This pattern of understanding our children as agents of change for the world comes primarily from the way Jesus Christ understood, treated, and spoke about children. As the prophet Isaiah said, "a little child shall lead them." We are blessed to be in a location that is surrounded by children who are growing up needing to know the love of Jesus Christ and to be given a mission for their lives. Because we are no longer in a Christian culture, we cannot expect Christian children to do the same things that their secular counterparts do. As a result, the kind of children that we dream of seeing raised up at Good Shepherd will be increasingly counter-cultural and activist. They want to see "thy Kingdom come" and know they have a role to play in the realization of the prayer.

Strategies: Pre-school, school - build education space Engage children with life-changing, world-expanding faith formation opportunities Break out of the old patterns of Sunday School and Youth Group that were designed when the culture was Christian. Utilize and develop more missionary patterns of engaging the children. Promote children into all areas of church life and ministry not just as acolytes. Let them lead. Make most of the life of Good Shepherd inter-generational so that children learn how to honor and respect elders while not being intimidated by them. Use Visionary Parenting model as the primary way that the Christian story is transferred from one generation to the next. Promote the involvement of children at Good Shepherd through regular festivals and sports programs that utilize our spacious campus.

...............................................................................................................................................
1393 Miles Drive Charleston, SC 29407 Telephone: (843) 571-2993