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READING the BIBLE with YOUR ELEMENTARY-AGED CHILD (This Is a Resource Provided by the Village Church in Dallas, Texas)

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READING the BIBLE with YOUR ELEMENTARY-AGED CHILD (This Is a Resource Provided by the Village Church in Dallas, Texas) 1 2 Be sure to “like” and “follow” us on the new “Grace Church Next Gen” Facebook page for more ideas, updates, and resources! 3 4 5 The Milestone Wheel is designed to give parents a focused plan for the discipleship of their children and to hopefully prevent overwhelming and fearful reactions. While every doctrinal aspect will likely be touched on during every stage of development; we have focused on one aspect to highlight during those years to help parents intentionally focus their efforts in the discipleship of their children. Each age range will have a seminar for parents covering helpful practices and the motivation for teaching their children about this specific area at this specific age range and will be marked by a milestone celebration involving the Grace church community. The goal of this process is not to bring children to salvation (since only God can do that), but we do pray that many children will be saved during these years. Rather the goal is to help parents realize a goal of instilling in their children and modeling for them a healthy fear of the Lord. 6 As this is the first phase, time will be spent in helping parents understand that discipleship of their children is a life-long process and it begins now. This milestone level would involve educating parents in the Milestone Discipleship Process as well as focusing on the goal of this particular stage which is developing a familiarization and positive association with the terms “God”, “Jesus”, “church”, “Bible”, and “pray”. This familiarization occurs through frequent appropriate use of these words and simple celebrations corresponding to the use of the word. For example, “We get to go to church today and learn about God from the Bible— Yay!” (clap hands). It can also occur through the reading aloud of Scripture, Bible Stories, and Christian children’s books. The hope is that this would set a foundational habit and priority for discipleship conversations in the years to come. As children begin to be able to dialogue with their parents, this stage takes advantage of a preschoolers observations of characteristics “He is tall”, “The bear is fuzzy”, etc by helping them understand some of the characteristics of God. By putting the character of God toward the beginning of the discipleship phase, it also gives children a clear filter for future learning by being able to better discern truths about God from myths about God and to also look for how His characteristics are displayed in Bible stories as well as their own lives. To equip parents at this level we will seek to share ways to teach children about the character of God through Bible reading, catechesis, as well as preschool friendly definitions of more abstract attributes. In this stage we will seek to build off the excitement that builds in children as they begin to read by instilling in them a reverence for the Scriptures and regular reading of the Bible. Our hope is that by giving children ownership of their own Bible, instilling routines that get them into the Bible, and showing them how to use and study their Bible, that they will become life-long lovers of the Word. Key teaching points during these years would therefore include but not be limited to: learning the Books of the Bible/how to look up a Scripture reference, learning the overall storyline of the Bible, becoming familiar with where key Bible stories are found in Scripture, the value and authority of the Bible, and basic Bible study techniques. We also encourage parents during these years to begin (if they have not done so already) having their child join them at increasing intervals for the corporate worship service. 7 It may seem odd for the Gospel to be the fourth step of our process, but it is important to note that it will impact the other five areas heavily. The difference during this fourth stage is that the focus becomes more personal, as we seek to help students at this questioning age discern whether they truly believe the Gospel or not, and the repercussions of those findings. Parents will be encouraged to study the Gospel in depth with their middle schooler so that regardless of their spiritual state they are able to clearly articulate and understand the truths conveyed in the Gospel message. For those students who show evidence of saving faith, baptism may be pursued during this stage with a strong emphasis on helping that individual develop their personal testimony. Students at this age would also be encouraged in growing in their confidence to share the Gospel message with others. As students grow closer to adulthood and begin to develop personal convictions, they will be encouraged to take more of a role in the local church body. In this stage students will be encouraged to explore their own spiritual gifts and how they might serve others with those gifts, hopefully alongside or at least via discussions with their parents. They will also explore the value of the church community and how to be a healthy participant of a church body. Associate membership would be available to students age 16 and older who demonstrate the appropriate spiritual maturity. As students leave home, this final milestone helps parents know how best to release their children into the world. Some focuses may be on holiness and personal convictions, but the main focus will rest in trust and daily dependence on God. Resources on the value of finding a local church at their next location and taking ownership of their own spiritual growth will also be a focus. While this is certainly our hope for the students, we understand that this will also be a large growth area for the parents of these students. In the ideal situations, parents and students will grow from being parent and child to becoming brothers and sisters in Christ and encouraging and building one another up as they strive to glorify God through their lives. For other parents, there will need to be some teaching on how to trust God with children who have rejected Christ. 8 1. Consider the following list of “Good Goals Gone Bad” below (from Tedd Tripp’s Shepherding A Child’s Heart). When we fail to remember that our kids belong to God, we are tempted to think our success as parents will be measured by our kids’ successes. Which of the goals below most commonly distract you from the truth that your kids belong to God and His goals for your children? • Kids with Skills: I must enlist my child in many activities as time may or may not allow. I measure my success as a parent by the number of “opportunities” to develop new skills my child has and/or his/her mastery of such skills. • Psychologically Adjusted Kids: Nothing is more important than building my child’s self-esteem and training him/her to be effective with people. If my child is confident, outgoing, and NOT spoiled then I have been a successful parent. • Well-Behaved Kids: I feel good about myself when my child has poise, is kind, and converses with respect to others. I’m winning when my child is hospitable, and serves his/her friends. I prepare my children to respond well to every conceivable situation or circumstance. I’m successful when my child responds obediently to my instruction with a great attitude. • Healthy Kids: My main goal as a parent is that my kids are healthy, well-functioning, and safe from suffering. I measure my success by my ability to prepare well-balanced meals for our family in accordance with the most healthful diet. I know I’m succeeding because my child meets developmental goals and avoids illness. • Smart Kids: My goal as a parent is to prepare my kids for educational success. Their SAT/ACT score is my justification, and a college scholarship is my reward. I dream about them achieving academic awards, scholarly recognition, and eventually being recruited for privileged job opportunities. 2. How often do you pray for your children? What do you pray for your children? What obstacles keep you from praying for your children regularly? 3. What role – positively or negatively – did your parents play in your spiritual development? How has that affected the way that you aim to disciple your children? 4. Christian parents often err in one of these two ditches: a) I will send my kids to church for their spiritual needs and let the “professionals” do it or b) I will do all the spiritual nurturing of my children myself, I do not need the church’s involvement. Which of these do you most tend to veer toward? What benefits does the church bring to the discipleship of your children? What benefits do you as a parent bring to the discipleship of your children that the church cannot provide? 9 Below is a list (divided by category) of 45 ideas for new practices that you can adopt as a family this year. Regardless of whether you are just starting out or if you’ve been maintaining intentional family discipleship for years, we can all grow! Read through the list and choose 1-3 of these ideas for your family to commit to in 2019! Think of a fun way to hold yourselves accountable and share your commitment with another family so that they can hold you accountable too! PRAY 1. Pray with your kids each night before bed. 2. Have a family prayer time once a week going through requests. 3. Teach your children the ACTS model of prayer (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) and pray together on a daily basis.
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