"Tell the Coming Generation"

I was meditating on Psalm 78 yesterday and the first thing I noticed as I began was that the title of the Psalm is Tell the Coming Generation. That immediately struck a chord so as I read I tried to answer the questions:
What should we tell them?
How should we do it?
Why should we tell them?

This Psalm provides a great example of how to teach our children what God has done in the Scriptures and let those events reveal His character and love. I would encourage you to spend some time in Psalm 78 by yourself, and then with your children.

What should we tell them?
We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. (verse 4)

How should we do it?
I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us. (verse 3) (the rest of the Psalm gives a great example of how to tell a story)

Why should we tell them?
So that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God but keep his commandments. (verse 7)

May we shepherd our children with upright heart and guide them with a skillful hand (Psalm 78:72).

Quiet Time & Your Preschooler - Not a paradox!

Developing the discipline of setting aside time every day to spend in prayer, study and meditation can be a difficult thing. Modeling that discipline daily before our children can be even more difficult. And instilling a similar discipline in your preschooler or elementary-aged child can seem nothing short of impossible.
But teaching a child the importance of spending uninterrupted time with God every day is very important. Beginning to establish the home as a place where we can hear and speak to God in the quiet of our hearts is a powerful thing. I want to encourage you to consider working on this discipline with your children. Here are some tips:

• Model this practice. Show your child that it is important to you to spend uninterrupted, quiet time with God. When your child sees you doing and enjoying it, he will be more apt to emulate it.
• Start small. It is not realistic to assume that on day one your child will sit still and quiet for any extended period of time. Set measurable, attainable goals and work your way up. Ten minutes a day is an appropriate amount of time a preschooler can be expected to sit quietly.
• Give specific ideas of things for your child to do. Some ideas are: flip through a picture Bible, draw pictures of Bible stories you've recently read together, draw pictures of things you're thankful for or praying for. Drawing, looking at pictures or encouraging specific ways to think and pray are good places to start.
• Talk about what you both learned, felt or experienced in your quiet times. If you child knows he will be sharing his experience with you, he is more likely to take it seriously.
  
• Call it a quiet time. Whether the practice is already established or is new, make sure it looks and feels differently than normal self-play or "alone time."
• Pray together before each day's quiet time, setting the tone for your child and committing your time to the Lord.

Entering into a time of quiet worship and study can change the atmosphere of a home and usher in countless opportunities for growth and discussion. Try not to be intimidated by the idea. Start small, be faithful, and trust the Lord to work in your heart and the heart of your little one as you both set time aside to be with Him.
May the Lord bless you in your times with Him!

Teaching Our Children About Giving

Thanks to Brittany Colberg, for writing this awesome blog post on how she teaches her daughters to tithe!

Teaching Our Children About Giving
Brittany Colberg

Giving tithes and offerings is an honor and a reflection of our hearts as Christ-followers; so how do we instill this into our children’s hearts?

~We need to emulate cheerful giving in front of our children: They need to see our words put into action by giving graciously (whether it is to church, charity organization, someone in need, etc.).

~We need to study scripture with our children on tithing: For younger children, stories about the widow’s mite from Mark 12:41-44 would be good. For older children, I would suggest a more in depth study using the Sermon on the Mount from Matt. 6:19-21 as well as reading Exodus 36:3-7 to describe how the Israelites gave more than enough needed and the blessing in that.

~ We need to train their hearts to be givers: We should start by cautioning them against being like the Pharisees; who gave everything according to the law, but their hearts were not it in (Matt. 23:23). Then, we should impress upon them how we are to give; that Jesus says it was better to give than to receive (Acts 20:35), and we also know from 2 Corinthians 9:5-15 that we are to give cheerfully. That cheerful giving not only supplies ministry needs & shows obedience, but the text tells us it brings about thanksgiving and glory to God.

If you have a child that is reluctant to give, pray with them that God will change their heart. Teach them that Jesus gave His life for them, and that everything we have is God’s in the first place; we are just entrusted with His gifts to be shown faithful stewards and advance the Kingdom. For older children, you may read them 1 John 3:17-18 and James 2:15-16 to further instill the purpose of giving.

This is how it looks in our home: we pay our children “contract labor” for optional duties above and beyond household chores. Erich will sit down with them on “paydays” to help them divvy up their allotted tithe portion, savings portion, and earnings portion. Any “gift money” that they receive falls under the same instruction. The children then get the privilege of giving God’s money back to Him by supporting the church, and they will personally put their tithe portion in the offering box on Sundays. We also encourage them to give when they feel led to other ministry needs to help instill that it’s not just about “Sunday”.

*Remember to pray with your children thanking God for entrusting us with money, giving us opportunities to advance His kingdom with our tithes and offerings, and asking Him to work in our hearts that we may be cheerful and gracious givers.

A.C.T.S.

When Jesus teaches us to pray in Matthew 6 (The Lord's Prayer) he begins, "Pray then like this…" As we teach our children how to pray, we can look at this model prayer and simplify portions of it. It is easy for children to become focused on only giving thanks or only asking for needs or desires, so the mnemonic A.C.T.S. is a great way to remember different things you can teach your child to talk to God about. You can begin by having your child repeat your words as you teach her to pray. Then you can move to having her finish the sentence. Eventually she will be praying on her own.

A - Adoration
This part of the prayer with your daughter might go like this:
Mom: Dear God,
Daughter: Dear God,
Mom: You are…
Daughter: God, You are good! You are kind! You are loving!

And with your son it might sound like this:
Mom: Dear God,
Son: Dear God,
Mom: You are…
Son: God, You are awesome! You are strong! You are fast! You are so fast if anyone challenged You to a race You would win!

C - Confession
Prompt your child to confess sin to a holy God. Prompt her then to thank God for His forgiveness.

T - Thanksgiving
Simply have your child tell God "Thank you" for specific people and/or things. If she needs prompting, you could direct her to places she regularly goes (thank you for my school, my church, the park) or people she often sees (thank you for my teachers, my friends, my parents) or things she likes (thank you or ice cream, basketball, warm coats).

S - Supplication
Encourage your child to pray for specific needs of people she knows. Everyday. "God, please help the baby in Mrs. Charity's tummy to grow strong and healthy." Try to direct her away from always praying about herself.

Teaching Your Child to Value Worship: Part 5 - Approach

Approach - Communicate the value of fellowship – Sunday mornings are wonderful opportunities for your children to be surrounded by people who love the Lord and love your children. In the corporate worship setting, your children see a godly community. They learn from your desire to reconnect with friends, pray together, laugh and share life.

Children are beginning, at a very early age, to understand and value using our gifts and time to build up the church. They are learning the value of attending worship every week – of recognizing the worth of receiving the teachings of church leaders, of spending time in song, prayer, confession and communion. They are seeing that this practice, this tradition, is not to be taken lightly or to be engaged in when convenient, but that it is something to partake of weekly.

When we worship we celebrate what the Lord has done in the past week, we celebrate with
expectation what he will do in the week ahead, and we proclaim to our children that this is a sacred time. Children will come to see Sunday worship not as a duty, but as a joy. They will understand it not as something obligatory, but as a necessary celebration and preparation in the midst of a life of distractions and obligations.

Teaching Your Child to Value Worship: Part 4 - Attend

Attend - On the weeks that you serve, attend service and serve. Communicate to your children that both worship and service are equally important. It might be hard for your children to be in their class back-to-back once a month, but during that time they are learning that sometimes we make sacrifices to serve the body. They are learning that our comfort or convenience is not as important as loving and serving the people in the church. They are learning that mom and dad think it important and necessary to take time to bless the church.

Teaching Your Child to Value Worship: Part 3 - Arrive

Arrive - Be on time! – Show your child that no part of the service is less important than another part. Children notice when you rush in after service has began and sneak into class. Likewise, they notice when you are on time, prepared and relaxed. They can see that worship as a whole is valuable and they can notice when something is lost in the rush of arriving late. You communicate your priorities and the value of something by the time you give to it. Show your child how valuable and important worship is by being present for the whole service.

Teaching Your Child to Value Worship: Part 2 - Ask

Ask - Pray together in the car before service – asking God to teach you and your children new and beautiful things. This is a great opportunity to explain to your children why they go to their class while you go and worship with adults. Explain that your child needs to hear special words from God and play special games and do special crafts to help them learn and love God more. Explain that while your child is learning, you are in another room, singing special songs and hearing special words so that you can learn how to love God more also.

Teaching Your Child to Value Worship: Part 1 - Anticipate

About a year ago I wrote an article on teaching your children to value worship. It's a bit long, so I will publish it in segments. It's divided into 5 A's: Anticipate, Ask, Arrive, Attend, and Approach.

Part 1: Anticipate
Every day, through the way you approach tasks, obligations, people and time, you communicate to your children the things that you value. You show that you value family through sharing meals, spending time together in the evening, playing together on the weekends. You show that you value the Lord through praying together, spending time in the Word and talking openly about spiritual things. Every time you walk into the doors of Providence Church, you are revealing to your children the ways you value worship.
You are your child’s primary teacher and the way they learn to love the Lord is through watching you do it. That is why it is necessary to approach worship in an honest, reverent manner.

Anticipate - Communicate an excitement, a hope and confidence in what the Lord will do during service. Communicate it through words, attitudes and actions. If the week has been hard, you communicate your dependence by leaving your hurt at the foot of the Cross. If the week has been fun and exciting, you communicate your praise by celebrating and rejoicing before the King. Your child may not sit with you throughout the service, but they observe your attitude before and after. They can hear your prayers. And they can certainly tell when Mom and Dad are not excited to go to church. What is your attitude before worship communicating to your children?

More than lip-service

I was having a conversation with a mother who was concerned her son understood the true meaning of Christmas only enough to repeat it back to her, but not in a way where he truly believed it. She said he knew all the right answers but she could tell he was still more enticed by the presents and parties than the celebration of Christ's birth. What do we do when our children know the right answers but don't own them? How do we make the truths of Christmas more than just knowledge?
Truthfully, I'm not sure. But just like in evangelism, we must trust the Lord to cultivate belief. You can teach your children all the right answers, but it is God who changes their hearts to love.
I've written before about the importance of sharing your own story as a method of evangelism. Let me encourage you to take a similar approach when teaching your children about Christmas. Don't stop at explaining what the birth of Christ means to the world, tell what it means to you. When you talk about the difficulty surrounding Mary and Joseph's lot, explain how you would have felt were you in their place. When you describe the angels' song of celebration, relay how you would have felt were you in the field with the shepherds.
Give your child a glimpse into your own love for Christ as it relates to the Christmas story. Share what it is about this time of year that stirs your heart to worship and that excites your faith and increases your joy.
Catechizing your children is not a bad thing. But don't rely only on question-and-answer methods. Use Scripture and your own testimony to teach your child why Christmas reveals the Father's deep love for His children and His plan to redeem them from sin.

The Hard Truths of Christmas

As we attempt to teach our children the truths of Scripture, may we not neglect the hard truths. The Nativity story is full of pain, scandal and shock. Look at just a sample of some of the facts surround Christ’s birth:

• Mary was an unwed girl who became pregnant.
• Joseph would always carry the stigma of a man whose bride was pregnant before she was married.
• The parents of Jesus were lonely, poor and unknown in Bethlehem.
• King Herod planned to find and kill the child once he heard of His birth.
• Mary and Joseph had to flee to Egypt to escape the plans of Herod.

Depending on your child’s age (the older they get, the more they can comprehend and be exposed to) be honest and forthright about the actual events surrounding the birth of our Forever King. Because, interwoven amidst the unmarried mother, the poor, outcast shepherds, the murdering king and the fleeing family, there is the beauty of a world redeemed. Amidst the story of shame and scandal, there is a greater one of grace, humility and mercy. Miracle after miracle overshadows the ugliness of the fallen world.
In the context of a story we might otherwise try to protect our children from hearing, they can see and understand how "God works all things for the good of those who love Him," (Rom 8:28) and in so learn to trust the Lord during hard times. After all, if Mary and Joseph could worship in the midst of all they were going through, so can we!

Keeping the Bible in our Bible Stories

Our church is studying Christ in the Old Testament in our Women's Bible Study. Last week we were talking about how so many of these stories that we have grown up with took on new meaning when we read them as adults from the Scriptures and not just from Children's Picture Bibles or in the context of a Sunday School lesson.
So often we grow up hearing Bible stories but don't actually get them from the Bible.
Scripture is whole, perfect and complete. But how often do we settle for a summary or paraphrase of Bible stories instead of the inerrant, perfect Word of God? There is nothing wrong with teaching your children from Children's Picture Bibles, as long as you are also teaching them from the Bible.
In the Preschool Ministry, children begin hearing each story back-to-back from a Children's Bible and from an NIV Bible each week beginning at age 5.
It is in this context that they hear, not only the fundamental truth we are trying to teach and not simply the Christian value or moral lesson, but the written word of God, provided to teach, rebuke, correct and train in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).
May we not neglect to teach our children biblical truths from the Bible, God's Perfect Word.

Sharing our Stories

I was writing the Bible Story Follow-up application steps for parents and got to thinking about how parents dialogue with their children. We want spiritual language and topics to be the norm in our homes. We want the words of Scripture to be familiar words of comfort and training to our children. We want songs, Bible stories and Christian values to be a part of the foundation of our homes. But how practiced are we at telling those stories as a backdrop to our own stories? How well do our children know exactly what God did in Mom's heart to make her love and trust Him? Do our children know what it was that brought Dad "out of the darkness and into the light"? (1 Peter 2:9).
Depending on the age of our children and the nature of our salvation stories, being honest to tell our testimony may be difficult. But let me encourage you to, as much as is appropriate, share your stories with your children. Our testimonies can be the most powerful tool we have for evangelism because they are our stories. So talk with your children about why you love Jesus. Tell them what He saved you from. Be honest about the life you now lead because of the saving work of our glorious Lord.
Let your children hear the stories of the God who saved you. May He be the God who saves them also.

Learning Like Our Children

One thing I love about leading a Children's Ministry is hearing my teachers say week after week, "I think I learned more from that lesson than the kids." And so often I feel the same way!
It is amazing to me how much I can learn by writing or teaching a children's lesson. The Bible says this about itself in Hebrews 4:12:
"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."
When we are teaching the Bible to our children, there is so much we can learn ourselves. Regardless of how many times we may have heard the stories, they are new! So my challenge to you as you teach your children is to search the Scriptures both for lessons and truths to communicate, but also for lessons and truths that you yourself can learn.
May we never be a people who think they have gotten all they can from any particular story or passage. May we always come before Scripture ready to learn.

Bedtime with Your Baby

As you put your child to bed every night, you probably have a routine you follow. This routine may include a bath, putting on PJs, reading a story, but does it include time with God? I want to start a multi-part series on how to use your bedtime routine as another setting during which you can teach your child about Jesus.

Let's start today by talking about your newborn baby. Even at the youngest age, you can choose a time each night to read a short story to her from a children's Bible, maybe sing a song that gives her a basic Truth, and say a quick prayer. There are many children's Bibles available, but one thing you want to do before purchasing one is to read it, cover-to-cover, to make sure it is theologically sound. Children's Bibles are not God's inerrant Word, as someone is just summarizing certain stories. After you have done that, you will be able to sort through what is most important to you. Some parents want to ensure that specific stories are included in their children's Bible, some want a Bible that is easy to understand at an early age, some want good pictures, etc. At this young age, as long as the content is consistent with the Bible and you won't be reading your baby things that are conflicting with God's Word, I think there is a lot left to personal choice. The important thing is that you are exposing your son or daughter to the Bible on a daily basis. Praying for them and with them is also a great habit to start from day one.

After reading the story of creation to your baby, your prayer may go something like this: "Dear God, I praise you that you made everything! I thank you for giving our family this precious baby. Please give her lots of good sleep tonight. We love you God. Amen."

If you are looking for a recommendation on a beginning Bible, you might consider this board book that we use as our children are infants and young toddlers, Baby Blessings Bible, which lists for $12.50 on Amazon. Beyond the Biblical accuracy, we like the rhyming, the bright colors, the short length, and the durability of this Bible.

Scripture Placemats

If you haven’t read Charity’s idea on the church’s site for making placemats, I reposted it here. If you have, you will know that my idea for making a Biblically-based learning placemat came from her. That said, here’s what we’re trying around our house.

My son is just starting to memorize verses for the first time. He’s also in the early stages of learning how to read a little. The first verse we memorized is 1 John 4:14 “We have seen and testify that the Father sent His Son to be the Savior of the world.” We then started learning John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Now he is mixing the two verse together into quite a mess. It usually sounds something like this: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son to be the Savior of the world.”

So I thought since he mostly knows the letters and the sounds those letters make, that I would write these verses down and make them into placemats. My goal is that as he is quoting the memorized verses he would look at each word on the placemat and see that the initial sound is the same as the one he is saying. Hopefully the written words will just guide him in the right direction. We’ll see how it works! (If your kids are readers, writing verses on placemats could be a good way for them to memorize new Scripture.)

Best Children's Bible I've Found

Last week I bought a new Children's Bible for use within our ministry.


The Jesus Storybook Bible is not only my new favorite Children's Bible, it's currently my favorite book! This Bible takes each story, Old and New Testament, and brings it back to Christ and our need for a Savior. In doing so, it presents a theologically sound and beautiful view of God and His love for sinful man and our need for a Rescuer.
This Bible is great for all ages, preschool through elementary.
This is a great read for parents, children, and anyone!

Prayer and Fasting: How your involvement can serve and teach your children

(originally posted on providenceprayerandfasting.blogspot.com)

As we strive to be intentional in the spiritual teaching of our children, I urge you during this season of prayer and fasting to not only participate, but to use your participation as an opportunity to talk with your children about the practice of prayer and fasting and what it means for your relationship with God.

There are seasons in life when we give up things that normally play a large role in our day-to-day activities, in this case eating, in order to more eagerly and deliberately pursue the Lord through prayer. Just as we are intentional in our pursuit of God, so should we be in how we communicate this new season with our children.

Children notice when things change. When mom and dad don’t sit down for dinner, when snacks are left unopened and dessert left unprepared, children understand that something out of the ordinary is going on. Take the opportunity to have an open dialogue about why you and your spouse are not eating. Explain that when we go without, it is so that we can pursue the Lord in a more disciplined and uninterrupted manner. Explain that while food is a gift from God and something that we can partake of in worship, foregoing eating for a season can serve to renew purpose, insight and direction and increase worship and trust.

Instead of catching up on the day over a family meal, think of the testimony as your children watch you come together in prayer for your church. Instead of hearing the latest news or the plans for the coming weekend, imagine how powerful it would be for your children to hear you call out to God for wisdom and direction. Instead of the laughter and casual conversation that may accompany the normal dinnertime, think of the significance in a home in quiet contemplation and sober prayer.

Consider also ways you can encourage your children to fast. Maybe your child can fast from television, video games, or a favorite toy or electronic. Be creative in involving your children and helping them to see the part they can play in prayer and fasting. Walk through this practice with them, helping them to pray and worship as they give up some form of entertainment. What a sweet time you can share with your child as you seek the Lord together!

As with every act of worship, we want to deliberately communicate the heart behind the things we are practicing. As you obediently spend time in prayer and fasting during this season, make sure you are being careful to talk openly, pray openly and worship openly before the God who sees.

May the things you partake of and the things you refrain from serve to reveal to your children your love for God and His glory.

Singing with your children

One of the little things I look forward to most about being a mother is singing with my children. I have yet to meet a child who does not love to listen to music and sing and dance along.
Music can be a powerful tool to communicate foundational truths, namely, the greatness of God. Children can begin to understand not only who God is, but why we sing to Him and what those songs communicate.
There are numerous CDs with songs that present Scripture, biblical attributes, character values and other spiritually enriching content that are fun to listen to and sing along with.
The great thing about singing with children is that they don’t care how good you are! I have absolutely no musical abilities, but when I sing with or to the children on Sunday mornings, they love it! I think it’s because children hear the heart behind my voice, a heart that loves to sing praises to our Lord.
Singing with the children not only teaches them truths about God, but it models praise and worship. Our children typically do not go to church with their parents, so for them to get to see Mom and Dad singing at home with them shows them what it looks like to come before the Lord in worship through song.
I want to encourage you to make singing with your child a part of every day. Be intentional in your song choices and choose music that reinforces the truths of what you’re teaching about God at home. Play the music during playtime or craft time and take time to sing along. What a great thing for a child to grow up in an atmosphere saturated by the Word of God expressed in word, deed and song!

A couple of my favorites:
Phil Joel
Seeds of Praise, Seeds of Worship