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Don't Give Spiritual Custody of Your Children to The Church
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Re: Don't Give Spiritual Custody of Your Children to The Church
Posted On: 03/17/07 12:14:55 PM Age 35, MD
This article is well written and very much needed. Christian parents are commanded to teach our children in the ways of the Lord all the time. The responsibility is always ours and we should be careful to diligently do all the Lord has commanded us to do. Anything less than obedience is sin. If fathers were leading at home as they should and mothers were helping as they should in family worship, we would have not time for the too many programs offered by churches. Often these programs are nothing but the things of the world sprinkled with scripture. Children are not taught the holiness of God and reality of sin. Often churches will tell of how many children accepted Jesus after many of these programs; but which Jesus have they accepted? The Jesus who helps them on Safari at VBS? The Jesus who loves everyone despite their sin in Sunday School? We have done what is right in our own eyes and have left the ways of God. Sure, most certainly we can get results when operating our churches in a pragmatic way, but there will always be consequences to pay. Remember Moses striking the rock instead of speaking to it. Israel got water, but Moses was forbidden to enter the Promised Land. A heavy consequence to pay for not hollowing the name of God. The most obvious consequence we face right now is a Church filled with people who do not know God and young people who have no desire to know anything beyond the right scripture which will get them into Heaven. We think, "I've accepted Christ; now I can enjoy my liberty and freedom under God's grace" instead of understanding that true liberty and freedom in Christ can only be found when we are in obedience to Him in all things. Our children should be raised in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. This begins in the home with Christian parents who are living in obedience to the Lord, showing this example to the children. Thank you Mr. Baumann for sharing your heart on this most important issue. Gen. 18:19, Deut. 6, Deut 29:29
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  1. Re: Re: Don't Give Spiritual Custody of Your Children to The Church
    Posted On: 03/19/07 11:52:28 AMAge 53, PA
    Thank you very much for your spiritual response,insight, and Christian worldview. You seem to be very much younger than other responders but you're full of spiritual wisdom. Take care.
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Re: Don't Give Spiritual Custody of Your Children to The Church
Posted On: 03/17/07 10:34:24 AM Age 51, LA
Kudos on your obedience Ray by proclaiming the Truth. One reason why the 'institutional church's' don't encourage parents to have 'church' in thier homes, is they would loose the 'tithe coming into the storehouse'. May the hirelings perish with thier money for thier disobedeince to the Word of the Lord. Imagine those 'house churches' keeping thier 10% away from the beast of the system and being obedient to the Lord of thier family as too where they should invest/sow/tithe thier money. Maybe more mothers would then stay home and fathers actually be the providers and children could grow up and honor thier Mother and thier Fathers. What did Jesus say about the man who wa goign to build bigger barns/storehouses? He called him a fool I believe. The home would truly be the 'Family Life Center', rather than the institution's building that carries a mortgage for its Family Life Center, where there are no families and thier is no life. Matter of fact the building is probably open not even two full days a week. Parents are responsible for the Gifts of The Lord and to be proper stewards of those gifts. (for those of you who are too lazy to ope thier bibles, I'm not talking about money, Children are a Gift from The Lord) Father, forgive us in abdicating our responsibility. May we repent unto You.
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Re: Don't Give Spiritual Custody of Your Children to The Church
Posted On: 03/17/07 10:15:50 AM Age 43, NJ
I totally agree. God has convicted me in this area. I study the bible almost every day and have asked God to help me to teach my children. He has answered that prayer. God uses real life situations to help me teach my children. These moments are such opportunities to teach the God's word. We as parents can do it. As we learn we can take what we learn and apply it not only to our lives but the lives of our children. We are not without help the God of the universe is the ultimate parent.
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Re: Don't Give Spiritual Custody of Your Children to The Church
Posted On: 03/17/07 08:55:30 AM Age 40, FL
What a gracious call to parents to disciple their own children! My husband is a pastor, and decided a few years ago to emphasize intergenerational classes and worship to encourage parental discipleship. We don't have youth or childrens' programs or classes. Everyone, even babies, meets together, and we smile and pray for parents still training their little ones when the children get noisy. (We do have an optional nursery for parents who just aren't "there" yet.) We equip parents and have seen the beautiful fruit of involved dads, leading their families, and children being taught to love and obey God and His Son at home. Our expectations for parents are high, and many are stepping up to the task! My husband came to this conviction while studying Acts, and determined to try to mirror Scripture rather than recent church trends. We were amazed at how many parents were actually hungry for a church that kept families intact and trained parents to train their own children. This article encouraged us! One point--a family worshiping at home isn't "having church", though. That's family devotions. A fellowship of believers takes a family of families. I point this out because many homeschoolers have the mistaken idea that belonging to a church fellowship is optional. It isn't. We need both family devotions and the fellowship of a church!
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  1. Re: Re: Don't Give Spiritual Custody of Your Children to The Church
    Posted On: 03/19/07 08:06:18 PMAge 43, FL
    Are you near Winter Haven? This is the type of church I've desired for years
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  2. Re: Re: Don't Give Spiritual Custody of Your Children to The Church
    Posted On: 03/19/07 02:42:51 PMAge 31, MS
    You have a wonderfully understanding church family. Praise God. I am in awe of their insight and willingness to be "inconvenienced and distracted" by weary parents and noisy children in order to produce lasting fruit. Thanks. Keep on keepin' on! God bless and direct you.
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Re: Don't Give Spiritual Custody of Your Children to The Church
Posted On: 03/17/07 08:48:54 AM Age 40, GA
I'm in complete agreement. I pastor what is now a "family integrated" church. It is not new. In fact is it very old - little house on the prarie old. Here's my caution. Family integrated philosophy, which is patently biblical, can also evolve into a "program". The only way to keep from falling into that subtle trap is to train and hold accountable the heads of household in the fellowship. We've got men that still don't lead and there is no "kids" program to send their children to. However, it is no longer comfortable or easy for them to slip in and slip out. God gave children to Fathers and Mothers not to schools (christian or pagan) or sunday schools. We must call our household leaders back to this clear teaching of holy scripture.
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Me too!
Posted On: 03/17/07 08:42:50 AM Age 36, VA
I also was a youth pastor for 12 years, the last few of which I served with a congregation calling itself "The Family Church" -- but the only place one could find a family was in the parking lot. From the time they left it until the tie they returned, they were broken into individual fragments. This is not scriptural; it is divide and conquer! I am no longer in ministry at all, because I am offended by youth ministry (extracting the parents) and no one wants a pastor who would "attack Sunday School." Sunday School was created for orphans, kids without any parents at all. It was never meant to take over for parents for kids who have them. The age segregation idea came from Darwin, and the church runs with it. To restore the Church, we MUST restore the families. Even in evangelism: if we reach the kids first, the whole family will be saved in 14% of cases. If we reach Dad first, that number is over 90%! Maybe if we got back to the Bible, we could be telling dad's, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved -- you and your house (family)!"
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Re: Don't Give Spiritual Custody of Your Children to The Church
Posted On: 03/17/07 07:06:02 AM Age 51, WA
Do you dare suggest that we, as parents, actually spend the time to teach our children? What a novel idea!
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Re: Don't Give Spiritual Custody of Your Children to The Church
Posted On: 03/16/07 09:46:06 PM Age 49, WA
I agree that parents are the primary source in a child's biblical education. What I need is training and resources.
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  1. Re: Re: Don't Give Spiritual Custody of Your Children to The Church
    Posted On: 03/17/07 06:35:42 PMAge 43, FL
    This is an excelent article! We are home schoolers, and for this very reason. We don't "outsource" anything from Siritual teaching to academics; charachter training to cooking and cleaning & serving. We teach it all by leading and by example. We feel very strongly that many parents are also outsourcing their children's education (& many other things) so they can have the nicer car and the bigger house and all the bells and whistles that a second or third income provides. Not all parents work for the perks, but many do. Your children will not remember the "stuff". They will remember what you did with them and the time you spent with them. No one knows your child better than you and no one is more capable of teaching them everthing they need to know to be a productive part of society. Bring them home.
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  2. Re: Re: Don't Give Spiritual Custody of Your Children to The Church
    Posted On: 03/17/07 03:31:08 PMAge 56, NY
    Sorry to make it too simple but you may already have it all - the Bible and knowledge and wisdome from having read it many times! Quit looking for something else and get to work!
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  3. Re: Re: Don't Give Spiritual Custody of Your Children to The Church
    Posted On: 03/17/07 10:08:54 AMAge 44, CO
    This is going to sound trite and cliche, but I mean it with all respect. The only resource you need is the Word...the bible and Jesus Christ. I think, as parents, we've been sold a bill of goods by society. We are told that there are other people out there who know, far better than we do, how to raise and nurture our children. Don't believe me? Go to any bookstore and just look at all the parenting and psychology books etc.! Parenting isn't easy. If it's easy, you're not doing it right! Ha ha! Seriously, it's rough, and there's no harm in admitting to your children that you are learning right along with them. If you're honest and loving with them and have scripture to back up your decisions, you're on the right track. We often tell our kids that we were put in charge of their safety and their wellbeing, NOT in charge of their "having fun" with friends. Our lives changed drastically six years ago when we took back our children. We now homeschool and are part of a fabulous house church. Our teens are happy, healthy, educated, and in love with Christ. It didn't happen overnight, but it happened. Prov 3:5,6...I recite it over and over and over and over...
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  4. Re: Re: Don't Give Spiritual Custody of Your Children to The Church
    Posted On: 03/17/07 01:17:18 AMAge 51, CA
    Some resourced for your consideration: Dr. John S. Barnett, "The Joy of a Word Filled Family", and "The Joy of a Word Filled Family" the complete 51 messages in MP3 with 400 pages of notes. Available from Amazon.com or Tulsa Bible Church's website www.discoverthebook.com. Also Jim Elliff at www.CCWonline.org and familylife.com Y'shua's blessings upon you as you embark upon the adventure bringing your children to know, honor, and love the Lord.
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Re: Don't Give Spiritual Custody of Your Children to The Church
Posted On: 03/16/07 08:36:50 PM Age 70, FL
Parental imput is the most important issue. However, studies show that less than 5% of parents disciple their children. Most leave it to the church. Unfortunately most youth programs are largely koolaid & cookies. The greatest factor in the loss of our youth today are the public (government) schools that indoctrinate children beginning in kindegarten to become secular humanists. Peer pressure and the entertainment media are the other two factors that form the worldview of the majority of children. The only hope for creating Children with a biblical worldview is to either homeschool them (my preference) or place them in a truly Christian school.
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  1. Re: Re: Don't Give Spiritual Custody of Your Children to The Church
    Posted On: 03/16/07 10:40:22 PMAge 68, MA
    So well put, 70. Amen, and amen.
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    1. Re: Don't Give Spiritual Custody of Your Children to The Church
      Posted On: 03/17/07 07:11:50 AMAge 60, PA
      I am writing from Norway. The church is a successful career choice in the job market and a money making institution that is fueled by a system of programs. If you mess with the system by educating parents be careful because the entire thing just may topple. You are simply dealing with one small aspect of the greater problem of the church having become institutionalized and market based instead of kingdom based. The real issue to struggle with is What is the church? What the church does or does not do is looking at brush fires. One does not get rich or famous doing REAL kingdom building.
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Re: Don't Give Spiritual Custody of Your Children to The Church
Posted On: 03/16/07 07:17:10 PM Age 44, PA
I wouldn't trust the Church institution with a new believer let alone my kids. The Church is great at reproducing itself, and that is unregenerate robots who just go through the motions without questions. And the Lord will say to them "I don't know where you are from".
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