Kids Need Theology, Too
My family went to the beach recently. We were there for a whole week, and my kids loved it. I was fearless in the ocean as a child, and it seems each of my children are the same. They get out a little too far for my comfort, ride a wave or get knocked over by one, and go right back for more.
I was watching my 4 year old do just that one day in the surf. She was on her knees, and a wave would come and knock her over. Before she could get back up, another wave would come and knock her down again. She was loving it.
I loved seeing her enjoy the water just like I do, but as I watched, I was reminded of these verses from Ephesians:
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Eph. 4:11-14 (bold added)
Of course I know it is my responsibility as a parent and follower of Jesus to teach my children the truths of Scripture and the gospel. But seeing her thrown around by the waves was a very clear visual to me of just how important it is for all of us to be grounded in the firm foundation of solid theology, even our children.
If being tossed around by waves and wind is a visual for spiritual and doctrinal immaturity, a contrasting metaphor can be found in Jeremiah 17:7-8:
Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit.
These verses have been very meaningful to me in my own spiritual walk, but also in raising my children up to know and trust in the Lord. I want them to be trees firmly rooted and drinking deeply of living water, so they flourish and bear fruit. When life’s storms come along, they are not blown down. They aren’t anxious because they know who God is, what He has done, and who He has made us in Christ.
At New City, we want to partner with parents to raise their children in these truths. That is why we do Parent-Child Dedications, so that we have the opportunity as the family of God to covenant with parents to love and support them as they raise their children to love and follow Jesus. It is so beautiful and one of my favorite things at New City!
This also drives the way we do Kids’ Ministry. We intentionally choose gospel-centered curriculum that tells the big story of the Bible and points our children to Christ. We don’t want to simply teach children a list of dos and don’ts and never point them to the love of Jesus that motivates us to live a life of obedience and holiness. We want them to be grounded in the gospel and all that it means for our lives.
Singing is another amazing way to teach our kids gospel truths. Arthur keeps our Spotify playlist New City Sound updated with the songs we sing on Sundays plus other songs that tell the gospel story. He has even created a separate playlist called New City Kids with fun, catchy songs that communicate deep truths to little hearts. You will love hearing your kids learn and sing these songs about God and his wonderful plan of redemption!
Now for some exciting news! We have always included some resources for kids and parents on our Resource Shelves, but in the coming weeks we will introduce an entire section just for parents and kids! We will have books on parenting and teaching your kids the gospel; resources for having gospel conversations with your kids; and of course books for your kids. I have had a blast rounding up this selection and look forward to providing more new resources for our families. You can look for this new section in the coming weeks!
Your kids need theology too. While we do want to partner with you and support you as the family of God, you are primarily responsible for discipling your children, not the church. Be intentional and prayerful. Ground yourself in the Word, and trust the Holy Spirit to work in and through you and your children. He will do it!