Deuteronomy 6: 4-7 “The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children.”
School is back. The roads are full again with commuting families and buses. It feels like the holidays have finished and the year started. Even if you don’t have kids. Our society pivots around raising children. Primary Schools are social hubs. Our ‘peak’ holiday seasons align with school term breaks. Our economy has a strong backbone of family purchasing power. Children are not out of sight or out of mind for most people. And so it should be.
The same in church. We will feel this week ‘church is back’. Why? Because school is back. Our youth program begins this Friday night, Kids Church on Sunday. We are now officially ‘into the year’. Our church pivots in many ways around our families and children.
As this year begins, I remind us Deuteronomy 6: 4-7 says God is our greatest love and his commandments are to be impressed on “your children”. I think we read this as the role of parents. So it is. Yet in a biblical society of extended families, this also means “our children” – children present in our community. Our church community, the network of Christian families and friends, all have a key role of impressing God’s commands on all our children’s hearts. For those involved in Children and Youth ministry, they have direct opportunity to do so. We love their service and need more people to serve. Yet, even if you cannot serve directly, you can notice, encourage, pray, support. Our children, youth and parents need you too.
Enjoy,