I believe this sums up what to look for in any ministry.  God’s plan is to work in children’s lives through the parents.  Anything that tries to do otherwise is wrong. Don’t let anyone rob you of the joy of leading your child to Christ, or training your teenager in spiritual matters, or being the wise counselor for your adult children.  Find a church that understands this.   Luci West so aptly expressed this in the Dudley Baptist Church Children’s Ministry Statement: “partnering with parents to lead their children into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ”.  This is done by making sure the parents have the resources and the training they need to lead their children.

Not only does Malachi point out that the preacher was to turn the parents’ hearts to the children, but it is just as important to turn the children’s hearts toward the parents.  For example: the Youth director should not be getting the youth to rally around him, but should be continually pointing them toward their parents, just as the pastor’s goal is not to have the people dependent on him but to continually point them to a personal daily relationship with their Heavenly Father.

The message in this Scripture appears to be very serious in God’s eyes.  Look at the consequences of not turning parents and children toward each other – a curse on the land.  Hmmm.

Here’s what they said:

G - goodness    giving    great attitude    good with Jesus

O – obeying the Lord    obey    only worship God

D – determined    discipline     do what is best     do good deeds even when it’s hard    do help people

L – loving    love others as God loves you    loving everyone    love all your neighbors

I – insight    incouragement

N – nice     never stop doing good    now obey the Lord

E – enjoy    exercise    energize    even when its hard love others    everyone gets treated fairly

S – sweet    save    sometimes its hard but do it    Satan will never stop you

S - spirit     savior    so always trust the Lord

There were pictures of:  washing the dishes, feeding the dog, helping others, sharing, reading the Bible, and praying.

Thank you children of Dudley Baptist Church for helping us learn the character quality of Godliness!!!!

Psalm 8:2
Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have ordained strength,
Because of Your enemies,
That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.

Begin by cutting out the shape of a Bible and paste on it one of the following verses. Then place it on the fridge all week.  Read the suggested passages for Bible stories or thoughts and tell them in your own words.  I have given you suggested things to share about each.  Do at least one of the suggested activities each day.  I am sure you can come up with better ideas on your own – this is just to get you started.

The Bible – God’s Word

Bible Verse:
Psalm 119:97 O How I Love Your Word
Psalm 119:6 I will not forget God’s Word

Bible Stories:

1 Samuel 1 & 2 A long time ago Hannah and Elkanah prayed for God to give them a little boy. God answered their prayer and sentthem Samuel. Hannah wanted Samuel to belong to God and do all God wanted him to. So Hannah spent about 5 years with Samuel teaching him God’s Word. Because Samuel learned God’s Word, he knew how to love God, and do all that God wanted him to do. Do you want to be good and do all God wants you to do? Then learn God’s word, the Bible.

II Timothy 1:5 and 3:15 When Timothy was a little boy, his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice would teach him the Bible. Timothy’s grandmother and mother loved the Bible and wanted Timothy to love it too. When Timothy grew up he did love the Bible like his mother and grandmother because he had known about it since he was a little child.

Acts 8:27-35 Philip was one of Jesus’ helpers. He went to different cities teaching about God’s Word. One time he was walking to another city to preach and he saw a man from Ethiopia reading his Bible. Philip went to the man and helped him to know more about God’s Word. The man began to love God because Philip had taught him the Bible.

Psalm 119 David loved God’s Word the Bible. He knew the Bible was a special book that God had written so we would know how to be good. One night as David took care of God”

Job 1, 23 Job was a man that loved God and did what was right. God was very pleased with Job. Do you know why Job was so good and pleased God so much? Because he read the Bible. He said that he loved to the read the Bible more than he loved to eat. That’s a lot, isn’t it. Do you love to eat? Do you love the Bible?

Prayer: May we never forget Your Word and always love and obey it.

Activities for baby:

Put Bible or picture of Bible in crib for baby to look at.
Read Bible while feeding
Quote verses while rocking to sleep
Show verses on wall or fridge
Show the Bible while you sing about it

Activities for older preschoolers:

Look at the Bible together while singing about it and treating it special.

Make a scroll (what books looked like before there was binding) and paste Bible verses or pictures on it.

Paste a Bible verse on a favorite toy (ex – You could put Psalm 100:1 “Make a joyful noise” on a musical instrument

Make a picture with a Bible verse on it.  Hang it on the wall.  Share Deuteronomy 11:20 “Write God’s Word on your doors & gates”

Make a book marker for their Bible.

Songs:

The Bible is a Special Book (click on to listen)

I Open My Bible (click on to listen)

Suggested Books:
The Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes
Leading Little Ones to God: A Child’s Book of Bible Teachings
Good Little King Josiah: 2 Kings 22-23:2, Chronicles 34-35 for Children (Arch Book)

http://online.worldmag.com/2010/07/22/parents-what-do-you-want/

When I walked through the gate this year she ran up immediately and latched on to me.  I showed her the page she had given me last year, which put a big smile on her face.  She then proceeded to make me another picture and write “I love you” on it.  Also, I was delighted to see that she and her friend had remembered the song I sang to them last year about Jesus.

Dalia clung to me during the short visit we had at the orphanage.  When it was time to leave, she asked someone who spoke English to ask me when I was coming back and told me to come back pronto!  Unfortunately I couldn’t make her any promises.  She walked me to the gate and had the most forlorn look on her face when we left;  it was so hard to say goodbye.

I was told that some of those children still have parents who could come back to get them when they are old enough to make them money by prostituting.   I don’t know Dalia’s past nor her future, but God does.  I don’t know how I can help her, but God loves her more than I could ever love her.  But my heart hurts – I will continue to pray for her.

I have always liked this quote to remind me that positive reinforcement is important:  “Be hearty in your approbation, and lavish in your praise.” Charles Schwab.   Catch him making the right choice with his behavior and heartily praise him for it.

Here are some words of advice from Susanna Wesley from Susanna, Mother of the Wesleys (Abingdon Classics):

“When turned a year old they were taught to fear the rod and to cry softly, by which means they escaped abundance of correction which they might otherwise had had, and that most odious noise of the crying of children was rarely heard in the house . . .”

“They were so constantly used to eat and drink what was given them that when, any of them was ill there was no difficulty in making them take  the most unpleasant medicine . . .”

“In order to form the minds of children, the first thing to be done is to conquer their will and bring them to an obedient temper.  To inform the understanding is a work of time, and must with children proceed by slow degrees, as they are able to bear it; but the subjecting the will is a thing which must be done at once, and the sooner the better, for by neglecting timely correction they will contract a stubbornness and obstinacy which are hardly ever after conquered, and never without using such severity as would be as painful to me as to the child.  In the esteem of the world they pass for kind and indulgent whom I call cruel parents who permit their children to get habits which they know must be afterwards broken.”

“And when the will of a child is totally subdued, and it is brought to revere and stand in awe of the parents then a great many childish follies and inadvertences may be passed by.  Some should be overlooked and taken no notice of, and others mildly reproved; but no willful transgression ought ever to be forgiven children without chastisement less or more, as the nature and circumstances of the case may require.  I insist on the conquering of the will of children betimes, because this is the only strong and rational foundation of a religious education, without which both precept and example will be ineffectual.  But when this is thoroughly done, then a child is capable of being governed by the reason and piety of its parents, till its own understanding comes to maturity, and the principles of religion have taken root in the mind.”

“I cannot yet dismiss the subject.  As self-will is the root of all sin and misery, so whatever cherished this in children ensures their after wretchedness and irreligion: whatever checks and mortifies it, promotes their future happiness and piety.  This is still more evident if we farther consider that religion is nothing else than doing the will of God and not our own; that the one grand impediment to our temporal and eternal happiness being this self-will, no indulgence of it can be trivial, no denial unprofitable.  Heaven or hell depends on this alone, so that the parent who studies to subdue it in his child works together with God in the renewing and saving a soul.  The parent who indulges it does the Devil’s work; makes religion impracticable , salvation unattainable, and does all that in him lies to damn his child body and soul forever.”

“Our children were taught as soon as they could speak the Lord’s prayer, which they were made to say at rising and bedtime constantly . . . They were soon taught to be still at family prayers, and to ask a blessing immediately after, which they used to do by signs, before they could kneel or speak..

“They were quickly made to understand they might have nothing they cried for and instructed to speak handsomely for what they wanted . . .”

In due season you will reap the rewards of your labor. Galatians 6:9  And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Seven Basic Stages of Life

1.  Foundation Stage  -  (birth through 6)

Focus on Discipline

A. Attentiveness
B. Obedience
C. Contentment
D. Neatness
E. Reverence
F. Forgiveness
G. Gratefulness
H. Faithfulness
I. Truthfulness
J. Security
K. Meekness
L. Cautiousness

Mother primarily works with child during this stage. Father’s responsibility is to keep mother happy.

2.  Training Stage (6-12)

Focus on Information

A. Patience
B. Dependability
C. Determination
D. Punctuality
E. Discernment
F. Loyalty
G. Compassion
H. Alertness
I. Thriftiness
J. Responsibility
K. Virtue
L. Tolerance
M. Fairness
N. Joyfulness

Father has the important role in this stage.  Begin Life Notebook

3.  Skill Stage (12-20)

Focus on Self-Control

A. Wisdom
B. Self-Control
C. Discretion
D. Diligence
E. Endurance
F. Deference
G. Sincerity
H. Generosity
I. Humility
J. Enthusiasm
K. Initiative
L. Love
M. Creativity
N. Decisiveness
O. Sensitivity

4.  Apprenticeship Stage  (age 20-30)

Focus on Serving

A. Thoroughness
B. Responsibility
C. Flexibility
D. Availability
E. Hospitality
F. Gentleness
G. Boldness
H. Persuasiveness

5.  Ministry Stage  (age 30-50)

Focus on Ministry

6.  Counsel Stage (age 50 to End of Life)

Focus on Guidance

7.  Heritage Stage (Left to Others after Death)

Focus on Written and Living Epistles