What we do with that time then becomes crucially important!
It is worth our time, our effort and our love.
What happens in that hour or two can create for a child a deep sense of belonging, purpose and meaning within a community that coincides with the values and teachings of their parents and creates relationships that can last long into the future. And what is done all week long to keep that faith conversation going has far-reaching impact.
Can I encourage you to embrace whatever short time you have with the parents and children of your church with as much enthusiasm and commitment as you can muster?
Seek for ways to nurture, support and equip their parents.
Create intentional space for both intergenerational and peer relationships to be created and fostered.
Find times for children to join the faith community in worship, in serving, in sharing the story of faith.
Cast a vision of holistic discipleship that involves both the church and the home as integral and necessary parts of a whole.
Just as they were present to hear Moses speak of their future, their Promised Land, find ways to engage the children in their legacy, the legacy of our faith.
My mom often told me in regard to parenting that the days are long but the years are short. When it comes to our ministry to children in church, the hours may feel short, but the legacy lasts long. Use the hours wisely and know that you are ministering far beyond that hour—you are passing a legacy of faith to the children and their children that are to come!
This article originally appeared here.
