Grace Community Christian Church

 

Archived Things Above

Yeah, Force Your Kids to do Church Stuff (11/27/07)

If you've never been to an Eastern Christian Convention, you're missing out on a tremendous opportunity for spiritual refreshment & fun! A bunch of us (older fuddy-duddy types, & vigorous youngsters too!) made the short trip to Hershey Lodge & Convention Center last weekend, & just had a blast!

I mean, where else would I have the opportunity to teach kids how to play Backgammon? And to exhibit grace when they beat me, shamelessly using my own suggested moves against me? And where else could I get into a full-blown pillow fight, overwhelmingly outnumbered & out-pillowed, yet still vanquishing my adolescent foes with superior skill & impressive stamina?

But beyond the fun was the more serious side of gaining Kingdom insights from men & women who are passionately involved in seeing God's church grow. One of them was keynote speaker, Bob Russell, who recently retired after 40 years of preaching at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY.

Bob spoke on Friday night from the story Jesus told about the guests in Luke 14 who made up all sorts of excuses to miss God's dinner party. He talked about the time he was nine years old & his little league baseball team had scheduled a trip to see the Cleveland Indians play on a Sunday afternoon. His parents said "No", & informed him that church was more important. Not only that, but on the way to church his dad drove by the chartered bus as the kids were loading up to go to the game! Bob concluded, "My parents taught me that there's something more important in life than baseball, & that Christ comes first."

Then he talked about being the winning pitcher for his All Star game on a Wednesday night at age twelve, & how the manager offered to take the whole team for frozen custard. Bob's parents had watched his game, and were leaving for Bible study at the church. He watched them walk to their car, & decided he'd rather be with them! So he went to Bible study in his uniform, & thought the whole time about the strawberry milkshake he could have had! He said, "Somewhere along the line, my parents taught me that while church might not be the most exciting place, it's the most important place."

Now I admit that in this age when Kid is King & BOREDOM is the tragedy of tragedies for most children, his words sound kind of old-fashioned. But they also sound true. He went on to discuss the common refrain that we preacher types hear all too often: "I'm not going to force my kids to go to church, because I don't want to turn them off." But with forty years of ministry experience behind him, Bob could also state this: "For every one person who tells you they don't go to church because their parents made them go when they were young, I'll find you twenty who go because Mom & Dad made them go!"

Bob Russell & his siblings went on to some form of full-time Christian ministry. His parents' convictions laid the foundation for a life of service & sacrifice that have benefitted literally tens of thousands of people. It was a message we needed to hear, & that needs to be shared. I know the magnetic-like pull of attractive & maybe even worthwhile alternatives to church attendance is powerful. I know the determination of a young person to self-will is even more powerful, not to mention exhausting to the poor parent who dares to oppose it.

But I also know that, as a parent, you've got just one shot at setting the trajectory of the young life that has been entrusted to you. May the aim of your efforts be directed at that which is Most Important. Shoot for God, & the things of God, & the people of God, & the Word of God, & the Life of God.

If not you, then who? And if not now, then when? Dare to teach your child now, while you still have some measure of influence, that of all the choices on the menu of life, Christ comes first.

And maybe, just maybe, sixty years from now, it will be your child addressing a crowd of 1,000 people, thanking you for hanging tough on the God thing.


Jim Dewar --