Save Wednesdays and Sundays for the church

Churches are preparing for their response to Halloween by hosting fall festivals and all sorts of positive activities for children. Churches, in fact, do a lot at attempting to reach out to area children and say, “We have a place for you.”

Since I drive by Harp’s Crossing Baptist Church every day, I can’t help but notice their huge efforts at a fall event for area children: free hotdogs and free everything else. You can’t help but admire a church that spares no expense to communicate to children, “we are here for you.”

Area churches deserve a break from two sources: parents and organizations that program for children. First, we need parents to uphold the role of the church in their homes with words of affirmation and commendation. Although it may come as a surprise, parents are the most important framers of a child’s thoughts and opinions. If a child figures his parents are against something, it will be reflected in his behavior and attitude. But, if a child discerns that his parents uphold an idea, program, or organization, in all likelihood that child will also.

In parent-church relationships, parents should be cheerleaders for the church. The other side of the coin is that churches also should be cheerleaders for parents. Our role, one that we take seriously, is to uphold the role of the parent. We teach, without apology, that children are to honor father and mother and obey their parents in everything. Why? Because that is what the Bible teaches. It is right.
To cheerlead for the church means to make sure your children are involved with age-appropriate activities. To be involved requires you, the parent, to provide transportation. I don’t know how many times I have heard of children staying home Wednesday nights from church because parents refused to provide a way. Yet, there’s always a way to the big football or baseball game. In time, children get the message: church, no; football, soccer, yes.

Making it simple, the relationship between parents and church is a mutual one. We support one another and therefore create a unity that builds in the child a wholesome identity. The child has two arms.

With the partnership of home and church, he has two anchors for tough times. He is able to hold on to both.

Let me also make a plea to organizations that provide programming for children: block off Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings for a child’s spiritual growth and stimulation. I don’t know when it happened — the church obviously was asleep — but others started planning their meetings and practices on Wednesday nights and now I even hear on Sunday mornings.

However, regardless who programs what whenever, the hurried child is very much evident in Fayette and Clayton counties: school, private lessons, sports, dance, tutoring, music and yes, church, all eat up a child’s day so much so that there’s little time for a meal with Mom and Dad or even time to spend time alone thinking what life is all about.

Too often churches and parents plan excessively for their children. Then, someone crashes and all the wonderful times that could have been are lost.

Think about it!