by Brenda Hom

Dictionary.com has two definitions of the word “nursery”.

1. A room or place set apart for young children.
2. Any place in which something is bred, nourished, or fostered.

Here at Lighthouse Bible Church, the Fireflies Nursery Ministry seeks to apply our mission, vision, and passion statement by fusing these two definitions of the word “nursery” together. We recognize the nursery ministry as a beginning foundation where we as God’s workers can help build and foster a foundational knowledge of God’s character and Jesus Christ. This is the reason why every Sunday, the Fireflies nursery ministry focuses on teaching a five-minute truth lesson to the toddlers and babies. Each truth lesson focuses on different aspects of God’s character, such as “God is everywhere” and “God knows everything”. Although toddlers and babies cannot understand deep truths, they are able understand these simple truths about God. By teaching them simple truths about God, we seek to pass on the greatness of God to young children who may not be able to verbalize what they are thinking.

Through words, prayers, songs, and stories about God and Jesus Christ, we as nursery workers pray with our lips and hearts that one day these little children will be saved. The nursery ministry here at Lighthouse Bible Church is not just “glorified babysitting”. Our chief function is not only changing diapers but also as prayer warriors and ministers to the babies and toddlers. We take seriously our ministry of planting and building a solid foundation of God and Jesus Christ. I would like to encourage the parents of babies and toddlers to continue to be faithful in nurturing your child at home, and realize the spiritual influence you can have even before your child begins to walk or talk.

“In constructing a building, the labor of digging holes and pouring footings may look unimportant to the untrained eye, but without a sure foundation, the building will not stand the test of time and the stress of adverse conditions.” (Sally Michael, A Sure Foundation Curriculum for Infant Nursery Ministry, 2005)

We as nursery workers and parents are ministering to the souls of these little ones. However, we must remember that ultimately it is God who works in their hearts and souls, and that He is the one who saves. God is the only sure foundation for salvation.

“…therefore thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’” (Isaiah 28:16)

by Abram Kim

On May 20, 2012, some of the Sonlight boys and girls experienced the first of hopefully many more fellowship outings. The staff’s goal for these outings is to further develop relationships with the children and parents we serve outside the classroom setting. We pray this will be the first of many such outings.

The boys, dads, and male Sonlight staff went to the Padres/Angels game at Petco Park in downtown San Diego. It was a nice San Diego afternoon at the ballpark. Our seats were at the upper decks, right behind home plate. It was shaded until about the 7th inning so it wasn’t too hot. The ballgame was tied 2-2 after the 9th inning, so the game went into extra innings. We tried to stay to the end, but it was getting to be long and with no end in sight, we left after the start of the 12th inning (the game finally ended in the 13th inning, with the Padres winning it). The game was a great informal way to just be in each other’s presence.

Here is some reaction from some of the boys.

Matthew

• Matthew, are you having fun? Yes.
• What’s been fun about this outing? Food.
• Are you glad you came out with Sonlight guys? Yeah.
• What’s something encouraging to say to your Sonlight staff? Thank you.
• Thank you for what? For teaching us.
• Teaching you what? About God.
• What about God have you learned this year? I learned to be like Jesus.

Caleb

• Caleb, did you have fun today? Yea.
• What was the funnest part? (seeing that I was holding a recorder) Dadadada gonawana tadagana woganana. Turn it off, turn it off, turn it turn it off.
• Alright (hiding recorder), what was the funnest part? Us winning [the Padres].

The girls, moms, and female Sonlight staff held a tea party in the courtyard at church after a time of devotion and crafts in the Sonlight room. Stephanie McAdams led the devotion, speaking of true beauty out of Proverbs 31:30. The girls then got to decorate picture frames to reflect on what they learned. Then all the ladies went out to the courtyard where the tea party would be held, with the works (sandwiches, baked goods, fruit, tea and juice).

Here is some reaction from some of the girls.

Ellie and Megan

• We like the desserts. We’ve been looking forward to this day.

Dana

• I like the food.
• I am looking forward [to this event] because I want to have some fun with everybody.

Mia

• We learned about what is real beauty. I like what we learned because … I don’t know.

Melody

• We got to learn about the heart being pretty and beautiful.

Kasey

• We got to do Bible study together with the girls. And the boys did other things. We had a tea party.

by Caroline Shin

• Obey the first time. 
• Be kind to everyone. 
• Do your best work. 
• Have fun!

These are our four rules that the Sparklers and staffers go over every Sunday. We (staffers) remind the preschool children that it’s important that they follow these rules every week. It’s humbling when I have to talk to address a sparkler’s sin if he/she is not obeying for the 7th time or is shoving another child away from them. It reminds me that I am no better. I look at my own life and have to ask myself,

• How long does it take me to obey one of God’s commands? [Usually a long time] 
• Am I impartial in the way I love people, or am I showing favoritism and only showing kindness to those that are easy to love? [No. I definitely show favoritism] 
• Am I doing things with excellence unto the Lord? [So many things are done without a heart that desires to honor God] 
• Do I enjoy and praise God for the blessings and grace He showers me with? [No. I complain an awful lot]

The staffers and I teach these rules to the Sparklers because we want them to learn that everything that we do is to glorify God. God’s been using these rules to teach me to apply them to myself as well. As a fairly recent full time employee, I am tested everyday to follow through with obeying God the first time, show kindness to everyone, do my best work, and to have fun at work. I’m in the Sparklers ministry not because I need to tell the children about morality or what’s right from wrong. I’m challenged to faithfully teach them the Bible and to be there to lead by example. It’s definitely not an easy thing to do. I fail in my flesh daily, but it allows me to be fully depend on the Lord for strength and to show grace to the Sparklers.

The biggest thing God has taught me while serving in this ministry is to prioritize my relationship with Him. An ongoing struggle of mine is to be Martha-minded (Luke 10:38-42): focusing on the busyness of life and getting caught up with my acts of service. That’s not what pleases God. God says those who sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to His teaching have chosen the good portion. The best way I can prepare and minister to these preschool children is to make sure I am prioritizing my time with the Lord through prayer and the reading of His word.

Having served in the Sparklers ministry just shy of four months, I am privileged to be with this particular age group. God doesn’t need me or my service, but it’s a tremendous blessing to 1) be with a staff of men & women who truly desire to teach God’s word and present the gospel to children, and 2) witness 3-5 year olds’ growth in their understanding of who God is and why He is worthy to be praised.

by Abram Kim

As the title suggests, this article has two main components. This was the third time I had the privilege to attend the annual Shepherds’ Conference at Grace Community Church. Most of the attendees are pastors. I am not. But this conference, which is designed for pastors and elders, also exalts God and His Word, and exhorts men to live in a way that honors God by lifting high His Word and the gospel of Jesus Christ. In this way, I returned from the conference excited and energized to live for His glory in my personal life and through any ministry I may be involved with. I am also LBCSD’s elementary ministry (aka “Sonlight”) coordinator, and this gives me a perspective unlike many others who attend the Shepherds’ Conference. I shared these very thoughts at our March 11 staff meeting to the children’s ministry staff (though a bit less prepared and coherent I’m sure!), but I pray that you who read this now will be encouraged by what I learned from this year’s conference.

The general sessions boasted world-class preachers who spoke powerfully and exposited God’s Word with clarity and skill. I especially enjoyed Voddie Baucham’s message through Ephesians 5, calling all the men to be the husbands and fathers that truly represent the gospel. But I want to focus our time here on two seminars that I attended. I will interweave thoughts from a youth ministry seminar discussing partnering with parents by Grace Community Church’s high school pastor, and the children’s ministry seminar by the lay elder at Grace who oversees their children’s ministry.

First off, I want to state how thankful I am for LBCSD’s philosophy of ministry regarding children. All men have sinned and fall short if the glory of God (Rom 3:23), including babies and kids. King David famously wrote that he was conceived in sin (Ps 51:5). Only God can save. Those whom He chose and elected will respond through repentance and faith and truly be saved. And though salvation is the work of God alone, God uses human instruments to faithfully minister the Word of God and to pray for the salvation of all people, including children. Parents have the primary responsibility to evangelize to their children. But the family must also be a part of the local church, so the church has a wonderful opportunity to partner with parents to evangelize to children by teaching the whole counsel of God, particularly the gospel of Jesus Christ and what He has accomplished through His death and resurrection. Ministry to children, in the end, is essentially no different than any other ministry in the local church. It is just geared towards very young minds still learning to read and hearts that are still forming, though still depraved to the core.

The goal of Sonlight is the same as parenting, namely the salvation of children. I was exhorted and encouraged to do the work of a minister. The burden of the eternal souls of every child in the Sonlight ministry weighed more heavily upon my heart. As a newly expecting father (12 weeks along, at the time of writing this article), the sensitivity to this responsibility has multiplied exponentially. Here are some great principles I was reminded of to maintain the proper perspective in ministry:

• The gospel can be taught simply. But we must avoid the extremes of oversimplifying and making it confusing.
• We must teach the whole counsel of God.
• Make sure God is the main character in every Bible story.
• Parents and ministry workers technically have nothing to do with salvation. We can’t regenerate them or make them more save-able.
• Ministers are not judged on justification, but on what they do with the flock God has given them.
• Children can embrace basic truths about God at a young age.
• Children learn from the life of parents (and as an extension, the Sonlight staff) in addition to teaching.
• Don’t assume that a child’s initial confession of faith is real. If you trust in the sovereignty of God in salvation, a child who is saved when they make a confession of faith will still be saved when they are older, when they are able to articulate their beliefs better and when their lives can show more fruit of the Spirit. It is usually not until the teenage years, when they are more independent from parental control, that the purpose of their life becomes more clear.
• This is a time of cultivating faith, not expressing it. Often a child can’t express their thoughts fully. Don’t illicit any more information than they are comfortable sharing. But also be kind and enthusiastic about anything they say.
• Structure ministry to be anti-hypocritical. Hypocrisy is knowing something about God that you don’t feel deeply about.
• The children’s ministry must partner with parents in biblically shepherding children. Therefore, there should be a consistency in heart-focused teaching and discipline between a godly home and Sunday school. This includes rebuking sins in the home and Sunday school, though not heavy-handedly.
• Discern between a sin issue and a wisdom issue. The Word of God has authority over parents on sin issues. Defer to parents on wisdom issues.
• Speak regularly about honoring and obeying parents. The children’s ministry must not undermine parental authority (except if parental authority goes outside biblical authority, though even then with caution and wisdom). Children shouldn’t listen to the ministry staff to the exclusion of listening to their parents.

The seminar about partnering with parents gave a great exposition of nine indicatives in 2 Timothy 4:1-5 to exhort the pastor to do the work of biblical shepherding, as a means to help parents evangelize to their children. The indicatives given to the pastor are:

• Preach the Word. This is the means God appointed to declare the Word of God with passion and clarity in the context of the local church. The pastor must proclaim the truths of God out of the well of their study.
• Be ready, in season and out of season. Is the minister ready to address difficult sin issues? Is he available for graduations and birthdays?
• Reprove. This is addressing the mind of children, showing them when they are wrong, and why, from the Scriptures.
• Rebuke. This is addressing children at the heart level, with a compassion that seeks their repentance.
• Exhort. This is the positive side of training, and includes encouraging, strengthening, and teaching. We ought not always major on the negatives.
• Be sober. The minister is self-controlled and level-headed. He is exemplifying the fruit of the Spirit and is a Christ-like role model parents can lean on and trust.
• Endure hardship. The more you care about souls, the more you will be engaged. And this leaves you vulnerable. A ministry is either fruitful and costly or shallow and easy.
• Do the work of an evangelist. The minister can assure parents that they are not the only ones praying for the salvation and sanctification of their children. We may indeed be the instruments God uses to answer these prayers. May we genuinely cry out to God for the salvation of precious souls, to His glory.
• Fulfill your ministry. The minister is called to do all the above, to the utmost of their abilities. God has called the minister for such a time as this.

These charges appeared to be directed right at me. God challenged me to think and act like a true minister of God’s Word and to really seek to shepherd the children, as well as the Sonlight staff.

God taught me much about His role in salvation and sanctification at the conference. Ultimately, we trust in His sovereignty in salvation and sanctification. Yet that in no way diminishes our work in making disciples of all nations, including children, in the context of the local church with love for God and people (MVP statement of LBC). I am excited to get back into ministry, to pray through all the ideas I have about Sonlight and to seek the salvation of every eternal soul in Sonlight.

by Daniel Kim

As I walked around the library, I saw a little 1-2 year old boy with a sucker in his mouth, seated by himself while perusing a book. As I was walking back to my desk, the little boy got up from his chair and ran to his mom, saying something inaudible to her. The mother acknowledged that it was time for him to eat. As I contemplate this scenario, I realized that this little boy has absolutely no way to survive on his own. As rebellious as this 1-2 year old boy may be, there is no way he can provide for himself or meet the basic needs of survival, such as food, shelter, and clothing. He, like all children, must submit to a higher authority (in this case, the authority of his parents).

The Israelites understood the importance of submitting to a higher authority. Although the Israelites were slaves in Egypt for 430 years (Ex. 12:40), the Israelites submitted to an even higher authority. Ultimately, the Israelites submitted to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Ex. 3:15). Psalm 78 shows that the Israelites were to submit to the authority of God because the LORD had delivered them from slavery in Egypt (Ps. 78:42), performed His miracles in Egypt (Ps. 78:43-52), parted the Red Sea (Ps. 78:13, 53), led them through the wilderness in a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire (Ps. 78:14), provided water at Horeb (Ps. 78:15), provided manna (Ps. 78:24), provided meat (Ps. 78:27), and even provided the Israelites with King David (Ps. 78:70-72). Therefore, the Israelites came to know, follow, and obey the LORD because of their experiences with Him. They submit to God’s authority because they have experienced His saving, sustaining, and protecting power.

In a similar way, the children staff members at Lighthouse have come to know the Lord through their own individual experiences as well. Each Christian has had an experience of God’s grace through the message of the cross. Hence, there is a clear understanding that the gospel is the power of God onto salvation (Rom. 1:16), that the gospel has the power to change the heart of stone to a heart of flesh (Ezek. 11:19; 36:26), and that God demonstrated His love for us through the gospel (Rom. 5:8). Because of this experience of God’s love, Christians have a responsibility to follow the Lord and all His commandments, including His commandments in regards to children.

In the Old Testament, God commanded the Israelites to bequeath the knowledge of the Lord to the coming generations. To name a few examples, the Israelites were to tell their children about the events that occurred (Ex. 12:23-24; Deut. 4:9-10; Deut. 11:2-7), the commandments of the Lord (Gen. 18:19; Ex. 20:3-17; Deut. 4:40; 5:7-21; 6:4-7; 11:18-21; 31:12-13; 32:46-47) and physical reminders of His faithfulness (Gen. 9:12-13; 17:12; Ex. 12:13-14; 12:26-27; Josh. 4:5-7). In Psalm 78, the psalmist Asaph (1 Chron. 15:16-17; 16:4,7; 2 Chron. 29:30) wanted to emphasize the importance “telling the coming generations” of the knowledge of the Lord.

By retelling the past events in Psalm 78:9-72, Asaph wanted the Israelites to tell the coming generations about “the glorious deeds of the LORD, and His might, and the wonders that he had done” (Ps. 78:4). The reason behind all this can be seen in verses 7, 8. They were to do this so that the coming generations “should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments” (Ps. 78:7). Another reason for passing on the baton was so that “they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God” (Ps. 78:8).

In Psalm 78:7, there are three reasons the Israelites were to tell the next generation about the Lord: The children were to…

1. Set their hope in God,
2. Not forget the works of God, and
3. Keep His commandments.

Although this verse was addressed to the children of Israel, these reasons are still relevant today. Since this verse is still applicable today, I would like to do an Old Testament and present day analysis of the three reasons listed above.

“Set their hope in God”

In the Old Testament, the Israelites, were to hope in the LORD because he promised to lead them to the Promised Land (Ex. 3:8,17) and he promised he would protect them from their enemies (Deut. 31:3-8). Moses understood that the sole reason the Israelites were distinct from all the nations of the world was because the LORD was with them. In Exodus 33:16b, Moses says, “Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?” For this reason, the Israelites were to put their hope in the Lord.

As a Sunday school teacher, I tell the children that they ought to put their hope in God as well. The children are taught that we are all sinners who have fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23) and that the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). Because of this truth, we will all face the judgment seat of God and give an account (Rom. 14:10-12; 1 Pet. 4:5). But God provided a way of salvation for us (1 Tim. 2:5-6) and “while were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). Therefore, the children are taught to put their hope in Christ, because he has the power to save us from our sin and from the wrath of God. Furthermore, this way of salvation is exclusive (John 14:6; Acts 4:12) and is only possible through the person and work of Jesus. Therefore, the children are taught to put their faith solely in Jesus for their salvation.

“Not forget the works of God”

In Psalm 78, “forgetting” and “remembering” are reoccurring themes (vv. 7, 11, 35, 42), pertaining to the Israelites. The psalmist hoped that those who sang this psalm (this psalm is identified as a maskil) would “not forget the works of God.” Rather, the Israelites were to remember the deeds of the Lord. The Israelites were to remember the wonders God performed in Egypt (Ps. 78:12, 43-52), how God parted the Red Sea and did not allow their enemies to pass through (Ps. 78:13, 53), and how he led His people into the Promised Land (Ps. 78:54-55). As mentioned earlier, the Israelites experienced God in a unique way (Ex. 33:16). These experiences were not only for the Israelites to remember and recollect, but were to also point to God’s character. Since the Lord led the Israelites from slavery in Egypt to the land promised to their forefathers (Gen. 12:7; 13:14; 15:18-21; 17:8), they were to trust in His character.

Teaching the Bible stories such as Noah’s ark, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, the Exodus, and David and Goliath, all reveal the character of God, such as His justice, sovereignty, kindness, goodness, etc. Therefore, in the same way that the Israelites ought to have remembered the works of God so that they would trust in His character, children today should also be taught the works of the Lord so that they would also trust in His character. Moses attests to God’s character as he claims God to be “The Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.” (Deut. 32:4). Furthermore, Paul claims that out of his own love and mercy (both attributes of His character), God chose to save sinners through Christ (Rom. 9:15-16,18; Eph. 2:4-5). It is important to teach children “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27), so that they understand His character and he looking for in faithful, obedient followers. As they grow in their knowledge of God, the children can hopefully come to know that the Lord is trustworthy and that they should put their faith in Him.

“Keep His commandments”

In Deuteronomy 32:46-47, Moses tells the Israelites to “Take to heart all the words by which I am warning you today, that you may command them to your children, that they may be careful to do all the words of this law. For it is no empty word for you, but your very life, and by this word you shall live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.” Thus, the Israelites were to keep God’s law; to obey it, not to depart from it. The Lord gave the Israelites the 10 commandments (Ex. 20:3-17; Deut. 5:7-21) and the Mosaic law. Also, the Israelites were to love the Lord their God with all their heart, soul and might (Deut. 6:5).

Jesus said that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments (John 14:15). As Christians, we have received special commandments, such as to make disciples of Christ (Matt. 28:18-20), to love God and to love people (Matt. 22:37-40; Mark 12:29-31; Luke 10:27-27), and to be faithful witnesses to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). In regards to children, there are special commandments as well. For example, children are told to obey their parents in the Lord (Deut. 21:18-21; Eph. 6:1). Other commandments are important to teach children as well, such as not coveting (Ex. 20:17; Deut. 5:21), not complaining (Phil. 2:14), and honoring our father and mother (Ex. 20:12; Deut. 5:16). These commandments are important because they impress upon the conscience of a child that there is a God, he has commandments to be followed and that God is the ultimate source of morality. In knowing this, the children can come to know the difference between right and wrong. Furthermore, children can come to understand that they are sinners in need of a Savior and hopefully they can realize that on their own, they are incapable of following God’s law perfectly and instead they must rely on an alien righteousness to be justified before a thrice holy God. Therefore, the law of the Lord should not be the endpoint in itself. Instead, the holy statutes of the Lord should point to the person and work of Jesus Christ, and specifically what he has done for us on the cross.

The overarching theme in Psalm 78 is one generation telling the next about the glory of God, or as our former senior pastor, Pastor John Kim, would say, ‘Passing on the greatness of God to the next generation”. Therefore, this implies that Christian parents should be telling their children about the greatness of God (Ps. 78:4). Furthermore, Christian parents should tell their children about the importance of submitting to the authority of God.

As I consider the little boy that was in the library, I understand that he, along with all children, must submit to a higher authority. I also know that along with submitting to his parents, he will one day have to submit to the authority of his teachers, his bosses, and ultimately to God (Rom. 14:11-12). As Christians, we have the unique opportunity to tell the next generation about the hope that we have in Christ, the great works that the Lord has done, and the commandments that he has given us. Christian parents have the unique privilege of telling their children of how they experienced God’s saving grace in their own lives. Also, as Christians, these parents understand the importance of authority.

Therefore, Christian parents should live their lives in a manner which shows that they too are under the authority of God. In this way, children can see the importance of joyfully submitting to a higher authority and hopefully, one day, their little hearts will be transformed the power of the Spirit through the message of the gospel (Ezek. 36:26; 37:1-9). Hopefully, in this way, children can experience the grace of God themselves and submit to the authority of the Lord. And hopefully, these children can accredit and thank their parents for faithfully modeling this higher authority, just as this young writer has had the honor and privilege of witness his own parents modeling this higher authority and being faithful in handing the baton of “passing on the greatness of God to the next generation.”

by Diana Yu

My interest in Sonlight first started when I was thinking about serving in a ministry, a few months after becoming a member of the church. I was originally praying for a willing heart to serve wherever there was a need, with the understanding that the effectiveness of ministry and the work of the Lord was not determined by my contributions (or lack thereof), but ultimately by God’s sovereignty and grace. I had been keeping an eye out for opportunities to serve in the Sunday bulletin and noticed that Sonlight’s listing was in the bulletin for many Sundays in a row. Somehow, I finally decided to email Abe about my interest in applying. He asked me to observe a few times and to go from there.

The observations were a great opportunity to talk to the children and staff to really see what Sonlight is about. Through my observations, I understood that sharing the gospel with children and training them up in the Lord can be very different from doing so with adults. I realized that for the children, truly understanding the implications of the gospel and what they learn in Sunday school may not come until later. But I know that the challenge lies in faithfully teaching God’s Word to them, regardless of how much they actually understand. We have to trust in God’s sovereignty and power to use what He wills for His kingdom, especially when the fruit of our labor may not be seen (1 Corinthians 15:58).

The teachers’ love and care for the children was and is very apparent, and the complexity of the lessons surprised me. One of the teachers explained to me that the Word of God cannot be diluted just because they are children, but that the entire Word of God must be taught fully and completely to them because this is what believers are called to do. The children grasp more than I give them credit for. At the same time, a lot of it can look like rote memorization. That is why the power to change people’s hearts, including the children’s hearts, rests in the Lord’s hands. We as believers are simply called to plant seeds. The growing is left to the Almighty God (Mark 4:26-27). What a great blessing it is for them to know and learn about the great and mighty God at a young age! Even though their lives may not be very complex, the glory continues to go to God when they can witness and identify moments of God’s love in their lives.

After these realizations and through prayer, I wanted to be a part of these children’s lives and to show them God’s love. As Abram and Lillian put it, Sunday school is not about behavior modification because we want these children to see their sins and understand that they need God. That is why it is not only important to teach them God’s Word but also to show that love and care to them, as God has shown us. And one day, Lord-willing, if I were to have children of my own, I would similarly have to teach them God’s word faithfully and to love them in Christ-likeness. I know I will not be able to force them into becoming believers, but that it will be through the mercy and grace of our loving God that they will ever desire to follow Christ and worship God. I look forward to serving in Sonlight because it will be a good reminder of the gospel that saved me–that it is truly by grace I am saved. And that is a reminder that I should never tire of!

by Abram Kim

It is not often that my worlds as a sports fan and a Children’s Ministry coordinator intersect. However, with the recent news that a former assistant football coach at Penn State (Jerry Sandusky) allegedly abused young boys on their campus, these two worlds collided in a surprising and horrific way.

This scandalous story has no relevance to sports except that it happened in a sports context (a major university’s football program). But not just any sports program. It happened at one of the most well-known and storied programs in the entire nation. This is why my sports fan side is so vested. This also happened to kids. Though I am not a parent yet, I work with the kids at our church regularly and are often around young children. I have been entrusted by the church to oversee our Sunday School hour and several summer VBS’s. This is why my Children’s Ministry side is so vested in this story.

Any time news like this hits the papers (though now, more aptly, the web) it is tragic and sad, and our hearts go out to the victims and their families. But there are at least two additional factors that make this particular story more relevant to the average sports fan as well as to the Children’s Ministry worker. The first is that this all happened under the eye of legendary Hall of Fame coach Joe Paterno. He is known to be a man of integrity and character. He has built his football program and, by influence the entire campus, on this kind of character, doing things the right way. Penn State is synonymous with Joe Paterno. Every college football fan definitely knows “Joe Pa,” and so would most sports enthusiasts. Because of this familiarity, many people across the country seem to have a vested interest in this story, including me. And to think that this horrific abuse occurred during Paterno’s tenure at Penn State has forever tarnished his legendary coaching career.

Secondly, part of the tragedy of this story is why the abuse was allowed to continue for the last 13 years without any apparent criminal or civil charges. Over that span, there seems to be over a dozen boys that were allegedly abused by Sandusky, most of whom have not come forward to testify until recently. Part of the anger and outrage people feel are related to this extended length of time when apparently nothing was done to put Sandusky in prison. These allegations were brought to the district attorney and to coaches and school officials over this span of time, but it had never been reported to the police until this past month. In 2002, Paterno and other top school officials were notified of these allegations of Sandusky by Mike McQueary, a grad assistant at the time and current coach on the Penn State football team, who witnessed Sandusky in the showers molesting a young boy. Journalists and former Penn State players reported seeing Sandusky on the Penn State campus the following year after this incident was reported to top school officials, though not to the police.

Why do these two particular factors grab my attention? The main reason is that this news hits home, in the sense that if this can happen there, it can happen here. It’s easy to think that this could never happen at our church or that people would essentially turn a blind eye to such abuse, especially for such an extended period of time. But the fact remains that churches are very much a hunting ground for sexual predators because of the grace and trust we extend to everyone (more on this topic later in the article). Paterno built his legacy around honor and integrity and character, but now his legacy is forever tarnished with his sin of omission for almost 10 years.

Part of the pain and anger we feel when we hear this story is that, if it can happen at a place like this, under the watch of someone like Paterno, can this really happen where we are? Can this happen at LBCSD? The simple answer is yes. Why? Because we are all sinners, depraved and wicked to the core. The potential for this perversity is innate in all of us, save the grace of God. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). There is none righteous, not even one (Romans 3:10, Proverbs 20:9; cf. Jeremiah 17:9).

There is one more aspect of who I am that played the deciding factor in how I interacted with this news, me as a Christian. As I heard and read more news about this story, I felt disgusted, angry, shocked, disappointed, and horrified. But the more I dwelt on these particular emotions, I realized that these are the kinds of emotions I should feel towards all my sins. When news like this emerges, they are ways God uses to remind us of the ugliness of sin. This is the kind of ugliness that Christ died for. My sins aren’t some quaint, not-too-bad, not-too-terrible blips on God’s radar that needed a little clean-up by Christ’s blood. Every white lie, every little gossip, every thought of payback or manipulation to get my way. Each one is as ugly as the Penn State scandal to God, for He is perfectly holy and cannot look upon evil (Habakkuk 1:13).

I was reminded of Jesus’ explanation as to what our response should be when we hear of terrible local news (Luke 13:1-5). Jesus said our response needs to be to repent, else we perish like them. This ought to be the Christian response to 9-11, or Katrina, or other natural disasters. All of us deserve such destruction, and these incidents remind us of the need for a Savior. I am not trying to take the analogy too far to suggest that sinners (including children) deserve abuse like what happened at Penn State, but I do think that this ought to again remind us of the need for a Savior. The disgust and anger I felt and still feel over what happened to these young boys is the kind of disgust I need to have towards my own sins, for that is how God sees my sins. Events like this ought to remind the church of the ugliness of sin and the great price Christ paid to atone for this kind of wickedness.

So where does this leave our Children’s Ministry? My last thought above, I think, ought to be the starting point. We must start with the gospel of Jesus Christ that is able to save us from the uttermost (Hebrews 7:25), even from the kind of scandalous sins revealed at Penn State. Our accountability as a ministry is first and foremost to God. In other words, all of our Children’s Ministry workers must be a regenerate, true believer and follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are justified by grace through faith. We also have the Holy Spirit indwelling us, empowering us to live righteous lives and to put off the old man, with its perversities like the ones witnessed at Penn State.

As a genuine Christian, we are also accountable to the local church where we hold our membership, so that is the next level of accountability. God has designed the church to carry out His mission on earth, including raising the next generation to know and fear the Lord. The elders of the church watch over the members of the church and do their best to ensure that the conduct of all her members, including Children’s Ministry workers, align with the teachings of Scripture and are in accordance with being a Christian who has put off the old man and has put on the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-24). The elders have appointed helpers like myself to maintain a close eye on all the staff involved in our ministries. I, of course, take this charge very seriously. This is why I take this news so seriously.

The safety of our children are of utmost importance to the Children’s Ministry at Lighthouse. We have specific policies and guidelines in place to protect the children and to help remind all the staff to remain above reproach. But we must be steadfast and diligent in our efforts and not be complacent, lest incidents like the Penn State scandal creep into our church. To better improve our due diligence in matters of our children’s safety, all our Children’s Ministry staff must have a background check performed at a minimum of every 2 years. In addition, we have been notified by Elder Mike Chon to report any suspicious activity to him and the ministry coordinators immediately. If there is any concern of abuse (physical and/or sexual), the staff must report it to Mike and the police. Every adult can now be found culpable if not reported to the proper authorities, including the police, on matters as serious as this. We as a Children’s Ministry will make every effort to protect our kids to the best of our abilities.

At the end of the day, will any of the children at our church be abused, regardless of the measures we place to protect them? Statistically, and considering the makeup of our church, probably not likely. But when news like this Penn State scandal breaks, all statistics and likelihoods are thrown out the window. The gravity of the issue rises to the forefronts of all our minds. Guards must be enhanced and measures must be evaluated to make sure all of us are doing our due diligence to protect the safety of each child God has entrusted to us, as parents, as the Children’s Ministry, and as the local church.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this topic, please feel free to talk with Mike Chon or myself at church.

by Lillian Kim

I have had the joy of serving on Fireflies staff for a total of four-and-a-half years. And now I have the joy of serving on Sonlight staff alongside my wonderful husband, Abram Kim.

The decision to switch from Fireflies to Sonlight wasn’t a very hard decision for me to make but it was a hard transition to go through. When Abram and I got engaged last April, we began talking about our future family and how our ministry would look like as a family. When we talked about my involvement in Fireflies, Abram was fine with me continuing on since it fit under the umbrella of Children’s ministry. We’d still attend the monthly children’s staff meetings together and he’d have more perspective from me on what goes on in the life of a Firefly kid so that it could help him understand how all the ministries of children’s ministry from newborns to eleven-year-olds connect. But as we thought about it and prayed about it more, we both realized that I would be a more effective helper for Abram if I served alongside him in Sonlight. I would be able to give him perspective and insight as I served with him on Sundays to encourage him to grow as teacher, to be his biggest cheerleader, to be his biggest critic, and to know how to better pray for him and help him prepare to teach on Sundays and to lead the ministry. Along with that, we would be ministering to the children, parents and staff together and would be able to talk about the joys and struggles and how to pray and watch the ministry grow as the Lord would be the ultimate leader of the group. So with that, it was easy to make the decision because my heart’s desire since being engaged to Abram is to carry out the words of Scripture, to be his “suitable helper.”

However, the transition was a bit difficult to go through. How do you say farewell to a wonderful staff and an energetic group of babies, infants and toddlers? It’s just hard because the staff is so supportive and loving and of one mind in passing on the glory of God to the next generation. And the kiddies are just so cute and impressionable and are very interested in knowing the truths about God—that he is good, big, everywhere, and that God always wins, Jesus is the boss, Jesus is my friend, Jesus is alive…and the list continues.

God is gracious and he made moving from Fireflies to Sonlight smooth. The Sonlight staff is wonderful and the children are great. Also, it’s neat to see how the Children’s Ministry’s philosophy of ministry is consistent and constant with what the church-at-large stands for. It’s not just that way on paper but it’s also that way in practice.

I’m currently working with the yellow table which is the Kindergarten table. The last interactions I had with these kids were in nursery. It’s been fun and a huge blessing to see how much these kids have grown and learned since their Fireflies days. I can see how the foundations laid out in Fireflies has really helped them in their spiritual journey. Some of the things they’ve been learning this year in Sonlight–like adoption, justification and sanctification–are very big concepts, but they are slowly getting it because they have learned truths about God and Jesus over the course of their participation in the Children’s Ministry here at LBC.

Working with the children of our church is such a delight. The parents have been very helpful as they teach and pass on the glory of God to them. As a church, let’s continue to strive in this endeavor to pass on the glory of God to those who do not know Him.

by Ryan and Stephanie McAdams

Don’t worry; we don’t have our months confused. The American Thanksgiving holiday is still a while away. But for us, there is always much to be thankful to God for – in particular, the Sonlight Ministry! The 2011-2012 school year started off a few weeks ago, and we love being back in our “second home” – the Sonlight room – once again. We wanted to share specifically what it is about this elementary school ministry that we appreciate so much!

We are thankful to God for…

The Sonlight Kiddos

There is so much we could share about these precious children. First of all, these five to eleven year olds have quite the imagination; they can and will play with anything they find in our room! A few chairs become a castle. Swimming pool noodles become swords. Also, we value the conversations we get to have with them, not only during official Sunday school time but anytime we see them. Already this year, one kid has admitted he does not think he’s a Christian, allowing for further conversation about what makes a true believer. Another kid answered the question “What is God’s gift to those who believe in Jesus?” with “ruternal life!”, revealing her lack of understanding of “eternal life” and providing an opportunity to explain what “eternal life” means. Even the inappropriate and flippant things they say about God, the gospel, and each other we can use those moments to talk with them and help them see their depravity.

Fireflies Nursery and Sparklers Preschool Ministries

We see the fruit of these two ministries as they have helped lay a good foundation of God and His Word. Though they’ve only been with us for no more than a month, the youngest batch of kids (kindergarteners) are quite knowledgeable and show an enthusiasm for learning and listening to God’s Word.

Newer Families and Visiting Families

In the past year or so, we have seen a significant number of families check out Lighthouse, and quite a few end up staying! It’s encouraging to see their desire for a church that will love and teach God’s Word accurately and with care to their children.

The Parents

They allow us to come alongside them as they strive to teach, train, discipline, and love their children with the gospel and God’s Word. They are exemplary role models for us as we look forward to having our own little disciple soon!

The Staffers

Though only eight of us currently (but many prospective staff!), we see such love and investment these staffers have for the kids. The male staff is required to teach on a rotating schedule. It is neat to watch these men grow in their abilities to clearly and accurately speak God’s Truth to the kids in a way that they will understand. Something new implemented this school year is a weekly staff meeting at 8:30am before service starts to hear an overview of that day’s lesson and to pray together for the Sunday school time. We enjoy this time to physically see all the staff around one table and entrust this ministry to God.

The Curriculum

As two people who grew up in the church and became very familiar with the gospel and Bible stories, we know the danger of claiming to be a Christian without having true faith with a life that backs it up. We constantly pray that this curriculum, To Be Like Jesus, will challenge the kids’ minds and hearts to consider God’s Truths and see if their lives reflect a genuine love for Him or not.

A Classroom

They all fit in there (for now)! We love that they love and feel so comfortable in this room – it’s like their “second home” as well. Come peek in our neck of the woods after service sometime, though you may not be noticed since the kids are so engrossed in playing. Many times, they don’t even see their parents, who have to literally drag them out of the room to go home or eat lunch!

Serving as a Married Couple

Sonlight was the first ministry we starting serving in together after marriage. These children and this ministry are a big part of our lives. We talk about the kids constantly – trading funny stories/moments from Sunday school since we lead different small groups within Sonlight, praying for them, and tossing ideas back and forth of how to better talk to and shepherd each child’s heart.

We hope our short list provides encouragement and thankfulness in your heart this day for God’s love and care for LBC’s next generation!

by Abram Kim

The start of the new year brings a lot of anticipation, change, and excitement. The start of the Sonlight year is no different. About half the staff from last year have stepped down for various reasons (i.e., moving away, other ministries, etc.). New staff will join soon, but will take some time for them to be trained. Two of our most faithful kids (Katie and Jordyn ) have moved on to the youth group, Lumos. Five kids (Melody, Tyrone, Noah, Abby, and Kasey) have moved up from the preschool group, Sparklers. Amidst all the change, the Sonlight ministry, which serves Kindergarten through 5th grade, remains steadfast because the Word of God remains steadfast and unchanging. Just like in every other ministry at church, the Bible is the final authority for Sonlight in all things pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).

This year we have a new curriculum from Children Desiring God, called “To Be Like Jesus.” The curricula from Children Desiring God have been consistently faithful to the Scriptures, and for the most part aligned with the teaching at Lighthouse. We anticipate the same level of faithfulness this year, all the while remembering that the curriculum itself is not inspired, only the Bible is inspired.

This year’s curriculum will cover the biblical message of the gospel, and in particular, what it means to call yourself a Christian. This is an appropriate topic for our Sonlight kids who are growing in their knowledge of the God, Jesus, and the Bible. I can personally attest as one who has grown up going to church all my life that knowing the facts of the gospel and having those facts effect my life were two completely different, yet obviously connected, realities. As the stories and teachings of the Bible begin to formulate in the young minds of the children in Sonlight, we as a staff will challenge and encourage them this year to consider the fruit in their lives to really evaluate whether or not they have true saving faith. Our Lord said the world will know His own by their fruit and practice (Matthew 7:15-27). Being a Christian is so much more than assenting to a set of facts and ideas. Being a Christian includes a total life change. Once we were slaves to sin, which leads to death. Now we are slaves to Christ, who ransomed us with a very costly and precious price, His own blood. Only then can eternal life be assured and secured. Only a few find it. We pray all the children in Sonlight are part of that few.