Our basic summary of what it means to be a child in the church
We are all children
One way to picture the church is as God’s family. We are made brothers
and sisters with Jesus. Jesus sees something special in children. When
we spend time with our children and become like them, we connect with
Jesus.
“At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who is the greatest
in the kingdom of heaven?’ He called a little child and had him stand
among them. And he said: ‘I tell you the truth, unless you change and
become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the
kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my
name welcomes me.’” (Matthew 18:1-5)
It takes a family…
The writers of the Bible presume we all respect the love of family God
built into us all (1 Cor. 12:13 is one of many examples). We presume
that, too, and strive to help parents fulfill their crucial role in raising their
children. Parents, not programs or “the church,” are the ones who will
and should have the most influence on their child’s faith and health.
Nothing can replace a godly, wise, connected parent.
It takes a church…
Children, often by their own faith and because of the choices of their
parents, are important parts of the body, even before they profess an
adult faith. They can even lead us in some ways. Mostly, they need
adults to provide a safe place for them to grow. A nuclear family cannot
be expected to provide a complete enough community. It takes many
people to nurture a child to grow into an adult who can face the world
with faith, hope, and love. We offer our church for that.
More than this, many children do not have the benefit of having an intact
family, or a family with faith in Jesus. For them, we hope to provide the
family they are missing in many ways.