1. QUESTIONS ABOUT REACHING, RESCUING, ROOTING AND RELEASING CHILDREN.

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Susanna Barnett
5 years ago
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1 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS This worksheet is provided to help your team go through the essential questions. Questions to spark discussion and thinking are provided under each question along with a table to help you brainstorm as a team (sample ideas have been provided for the facilitator). 1. QUESTIONS ABOUT REACHING, RESCUING, ROOTING AND RELEASING CHILDREN. 1.1 WHAT DO THE SCRIPTURES TEACH ABOUT REACHING, RESCUING, ROOTING AND RELEASING CHILDREN TO GRAB HOLD OF THEIR INHERITANCE IN CHRIST AND TRANSFORM THEIR WORLD THROUGH HIS POWER? Consider: Deuteronomy 6:1-9, Psalm 78:5-7, Proverbs 20:11, Proverbs 22:6, Matthew 19:14, Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 2:38-39, Ephesians 4: HOW WILL WE REACH CHILDREN? THAT IS, HOW WILL WE CONNECT WITH UN- CHURCHED CHILDREN IN THE COMMUNITY? Consider: What is our community like (opportunities), what are we doing right now? Are we equipping our children to share the Gospel? Do we expect people to come to us or are we going out into our community? How can we make people feel more welcome when they come to a church service? What events/programs could we run to connect with our community? What community events are already going on around us that we as a church can connect to? Church is in an industrial area Pastor is mainly busy with the adults Aging congregation Church has a gym Our community loves sports There is a school next door Members of the congregation help at the pregnancy centre

2 1.3 HOW WILL WE RESCUE CHILDREN? THAT IS, HOW WILL WE SHARE THE GOSPEL/GOOD NEWS IN WAYS THAT LEAD TO THEIR SALVATION? Consider: Do we know how to share the Gospel? Are we as a church reflecting Christ? Our people are shy Our people are young in the faith We have new believers who want to grow in faith Our pastor is great at teaching others to share the Gospel 1.4 HOW WILL WE ROOT CHILDREN? THAT IS, HOW WILL WE TEACH, EQUIP AND MODEL THE WAY TO LIVE FOR AND LOVE CHRIST? Consider: How do we equip parents to do this? What are our families doing already and how can we support that? Have we found ways to engage our entire congregation in this? Are we meeting the needs of families in our church so that they can model and teach their children about Christ? We don t have many families Most of our congregation is retired and have grandchildren nearby Our congregation has a healthy budget, we can afford to purchase family Bible guides for everyone.

3 1.5 HOW WILL WE RELEASE CHILDREN? THAT IS, HOW WILL CHILDREN REACH, RESCUE, ROOT AND RELEASE OTHER CHILDREN TO GRAB HOLD OF THEIR INHERITANCE IN CHRIST AND TRANSFORM THEIR WORLD THROUGH HIS POWER? Consider: What are some opportunities for children to serve others? How can we better mentor children? Are we teaching our children to read and live out God s Word? To encourage others, can we share stories of children who are making a difference? Children are never a part of our church service We don t have enough committed members to mentor our kids. Create a list of volunteer opportunities for children to participate in at the Sunday service (greeters, ushers, praying, nursery). We can have one child share a testimony (make a video or have them share it during a service) of how they are living out their faith.

4 2. QUESTIONS ABOUT ENGAGING, ENCOURAGING, EQUIPPING AND EMPOWERING FAMILIES. 2.1 WHAT DO THE SCRIPTURES TEACH ABOUT HOW FAMILIES COME TO KNOW CHRIST AND MAKE HIM KNOWN? Consider: Psalm 103:17-18, Proverbs 1:7-9, Proverbs 22:6, Acts 16:30-34, Ephesians 6:1-2, Ephesians 6:4, 1 Timothy 5:8 2.2 HOW WILL WE ENGAGE WITH FAMILIES IN THE COMMUNITY? THAT IS, HOW WILL WE DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS WITH UN-CHURCHED FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITY? Consider: How do we welcome families to our church services? How can we better welcome families to our services? What are some things families in our community value? What are the family events taking place in our community that we can be part of? Most of our congregation commute in from other communities. Our church doesn t have a building. We have lots of families We have lots of mom s on maternity leave who would enjoy mom s morning s at the church. There are many single moms in our community who need help.

5 2.3 HOW WILL WE ENCOURAGE FAMILIES TO EMBRACE CHRIST? THAT IS, HOW WILL WE INVITE FAMILIES TO BE SAVED AND SERVE CHRIST? Consider: Do we share the Gospel regularly on Sundays and at church events? How do we equip new believers to grow in their faith (children and adults)? Are we praying for families in our church and community regularly? Is there a particular family we need to share the Gospel with today? Are we equipping our churched families in how to connect with un-churched families? There are no new people at our church. Members of our congregation aren't involved in community activities. We are starting home groups. The pastor shares the Gospel every Sunday as part of the sermon. We have a monthly intergenerational service 2.4 HOW WILL WE EQUIP FAMILIES TO WORSHIP CHRIST? THAT IS, HOW WILL WE RESOURCE FAMILIES TO CONNECT WITH GOD'S WORD AND PRAY TOGETHER? Consider: Is there a way for families to worship, read the Bible and pray together on Sunday mornings? How can we support parents in doing this throughout the week with their children? Are we discipling the parents? Are our children and adults learning the same thing on Sunday mornings? Children and adults learn different things on Sundays. We have a family small group We run an annual seminar in Bible reading and prayer for all age groups.

6 2.5 HOW WILL WE EMPOWER FAMILIES TO ENGAGE, ENCOURAGE AND EQUIP OTHER FAMILIES? THAT IS, HOW WILL WE STRENGTHEN FAMILIES TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH UN-CHURCHED FAMILIES, SHARE THE GOOD NEWS AND DRAW UN-CHURCHED FAMILIES TO CHRIST? Consider: How do we equip the families in our church to do this (training, from the pulpit, running events)? Have our families been taught how to share the Gospel? Our families are really busy. Many families lack the confidence to build relationships with the un-churched. Some of our congregation help out as Big Brothers and Big Sisters to children from un-churched families. Two of our families are already very good at connecting with un-churched families.

7 3. PRACTICAL QUESTIONS 3.1 WHAT DOES OUR CHURCH NEED TO CHANGE TO BECOME MORE CHILD/FAMILY FRIENDLY? 3.2 HOW DO WE WELCOME CHILDREN AND ENSURE THEY RE SAFE WHEN IN OUR CARE? Consider: Do we have a child protection policy? 3.3 HOW DO WE INVOLVE CHILDREN IN SERVING AND WORSHIP? HOW DO WE EQUIP THEM TO DO THIS?

8 3.4 WHAT DO WE WANT SUNDAY MORNING LESSONS TO LOOK LIKE FOR CHILDREN? MID- WEEK? Consider: programming, facilities/design, learning objectives, age groups. 3.5 HOW DO WE EQUIP OUR LEADERS TO BETTER SERVE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES? Consider: What training might be useful? What resources could be put in place to help them?

9 3.6 HOW DO WE EQUIP OUR CHILDREN, FAMILIES AND CHURCH TO SHARE CHRIST WITH OUR COMMUNITY? 3.7 HOW DO WE MAKE DECISIONS FOR THE CHURCH THAT TAKE CHILDREN/FAMILIES/OUR COMMUNITY INTO CONSIDERATION? Consider: Are children always considered at a church board/decision making level?

10 3.8 WHAT DO WE EXPECT OF OUR MINISTER IN REGARDS TO CHILDREN/FAMILIES? Consider: Pastors set the tone for a church, how can your pastor lead the church into putting a greater value on children and their families?

STRATEGY FOR EVANGELIZING AND DISCIPLING

STRATEGY FOR EVANGELIZING AND DISCIPLING CHILDREN Strategy For Evangelizing and Discipling Children Lawson W. Murray and Amy Csoke 2018 by Scripture Union Scripture Union Canada www.scriptureunion.ca All