Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” And he laid his hands on them and went away. Matthew 19:13-15 (ESV)
One of the ways Jesus disrupted cultural norms was through the way he treated children. This passage is evidence of that. He rebuked the disciples for hindering children from coming to him. Children were in that day, in the words of the old cliché, “better seen than heard.” Jesus says that children have a place in his kingdom. Bring the children to me, he says!
We want to bring our children to Jesus at every opportunity. This first starts in our homes as we teach them the gospel, pray with and for them, and as we point them to Jesus. It continues in the church- the primary means God has given for reaching and sanctifying His people. Our children need Jesus. They need to be taught His truth and be grounded in what He has done for them.
Our theology of the covenant reminds us that God still works through families. It is no small thing to be born into a family of believing parents. It is no small thing for our children to be loved and prayed for consistently. As a church we want to do all we can to be faithful to point the covenant children of HLPC to Jesus and to ground them in the truth of His Word.
I have two opportunities to put before you that I’m praying you consider seriously in light of these truths. First, have you taken the time to become a nursery volunteer? We NEED you. This is a tangible way for our to fulfill the vow you took whenever we administer the covenant sign of baptism to “undertake the responsibility of assisting these parents in the Christian nurture of this child.” Please don’t let it overwhelm you. The more people who help, the fewer turns all will need to take. If you haven’t yet signed up, please contact the church office at houstonlakepca@gmail.com .
The second opportunity is coming this fall. My burden is that we excel still more in equipping and training our children. We want to kickoff Kid’s Quest Catechism Club this fall as part of our Wednesday MidWeek gathering that will involve a lesson along with Scripture and Catechism memory. We want it to be something fun as well as beneficial for our children. We could use some helping hands in making our plans a reality. Would you pray about helping? Interested? E-mail me at pbankson@gmail.com .
Jesus showed a heart for children. We must do no less. Please consider how you can serve the many children that God has graciously entrusted to HLPC.