Pastors have a tremendous responsibility with the proper care of children. One of those areas has to do with when children are capable of making a lifetime decision for Christ.
What should we do to help children make a decision that matters and one that will take them through life? We all know the horror stories of children who were pressured or who didn’t understand what this meant.
As a church can we put processes in place to do our best to keep children from “falling through the cracks?”
This is what we do at First Baptist Covington.
First, we have counselors to talk with everyone who makes a decision for Christ. Each counselor is trained to help those who are responding to the invitation to accept Christ. Early in my ministry I read a book by John Bisagno which has influenced me ever since. He said that the problem is not with children understanding what they are doing; it is with the adults who don’t know how to help children.
We do our best to know how to help children by making sure each one receives personal counseling at the time of their decision.
Second, our children’s pastor talks with as many children as possible about their faith in Christ. We believe this personal touch and personal contact helps the child understand the significance of their decision.
During this time, we encourage parents to be present as well. We know many parents have never really heard the gospel. We love the opportunity to present the gospel to children, knowing parents are listening as well.
As part of this step, we talk with the parents about their children and their faith. Parents know their children and can help pastors clearly communicate what children need to understand.
Third, we provide training opportunities for children as they grow and for their parents as they talk with their children about faith and Christian growth.
Fourth, we encourage parents to talk with their own children about faith. Can anything be more wonderful than sharing your faith with your child? Children are naturally inquisitive. When they ask questions, parents should be ready to answer, not with canned answers but with their own faith in God. God told the people of Israel to impress God’s commands on their children: “Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (Deuteronomy 6:7).
Finally, we cover parents in prayer as they bring up their children in the “training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).
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One Response
As a child, I received a Bible from my Maternal Grandparents (Grandmother) and I read the Book. There were many questions, because it seemed so incredible and unreal, fictional. After going through catechism and being confirmed in the “church” I did still viewed Scripture as nice moral teachings. My Sunday School, parents and Youth programs did little to change that impression. In fact, they encouraged the tribal, club, social concept of being in a closed group for an “in house,” self-serving, purpose.
Yesterday, an elder shared with me that his wife, also an elder, was reading the Bible and was having questions. (We all need to follow the direction of the Pastor and read the Bible; and keep reading it!)
Scripture I have discovered is given to people to develop, confirm and grow relationship with God and work within the Paradigm He set forth to fulfill His Purpose for His. This means Scripture communicates on many levels to the one who will read, meditate and seek Him in It. A simple but true statement about some of the incredible things is: “sin” has impaired people from reaching the potential in the flesh God initially programed. We should not get hung up on many things regarding history, especially if it hinders the purpose of discovering God’s Plan for us individually and how we fit corporately, how we (each) are to “work out our own salvation.”
Each piece in the tapestry of His is important.
Thank you Dr. Bailey for God’s Wisdom you bring to His People and those that would be His.
Blessings