Originally published in the July 24, 2008 issue of The Evangel.
by Melita Thomas
Parenting is no easy task...godly parenting even more so. I have the privilege of undergirding those who are parents. As I teach kindergartners in Sunday School and second and third-graders in choir, I am partnering with parents to help lay the foundations for spiritual development in their children. I take seriously the challenge issued by Pastor Frank at every family dedication--to do all I can to strengthen and support families, to teach, and to serve.
Every Sunday morning you can find me sitting on the floor, up to my neck in blocks, with sleeves rolled up and paint on my elbow, or tasting invisible foods carefully prepared by future chefs. It sounds like fun (and it certainly is), but it's more than just play. It's intentional teaching that allows children to learn the way God designed. I teach alongside a team of committed teachers whose goal is to help children develop positive attitudes about church, the Bible, and God and begin to understand that they can do what the Bible teaches. It is this foundation that can ultimately lead to salvation and spiritual transformation.
By investing in the lives of children and families in this church, I am impacting the present as well as the future. This is a gift I can give parents...not to supersede them in their God-given role, but to walk alongside them, partner with them, strengthen and encourage them as they raise their children in "the nurture and admonition of the Lord" (Eph. 6:4). What a privilege!
