Articles for tag: Age Of Accountability

September 3, 2010

We always appreciate hearing from our readers. In the future, we would like to encourage readers to respond in the comment boxes after the articles. We are looking forward to reading your comments! ‘I Find His Comment Offensive’ (posted 8-31-10) I really appreciated the August 1 edition of your magazine, but a big red flag did pop up when I read Ryan Connor”s articleÂ (“Burnout in Ministry”). He said, “Ministers often enter the ministry with a need to compensate for personal hang-ups” (p. 5). Thankfully, the ministers I have known over the years chose ministry because they wanted to serve and

August 8, 2010

Christian Standard

Doctrinal Issues & Debates Theology & Bible

Safe, to Lost, to Saved?

Read Jeff Faull’s response to this article _______________ By John Mark Hicks What is the relationship of our children to the kingdom of God? Within the Restoration Movement we have historically held that children are safe (without sin) until they reach the “age of accountability,” at which time they own their sin and become sinners (guilty). At that point, as I generally understand the theology, children are not only unsafe but also outside the grace of God. They do not belong to the kingdom. Consequently, children (ranging from ages 9-13 generally) are instructed about baptism, their sin, and their need

August 8, 2010

Christian Standard

Baptism Theology & Bible

Children and Baptism: In Search of a New Model (Part 1)

By Teresa D. Welch Susan and Kevin approached me after church and asked a series of questions I had heard before. “Could you talk to our son, Nathan, for us? He told us he wants to be baptized, and we don”t know if he is ready. What do you think?” Hearing questions about children and baptism was not uncommon in my role as a children”s minister, I regularly was asked by parents of elementary-aged children about matters of their child”s faith and readiness for baptism. However, the longer I served as a children”s minister, the more these questions concerned me.