As both a parent and a children's leader - I understand that I will never have more influence over my kids than I do right now in their pre-teen years. Obviously, we will always be a part of our children's lives and hopefully they will always seek our insight as they make their journey through life. But our influence, our ability to mold who they are and who they are becoming - that influence will never be greater than it is right now.

     We serve an amazing God who knows no boundaries in who he can reach with His great mercy and love. Millions of people connect with Jesus Christ in their 20's, 30's and beyond. But statistically, those people are the exception to the rule. Truthfully, the majority of people decide during their pre-teen years what they believe regarding sin, forgiveness, and the eternal consequences of their actions. And that belief is the same one they carry with them to the grave.

    Researchers are now telling us that a person will have their moral and spiritual foundations in place by the time they are 9 years old. And while it is certainly possible for someone to change their views as they get older, it becomes increasingly difficult to do so with each year that passes.

    All of this adds up to an understanding that we cannot afford to wait until our children are older to try and reach them for Christ. Children's Ministry cannot be about having plenty of activities for our kids to occupy their time. As parents and children's leaders, we have to take advantage of our influence now and work to make disciples out of our children. We cannot be satisfied with just teaching our children Bible stories. We have to realize that developing spiritually is not just about what a person knows - but more about who they are and who they are becoming.

    At Agape - our goal is to see a child continually growing in their relationship with Jesus Christ. Everything we do is somehow related to this goal. We want our children to learn how to worship God with their entire lives. That hopefully they will understand, as we all should - that ultimately we have to answer to God for our actions.

    We would welcome the opportunity to minister to your child. For K5 - 6th grade we hold Children's small groups each Sunday at 9:45 am. Beginning at 10:45a we have a Student's worship service for grades K5 - 6th. We also have classes for Pre-K children during these times. There are children's classes on Wednesday night as well, and throughout the year we will be holding Mission activities at different times to help our children learn about showing Jesus' love to others.

     If I can assist you in anyway, or answer any questions you may have about the Agape Children's ministry - please feel free to email me.

 

With Love in Christ,

David McConnell
Family Pastor