by Pastor Patrick Cho
One of the great joys we experience at Lighthouse is the number of babies that are born into our church family. It seems almost customary now that I would announce some pregnancy before the sermon on Sunday morning. As a body, we are able to experience this joy together, and some are even able to track their history at the church by the life of a little one. These gifts from God are a reminder of His amazing grace to our families and to the church.
Pastor Chris Mueller once pointed out the importance of raising your family in the church. Since no one person possesses every spiritual gift, a single parent is incapable of demonstrating fully what it means to represent Christ in this world. In a real way, parents need the members of the church to show what is lacking in their presentation of Christ to their kids. Only together can our children see what it really means to love one another, serve one another, and be committed to one another. As our children mature physically, hopefully they are able to witness the church maturing spiritually.
This has been one of the chief focuses of the children’s ministries at LBC. We are constantly thinking through how we can come alongside parents and encourage them in the great responsibility to raise their children in the Lord. In this way, Grace Life and the various children’s ministries will always be vitally connected. The church is not an adequate substitute for godly parenting but can serve as a tremendous help to our families.
When we have our parent/child dedication services, the point is not only for the parents to dedicate their children to the Lord or even to pray for the children; it also includes the church’s commitment and involvement in the lives of the babies. The church holds the parents accountable to their responsibility to be godly parents, but a mutual agreement is also understood that there is a church-wide responsibility to show Christ to the next generation.
When we gather together in corporate worship or enjoy some fellowship activity, we need to remember that at any given moment, two little eyes might be studying our actions, speech, and behavior. Any parent can tell you how scary it is that their children pick up on their mannerisms and adopt their speech. Our children are watching you and want to follow you. They look up to you and admire you. All the more, it should emphasize the importance of living godly lives and serving as examples to the rest of the flock. Let’s demonstrate godliness and not worldliness, and let’s be sure to show our children what an amazing thing it is to live for Jesus.