Christian Forums

Wow, it's been a little disappointing that there haven't been any responses to these really good questions!!  But then, I guess it's taken me three days to formulate this rambling response as well ;-)

Part of the answer ties in to the thread you, I and others tossed about last week concerning family activities and our \"busy-ness.\"  We get so caught up in the frantic pace of life in the 21st century that we don't have the energy or the time to seize the spiritual teaching opportunities that come along.  I'm of the Deut 6 \"teach as you go\" mentality.  Some of the best conversations I've had with my children -- spiritually -- have come when we're one-on-one in the car going somewhere.  But in order to do that well I have to be \"un-stressed\" and not so consumed with my agenda/schedule that I miss the question or the opening ('cause sometimes they're real subtle.)  

I have been an utter failure at \"family devotionals.\"  We've bought the little cute books with all their ideas and crafts and stuff and... I'm sorry... I just can't make it go.  One excuse is the age range of our children (10-16) but mostly it's just I've not been able to develop the enthusiasm needed to make them go well.   Perhaps I'm prideful but I struggle with doing things because somebody thought it was a great idea or \"everybody\" is doing it.  (On another note, I'm fighting a losing battle to not take the family to Disney World later this year!)  Back to devotionals:   I have, on a couple occasions, had a called family meeting that probably resembled a devotional.  In these cases, my wife and I felt the need to address certain behaviors that had become epidemic and usually involved Scriptures discussing selflessness, servanthood and language that builds up vs. language that tears down.  I've had to work hard not to approach those situations as a fire-and-brimstone preacher, but they've actually gone fairly well.

In the final analysis, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.  We lead our children whether we want to or not, it's just a matter of direction.  If we are serious/joyous about our relationship with God, that will be communicated --- as we go about our daily lives.  The church and its children's/youth ministries can assist, but no matter how many people expect it, the church  cannot replace that parental influence.

One more quick comment on this subject...

We can teach the Bible to our children, we can send them to \"Sunday School\", we can bring them with us as we assemble with other Christians, we can play Bible games... Sing Bible songs... We can raise them on Veggie Tales, and send them off to \"church camp\"...

We can do all of these things, day after day... Year after year...

But unless they see Christ living in us...

We have failed.

Unless they see Christ living in us...

We have not taught our children.

[!--QuoteBegin--][/span][table border=\"0\" align=\"center\" width=\"95%\" cellpadding=\"3\" cellspacing=\"1\"][tr][td]Quote [/td][/tr][tr][td id=\"QUOTE\"][!--QuoteEBegin--]One of our students who is homeschooled is doing something exciting with his 7th grade son.[/quote]

One of your youth, a seventh-grader, homeschooled, is doing something exciting with his Dad?

I knew what you meant  ;) ...

We've had a bad time doing the scheduled, daily Bible/devo all together.  We get a lot more done on the fly as the opportunities arise.

It seems to me that there are those who go to church, and there are many fewer who are living their lives to glorify God.  This involves taking the role of spiritually leading their own children seriously.

As children's ministry leader at our church, I am wondering how in the world do we move spiritual growth back into the home, and away from expecting a Sunday School class to take care of this responsibility for us?

How do we get parents more spiritually involved with their own kids?

What principles, as well as specific ideas, have you wise and wonderful parents out there found that seem to work in your families, and churches?

Aside from the \"teach-as-you-go\" strategy, my wife homeschools our children, which gives them an all-around Biblically based education. Also, we both take time to read the Children's Bible to our kids every night before they go to sleep. After reading, we ask them questions, and try to teach them the lessons that each Biblical story impresses. We also play games with our kids... Bible hangman (is that an oxymoron?), Bible pictionary, and Bibleman, the board game (we do this quite often). Aside from these things, we have several Scripturally based cartoons and movies, on video and DVD, that we let our children watch more than a few times during the week.

Not being in an institutional church setting, we don't have \"Sunday School\", and therefore have not made it into a crutch (as some unfortunately have). We understand that the responsibilites have been laid squarely on our shoulders, and view nothing else with the same level of importance as their spiritual instruction. Although, a lot of thought doesn't really have to go into it... It just happens, and is a part of our everyday lives.

[!--QuoteBegin--][/span][table border=\"0\" align=\"center\" width=\"95%\" cellpadding=\"3\" cellspacing=\"1\"][tr][td]Quote [/td][/tr][tr][td id=\"QUOTE\"][!--QuoteEBegin--]\"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.\" (Prov. 22:6, KJV)[/quote]

One of our students who is homeschooled is doing something exciting with his 7th grade son.  They  are reading through the Scripture chronolgically.  So far they are through Genesis and Job.  

What a great idea for any father and son to do together!  (Or mother and daughter for that matter).

Kevin

[!--QuoteBegin--][/span][table border=\"0\" align=\"center\" width=\"95%\" cellpadding=\"3\" cellspacing=\"1\"][tr][td]Quote (janine @ Mar. 03 2003,9:46)[/td][/tr][tr][td id=\"QUOTE\"][!--QuoteEBegin--][!--QuoteBegin--][/span][table border=\"0\" align=\"center\" width=\"95%\" cellpadding=\"3\" cellspacing=\"1\"][tr][td]Quote [/td][/tr][tr][td id=\"QUOTE\"][!--QuoteEBegin--]One of our students who is homeschooled is doing something exciting with his 7th grade son.[/quote]

One of your youth, a seventh-grader, homeschooled, is doing something exciting with his Dad?[/quote]
Thanks for adding some punctuation, Janine.  I must have been really tired when I typed that.

Kevin