Children's Christian educators play a vital role in our faith. They remind us to teach our children why we believe what we believe. They have pointed us to Christ and invited us to share His love with all children. This is our only job—to reach children for Christ and then disciple them. Let's do it well.
The earliest Christians knew that education, love, and service were the keys to helping believers remain solid in their faith. They worked to teach, encourage, and exhort the faithful to remain vigilant in prayer and in following the apostles' teachings. They were preachers, prophets, and teachers. The people of the early church grew in wisdom thanks to faithful educators who were passionate and dedicated to sharing the truth of Christ.
Preachers are vital, administrators are helpful, and prophets are important, but the faithful ones who reach out to the children are my favorite heroes of the Church. They tend to be creative, energetic, cheerful, and able to adjust easily to changing circumstances. They are usually also loving and well-organized.
Imagine if more members of our faith communities were committed to loving and teaching children as our predecessors did. Jesus himself said that children were 'the Kingdom of Heaven.' Are we truly serving and valuing them as such in our churches? Are children at the heart of our ministries, prayers, and worship? If not, why not?
St. Ignatius of Loyola understood the deep impact of reaching young children. His famous quote, "Give me a child until he is seven years old, and I will show you the man." still holds today. Young children are most able to learn and grasp the love of Jesus. Their hearts and minds are soft to the teachings of the Bible. They want to know Jesus. They believe the words of Christ. They believe that the way of love will always work. What reaches a child's heart before the age of seven stays with them forever.
John Wesley urged the early Methodist ministers to spend an hour teaching the parish's children twice a week. He went on to tell them to be enthused rather than "dry, dull, or formal." He also brooked no excuses for those who said, "But I'm not gifted with children." Wesley's response? "Gift or no gift, do it, or else you are not called to be a Methodist preacher."
I love clear communication, and frankly, I couldn't agree more with John Wesley. Teach the children. Love the children. You don't think you are good with children? Too bad. Teach them and love them anyway. They are valuable. They are vital to our success as humans. If we are neglecting our children, we have no right to complain that they are not attending church services. Children want to be in church. Welcome them. Love them. They will come.
If we, as Global Methodists, truly want to witness a cultural shift that honors Christ and Christianity, we must begin reaching and teaching the children better. There are several things that we can do that will begin to help move us toward that goal. Here are a few:
Provide the correct resources. Children are completely dependent on the adults of the church to provide them with the resources they need. Unfortunately, these resources are usually sent to other ministries. Consider cutting your budget elsewhere and increasing the money available to reach children properly. Find the money to buy high-quality curriculum, not just cheap coloring sheets. Find the money to hire a capable, creative, energetic, well-organized coordinator for children's ministries for at least twenty hours a week. Anything less is not enough. Do your best for the children rather than the least you can get away with.
Support children with genuine friendship. The children of your church are as important as every other member. Encourage mutual respect and friendship among all the generations. Ask the opinions of the young people when it is time to make a change of any kind. Put young people on committees and boards and invite them to speak. They have great ideas.
Create reasons for the children in the community to come to your church. Make them welcome by hosting activities geared toward them. One of my close colleagues recently encouraged his church to host a Monday evening event with active games, crafts, music, a meal, and lots of Jesus. This congregation had about twenty adults and zero children on the average Sunday morning. This event, which took place on four consecutive Monday nights, welcomed over thirty children each week. You can do this too. What else can you do? Throw open your doors!
We need devoted teachers to share the importance of Jesus' life, love, and sacrifice with children. Their role is transformative, like a candle flame shared with those whose candles are dark, turning darkness into light.
When Global Methodists return to the great Wesleyan custom of spending time with children and teaching them about Jesus, our communities will return to the truths of Christ that used to be known by most people. We can see a great awakening in our time if we work to find and love the children around our church buildings. This is the only path to a strong church for the generations. This can be our legacy if we will actively build it.
To all Christian educators, Sunday school teachers, and youth pastors, I want to express my deep respect and admiration for the work you do. Your role is not just about teaching but about inspiring and guiding. You have the power to bring about significant change and transformation in the lives of the children you serve. May God bless you abundantly, dear friends.
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