Train Up A Child - Kyle E. Sims

Pastor’s Corner March 7, 2021

The church is to aid parents in raising their children “in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). This goal is not just an impartation of knowledge and morals. This work is a subset of Christ’s Great Commission to make disciples by baptizing them and teaching them to observe all things. The end result is that we are to be making disciples, especially in those covenant children God has entrusted to each local church. 

It is time we took a hard look at how we are trying to do this. It is easy for youth groups to turn into a social activity or adventure club. There is nothing wrong with social and recreational youth events. It is when we lose the connection between these events and making disciples that we have a problem. Like a giant funnel, all of our programs, events, and activities need to be leading our youth to become and growing as a disciple of Jesus. 

In the last few decades, churches have seen that many of their young people who were heavily involved in the church as a youth no longer walk as a disciple of Jesus. They have wandered from the church and are living in open sin. There is no way to assure that any covenant child will walk with the Lord. See the parable for the sower (Matthew 13:1-9). We must trust God to do his work. However, we must be faithful to do our duty to our kids. 

A few clear areas that the church and especially parents can do a better job in training up our children. Parents, you are going to be the key. The church before Covid may have had an influence on a child for 3-4 hours a week max. This last year, it is down to 1-2 hours a week at the most. What you do in your own home will have more impact because of the daily influence there. 

Corporate Worship is crucial for our covenant children. In my experience, parents who made weekly participation in worship a family priority saw that their children remained more faithful as adults. A child’s earliest memories of life should include weekly attendance in Worship. Parents, you are teaching your kids to worship. What you prioritize is what they will learn to worship. Your children need to see that Lord’s day worship is a weekly non-negotiable duty. 

The local church must be there for these children. As parents teach their children about the commitment to worship, these kids should look around and see your weekly commitment to worship Jesus. The simplest thing you can do as parents and as a congregation to make disciples of our kids is to be in church week in and week out. 

Family Worship and home instruction must be a cornerstone of any plan to train up our children in the Lord. This time can be as simple as reading and talking about scripture for a few minutes and praying as a family every day. From here, you can add catechism work, Bible memorization, singing, or devotional readings. Parents, I know that this means extra work. It means turning off the TVs and devices. However, taking even as little as 20 minutes can be a spiritual blessing to the whole family. I have found in my own life that when we are consistent with doing family worship, it grows us closer to Jesus and each other. Start now! If you need help, reach out to someone. 

Finally, we need to raise the expectations for our kids at home and church. I had a minister friend who lamented that public schools expect a high school graduate to have some grasp of algebra, foreign language, grammar, composition, history, etc. What do we expect from a high school graduate in our church? Are we getting them much further than John 3:16 with some morality? Are they already chewing on spiritual meat, or are they still sipping Spiritual milk (Hebrews 5:11-14)? We need to go deeper, and we need to require more of our children both at home and at church. Ultimately, the Lord must call our children to faith. He is sovereign, but parents and the church are responsible for training our children to walk as disciples of Christ. 

Now is the time to evaluate and take action. Every day is a day closer to them leaving our homes and church. Will they be ready when that day comes? Will we have led them to knowledge and by example to Jesus. Examine your commitments. Is Worship a priority? Is Family Worship a priority? Do all our youth programs and activities funnel our kids to Jesus?  If you answer no to any of these questions, then there needs to be an immediate change. We are called to make disciples. This is especially true of our covenant children. Let’s get to it. 

Dr. Kyle E. Sims 

Pastor