A MESSAGE TO PARENTS: Whenever we baptize a child at Crossgate, we ask the congregation this question: “Do you as a congregation undertake the responsibility of assisting the parents in the Christian nurture of this child?” We believe that the parents are ultimately responsible for the spiritual development of their children. But this is a major undertaking and presents all sorts of challenges for us. How do we ground them in the Truth of Scripture so that they are not swept away by the lies of atheistic professors? How do we prepare them to live as true disciples of Christ once they get out from under our authority and begin living on their own? How do we keep our children from doing what so many college age children are doing now and that is dropping out of church because they no longer see it as relevant to their lives? These are some important questions that every parent needs to be asking. But sadly, too many parents give little if any thought to the spiritual development of their children and tragically, to their eternal destiny. We erroneously assume that if we inculcate in our children good morals – that if we teach them right from wrong – they will just naturally grow up to love and serve God. Nothing could be further from the Truth!
Listen! Parenting is tough and the stakes couldn’t be higher! And more often than not, we feel our inadequacy. Our shortcomings are somewhat glaring in our own eyes. Fortunately for us, God in His infinite wisdom has provided the help we need in raising our children and that help is found in the church, the body of Christ. There are godly men and women who are willing to invest in your children and assist you in your work. Through their teaching and example and outpouring of love, these godly people will reinforce the teaching that you give your children at home. This is why we ask our congregation to make this vow at a child’s baptism. We know that you need this help!!
Unfortunately, what we are seeing today is that too many parents are so busy promoting their children’s educational and social development, that they are neglecting the spiritual development of their children. Church is not a priority for them. They think that their children are so small that if they don’t go to church regularly, their children will not even notice. Well, not only are the children missing out on a great opportunity to learn the Truth of God’s Word, but the parents are also missing out on an opportunity to grow so that they can be the primary spiritual nurturers in the home. At Crossgate, we have had Kid’s Worship for years. Most of the teens in our youth ministry now, have grown up in Kid’s Worship. But sadly, we have had to pull the plug on this recently – not because we don’t have children in this age group – but because parents aren’t committed to bringing their children to church. We would like to start this back because we see the value in this ministry. It’s just another opportunity to invest in our children. We have adults who are committed to helping your children, but without the commitment of parents, it becomes an exercise in futility.
So I want to challenge each of the parents to re-think your priorities when it comes to your children. And I want to challenge you to make church a consistent part of their lives so that they will grow up with a love for Jesus and a love for His church. If you are willing to commit to bringing your children to church on a regular basis, call Debbie Chapa, our Children’s Ministry Team Leader at 781-883-6064 and let her know. Then when we have 3-5 children who are committed to this, we can re-start our Kid’s worship.
Our motto at Crossgate is “Growing True Disciples”. We want to do this with every age group – from small children to adults – but we can only effectively do this if people are willing to make church a priority and show up consistently. So, let us help you raise your children as true disciples! We’re willing to make this sort of commitment to you and your children; are you willing to do the same?
