For the few years I have spent being a parent and getting to know other married couples, I have come to the conclusion that many families have also come to realize – being a parent is a wonderful blessing. I have met many couples blessed by having children in the early years of their marriage. I have also come to know of some couples who have had to wait many years for a child to call their own. Whether they have waited a few months or several years, they all hold one thing in common – the blessing of being a parent.
From hearing your baby’s heartbeat and feeling your baby kick in your womb for the first time. From holding your baby for the first time to holding their hand as they learn to walk. From hearing your baby utter their first word to hearing them talk endlessly for many hours. All these are the wonderful blessings of being a parent to children.
What we must not forget, however, is the wonderful responsibility that comes with it. Parenting is hard work, like many parents come to figure out as soon as they become one. It is not just about cleaning up after your children, making sure they are fed, and making sure they are safe. It is not just about making sure they get their education and live successful adult lives. We should prepare them for something else entirely, something more important than this world can offer. We should prepare them for eternity.
The Biblical Mandate of Parents
“Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” — Proverbs 22:6
Try as we might to keep our children inside a “safe bubble”, they will eventually be exposed to the foolishness and evil present in this world. Let us not sit idly by and let our child be conformed to the teachings of this world. Let us actively teach them to live by God’s word (Psalm 119:9), to fear Him (Proverbs 9:10), and believe in His Son, Jesus Christ (John 3:16). Let us teach them that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).
Parents, we are given the wonderful privilege of teaching our own children. We must embrace this privilege and the role given to us. It is not one we can casually and traditionally entrust on somebody else. We teach our children with every moment they are with us. Everything we say and do, our children are able to see with their own eyes, hear with their own ears, and in turn emulate.
So, as parents embracing this mandate, how do we start?
5Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7Impress them on your 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. 8Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
— Deuteronomy 6:5-9 NIV
1. Pray with your children. Make prayer time a habit, be it during mealtimes, before going to bed, or during times of crises. Pray together with your children. Take turns and encourage them to lead the family in prayer.
2. Read the Bible to your children. There are so many ways you can instill the love of bible reading to your children at such a young age. You can start with a bible for young children or use the bible app for kids.
3. Worship together with your children. Attend church services, whether physical or online, with your children.
The Church is Here to Help You Teach Your Child
Parents with younger children may find it hard to get their younger kids to sit still and listen to the Sunday message being preached, especially when this is happening online and viewed through a television screen or gadget. This is something I experienced firsthand with the start of the pandemic when church services started to transition to online streaming. I am sure many parents with young children faced the same dilemma.
This is the reason GCAF is finally launching KC Zoom Sunday on October 3, 2021, where the Kids Central (GCAF’s ministry to children) teachers and volunteers will be able to meet your children virtually. We are very eager and more than excited to see your children once more, to welcome new ones into the fold, and to help them grow in their knowledge of and love for God.
What Can You Expect with Kids Central Sunday School Ministry?
God willing, this will be a recurring event, happening every Sunday between 8:30-9:30am. You can register your kids by clicking this link. An email and SMS notification will be sent to your registered email address and phone number containing the Zoom link where your kids can join.
As a church, we believe in the biblical mandate for parents in accordance with the Word of God. So we urge you to actively partner with us in teaching your children about the truths that can be found in the bible. Our KC Zoom Sunday teachers will partner with you through the use of at-home activities, take home sheets, memory verses, and more, so that you will have every opportunity to reinforce the lesson being taught every Sunday. Together, let us sow the seed of the gospel in the hearts of our children, trusting in the promise of our Lord Jesus Christ, that this seed will bear fruit as they grow up and are able to make their own decisions.
Until a better time comes when the pandemic will cease and our children can once again join in face to face Sunday School gatherings, we hope to see your kids virtually through KC Zoom Sunday!
