I remember when my kids were little, and by the time we actually sat down in the pew at church most of the Holy had been sucked out of the day. Between keeping everyone clean, and being on time it was enough to steal my religion. And, that was before church had even started! It was a weekly battle. But, we (my hubby and I) did it. We did it even on the Sundays when more time was spent taking a kid out due to noise/activity than there was time spent in the actual service. With persistence and practice we eventually helped our kids understand that sitting through the church service wasn't that bad - they would live through it. We started when they were little, and now my teenagers know that come Sunday morning our family will be going to church. Together.
Maybe it was important to me to train my kids because it had been so ingrained in my head that on Sunday mornings you went to church. Unless you were dead. Or died on the way. There were no questions asked - you just went. It was what mom and dad expected. It was pointless to question it. You wouldn't win the argument.
My husband and I focused on making sure the kids KNEW the people that they went to church with. We talked with other members of the congregation. As young parents we were at least 3 hours away from family/grandparents. It was important to us that our kids had people in their lives that cared about them and saw them regularly. We spent time creating relationships. I wanted my kids to look forward to going to church so that they could see the people that they knew and loved.
There are always struggles, though. What I struggle with more than anything, is how little of an importance our society will give to Christian Education. It is a constant battle to go against the norm. Regular attendance like I grew up with is not the norm any longer. Weird. Now society will fill stadiums with excited fans for a sporting event, but our church pews on Sunday mornings are only half full. We will cart our kids to every end of the state for a sports team competition, but getting them across town for Sunday morning is too much effort. That's our day to relax.
PEOPLE!! This is all of eternity that we are talking about!!
I hear other parents say things like, "we don't want to MAKE our kids go to church because we don't want them to hate it". Funny how we don't apply that same theory to taking a bath, brushing their teeth, or doing their math homework. I guess I view the need to know about God right up at the top of the list of "Good Things To Know".
I can remember as a kid not wanting to go to church - ESPECIALLY when I was in junior high. I may have made an attempt to argue my case for not going, but I knew in the end I was expected to go. While I may have been angry about it then, I am so thankful now that my parents made church a priority. I don't think we will hear from young adults in the future "Well, I am so glad that mom and dad let me make up my own mind about brushing my teeth, because they didn't want to make me hate it, or fight that battle. Now that I'm older I brush them twice a year whether they need it or not. I do it to make mom happy."
And, how did we come to the place that we think 60 minutes a week is enough to educate ourselves on a topic? Any topic? We don't do that with anything else. My kids LOVE to read, and we had bible story books right in along with all the other Little Golden books. We read them together. We talked about the stories. It wasn't a big deal at all. It was just part of our daily living. We talked about how we could see the things that God did - like flowers, trees, animals, and such. It wasn't just at church that my kids learned about God. We practiced singing Sunday school songs each time we were in the van going somewhere - we sang them together. It was fun! It makes me sad how many kids the same age as my own don't remember, or never learned those classic Sunday school songs like "Jesus Loves Me", or "This Little Light of Mine".
I have been involved with teaching Sunday school since before I had my own kids. Must be the teacher in me. I didn't ever have my own parents as Sunday school teachers when I was growing up, so I don't know what that would feel like. Maybe I should pity them more? ha! I know my hubby had his mom for a teacher for many years, and he survived. When my own kids were infants, I took a less active role in the Christian Education venue, but have always been involved at some level with the education area. Then, once my own were old enough to attend I became active again in the "official" education process.
I have spent the last eight or so years helping teach the Middle School kids at our church. Teaching Middle Schoolers will keep you on your toes. From now until the beginning of May my focus each week will be helping them to understand the complex thing we call "faith". But, most importantly - helping them to see the importance of a RELATIONSHIP with Jesus Christ. A relationship takes effort! I was a little unsure at first if I would be able to teach middle school. To my surprise middle schoolers are a lot of fun! They are eager to learn, and ask great questions. But, sadly, the practice of attending church on a weekly basis seems to be fading out with time. But, I will get to that in a bit.
Speaking of questions… Did God create the dinosaurs? Were the dinosaurs on the ark? What is the Holy Spirit? How can I know if the Holy Spirit is talking to me? Wasn't it a sin for David to kill Goliath? Was Jesus ever ornery as a boy?
All good questions. And, these questions come from my daughter's Confirmation Class. Eighth Graders. I think that the fear of facing those type of questions keep some parents from ever taking on the topic of a faith discussion with their kids. I have taught the Confirmation Class for both of my older kids, now it is my youngest's turn. This will be my last year of teaching the Confirmation Class. I think.
I want my own kids to have a love of what Church has to offer. Not only my own kids, but the kids that I teach, too. I don't mean church as in the physical building. I mean the people. The CHURCH of believers who love and support you - and also call you to be accountable. I love it that my kids know that in their world, they will see their church family not only on Sunday mornings, but also when they are out and about during the week. Their church family will be watching them at school events, and as they go into the local grocery store. These same people that they worship with on Sunday, are people just like them. People who need grace.
If through this Confirmation Class I can help teach another group of students to love the CHURCH as well as Jesus, maybe a difference can be made in how they approach their own relationship with God. Maybe along the way they will find a love for being at church on a Sunday morning, too.
Sadly, some of those who DO make church a priority on Sunday live a life so contrary for the one hour they spend there on Sunday that the rest of the world sees through the hypocrisy. Middle school aged children can spot hypocrisy with great speed, and are not at all hesitant to call it out. My job as the teacher is to help them to understand that while there is hypocrisy in the world, we have to love one another through it. We are called to be "fishers of men", not "keepers of the aquarium".
My hope is that through gentle persistence, and loving guidance I can continue to teach my own kids about the joy of attending church. Maybe along the way I can impact a few more kids in a positive manner, too. Train up a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old he will not depart from it.
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