I attended a conference a couple of weeks ago called the D6 Conference. The purpose of this gathering was to challenge church leaders to do a better job at raising today’s kids to make each decision based upon a firm faith in Jesus Christ. How can we do a better job you might ask? So many churches already do the BEST they can. We do awesome Sunday morning programs, midweek discipleship programs, evangelistic events, and programs to teach about missions. We have programs to help challenge kids to memorize scripture and classes to learn about what follows a personal profession of faith…
What did we (the church) forget? Did we leave out a program? What does the scripture have to say about church programs? As a body of Christ followers it is imperative that we recall God’s instructions for raising the next generation of faithful Godly leaders. The D6 Conference was a reminder to us about Deuteronomy 6.
As parents, we must be the primary spiritual influencers in the lives of our children and the church is here to reinforce that which is taught in the home. Many parents have entrusted that responsibility to the church; just as we entrust the school teacher to educate our kids in Math and English we figure the Church can teach our kids what they need to know to grow spiritually.
The only problem with that is a simple ratio of 1:168. One hour out of 168 hours in the week is simply not enough. I heard once that if you add up all the hours that an average child (from a church going family) spends at church from birth to age 18 the number is less than the amount of time they were in school their kindergarten year. Thus after they graduate High School most of our children are
still spiritual Kindergartners. Unless…. Parents view the church as a place that will reinforce the things they teach at home. I know that is what many of my readers are interested in, because you realize that the most important job you have (or will have) is raising your kids. So even if you are intentional about going to special programs (
church programs are good things btw) that reinforce your Christian Faith my encouragement to you is that the emphasis be on what happens in the context of your family.
So again let’s go to Deuteronomy 6:5-7 to see how God wants us to do that.
5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress 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.Barna says media is now the primary spiritual
influencer in the lives of kids today. (conservative sources say our kids consume about 60 hours/week - 60 times that which they attend a church program) DON’T let the media erase God’s message from their memory. How can we compete? Be intentional about the things we talk about on the way to school, on the way home from sports, at the dinner table, while playing board games, when you read with them, when you play in the yard; take advantage of those moments when you can teach them about who God is and who he wants them to be. It goes on to say that we should write reminders where they will see them each day prominently displayed to reinforce what you have taught with words. Put notes in their lunches, post memory verses on the mirrors in the bathrooms and in the kitchen.
One thing that really encourages me when I wonder if we are doing this at home is when occasionally my son will come up with his own suggestions for devotional time because these things are on his mind. "We can make people out of Play Doh and talk about how everyone is special because of how God made them." And just as great sometimes he will relate something that we are doing to an attribute of God or a truth from Scripture.
Chec
k out this awesome resource that will send you an email every week with practical ideas for you to try at home with your kids.
http://d6family.com/splink/ click the sign up now button to register for the emails. Some of our best family devotionals have come from ideas I got on
Splink! Please share your ideas by posting here if you like. Or if you would like prayer to be a spiritual leader in your home please let me know. You can do this anonymously or by name. It is never too late to start living by the D6 principle. Start today. Blessings to you all.
all thing might have been overlooked by others but Drake (kindergarten) takes great pride in filling the car up with gas for his mom. He removes the gas cap, puts the nozzle into the tank opening, (I put in the credit card- Haha), he selects the grade, engages the handle, and we talk while the tank fills up. We are connecting as men at this point; doing the manly task of pumping fuel. I just hope that he will grow up to be as considerate as a teen driver though I am not holding my breath- (well, because that is ten years away; a little too long to hold ones breath) but I do have very high expectations and I think he knows that.
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