Orange 2

It is the last day of the Orange Conference. Our team has been very excited about what we are learning. We will come back excited and ready to implement some of what we are learning. We are thoroughly convinced that reaching the next generation is vitally important. The way we do that is so important.

Many of us grew up going to Sunday School at church – some even to a Christian school during the week. Many of us can remember Sunday School, VBS, camps, and other models of ministries that had as their goal to train up and equip the next generation. Question: if the end result we are after is for the next generation to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, does the model we use really matter? Is there a better model than we have been using for generations?

Instead of staying with what we have always done, or trying something new because it is new, maybe, just maybe, we ought to seek what would best help us reach our desired goal. I would challenge our church leadership, many whom are parents of young children themselves or grandparents of young children, to put down goals for our children and then strive to reach those goals. Here is a short list to start us thinking. We would like our children, when they move beyond our children’s and youth ministry to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, a growing understanding of the basic stories and teachings of the Bible, and the ability to see the need to serve God in ministry (to be more than a consumer of faith). Another way of putting this – we would like our children to develop a wonder about God, a passion for Christ, and a discovery of who they are and how they can serve God. Doesn’t this sound a lot like our mission – bring in – build up – send out?

Are we doing this with what we are doing now? Is there a better way to do it? Are we focused? Do we have a strategy? Have we ever sat down and examined how we go about raising our children in Christ?

I’m so glad I came with the team that attended this Orange Conference. It has opened the eyes of this old church person to new and exciting ways to reach the next generation. I’m convinced that the church should partner with parents to achieve our desired goal. Yellow = the light of the church. Red = the heart of the parents. Orange = yellow and red combined. Involving the family in reaching the children will have an added benefit of reaching the whole church with Christ, our vision.

Stay tuned for the sermon series that begins this Sunday, May 1, as we search some of the challenges of parenthood. See you Sunday.

Just something to think about today as you go on your way.

Orange

Taking the light of the church (yellow) and the heart of parents (red) and using both to influence the faith of the next generation (orange). It is a strategic plan to reach our children and youth.

Sunday we will begin a sermon series titled the challeges of parenthood. I hope you will attend so we can be challenged to be better parents and grandparents and to help equip those parents as the church! What can we do as the church to team up with parents? We have 40 plus hours a year with most of our children. Even the very best program can only do so much with that kind of time
Parents have 3,000 plus hours a year. How can we help parents use their time more effectively.

Working to equip and partnering with parents to reach the next generation is so important. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is not good friends. What is essential and how can we highlight those essential elements?

See you Sunday!

With the End in Mind – by Dione Bowlding

Right from the start, I want to throw this question out to all parents present, past, and future.  What end in mind do you have/want/had for  your children?  What end in mind do you think your child has?  Does your child’s end match your end?  If it doesn’t, what will you do or did do and did it or will it bother you?

Here is a piece of my story:  My dad and I had huge football dreams!  I mean Huge!  I was going to Notre Dame or Penn State to play college ball.  I was going to be an All-American player and then go play Professional Football.  We were hand in hand with that end in mind.  I was playing great high school football.  I had a few colleges that had large football programs to recruit me to play football there.  As you can see, my dad’s end for me was the very same one I had.  Then something changed.

I heard God speak to me and my end changed.  My end was now God’s end.  It was not the end that my parents had for me or the end I even had for myself.  This was not the easiest thing for my dad to deal with right away.  Years of planning and dreaming  all of a sudden changed.  No parents  plans for that.  No one plans that one day my spouse will pass away suddenly.  No one plans for a child to have health issues.

As parents, we want the best for our children. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have kids yet or your kids are now living on their own, we all have a picture of the end we would like for them to have.  Let us as parents pray and seek what the Lord may have for our children’s end. What is the picture or plan or vision does He have?

Children – Obey Your Parents – in the Lord!

Ephesians 6:1-4

1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”-which is the first commandment with a promise – 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” 4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

We will continue to unpack this important passage about families.  God gives loads of instructions to families in the Bible.  This passage began by telling children to obey their parents.  I liked that!  As we move on, we see that children obeying their parents has a stipulation.  Let me quote it again for us to read.  Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

Most parents simply say – Children, obey your parents – and they stop there.  As we see, the stipulation given is in the Lord.  I have heard this explained several ways.  One reading is that young children should obey their parents (assumption godly parents) in their faith journey.  Obey your parents as they follow the Lord.  Another reading is to obey your parents, which is a spiritual requirement as you follow the Lord.

Our emphasis on being godly parents – a godly family – is very important.  I know a number of youth who attend worship alone.  I know women and some men who attend alone.  If as parents we are to be the example that our children follow in Christ – as they obey our guidance while they are young – we have a major calling my friends.

The verse ends with for this is right. Obeying our godly parents while we are young is in the will of God.  It is right and the thing to do!  Being godly parents is a high calling!

Just something to think about today as you go on your way.

God’s Design for Marriage

With marriage under great debate these days – resources that clearly help us see God’s design for marriage would be very helpful.  Focus on the Family has such a resource on their website – Relationships and Marriage.  This is a great resource and worth your time in reading it.

If you are preparing to get married or one day would like to, there is a great section on Why Wait for Sex, that will answer a lot of the questions we might ask.  Our youth director is doing a series on purity with our youth and this would be a great resource for their parents as well as for them.

There is also a great section on Parenting.  The website is filled with helpful ideas and Biblical truths surrounding the family.  New President Jim Daly is taking Focus on the Family and continuing the great family ministry that we have come to know and love.

Check it out and share some marriage and family resources you have found.