"Parenting in the Pew" Chapters 3-4

(Chapter 3-4 Overview)

Basically for those of you just joining in on these Book Overviews, what we are doing is going through "Parenting in the Pew" and "Don't make me count to Three." I give you a week or two to read through some chapters and then I give a brief (well sometimes) overview of the book.. I highlight what I think stood out in that chapter and then I post it for you all to read. So join in with us! 

Chapter 3

God delights in children, in their expectancy, in their vulnerability and ability to believe. These are gifts of grace that children bring to a church family. Parenting in the pew encourages children to participate in the life of a church, to share these gifts of unfettered faith and expectation. Children can enhance the worship of God for the whole congregation.

Children Believe:

Children are a symbol of the kingdom, indeed the "greatest" in the kingdom. (Matthew records, At the time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a little child and had him stand among them. And He said: " I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me." Matthew 18:1-5)

We need children in our churches. They can remind us vividly what it means to be great believers. Young children have the capacity to accept as truth what is told to them by adults. Even at fairly early ages they can learn to tell the difference between the imaginary and the real if this distinction is made by trusted adults. But children delight in believing what adults find difficult to swallow. The ideas of faith we share need careful telling.

• Children are willing to believe, and this mans that their hearts have great capacity for worship
• Parents are the best people to teach their children what it means to worship God. 
  
• Children help us to pay attentions to what God is really saying.... 
  
  
  
  
  Chapter 4
  
  
  
  • Sunday Morning should be a time of joyous expectation for a family who loves the Lord. But too often it is a morning riddles with strife and filled with regret. 

  There is a way to turn the hearts of our children to worship and take the worry and worn out from the Sunday-Morning agenda. The key lies in another, better "w" word:work.
  
  Worship is work, hard work. It is also rewarding work. To worship the Lord "in spirit and in truth" does not come easily, and it certainly does not come naturally to us. It is difficult to worship on the leftover energy of a long week and a late Saturday. The Sunday morning encounter with God is worthy of our best energy, not our least.
  
  
  
  Note: Worship should not just be on Sunday Morning. This book refers to Sunday Momrning alot but every time we step foot in Gods house for church we should be ready to worship.
  
  • Worship is loving the Lord with an attitude. (a good attitude.)

  Parenting in the Pew comes with an attitude check.
  
  • Teaching our children to worship, is a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving that God rejoices to receive.
  • Teaching our children to tithe can help develop a generous attitude about giving praise, time, goods and blessing to God. 

  
  
  • Children need to sense our excitement about worship with God's people.  
  • Keeping Sunday simple can help keep Sunday special for God.

  
  God is worthy of our worship. The call to worship centers on the One who calls us. This call is not a friendly suggestion but a loving command.
  God sees us. He sees our posture, our faces, our antics, and he knows our hearts and minds.
  Well so does our children. Lead in good example!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Parenting in the Pew: Guiding your children into the joy of worship
  
  by: Robbie Castleman
  
  Forward by: Ruth Bell Graham