Sharing our faith is easy, right? God has transformed my life and I should want to share that with so many people! So, why is it so difficult? The truth is, we make sharing our faith so overwhelming that we just don’t do it (here are some reasons why). It doesn’t have to be so complicated though! If we simply shared our faith ‘like’ a child, I think we would be much more excited to do so.
I read a blog post from a friend of mine recently (Evangelism in 3 Easy Steps) and I thought about how simple evangelism really is. It’s almost humorous. God simply wants us to be who we are and live out that faith. I don’t always do well in that category, but I know who does — my daughter.
Rae is three. She can be quite the handful at times, but it’s amazing what she learns and understands about God. Yes, sometimes it means she walks around the house wearing her blanket over her head and calling herself Jesus. But many other times she simply has child-like faith.
To all the fathers out there: Father’s Day has turned into, yet another, commercialized event on the calendar. If you love your Father, give him a card, gift, and make sure they have a relaxing day. I’ll be first to say, ‘I enjoy the attention;’ but maybe we’re missing something. Maybe Father’s Day is the best opportunity to reflect on fatherhood. After all, what makes a father, a father? — kids. What would happen if, instead of focusing on ourselves, we honestly reflected on the amazing gift and responsibility of fatherhood?
Sure, kids can still celebrate their father! But maybe fathers should stop to reflect on the blessing behind Father’s Day — their kids.
I look at my kids and I’m blown away that God has blessed me with two of them. Sometimes I still don’t believe it! The last three years were a beautiful blur of excitement.
Yes, sometimes they’re crazy. Yes, I want to bang my head off the wall from time to time. But I don’t have to think very long before I remember how blessed I am to be their dad.
Discipline and punishment are often linked together. As a result, we tend to attach consequences to discipline, instead of self-control. Have we lost some of the meaning behind true discipline? The topic of spanking was in a recent news story published by CBC: “Spanking is never a good idea: child psychologist”. The general argument – spanking does more long-term damage than good.
Question: Is spanking a legitimate form of Christian parental discipline? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
More than likely, you have already come a conclusion on this, even before you have read these opening lines.
I argue, however, that while spanking (in its present form) is often damaging, we have lost the true meaning of discipline. Yes, it’s illegal in Canada to spank before the age of two (2) and after the age of twelve (12). But discipline starts very early and continues into the teenage years.
Most of us would agree that helping Children in need is a high priority. Sometimes, however, we downplay our role in this process. Perhaps it’s because we don’t think we can make much of difference or that our budget isn’t big enough to make any real change. I want you to know that there is a great opportunity for you to help in a meaningful way! You can pack a shoebox. Operation Christmas Child has been operating around the world since 1970. Since inception, they have distributed almost 10 million shoeboxes to children in more than 100 countries. I want to offer you six reasons why you should participate in Operation Christmas Child this year.
1. You are helping children around the world.
Let’s start off with an obvious one. Operation Christmas Child was created to help children. Even more specifically, to give less fortunate children a taste of the giving spirit of Christmas. Many of the children who will receive a shoebox this year have no concept of the commercialized Christmas we experience in North America. These children will simply open a small box of loved-packed toys, hygiene items, school supplies and other small blessings. These items not only bless children physically, but also bless them emotionally and socially as they quickly realize that there are people in this world that care about them.
2. You will partner with an organization who cares.
Samaritan’s Purse, the organization behind Operation Christmas Child, is a non-denominational evangelical Christian organization that has been meeting needs around the world since 1973.1 In 2014 alone, their efforts included providing over 76,000 households with Ebola infection prevention kits in Liberia and sending 60,000 shoebox gifts to ISIS-fleeing refugees in Iraq. They also responded to disasters all over the world – helping 50,000 families in Nepal, 4,000 families in the Congo, and even relief for 800 flood victims in High River, Canada.2 While this is a Christian organization, and they care about the spiritual health of those they help, their primary concern has been meeting the needs around them. Their finances prove this even further – 91% of their expenditures are directly related to their ministries.3 By participating in Operation Christmas Child, you’ll get to partner with this great organization.
3. You will bring unity within your family, group or work place.
Nothing else brings people together like helping others. Whether you pack a shoebox as a family, group or work place, this project is guaranteed to bring you all closer together. Families can include their children in the process of picking out items, groups can create a team project, and work places can pool resources to see how many shoeboxes they can pack. The possibilities are endless.
Consider taking a photo of everyone who helped pack the box and place it inside the shoebox. I’ve been told, by someone who handed out boxes to children overseas, that the children who receive photos are so grateful and overwhelmed to see the people who care about them.
4. You will teach your children how to give.
In a consumeristic world of want, want, want, get, get, get, Operation Christmas Child has the potential of teaching our children what it actually means to give. Not only will children experience giving a gift to a child in need, they also get to experience giving, without expecting something in return. It’s truly a selfless act that our society doesn’t usually promote.
Operation Christmas Child also teaches children the blessings they have. No matter our economic situation in North America, we are beyond blessed when compared with many of the children who will receive a shoebox. This project helps children have a deep appreciation for what they have and hopefully heightens their responsibility to help others.
5. You will be challenged to give.
Every year I’m challenged to do more. Whether it’s to pack one more shoebox, volunteer my time with a local collection centre, or give an extra monetary donation to help the organization go further, this project challenges me every year. Don’t think for a minute that learning how to give is only for children!
My wife had a great idea one year. Instead of giving a regular gift to our family members, we packed everyone a shoebox full of smaller items (some needs, some wants). For one thing, it was refreshing to scale things down for a change, but, more importantly, it helped us to focus on family and the real meaning of Christmas – Jesus, who is God’s selfless gift to us.
6. You will provide avenues of real transformation and hope.
Now that Operation Christmas Child has been in existence for a while, we are seeing real proof of transformation. That transformation results in hope for many others. Khin Khin shares a testimony of how she received a shoebox while living in a New Delhi refugee camp. Years later, she’s living in Winnipeg, Canada where she helps pack shoeboxes to help bring hope to many more!
“Receiving the shoebox made me realize how a Christian should give for others,” she says. “Some children might not have people who care for them, so for them, it’s encouragement to know they still have other people who care for them and that God is always there for them when they don’t have anybody else.”4
Check out her story here:
In 2014, Canadians packed over 660,000 shoeboxes! 35,000 of those came from here, in Newfoundland, alone! Let’s partner together and reach new heights in 2015! Samaritans Purse is challenging Canada to collect 710,000 this year! That’s only a 7.5% increase. If we do our part in Newfoundland, we’ll need to collect 37,625 this year! We can do it together!
By packing a shoebox we can join together to help kids around world, remind ourselves about giving, and help provide avenues of real transformation and hope!
My wife and I pastor a church that has a whole lot of kids! It’s awesome! But, with a lot of kids, comes a lot of noise, commotion, laughing, crying, talking, and sometimes even screaming. Tradition would say, “it’s inappropriate during a Sunday morning service.” I ask, “how can we modify our Sunday morning service to include our kids?”
“You are doing something really, really important. I know it’s not easy. I see you with your arms overflowing, and I know you came to church already tired. Parenting is tiring. Really tiring.
I watch you bounce and sway trying to keep the baby quiet, juggling the infant carseat and the diaper bag as you find a seat. I see you wince as your child cries. I see you anxiously pull things out of your bag of tricks to try to quiet them.
And I see you with your toddler and your preschooler. I watch you cringe when your little girl asks an innocent question in a voice that might not be an inside voice let alone a church whisper. I hear the exasperation in your voice as you beg your child to just sit, to be quiet as you feel everyone’s eyes on you. Not everyone is looking, but I know it feels that way.
I know you’re wondering, is this worth it? Why do I bother? I know you often leave church more exhausted than fulfilled. But what you are doing is so important.
When you are here, the church is filled with a joyful noise. When you are here, the Body of Christ is more fully present. When you are here, we are reminded that this worship thing we do isn’t about Bible Study or personal, quiet contemplation but coming together to worship as a community where all are welcome, where we share in the Word and Sacrament together.When you are here, I have hope that these pews won’t be empty in ten years when your kids are old enough to sit quietlyand behave in worship. I know that they are learning how and why we worship now, before it’s too late. They are learning that worship is important.
I see them learning. In the midst of the cries, whines, and giggles, in the midst of the crinkling of pretzel bags and the growing pile of crumbs I see a little girl who insists on going two pews up to share peace with someone she’s never met. I hear a little boy slurping (quite loudly) every last drop of his communion wine out of the cup determined not to miss a drop of Jesus. I watch a child excitedly color a cross and point to the one in the front of the sanctuary. I hear the echos of Amens just a few seconds after the rest of the community says it together. I watch a boy just learning to read try to sound out the words in the worship book or count his way to Hymn 672. Even on weeks when I can’t see my own children learning because, well, it’s one of those mornings, I can see your children learning.
I know how hard it is to do what you’re doing, but I want you to know, it matters. It matters to me. It matters to my children to not be alone in the pew. It matters to the congregation to know that families care about faith, to see young people… and even on those weeks when you can’t see the little moments, it matters to your children.
It matters that they learn that worship is what we do as a community of faith, that everyone is welcome, that their worship matters. When we teach children that their worship matters, we teach them that they are enough right here and right now as members of the church community. They don’t need to wait until they can believe, pray or worship a certain way to be welcome here, and I know adults who are still looking to be shown that. It matters that children learn that they are an integral part of this church, that their prayers, their songs, and even their badly (or perfectly timed depending on who you ask) cries and whines are a joyful noise because it means they are present.
I know it’s hard, but thank you for what you do when you bring your children to church. Please know that your family – with all of its noise, struggle, commotion, and joy – are not simply tolerated, you are a vital part of the community gathered in worship.”
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Let’s rephrase that last sentence… “Please know that your family – with all of its noise, struggle, commotion, and joy – are not simply tolerated [at Bethel Pentecostal Church in Bay Roberts, NL], you are a vital part of the community gathered in worship.” Hopefully we can all insert our local assemblies. If we can’t…
Let’s think about this…
If you’re a parent of young kids, do you bring your kids to church? If you don’t, is it because of what others may think? If you do, know you’re making an awesome impact, can keep doing it!
If you’re not a parent of young kids, how do you respond to “noise and commotion” during a service? Remember being reverent is more than being quiet, it’s also acting in obedience – Jesus said, “let the children come to me.”
The next time you see a young mom or dad in church with their young children, make sure you let them know how proud you are of them!
