Spiritual Life of Children
Valient measures are being taken to protect children in this pandemic. It’s working! To date there has not been a single positive case of COVID in the Huron Valley Public Schools. Praise the Lord! Social distancing, home schooling, virtual academy have become the standard features of children’s lives for the last few months. There is one powerful constant behind this: the intense desire of parents to protect their children.
In many families this desire has disrupted the spiritual and moral formation of kids. Sunday routines have disintegrated. Prayer times, singing, God-talk and community service have faded or not been possible. Are we losing our kids from the Christian faith? Are parents being spiritual leaders in their families anymore? Education, groceries and vacations have been deemed as essential but what of the practice of Christian faith? Do parents have an intense desire to see their children connect with Jesus Christ and find their place in his church?
The good thing in this disruption is the reminder that the church could never be more than a supplement
to parental leadership. We are in a circumstance where Christian parents must step up their game. Spiritual leadership can’t be reduced to dropping kids off for an hour at church. Christian parents must have a deliberate goal, purpose and motivation for Christian spirituality in the home. Are you in the game yet?
Here’s some starting points for spiritual leadership in your home:
Start with yourself! Get into a habit of daily devotions. Spend 5 minutes a day reading a chapter of scripture and another 5 minutes for prayer. Use the Upper Room or Our Daily Bread (available in our lobby). Let your children see you seeking God. The most powerful influence you have is your example. Set one!
Re-establish a Sunday morning routine. Even if you’ve chosen not to come to in-person worship at this time make sure you assemble your family for streaming services. Participate in the singing and the prayers. Make it fun and enjoyable with snacks for everyone and breakfast food following worship. Have a family prayer time. Engage in conversation about the songs, scriptures or message of the day.
Get a Children’s Bible or a Bible story book. Sue Cole would be a great one to seek a recommendation! Read it at bedtime with your kids each night. Sing songs together that they’ve already learned from the Kids Zone or Vacation Bible School.
Have your children participate in giving. Make a commitment to fill a shoebox for Operation Christmas child--watch for information as it’s announced on our website and bulletin. Pick out foods from your cupboard to take to Community Sharing. Have the kids ride in the car to drop them off. Respond as a family to the 2nd mile offering opportunities.
Stay connected. Have your kids draw pictures and send notes to other church members--especially the elderly. Just pick one and start. Or call other children on the phone and put them on speaker to say hello and find out how they are doing.
Our Sunday morning children’s ministry and nursery are up and running. We’ve established hygiene and social distancing procedures for everyone’s safety. We realize not everyone is ready for this but we want you to know that when you are ready, we are here prepared to connect your children with our Lord Jesus and move them along in their journey with him! “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)
