Childrens Ministry

• Summary

• Goal

• Methods

• The Foundation

• Parent's Obligation

• Corporate Worship

• Child Protection Policy 

Summary

We are currently offering “children’s church” every week during the 10:30am Sunday morning worship service, for children to engage in more age-directed learning (ages 5 – 3rd grade). During this time, our children are studying through the Bible, highlighting the primary Bible stories/lessons throughout, with an emphasis on showing how everything connects to Jesus and consistently sharing the gospel with the kids.

Though we gladly and excitedly welcome children of all ages to participate with the larger body in corporate worship, we are trying to offer a solid “children’s church” program, primarily for those parents who believe that this type of learning is a crucial tool to help them raise their children in the will and desires of God.

During the 9:00am Sunday School hour, we offer several Bible classes for children from 3 years old to 5th grade. Our youth group (6th – 12th grade) also meets during this hour to pray, study the Bible together, and just hang out. We are committed to loving your children, praying for them, and modeling the character of Christ before them.

Nursery care is offered in both the 9:00 and 10:30 am hours, for children up to 2 years old.

For all of our children programs we are dedicated to ensuring the saftey and comfort of each child. We have created a set of policies for our teachers and staff to follow. If you would like to familiarize yourself with this policies click here

We look forward to knowing and serving you and your children!

Please let us know how we can serve you and your children more effectively. Questions and/or comments can be sent to:

Kyle Petersen — Children's Ministry Pastor - kylep@shepherds-church.org

Natalie Rohde — Nursery Director - natrohde87@gmail.com

Goal

The goal of children’s ministry is to motivate and equip children to know, love, and obey God.

This is our prayer. This is what we labor for. We want the children who grow up under the instruction of this body to grow up consumed with God; consumed with His glory; consumed with His global purposes; consumed with His Son. We want them to know God deeply through Scripture. We want them to love God deeply because of how truly great He is. We want them to obey Him, living their lives in absolute submission and surrender to His sovereign authority. Our goal is to make hard following disciples of Jesus Christ! But the reason we want these things is essential; we want them, because God Himself wants them.

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children… (Deuteronomy 6:4-7a – ESV)

Methods

What follows is a short explanation of our method. How are we going to make the kind of disciples that our goal describes?

Prayer

As with any ministry, prayer will be foundational to operating and facilitating the church’s ministry to children. We will seek to model this consumption with God in our own prayer lives; seeking His Spirit of grace to be active in our ministries and in the lives of the children entrusted to our care.

Formal (Large Group) Teaching

We want to provide opportunities for children to learn the Word of God in settings with their peers, to begin learning how to serve one another and contribute as a part of a larger body, with opportunities to discuss truth with one another and even to teach one another, as they are being taught by a more mature Christian adult.

Relational (one on one/small group) Teaching

Typically a need for relational discipleship is not recognized until a child has reached the age of “youth” (usually 6th or 7th grade). Whereas many youth ministries are geared toward mentoring relationships, it seems that the younger children are usually overlooked and are placed in more “efficient” large group settings at all times. However, since we hold that children are made in the image of God just like all other age groups and are no less important to God than any other age group, we thus desire to model our children’s ministry after the overall vision for church-wide ministry, and want to establish genuine discipleship relationships with children of all ages if at all possible, with a view toward enriching their relationships with their parents, for the purpose of teaching them at a level specifically geared toward each individual.

What will we be teaching?

There will be 4 standards we will use in determining the kind of curriculum or material we will offer as a church in our all of our children’s ministries. They are: God-centered, Gospel-saturated, Parent-involved, and Age-directed. Basically these standards can each be seen in 4 different questions we will ask before we choose any curriculum for any children’s ministry function.

• Is this curriculum thoroughly God-centered? Because the goal of our ministry, and more importantly the mandate of Scripture is to help children come to know, love, and obey God (Deuteronomy 6:4-9), we must teach them about who He is, so that they will begin to view the world through the lenses of His sovereignty and wisdom. The Gospel is about Him; it is about His gift of Himself to us; so we must teach our children about Him.

• Does this curriculum focus heavily on explaining the Gospel? Because young children are so teachable and because their childhood will largely influence the course of the rest of their lives, we must take our responsibility to accurately explain and help them to understand the heart of the Gospel seriously. The Gospel is not a get-out-of-hell free card; it is a message about God, what He has done to rescue all people from sin, and it is a demand to follow this God wherever He leads for the rest of our lives. Though admittedly, teaching this Gospel to children is much more difficult than simply calling them to believe in a proverbial Jesus, we will remain committed to it, because in order for them to know God, love God, and obey God; they must first understand and accept the true and full Gospel.

• Is this curriculum structured to encourage family participation and parent involvement? Because our ministry must be as much a ministry to parents as it is to children, we will choose our curriculum carefully, making sure that it encourages us to that end rather than distracts us. Scripture makes clear that the primary and immediate responsibility to raise children to treasure Christ, falls directly on the parents. In other words, God’s preferred means for raising children to know, love and obey Him is through parents, so we will labor to support those relationships.

• Is this curriculum age directed and digestible for its intended age group?Just as no good food is enjoyable unless we take the time to chew and digest it, so it is with the material we teach to our children. If we do not ensure that they can comprehend what we are trying to teach, then we will invariably miss our goal of helping them know, love and obey God. So, we will work to ensure that the curriculum we use is age appropriate and conducive to reaching our goals.

• So, what we teach will have to meet 4 specific standards, before we will even consider teaching it. It must be God-centered, Gospel saturated, Parent involved, and age-directed.

Evangelism

Young children are an especially teachable type of person. Great care will be taken to share the Gospel clearly with them at early ages, so that the rest of their lives might be characterized by the fruit of a disciple of Christ, making a lifelong impact on the Kingdom of God.

When sharing the Gospel with children, as with any age group, great care should be taken to present the Gospel biblically; exposing sin, explaining God's wrath on mankind because of sin, proclaiming the gracious one-time Sacrifice of Christ to satisfy God's wrath and the impossibility for man to satisfy God's wrath himself, explaining the need to repent of sin and trust in Christ because of His sacrifice as sufficient payment for sin, looking ahead at the results of having such faith in Christ (godly life and sanctification), and giving hope of the promise of eternal life.

Establishing Relationships with Parents and Children

Ministry at its foundation is relational. Therefore, if we want our children’s ministry to be as much a ministry to parents as it is to children, then we must not only form lasting relationships with children, but with their parents.

Modeling Godly Character

We want children to know that there are more people dedicated to Jesus Christ than just their parents. We want them to see what it looks like to be a follower of Jesus in as many lives as possible, to verify the truth of the Gospel in their hearts, so that they might be able to develop a well-balanced picture of what it means to be a disciple of Christ and to support what is being modeled in the home.

The Foundation

The Foundation: A Biblical View of Children

Children, as all human beings, are uniquely made in the image of God and as such are valuable to God as they directly represent Him on earth.

In all creation before man, God simply speaks and it is so. With man however, God takes time to call attention to this work, for it is the highlight of His creative work. Man is God's most valued creation, which makes His announcement all the more meaningful. God is not calling attention simply to man, as if man is so valuable in and of himself. God is calling all in heaven to attention, in order that they might see Him, for it is in man where His magnificent creative power and character is most clearly seen. The account of Genesis 5 then, shows us that this image has since passed from generation to generation, and thus exists in every human that lives today, for all are ultimately descendents of Adam. Therefore, children, as God’s image bearers are as valuable to God as His original creation.

• Genesis 1:26-27 – Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…” So God created man in His own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

• Genesis 5:1-3 – This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created. When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.

As God’s image bearers, children are fully deserving of sincere love, honor, and respect, even before they are born.

If God is intimately involved in forming a human even in its earliest stages of development it is indication that a life is of extremely high value to Him whether it is in or out of the womb. We ought to value life in every form and age that it is valued by God.

• Psalm 139:13-16 – For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them.

Children are no less valuable to God, nor to the church than any other age group. In fact, children were highly valued by Jesus Himself during His earthly ministry.

What we learn from Jesus is that not only does He care for the well being (both spiritual and physical) of children, but that adults have something to learn from them. The faith of a child is the purest form of faith that exists, so adults ought to be concerned with not only wanting to minister to them, seeking to bring them to faith, but they also ought to be seeking to learn from children.

We also learn from Jesus that a person’s genuine and honest ministry to children and to those like children who are typically neither able nor mindful to reciprocate a ministry to the minister, is ministry that exemplifies what it means to seek to “be last and servant of all.” Though there may be very little earthly reward for pouring our lives out for the spiritual well being of children, ultimately we can know with confidence that this kind of ministry pleases the heart of Christ Himself. “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”

• Mark 10:13-16 – And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.

• Mark 9:34b-37 - …on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”

Children, due to the effect of Adam’s sin, are born with a sinful nature.

Children are not born innocent of sin, for the sin of Adam has been passed down from generation to generation just as the image of God has been. We are born under the wrath of God and from birth are in need of the righteousness of Christ to be imputed to us in order to be justified.

• Romans 5:12 – Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned…

• Ephesians 2:3 - …we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

A person’s (including children) accountability before God is directly related to their experience of God’s revelation.

The basis for God’s judgment on a person is their rejection of God’s natural revelation, not their rejection of Christ. God has clearly revealed Himself in creation, giving man a sufficient basis to seek Him out honestly. It can be concluded then, that those without the ability to rightly process God’s natural revelation are no less savable than those who have openly rejected God despite their reception of natural revelation. If God would offer salvation to those who have openly rejected Him despite His revelation; surely He would at least offer salvation in Christ in some way shape or form to those who have not even had the opportunity to reject Him.

This is not saying that those without the ability to rightly process God’s revelation are not guilty; certainly they are guilty of sin like the rest of mankind since Adam’s sin has been passed to them. This is all simply to say that those who are without the ability to rightly process God’s natural revelation are savable, just like the rest of mankind. They are no less savable than anyone else, but not because they are not guilty; rather, because God is good and just.

• John 9:41 – Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt (or sin); but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt (or sin) remains. (Additions in parenthesis mine)

• Romans 1:20 – For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Children are under the direct authority of their parents, by the design of God.

God has ordained it so that children are entrusted primarily to the care of their earthly parents/guardians, to the point that children are under the direct authority of their parents until they reach adulthood. God has designed it so that His will is carried out for children as they lovingly submit to the leadership of their parents (whether the parents are believers or not), insofar as submitting to their leadership does not require that the child violate the will of God as revealed in the Scriptures.

• Exodus 20:12 – Honor your father and mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

• Ephesians 6:1-4 – Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother (this is the first commandment with a promise), that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”

• Colossians 3:12 – Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

Parent’s Obligation

Parenting and the Church's Ministry to Children

Parents are scripturally obligated to raise their children in the way of the Lord. This includes:

Teaching the Scriptures

• Genesis 18:17-19 – The Lord said; “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring Abraham what he has promised him.”

• Deuteronomy 6:4-9 – Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 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. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

• Psalms 78:5-8 – He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach their children; that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God, and not forget the words of god, but keep his commandments; and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God.

• Proverbs 22:6 – Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

• Ephesians 6:4 - Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction in the Lord.

• 2 Timothy 3:14-15 – But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

Modeling Godly Character

• Deuteronomy 6:4-9 – Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 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. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Reminding them of the Works of God

• Deuteronomy 4:9-10 – Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children – how on the day that you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, the LORD said to me, “Gather the people to me, that I may let them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children so.”

• Psalm 145:4,11-12 – One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts…They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power, to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

Conclusion

• The Scriptural obligation to raise children according to the standards and desires of God is put directly on the parents/guardians. Parents are responsible for taking initiative in their child’s spiritual development by educating and modeling before them what it is to be a God-follower. Though none of this excludes the Body of Christ from participating in this process, it does require that the Body not replace the role of parents in this area, given that the parents are followers of Christ. In the event that parents are not believers or where parents are not present, the Body should come alongside these children and the unsaved parents/guardians to help fulfill this vital role and to share the Gospel with the parents.

• A child’s discipline ought to be carried out by those responsible for raising them.

• Part of training children requires that they be disciplined, for just as the spiritual well being of any Christian requires discipline from God (Prov. 3:11-12; Heb. 12:5-8), so the training up of children in the way of the Lord requires that parents properly discipline their children in love, to contribute to rearing them up to a life of obedience to Christ.

Corporate Worship

Corporate Worship and Children

Parents ought to be encouraged to worship with their children both at home and with the gathered local body regularly.

We want to encourage a lifestyle of worship; one that exists in the home as much as it does in the church.

Services ought to be structured to invite participation from all age groups, in all aspects of the service.

This will be a lifelong endeavor in the life of our church. It is not easy to involve everyone in everything in every given service and gathering, but it will certainly be our constant goal.

Children are always welcome to participate in corporate worship with the body at large.

We love children and want to worship with them and even learn from them. If Jesus did not reject children even at crucial teaching opportunities, neither will we.

While children are welcome in corporate worship, we will try to offer “Children’s Church” for those parents who prefer for their children to engage in more age-directed learning.

Again, we want to be a support to parents, assisting them in raising their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. Because of that, we will try to support the ministry of Children’s Church with those parents that have decided that it is a crucial tool to help them raise their families in the will and desires of God. We will be happy to offer this ministry for children up to 3rd grade, or sooner if their parents decide that it is appropriate for them to participate in the larger service.

Children’s Church ought to be oriented toward preparing children to participate in corporate worship with the larger church body, as parents see fit.

We would do our children a disservice to offer them entertainment until a certain age, and then expect them to enjoy worshipping with the larger body when the time comes. Some goals in Children’s Church will be to teach children about worship, encouraging them to maintain a mindset of worship, and showing them the pleasure of worshipping with their brothers and sisters in Christ.