Just as we humans go through certain physical and psychological stages as we develop into adults, so do we experience stages of faith development as we grow into adulthood.

We use our imagination to understand religious concepts

We believe that religious stories are literally true Example: God created the world in six days 6000

years ago rather than billions of years ago Example: What God did to the people in the Bible he

can do to us today (Sodom and Gomorrah, Hurricane Katrina)

Faith is shaped by the community we belong to; we believe what they believe.Church, family, school, friends

As we experience life we begin to examine, question, change, reaffirm, and even discard our long-held religious beliefs

Stages 1 through 4Going through Stages 1-4 is a normal part of

faith development for everyoneThough Stages 1 and 2 are more typical of

children, it is possible for adults to be in them, too—and some children reach Stages 3-4.

Each of us will always retain some of Stages 1-4 in our faith development

What about Stages 5 and 6?VERY FEW people ever reach these stages,

though we may have brief experiences of them

We become aware of God’s presence within us and around us, all the time, and it changes us.

Our love for God and others is so absolute that we are willing to give our lives completely to our faith—even if it means dying.

Remember, there is NO right or wrong Stage of Faith.

Knowing which Stage or Stages you might be in is helpful for you in understanding what you believe about religion, faith, and God, and why you believe it!