KIDS FIT WELL IN SMALL GROUPS
A few Sunday nights ago, my wife and I experienced the delightful small group that meets in the home of some friends.
We arrived at about 6:00 PM, and the husband escorted us into the kitchen, where some families had already gathered, standing around the spacious kitchen counter, talking excitedly about their week, and helping themselves to the generous supply of chips, dip, and soft drinks.
Others continued to arrive, and eventually we all made our way to the living room, where we were invited to participate in a group worship experience led by a DVD and the children of the group. My wife and I were so blessed as the kids eagerly called out selections that they wanted to sing. Some of the girls spontaneously led the group in some sign language they had learned in KidZone.
My friend read a short devotional and asked for prayer requests. The kids were amazingly attentive through this whole time. Soon they were dismissed and scrambled to the basement, where familiar sounds of childhood play lasted the rest of the evening.
The couples began to enjoy adult conversation. We were delighted at the level of friendship in the group and the freedom that each couple had to share important parts of their lives that needed prayer and mutual encouragement. Topics like family, career, schedules, and children were uppermost in their minds. Deep and meaningful prayer together concluded the evening.
All of us left that home that night with a feeling that the Lord Jesus had also been there and had helped us all to minister to one another.
We arrived at about 6:00 PM, and the husband escorted us into the kitchen, where some families had already gathered, standing around the spacious kitchen counter, talking excitedly about their week, and helping themselves to the generous supply of chips, dip, and soft drinks.
Others continued to arrive, and eventually we all made our way to the living room, where we were invited to participate in a group worship experience led by a DVD and the children of the group. My wife and I were so blessed as the kids eagerly called out selections that they wanted to sing. Some of the girls spontaneously led the group in some sign language they had learned in KidZone.
My friend read a short devotional and asked for prayer requests. The kids were amazingly attentive through this whole time. Soon they were dismissed and scrambled to the basement, where familiar sounds of childhood play lasted the rest of the evening.
The couples began to enjoy adult conversation. We were delighted at the level of friendship in the group and the freedom that each couple had to share important parts of their lives that needed prayer and mutual encouragement. Topics like family, career, schedules, and children were uppermost in their minds. Deep and meaningful prayer together concluded the evening.
All of us left that home that night with a feeling that the Lord Jesus had also been there and had helped us all to minister to one another.
posted by GroupLink at
9:00 AM
2 Comments:
For way to long, I have felt that children have been left out of the adult experience of Christianity. By this I mean, children, youth, young married couples, young married couples w/children, couples w/o children, empty nesters, semi retired, retired, and finally the ancients of days have all been pigeon holed into their own groups. The early church wasn’t that way.
When I hear comments and see some peoples reactions to children in the church, I think back to the days of Jesus, when he was preaching and teaching to large crowds in many different environments. Men and women, men and women w/ children, women w/ babies etc, all, wanting to hear the words of the Master, all wanting to be in his presents.
Children love to be around adults. Why? Adults are what they want to be. They learn by watching. If their allowed to hang around adults, it makes them feel like adults. They become interested in what their adult group in talking about (Hopefully about spiritual matters). They come interested in their music (again hopefully spiritual) and in what the adult group is doing and experiencing ( prayer w/ signs and wonders). Get children /youth involved in reality based Christianity you won’t have to worry about who their friends are and what their doing when your not around. They will be acting like you.
In Jesus day the parents (Mother and Father) brought the children up in the fear and admonition of the Lord in the home. The children had the support of parents and the Jewish community in their up bringing. They lived their Jewish lives at home and the children knew how to act like Jews in the community. Likewise they knew how to act in community worship services and at synagogue.
When my wife and I had children, we took them everywhere with us. If we couldn’t take our children, we just wouldn’t go. Our children grew up knowing how to behave in church type meetings. My oldest son, when he was a baby, would go to Full Gospel Business Men, events with us and fall asleep under our chairs. We wanted our children to be in a Christian Community environment. Our children were given to us as gifts from God, to bring up in His ways.
There is a young boy in the small group we go to, that is very desirous of the Lord and loves to pray, so the leaders of our group cultivate that. Jesus understood the nature of children and even said that we should become more like them in our faith. Yes, there is place for children in the small group. Their presents should be a constant reminder of our obligations toward them. As a Christian Community, we need to bring them up like tender plants they care and care for them both physically and spiritually. Include them as much as possible to encourage their growth and faithfulness in Christ. So when their grown, they will be able to be like strong trees, planted by the living waters of life, bearing fruit for the Master.
What's the scripture? Raise your children up in the ways of the Lord and they will not wander from them. That's close at least. The general idea is that we are supposed to include our kids in our activities and our lives. Kids do what they see their parents do...at least in their early years. Sociologists have done studies that show that up until the early teen years, parents are the most influential people in kids lives...in the teen years, friends take a slightly higher influence than parents so having the kids close to you early should develop some good Christian friends for them for these years when they are no longer highly influenced by parents. There are a number of statistics that we could quote to support the need to keep our kids around us and involved: 54% of kids with Christian fathers accept the Lord, 20% with Christian mothers, 7% with neither, but almost 75% if both parents are observing Christians. 67% of daughters who regularly observe their fathers praying end up marrying a Christian man.
The statistics go on and on but the Word has always told us this. God will guide our children as we raise them the right way...His way. We need to include them, not exclude them, from the presence of God and the daily things we do to glorify Him. I have been blessed many times in the last year to hear of my kids giving generously to those in need. Not only giving of time and money but also of compassion and grace. All of that happens through their relationship with Christ, with a small example from the adults with whom they spend time.
So, involve the children...let them lead worship or prayer or even the devotion if they are ready. And learn from the kids as well...all of us must come to Christ as children in order to enter the glory of heaven. So, every now and then, remember to be a child in your heart and soul and even in your behavior! Well, not the bad childish behavior but just be childlike in your approach to God and in your approach to people! Open and innocent and even vulnerable at times. It may be hard but it's really necessary to open relationships...and isn't that what we're here for?
God bless
Jon
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home