2/17/13 Letter to Parents (no youth Sunday School today)
Dear Parents,
Our church's theme this year is "Strong Family, Healthy Church".
I truly believe that the family is the best small group “discipleship center.” As parents, you get to spend 3000 hours a year influencing your children, as opposed to the 40-100 hours at most that I as a youth pastor have during Sunday School and Friday night Bible study. The best teaching takes place as you live out your faith in front of your teenager’s life on a daily basis. That’s why I believe the purpose of youth ministry is to encourage and reinforce the Biblical truths that you are already teaching at home. You are the true models of faith that your kids are emulating and it’s a privilege for me to come alongside and provide any resources I can to help you help your child.
The reason I believe this is because of what the Bible says about families:
1. According to Genesis 1:27-28, the first commandment to “be fruitful and multiply” is fulfilled through family.
2. In the beginning, God created family and its purpose before he created the church. You can see His vision to use the family for evangelism when he gave Adam and Eve the task of filling the earth and subduing it (v. 28).
3. God even repeated His plan for people after the flood when “God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them ‘Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.’”
4. God’s spiritual plan that began with Abraham involved family: “Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.” – Genesis 18:18-19
5. Out of 10 commandments, the FIRST horizontal command has to do with family: “Honor your father and mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” – Exodus 20:12. God sees family relationships more important than any other, beside Himself.
6. We all know the greatest commandment quoted by Jesus, but often fail to read the following verses. Here’s Deuteronomy 6:5-7 “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”
7. The Old Testament starts with family, and ends with family: “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.” – Malachi 4:5-6
8. Even the New Testament begins with family: “And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” – Luke 1:17-18
9. The gospel is for families: “Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.’” – Acts 2:38-39 (the 3-fold movement of the gospel is completed with personal repentance/baptism/forgiveness, receiving the Holy Spirit, and the transfer of that faith to your kids)
10. Furthermore, according to Ephesians 6:4, parents are to do the spiritual training of their children, not delegate it: “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” It’s like the Sharpie analogy: we all as parents get a Sharpie marker for each of our children, to write God’s loving message on their hearts and to draw out His beautiful picture. But sometimes we tend to pass off the marker to the teacher, or pastor, or coach or TV or video games or their friends instead. I know I am guilty of that myself at times. I need your prayers and grace as I let God keep turning my heart towards my own home this year.
11. But the greatest joy of parenting to me is found in 3 John 1:4 “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” This is my prayer for your family as well as mine.
This weekend is combined fellowship on Friday and combined Sunday School and service. I am encouraging the youth to sit with their parents if possible. I believe the best way of learning does not take place in the classroom but in real life, from spiritual models. To that end, I want them to look over your shoulder as they learn their faith and spend some time this year worshipping with together with you as a family instead of only hanging out with their peers during church.
Thank you for letting me share what’s on my heart today. Caron did a great job teaching Sunday School for the youth and middle school yesterday. I will write more later this week.
May God's joy fill your heart this new year,
Chris
2/11/13