Ministries:
Adult | Teens | Children

Pastor's Pen's:
2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001

Sermon Series:
Following Jesus
Earthly Cross
His Name Is
Apostles Creed
Dealing with Feelings
Jonah
Get Real
Promised Land Living

Grace Church
257 Kendall Street
Burlington, WI 53105

(262) 763-3021

Email:
Pastor Scott Carson

Secretary Patti Hall

PASTOR'S PENS 2003

Grace Church of Burlington January 26, 2003 We need children in our church!!             Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14). Worship is not just an "adult thing." Children are a vital part of our church. For one, they powerfully remind us of what it means to be a believer. Small children accept as gospel whatever is told to them by adults. Even at fairly early ages they learn to tell the difference between the imaginary and the real if this distinction is made by trusted adults. Yet they will delight in believing what adults find difficult to swallow.  The ideas of faith we share need to be told guardedly and with care.             For example, Jesus used the idea of the unseen wind to illustrate the reality of the Holy Spirit. An adult and very sophisticated Nicodemus needed such an illustration to help him grasp the truth (John 3). Children also find stories, illustrations and word-pictures helpful for grasping ideas of faith that cannot be apprehended with the five senses. They want to believe and this means that their hearts have a great capacity for worship. Young children desire to "see" Jesus, to love him, to be with him. More than a few parents have had to deal with questions about dying after a description of heaven as the place "where Jesus lives."             Chronological age is very important to consider when paying attention to how children think about God and how they learn to worship. Although individual children are different, there are general similarities among children that are helpful to bear in mind. Grade-school children have a more informed and sober approach to faith than preschoolers but they are seldom less willing to believe. They just want to know more. Older grade-school children have learned that parents and teachers can be wrong but they still don’t expect them to be. And they will ask lots of questions. Adults in turn need to give careful, well-thought out and truthful answers. Scripture needs to be cited time and again as the resource for their answers. That’s because children tend to believe what they read. Children from this age group need to see that faith is not a fairy tale. While they no longer assume that "Jesus lives at church," they need to be confident that He lived in real history.             Teenagers aren’t as tough as they seem to be when it comes to worship. In fact, worship can help them deal with a crucial question of faith: "How do I myself know that all this is true?" Teenagers may borrow their parents’ car, but they need to own their own faith. Participation in worship can make all the difference between "borrowed" faith and "owned-for-myself" faith.  Teens want to encounter God. They want to know about the faith of others. Teens also want to do something for God. Worship needs to be a big part of that.             But it is not enough "just to bring your children to church." We must teach by example. How we worship will often be how our children will worship. You do not learn how to play baseball by watching it on TV. Worship, too, is taught through participation. Parents are the best example of that participation.             Obviously, first of all, you need to be there! If parents periodically play hooky from church or are sporadic in their attendance, their children get the message loud and clear. Then, we need to be on time. It is hard to be in the spirit of worship if you come rushing in at the last minute or worse, halfway through the service. When we carry our Bibles and follow along, our children learn that Scripture is an important part of our worship. When we sing from our heart, our children learn that praising God is important. When we are active listeners (instead of sleeping or daydreaming), our children learn that what is being said is important. When we give joyfully in the offering, our children learn the importance of giving. And when we look for opportunities to serve, our children learn to be stewards of their lives.             Children are a vital part of Grace Church. Each of us, not just parents, can invest in the next generation. The future of this church is our children. Friend, are you involved in some aspect of ministry to children? That’s part of being a wise investor. Jesus had a heart for children . . . do we?