I n today’s world Christian Parents and teachers are increasingly faced with seeming obstacles in raising kids. Considering all of life’s increasing distractions with the rise of technology, social media pressure, Internet, video games, trending fashion, sports, movies, peer & social pressure, drugs etc. kids seem to experience information overload and despair as they face a general absence of godly or inspiring examples and godly living in a society that is currently being described as fast forward, modern, edgy etc. all in the bid for their freedom from God.
Nevertheless, there are basic strategic approach that we can adopt in raising children as disciples of our Man of God and our message in the ministry.
A-We must live our Faith and act our believing as followers of
Christ-
As kids grow, we have an obligation and responsibility to live out our faith, by being proactive, practical and deliberate in God’s plans and purposes for the kids. No one can give to another what they do not have. Except the Word of God dwells in us richly to the extent that we run our homes, schools, offices or churches with it, we cannot expect to influence the lives of our kids–
“Let the Word of Christ –the Message-have run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense, And sing, sing your hearts out to God!” (Colossians 3:16)MSG
We must use required definite methods (depending on the age of the child), towards the consistent tutelage of our kids in the teachings delivered to us by our Man of God Pastor Chris; one of them is to first program our own hearts with the Word of God through consistent study and meditation in the scriptures. God instructs Joshua us in Joshua 1:8
“This Book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall deal wisely and have good success.” (Amplified)
Secondly we must teach (by examples showing out the faith, hope and love values) the Word of God espoused in the teachings of our Man of God, to our Kids in season and out of season. God is specific as to the methods we are to adopt as He instructs Israel in Deuteronomy 6:6-9:
“And you just think constantly about these commandments I am giving you today. You must teach them to your children and talk about them when you are at home or out for a walk; at bedtime and the first thing in the morning. Tie them on your finger, wear them on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house! (TLB)
“Write these commandments that I’ve given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night. Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder; inscribe them on the doorposts of your homes and on your city gates.”(MSG)
Jesus said,“Follow me and I will make you….” Matthew 4:19
Paul says,“For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us; for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; (2 Thessalonians 3:7 KJV)
“For you well know that you ought to follow our example…”
(2Thessalonians 3:7 TLB)
We live our faith before our kids by doing the Word. Doing values that have been emphasized in scripture through Pastor’s Teachings- like walking in love, demonstrating forgiveness, showing kindness and generosity, preferring others above our own selves.
Books, Devotionals and Materials published in our Ministry
Spending valuable times with your children cannot be overemphasized. Children spell L-O-V-E as T-I-M-E. The much time invested in having devotions and prayer times with our kids, sharing with them the joys and wisdom laden in the scriptures, will eventually be a life not just taught our kids but caught by them. When life does settle with them, having been programmed, they will eventually become the things they have learned.
Proverbs 22:6-
“Teach a child to choose the right path, and when he is older, he will remain upon it.” (TLB)
“Point your kids in the right direction – when they’re old they won’t be lost”. (MSG)
As our kids grow up through every growth phase of their lives, we must ensure that we facilitate their membership, participation and fellowship with other believers in our Christ Embassy local church.
Through participating in the children’s church and attending Children’s Church programs in our churches, kids are better established in the truths and teachings of our Man Of God Pastor Chris. By this you are demonstrating to them that spending time with God in His house is of utmost priority and important to you. They mingle amongst their peers and learn to live amongst their kind, cultivating Christian values and culture in the Word.
In our Children’s Churches around the World, our kids are taught discipleship and leadership through service and responsibility. You should also share your own experiences of growing up in the Church and how fellowship with the saints and participating in the Church has helped you become who you are today.
Teaching them to know God intimately through reading the Bible with your kids using Christ Embassy Kiddies animation tools; Use our age appropriate Bible resources in the ministry and lessons to integrate into family devotional times and for the spiritual education of your child. Also helping them learn or memorise scriptures in your company- this is part of discipleship; Practise sing-along ministry songs; Talking passionately about our own testimonies of God and our passionate love for Him.
Serve God before them, with a whole hearted devotion; Let your kids see that God is your priority and focus; (through your own church service membership, attendance and participation in the Ministry) everything else is secondary. As we yield to the mastery and lordship of the Word of God, we can teach our kids to not just obey God’s Word but DO His Word His way!
There are deep spiritual insights taught by our Man Of God Pastor Chris through his teachings of God’s Word. In helping our kids receive, understand, live in the light of and do these things, assigning our kids specific spiritual tasks from the time your kid can read and write is essential to the discipleship of a child. Tasks like reading a scripture verse and writing out what they learn about it; Demanding accountability of lessons taught and learnt by your child at the Children’s Church service on Sunday, will help your child learn focus in his or spiritual learning process and learning to remember what was taught so he or she can share it with others.
Teachings by teaching it to them
Usually being an avid listener and user of Pastor Chris Teachings and Messages in your home will open up or introduce your growing child (as little as a baby) to the Man of God in a white suit “Pastor Chris”. From babyhood, it is a phenomenal testimony by most parents of growing kids in our Ministry that our kids get drawn to Pastor Chris right from the time they were babies.
Some babies in our ministry have had their first words to be,” Hallelujah, praise God, amen” etc.and other Christian lingo from watching Pastor Chris video teachings. But these days we do have so many Children’s Ministry Bible resources produced by the LoveWorld Publishing Ministry; resources through which our kids can relate and speed up spiritual understanding of spiritual things.
TWOGCM Kiddies World
