Our Theology of Ministry to Children

• Our Lord Jesus Christ loves children and wants them to come to Him (Mark 10:14). 

• Our Lord Jesus Christ calls those who love Him to feed His little lambs (John 21:17). 

• Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. (John 10:17).

• We are to train up our children in the way that they should go (Proverbs 22:6). 

• We are to make disciples (in private & public), teaching them to obey Christ (Matthew 28:18-20). 

• 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.

• Equip and support parents in their responsibility to raise up their children in the way they should go. 

• Plan lessons that aim to teach Christ to our children through Bible verses, truth, and stories.

• Use activities that train them up in the way they should go (Proverbs 22:6), practicing good habits:

  • to listen to God’s word and Christian teaching. (Proverbs 1:33)

  • to pay attention to what is read and taught. (Exodus 23:21)

  • to retell a story that they heard with details in the right order. (Psalm 22:22)

  • to apply truth from the Bible to life. (Philippians 4:9)

  • to love what God loves – the good, true, and beautiful. (Psalm 119:97)

  • 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

• A String of Short Lessons

  • Children stay engaged and best absorb lessons that are made up of several short activities of 10 minutes or less each.

• Read-Aloud

  • The teacher reads a passage of scripture or part of a good story aloud to children.

• Narration

  • Teacher read it, then have children each help retell what they heard in their own words.

  • First children retell the whole story in order with all the details they can remember.

  • Then the teacher guides them to go back and add any other details they remembered and clarify any parts that were incorrect.

• ​Discussion

  • The teacher guides children to think about what the reading says, means, and what it means for us.​

  • Why did God include this story in the Bible? What does it mean? What does that mean for us?