SIN NATURE:

“The Lord God said, ‘Since man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil,he must not reach out, take from the tree of life, eat, and live forever.’ So the Lord God sent him away from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken.” Genesis 3:22-23 HCSB

            “God does not create evil; still he does not prevent it when it is shown by others, although he could do so” (Alister E. McGrath, The Christian Theology Reader. Third Edition.(Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing 2007. Pg. 184). Evil and sin are created by Satan. Satan has been displeased and unhappy and against God from the beginning. God allows the evil and for us to choose or to have free will to sin. This is to make us stronger through trials and sufferings and to make us stronger so we can resist temptation and to strive to be righteous.

God’s Word tells us “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23, HCSB). Sin cannot be avoided by man. Only one man lived a perfect and sinless life and that was Jesus, Son of God. “Everyone who enters the world may be said to be affected by a kind of contamination [in quadam contamination effici dicitur]” (McGrath. Pg. 408). When a child is born into this world, he is a sinner in need of a Savior.

God created us and created us to be in relationship with Him. “Human nature was certainly originally created blameless and without any fault [vitium]; but the human nature by which each one of us is now born of Adam requires a physician, because it is not healthy” (McGrath. Pg. 416). However, the sin of Adam and Eve has impacted all of mankind, forever. This is known as original sin. God did not originally create us to have a sin nature or for the earth to be cursed. “This webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in justice, fulfillment, and delight is what the Hebrew prophets call shalom….Shalom, in other words, is the way things are supposed to be” (Cornelius Plantinga, Jr. Engaging God’s World-A Christian Vision of Faith, Learning, and Living. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2002. Pg. 14-15). God has created us to be in harmony with Him and to praise and worship Him. Through the redemptive power of Christ Jesus, mankind will be restored to a right relationship with God. Man only needs to use the power of free will instilled by God to accept the power of Jesus’ blood on the cross.

Mankind may be doomed because of original sin, but God made a way through His son Jesus. “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). There is hope for ‘everyone’, including children.

A hot topic of discussion amongst those in children’s ministry is the ‘age of accountability.’ When are children ready to understand the concept of salvation? This series will  explore this topic and allow the readers to come to their own conclusions.

One of the things that must be of great concern to Christian parents who love their children is the age of accountability. The saying goes “no parent should outlive their children.” When a child dies before the parent, the question arises “where is my child?” No matter the behavior of the child while in life, some parents believe children are “little angels” and go to heaven. The status of the best-selling book, Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back, is a testament to the issue of children, heaven, and God. The interest is not just for believers. “The book has sold just as strongly in national chain bookstores like Barnes & Noble as it has in Christian specialty shops, said Matt Baugher, the vice president and publisher of Thomas Nelson.”[1]

There comes a time in a person’s life when they have an understanding of sin, its impact on our relationship with God, and the head and heart understanding of the gift God gives in His son Jesus to redeem ourselves.  What is this age? This series will explore this issue and review scripture to help understand there is no certain age. This series will examine accountability in regard to physical age but more importantly developmental age and environmental background.  The issues discussed will be the sin nature of man which goes back to original sin and the impact on all, including children. To help us understand this issue; we will look at the reason God created us. Another question addressed will be that we are created in His image and what does that mean for the age of accountability. An important aspect of this topic will be the stages of faith for children along with their psychological development. The questions will be explored if children can even posses the faith necessary for salvation? There are factors to consider when determining the age of accountability such as intellectual, emotional, and spiritual development. Another important factor is spiritual background and environment. Lastly, we will take a look at how to know a child, or any person for that matter, is ready to make the decision to make Christ Lord of their life.

And that is my 2 cents worth.

This brings us to the issue of what age should children attend worship. There are many factors to consider for this question. The size of the church, the number of services offered, the alternative offered for children, the length of the worship service and church leadership.    Considering Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development children should be developmentally able to start attending worship sometime between the ages of 7 and 11. Children who are 11 and older in the formal operational stage should definitely be able to attend worship with parents. God intended for parents to be the spiritual head of their children. According to previously indicated scripture in Nehemiah 8, God did not originally establish Wacky World Children’s Worship Hour to separate families.  This issue is one that can divide churches along with pew versus chairs or the color of the carpet.

Since some consider children in worship as an inconvenience, some of which are parents, there must be a decision or plan in place that can benefit all the members of the faith community, especially children. The reason that children do not understand or are not developmentally ready is significant. However, sometimes we sell our children short on what they understand and comprehend. The real issue is we are selling God short on how He can use the Holy Spirit to work in the hearts of children.

Children have wiggle issues. So do adults. “Children are spiritually formed when they learn that following Jesus is not always convenient” (Beckwith, 2010, p. 75). There are many excuses to use to not have children in worship. The one that is troubling is that parents want to get rid of their kids for an hour and do not want to have to deal with them in worship. This brings great sadness to God.

There are many opportunities to be able to have children in worship. “If we want or children to grow in faith, we have to give them opportunities to worship with the entire congregation and also to worship in ways that are developmentally appropriate. They need both” (Keeley, 2008, p. 114). Children of certain ages can attend worship with their parents for part of the service and then attend a worship service for children during the sermon portion of the worship service. Infants through age two can be cared for by trusted caregivers in the early childhood department. However, parents should be able to choose for themselves. Early childhood, children 3-5 years of age should experience a worship service similar to the adult yet considerably shorter and with stories, music, activities geared for their age group. However, an offering should be collected, prayers offered, a regular order of service followed, and continual focus on God. Restroom and drink breaks are done before children’s worship, also. Children’s worship should be a preparatory tool for when the child attends adult worship. Castleman warns on using adult worship as punishment for misbehavior in children’s worship. She also mentions to not down play children’s worship by calling the adult worship service the main service. Call it like it is—adult worship and children’s worship (Castleman, 1993).   The goal of children’s worship is to instruct and give children the experience of worship. Children’s worship is not for entertainment purposes.

The Bible says in Romans 14:12 we will give an account someday for our choices. God entrusted us as parents and Christian educators with one of His most prized-creations: children. Will we be able to say we did all we could for the spiritual development of children?  From Barna’s information in Transforming Children Into Spiritual Champions the question is posed do we want our children to develop a worldview by default? “For children to have the kind of faith that we want them to have, they need to be part of a worship experience. They need to see their parents and their parents’ friends gathered in worship” (Keeley, 2008, p. 114).

If well-meaning, Christ-following parents do not take an active role in guiding their child’s heart in the joy or worship; then children may see worship as a waste of their time or as a tradition that is out-of-date, rather than as a relationship we have with God. And that God created us for worship and to be in relationship with Him. Christian educators and parents both should create and implement worship for children but also give them the opportunity to worship in community with adults. The spiritual development of children is important to continue the legacy of developing Christ followers.

Don’t let the rocks take your place when it come to worship. (Luke 19:40)

Resources:

Beckwith, I. (2010). Formational Children’s ministry; Shaping Children Using Story, Ritual, and Relationship (E-Book ed.). [Nook Book on iPad]. Retrieved from

Castleman, R. (1993). Parenting in The Pew (Expanded Edition ed.). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Holy Bible, ESV

Keeley, R. J. (2008). Helping Our Children Grow in Faith. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

Many of us may have grown up as children in church. Common phrases heard were “sh, be quiet”, “sit still”, and “here, write on the bulletin”. These concepts need to be thrown out. This information is not to encourage children to go sit in the sanctuary with their parents, but rather to actively participate with their family in worship and to be an active part of the faith community.

The best way children can learn is through practice. Parents do not send their children out on to the basketball court without first having attended practice. If they do, they are setting their child up for failure. The same can be said about worshiping God. If children do not see parents and other adults worshiping God and be allowed to participate in that community of worship, then they are being set up to fail. “God had to train the nation of Israel to worship. He went to great lengths to teach his people how he deserved to be honored and loved and known” (Castleman, 1993, p. 19).

Children can also be utilized as participants in the worship liturgy. Children can light candles, greet alongside parents, and older children can read scripture. “This experience adds to the children’s worship, and the children feel that they play an important role in the church” (Keeley, 2008, p. 104).

One important aspect is to not water down the worship service to accommodate children. Children, like adults, may not always understand the ways of God. Keeley uses the example found in 1 Corinthians 4:1 “This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God” (ESV).  Keeley goes on to state it is okay for adults and parents to admit there are some things about God we do not understand (Keeley, 2008).

Children do need the consistency of rituals in worship. The order of service may not always be written out in a bulletin but is still general in nature. The call to worship, the giving of tithes and offerings, the forgiveness of sin, praise and thanksgiving to God, inspired Word of God, the closing and blessing to go and continue throughout the week. Rituals may be in the form of sacraments like the Lord’s Supper. Rituals do not have to be negative in connotation. As rituals are established, children can form their faith inside a safety net of rituals and traditions. Once their faith is made strong they may choose a different worship style of music or even vary from one denomination to another. However, they remain strong in their faith God.

And that’s my 2 cents worth.

Resources:

Castleman, R. (1993). Parenting in The Pew (Expanded Edition ed.). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Holy Bible, ESV

Keeley, R. J. (2008). Helping Our Children Grow in Faith. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

My heart is saddened because not veryone in a worship service will be joyous to have children in worship. Parents can get a feeling of self-consciousness. Parents may worry what others may think or if others are critical of their children attending worship. The answer to this dilemma is to fix our hearts on “being with our children before the Lord and not before the congregation, we will begin to experience great relief and freedom” (Castleman, 1993, p. 29).

Guiding children in worship is going to be work. As with various acts of service to God, there will be some sacrifice. We should remember the most we can do for God is the least we can afford to do for our God who sent His only Son to die for our sins. “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20 ESV).

Since statistics indicate many children who attend worship will be accompanied by a single parent, the community of believers need to step up and be ready to help that mom or dad. This will take the entire community of faith. This does not advocate the “it takes a village concept” but rather the village, in this case the church, is there for support and resources to the parents and family. Children, who are being raised by a single mom, need to see a spiritual male role-model in worship. Most churches have a majority of female volunteers serving in the children’s department. When children are separated from adults for worship, they may never see the spiritual male role-model. The saying ‘children are the tomorrow’s church leaders’ is correct. However, children are the church today. “In Nehemiah 8 all the people—men, women, and children—gathered together for what seems to have been a four- or five-hour worship service (Keeley, 2008, p. 98).  “He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law. They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly,and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading” (ESV).

Adults helping children and children helping adults can be a win-win situation in worship. Helping children focus on God in worship can also help adults focus on God in worship. “Learning to pay attention to my children has helped me pay attention to my heavenly Father in worship” (Castleman, 1993, p. 16). To understand how guiding children in worship can benefit adults we must first remember there is a difference between children participating in worship and children being in church.

Adults can learn from children to increase their faith, also. Jesus used children as an example of humility in Matthew 18:1-5:

  At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, (ESV).

How can we learn humility like that of a child if they are not allowed to be in worship? They can remind us what it means to be great believers.

Remember worship is about God and not about the individual. This concept may be foreign to some. Some leaders spend a lot of time training and arguing about how to worship and what style of worship should be used. The key is to teach Who to worship. “The call to worship centers on the One who calls us” (Castleman, 1993, p. 52).

And that’s my 2 cents worth

Resources:

Castleman, R. (1993). Parenting in The Pew (Expanded Edition ed.). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Holy Bible, ESV

Keeley, R. J. (2008). Helping Our Children Grow in Faith. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

Parents will teach and train their kids to many things in life, none as important as worship of God. Parents will train their children to hit or kick a ball and to do the motions to a cheer for their favorite sports team (this area children are taught to “call the Hogs” for the Arkansas Razorback team). Yet when it comes to worship, parents hope someone else will take care of that for them. According to the national surveys conducted by the Barna Group approximately two out of three parents relinquish the responsibility of moral and spiritual development to the “religious professionals to mastermind the spiritual development of the young people”(Barna, 2003, p. 78).  Seeing children experience true worship for the first time is exciting. This is not a concept you want to just leave to chance. This can be associated to a child taking their first steps. Every parent should want to witness those first steps. If those first steps are left for childcare giver to witness, sadness and disappoint may prevail. You cannot get back those first steps. They only happen once. The same is with worship. Experiencing the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper with your children for the first time can be just as exciting. Why leave this for someone else to experience?

Families should come worshiping to church and not just come to church to worship. Actually, all should make this a practice. Children in worship is a different mindset.  Children are not there to just be seen and not heard. The purpose for children in worship is to develop them spiritually. This development should begin early in their life. “Our task is to help children understand what they can about God in such a way that they are better prepared to understand more about Him when they are able” (Keeley, 2008, p. 101). The best way to be prepared to be in the presence of God is to be prepared. A chapter in the Robbie Castleman’s book Parenting in the Pew is called Sunday Morning Starts Saturday Night. Parents need to be sure everyone is physically ready to attend Sunday church on Saturday night. Children need a good night’s rest. All clothing, diaper bag, Bibles, and lesson books should be laid out the night before. Parents should rise well before children. The parents should be ready and then wake children and focus on getting them ready. Only positive attitudes are allowed. Sundays should be kept simple, but also the most exciting day of the week. God deserves our best. Castleman addresses the tithing aspect of worship in her book. Tithing should be prepared on Saturday night, as well. However, the issue of tithing should be discussed throughout the week as when the child receives an allowance.

Some other tips Castleman mentions are restroom and drink breaks should be attended to before going to worship. Excusing oneself during the service is inconsiderate to others. Sitting with friends may be allowed if the friends understand the rules of behavior during this time. If the rules cannot be adhered to, then this privilege will no longer be allowed. Paper and pencil is for taking notes not passing notes. Always make attending worship on Sunday exciting and not punishment. If children do attend a children’s worship service, then make a special occasion and celebration out of now getting to attend the adult worship service (Castleman, 1993).

We raised our children to be in worship with us. Now that most of them are grown, gone, and attending worship on their own; we relish in those worshipful experiences. Our children did not attend children’s church, but rather worshiped alongside of us. We were there to encourage our children by helping with hymnal pages, scripture readings, and any questions they might have had in regards to the sermon or worship experience in general.

And that is my 2 cents worth.

Resources

Barna, G. (2003). Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions. Ventura, CA: Regal Books.

Castleman, R. (1993). Parenting in The Pew (Expanded Edition ed.). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Keeley, R. J. (2008). Helping Our Children Grow in Faith. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

THE STATE OF THE FAMILY:

Another reason children should be included in the community of the church is more now than ever, the family is under attack. This is a time to be on alert on all fronts, especially in the area of spiritual development of children.

The state of the family and children in our country has received a bad grade on their report card. According to the 2010 US Census, one in five white children and one in two African-American children live in a single-parent home. The single parent is generally the mother (www.2010.census.gov). Children are being raised by others besides their parents. “Since 1975, the share of working mothers with children under the age of 18 has increased by 50 percent. The share working mothers with young children has increased even more, by nearly 75 percent” (“Mothers in the Labor Force”, 2009). Another aspect of family that has changed is the distance nuclear families live from grandparents and other extended family members. There are no persons from another generation to be around to show how to raise kids or to endow their wisdom upon their grandchildren.

People in society are busy and on the go.  Our society is society that relies heavily on the media for entertainment. “Today, 8-18 year-olds devote an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes (7:38) to using entertainment media across a typical day (more than 53 hours a week). And because they spend so much of that time ’media multitasking’ (using more than one medium at a time), they actually manage to pack a total of 10 hours and 45 minutes (10:45) worth of media content in to those 7 ½ hours” (“Generation M2: Media in the Lies of 8- to 18-Year-Olds”, 2010, para. 1).

These alarming statistics which indicate an attack on our children and our families from Satan indicate a decision to make our children stronger spiritually to leave a legacy and be able to provide a quality of life equal to or greater than their own. Guiding our children in the joy of worship is the most important role parents and the church has in the spiritual formation of children. “To not be concerned about spiritual formation during childhood is to ignore the very foundations of the spiritual life” (Stonehouse, 1998, p. 21). How can this be accomplished if children are not involved in the events of the faith community.  “Healthy spiritual growth also calls for participation in the life and events of the faith community as a whole” (Stonehouse, 1998, p. 40).

Church should be the one place where families are encouraged to be together; yet when families hit the church doors they are rarely welcomed before church greeters and volunteers whisk them off to separate parts of the building. Church should be the place where families can come together and worship God. “The most important thing you can ever train your child to do: worship. Worship is the only thing we get to do together forever” (Castleman, 1993, p. 16). There is a parental responsibility to guide children in worship. This responsibility is biblical. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 states:

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” ESV

And that is my 2 Cents Worth.

Resources

Seven in 10 mothers with children under age 18 are in the labor force. (2009). Familyfacts.org. Retrieved from http://www.familyfacts.org/charts/190/seven-in-10-mothers-with-children-under-age-18-are-in-the-labor-force

Generation M2: Media in the Lies of 8- to 18-Year-Olds. (2010, 01-20-2010). The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.kff.org/entmedia/mh012010pkg.cfm

Castleman, R. (1993). Parenting in The Pew (Expanded Edition ed.). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Stonehouse, C. (1998). Joining Children on the Spiritual Journey: Nurturing a Life of Faith (Seventh printing ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: BridgePoint Books.

This is going to be the start of another series. This one is near and dear to my heart. As a children’s minister, I have been a strong advocate of families which worship together. As a parent of four children, an even stronger advocate and can say family worship is a blessing and one we have enjoyed throughout the years.

Children in worship are vital to their spiritual formation as well as the adults attending worship.

Children in Worship

            Why should the consideration of children in adult worship services even be considered? “They are more numerous than the entire Hispanic and African-American populations of the nation combined” (Barna, 2003, p. 17). As of the 2010 Census there were 74,181,467 children under the age of 18 and 53,980,105 were between the ages of 5 and 17 (www.2010.census.gov).

The great number of children along with the statistics in regards to their spiritual health is another reason to consider children in worship as a church’s priority. Barna supplies many statistics in regards to children and spiritual formation his book Transforming Children Into Spiritual Champions. “We discovered the probability of someone embracing Jesus as his or her Savior was 32 percent for those between the ages of 5 and 12; 4 percent for those in the 13- to 18-age range; and 6 percent for people 19 or older” (Barna, 2003, p. 34). The conclusion made by Barna is to do what you can to reach them while they are young.

The foundation of any structure is vital to the strength of the structure as mentioned in Sanders and Bradberry in Teaching Preschoolers: First Steps Toward Faith (Sanders & Bradberry, 2009). Spiritual formation is like most developmental stage theories people develop at different rates, one stage is mastered before the next stage, and development is gradual (Keeley, 2008). The earlier spiritual formation begins the better chance of a stronger spiritual foundation.

The greatest reason children should be included in the community of the church, including corporate worship, is because children matter to God. “I have been waiting almost 30 years for someone to put into book form what I have known to be true nearly all my ministry life: Children matter”, as written in the foreword by Bill Hybels, Senior Pastor, Willow Creek Community Church (Barna, 2003, p. 8)! Instructions given in the Bible in regards to the spiritual formation of children is to parents not the local children’s minister at the temple. God in the form of man, Jesus, came to earth and engaged in personal relationships. These relationships included children. “Jesus didn’t just talk to adults. He interacted with children during his ministry years and said things about them that we should consider as we think about our work with children” (Keeley, 2008, p. 37). There are a great deal of scripture which indicates children matter to God.

“We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. 5 He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, 6 that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children. Psalm 78:4-6

“Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. 5 Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.” Psalm 127:3-5

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6

“and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” Matthew 18:3

Next we will look at how the family is under attack and bonding is important, especially bonding in worship to our Heavenly Father. Worship is one aspect of being a believer we will do together forever.

And that is my 2 Cents Worth.

Resources

Barna, G. (2003). Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions. Ventura, CA: Regal Books.

Keeley, R. J. (2008). Helping Our Children Grow in Faith. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

Sanders, T., & Bradberry, M. A. (2009). Teaching Preschoolers: First Steps Toward Faith. Nashville, TN: Childhood Ministry Publishing of LifeWay Church Resources.

Holy Bible, English Standard Version