanding of Christian nurture may effectively accomplish the task of Christian nurture.