Our Theology of Ministry to Children
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Our Lord Jesus Christ loves children and wants them to come to Him (Mark 10:14).
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Our Lord Jesus Christ calls those who love Him to feed His little lambs (John 21:17).
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Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. (John 10:17).
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We are to train up our children in the way that they should go (Proverbs 22:6).
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We are to make disciples (in private & public), teaching them to obey Christ (Matthew 28:18-20).
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By teaching children you obey Christ’s commands in an important way (John 14:15).
God Commands Family Worship
Deuteronomy 6:7 “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”
How? … Keep it simple: pray, read God’s word, talk about it, pray, and sing.
Desired Outcomes
Out of love for Christ and a desire to please Him, RHC elders set forth the below as direction for how we minister God’s word to children in Christ’s name, as an official ministry of this church.
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Plan lessons that aim to teach Christ to our children through Bible verses, truth, and stories.
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Use activities that train them up in the way they should go (Proverbs 22:6), practicing good habits:
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to listen to God’s word and Christian teaching. (Proverbs 1:33)
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to pay attention to what is read and taught. (Exodus 23:21)
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to retell a story that they heard with details in the right order. (Psalm 22:22)
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to apply truth from the Bible to life. (Philippians 4:9)
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to love what God loves – the good, true, and beautiful. (Psalm 119:97)
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to worship with the body as soon (not as late) as possible. Expect 8-9 yrs old up in service.
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Time-Tested (Classical) Approaches
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A String of Short Lessons
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plan lessons made up of several short 10 minute activities, to help children pay attention
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Narration (this can be used with a scripture verse, catechism question, or story)
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Teacher read it, then have children each help retell what they heard in their own words
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Read-Aloud
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The teacher reads part of a good story (like biographies, R.C. Sproul’s books, Harding’s illustrations). Children then work together to narrate it back. Discuss application.
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