One of the most exciting things in church planting is the chance to start from scratch. Hopefully we learn from other church’s past mistakes and with God’s help begin making disciples the way He intended and has called us to do. In the past churches have looked certain ways and done certain things. Most of them good, but not always healthy. I often wonder if the institutionalization of the church which began with Constantine in 313 A.D. was what God intended to happen. I’ll let you do your research and decide for yourself. But before Constantine’s “Edict of Milan” the church looked much different than it does today. Before that date the church was much simpler. The people of God simply gathered to read Scripture together, pray together, sing together, eat together, and encourage one another. Sounds rather nice, doesn’t it?
So, Cedar Point is at a place where we need to make some adjustments for the fall. One of those adjustments is the area of kids’ ministry. Traditionally churches have held Wednesday night ministries for kids ages 0-18. Parents come and drop their children off for an hour and a half where “the church” then has some games or fun activity planned while teaching and instilling the things of God. Good thing? Yeah, I think it can be. But is it the best thing?
In this whole journey of starting a new church I’ve longed to hear from God on how to shape the church. What does Jesus want his bride to look like? And so I’ve turned to Scripture time and again since it’s our primary source of God’s will, and this is what I’ve found. When it comes to teaching our kids the things of God I have yet to come across an early church VBS. I could be wrong but I haven’t found in Scripture where it’s, what we would call today, the church’s function to run a kids’ ministry. Now I’m not saying it’s a bad thing that churches have children’s ministries when done right. But I think the vast majority of parents rely solely on “the church” and others to teach their kids about God and I don’t think that’s a good thing at all. In the same way that people shop for the best deal or bargain for their money I think a lot of people in today’s culture shop for churches with the best programs or ministries, instead of thinking, “How can I help this church? What could I do to help it become better?” We look for things in a church that will help us. It’s selfishness.
Now what I’d rather see, and what I believe God teaches us in His word, are parents who claim the responsibility to teach their own kids how to follow Christ. In my recent Father’s Day sermon I challenged dads that they are the ones responsible for the spiritual direction of their team (family) including their kids. Here are a few of God’s instructions when it comes to our children:
Ephesians 6:1–4 (NIV84) “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth. Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”
Deuteronomy 11:18–19 (NIV84) “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
Proverbs 22:6 (NIV84) “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”
Genesis 18:19 (NIV84) “For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.”
Exodus 12:26–27 (NIV84) “26 And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ 27 then tell them…”
Joel 1:3 (NIV84) ” Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation.”
Colossians 3:21 (NIV84) “Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.”
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1 Timothy 3:4–5 (NIV84) “He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?)”
2 John 4 (NIV84) “It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us.”
Hillary Clinton wasn’t totally wrong in naming her book It Takes A Village To Raise A Child. As a group of Christ-followers (the church) we should be aware of how each others kids are doing. I wouldn’t have any problem with some of my Christian friends speaking into the life of my children. But the sole responsibility of the spiritual teaching my kids get rests on my shoulders, not another pastor or Sunday school teacher, but me, their dad (or mom). We’ve gotten so accustomed as a culture that if it isn’t easy, we don’t want it. Many of us parents teach our kids so many things about life from how to tie their shoes to the in’s and out’s of dating yet we leave the teaching of spiritual matters to someone else. We’ve gotten lazy when it comes to our kids and families. How many of us have used the TV as a babysitter? We’ve done the same thing in the spiritual life of our kids.
So how about this. Instead of having a traditional Wednesday night kids’ ministry which takes the responsibility of teaching kids the things of God away from the parents, or at least enables them to become lazy at it, we as a church should come along side and help equip parents to teach their kids. I think that is more of a biblical picture of the role of the church in teaching children. It would also aid in strengthening families. I don’t necessarily have anything against children’s ministries, but I’d rather train and equip families to be families and hold events which keeps everyone together. The family is a model and picture of the church and in a world where dads are absent and families are falling apart anything we can do to help keep them together is a good thing. What do you think??