Why the Church must make children the priority - CFN Newsletter Week 91

CHRISTIAN FAMILY NETWORK NEWSLETTER 91

> In our second excerpt from his book God's Plan for Children, Dave Roberts outlines the priority the Church must shoulder
> News:
> Charity calls for children's rights 'champion'
> Tories want parents to have right of veto over sex education material
> Seek truth, Campolo to tell YFC tour attenders
> Sites:
> Good deals on broadband internet
> a ministry of encouragement
> free worship songs for your church
> health and safety advice for your fellowship
> Marriage MOT: Is yours a model marriage?
> Events: Book now for the small groups tour
> You've got to laugh: The old lady and the atheist
> Members' Zone latest

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Dear All

Let us know your thoughts on the hot issues of the moment:

• how much priority does your church give to children?
  
• are your teenagers getting what they really need at such a crucial time in their lives?
• how can we find an ethical way to use genetic research honourably and honour all life as sacred?
• is it possible to stem the tide of inappropriate material our children are exposed to via the media in 2003?
  

Give us your perspective on the bulletin board, or via e-mail - we'd love to hear from you!

Russ Bravo
Christian Family Network
info@cfnetwork.co.uk
http://www.cfnetwork.co.uk

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ANALYSIS

God's plan for children - why the Church must make children a priority

• In the second of an eight-part excerpt from Dave Roberts' new book God's Plan for Children (Children's Ministry/Kingsway) the church leader, writer and speaker looks at the vital priority for the Church
  

We recognise that there will be many ways of reaching children and nurturing them in the Christian faith. We commit to helping provide significant finance, resources and a call for people to carry out the tasks.

It is my belief that there will be a spiritual revival in many nations of the world during the coming decades.

There will be multiple reasons for this. Worldwide prayer movements will release a passion for evangelism; Adults will be won by the reflective, process of faith discovery found in courses such as Alpha; World events will prompt a renewed sense of spiritual need; Individual Christians will carry their faith to the communities in which they live.

But a key factor will be a renewed purpose in the worldwide church with respect to children.

The need is urgent. A church leader from Liverpool, England told me that youth work in his area is often futile. "They are hardened criminals by the age of 12," he said, "If we don't reach them before that they become difficult to speak to." He has put his words into action and is part of a team that reaches over 2,000 unchurched children every week.

His passion is needed. The 1999 UK church survey conducted by Christian Research told us that the "tide is going out", and warned that children attending church on Sunday had dropped from 14% to 8#% in the United Kingdom, in just one decade (1989-1999).

The challenge for the church is this:

Are we prepared to put the same strategic, financial and people resources into nurturing the children of the church, and reaching the unchurched child, that we pour into our evangelism courses, youth work and church fabric budgets?

Are we willing via schools work, midweek clubs, Sunday schools and specialist programmes, to 're-stock' our society with the knowledge of the Christian story?

Will we seek to create a climate where a seed planted in the life of a child can bear fruit in the teenage or adults years? Will we make this a priority?

Gavin Reid, the former Bishop of Maidstone believes we must. He told a gathering of children's evangelists that research indicated that '76% of adult converts refer to childhood faith experiences'.
These then are the headlines. How can we begin to implement these goals? First we need to clarify the principles that will inform our actions.

In the rest of this article - the six distinct biblical patterns that will guide us in our work with children, go to our Advice section at http://www.cfnetwork.co.uk/members/advice.asp

> THIS WEEK'S NEWS

> Charity calls for children's rights 'champion'

Part two of the inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbie was published recently but The Children’s Society had already called for a raft of measures to protect those least able to help themselves.

Go to http://www.cfnetwork.co.uk/members/news.asp for the full story

> Tories want parents to have right of veto over sex education material

Tory Party leader Iain Duncan Smith has responded to Labour’s proposed repeal of Section 28 with a comprehensive set of proposals that would give parents new rights to veto inappropriate sex and relationship education materials.

Go to http://www.cfnetwork.co.uk/members/resources.asp for the full story

> Seek truth, Campolo to tell YFC tour attenders

Tony Campolo is urging a change in contemporary culture when he speaks at three events this month.

Go to http://www.cfnetwork.co.uk/members/news.asp for the full story

> MARRIAGE MOT

> Check out our archived marriage tips in the Members' Zone, plus stacks more marriage resources at http://www.2-in-2-1.co.uk

A model marriage or a model of marriage?

Jokes about married life abound, usually poking fun and describing marriage in a negative way. I do admit that humour can often make us think and help us face something that we struggle with. Do you know any jokes like that, which don’t demean marriage, but actually have something quite profound to say?

National Marriage Week is about to be launched again this week. It’s founders wanted to see more positive statements in the media and in society about marriage. You too can make a difference.

Do you realize that when young people and single people see you relating together as a married couple, that you are influencing their view of marriage. Marriage is seen by many as a private affair, but you cannot live in splendid isolation like that. You are a role model to others of married life.

That’s quite a responsibility! How you treat your loved one should not be based on making a good impression on others, but knowing others are forming views of marriage from your life, can inspire you to be more loving and more responsible in your relationship.

What sort of a role model would you like to be?
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> EVENTS

> YOU'VE GOT TO LAUGH ...

There was a little old lady who would come out every morning on the steps of her front porch, raise her arms to the sky and shout: "Praise the Lord!"

Well, one day an atheist moved into the house next door. Over time, he became irritated at the little old lady. So every morning he would step out onto his front porch and yell after her: "There is no Lord!"

Time passes with the two of them carrying on this way every day. Then one morning in the middle of winter, the little old lady stepped onto her front porch and shouted: "Praise the Lord! Lord, I have no food and I am starving. Please provide for me, oh Lord!"

The next morning, she stepped onto her porch and there were two huge bags of groceries sitting there. "Praise the Lord!" she cried out. "He has provided groceries for me!"

The atheist jumped out of the hedges and shouted: "There is no Lord. I bought those groceries!"

The little old lady threw her arms into the air and shouted: "Praise the Lord! He has provided me with groceries and He made the devil pay for them!"

[forwarded by Mindi to mikeysfunnies.com]

> CHRISTIAN FAMILY NETWORK THIS WEEK
(MEMBERS' ZONE) - http://www.cfnetwork.co.uk/members/default.asp

> Advice

> What do teenagers really need? Part two of our series from Youth in Exodus, by Geraldine Witcher

> Children: top priority for the Church - Part two of our series from God's Plan for Children, by Dave Roberts

> Resources

> Alison Farnell on the issue of student debt
> Columnist Elisabeth Corcoran with Moments for Mum

> News

> Charity calls for children's rights 'champion'
> Tories want parents to have right of veto over sex education material
> Seek truth, Campolo to tell YFC tour attenders

> News Extra: Ethics campaigners warn: 'sex selection' treats children as products

> Top sites this week

> Top deals for ADSL broadband internet services
> Check out how safe your church is
> encouragement from Green Pastures ministry
> free worship music for your church

> Events: More of what's on near you

> Webwatch Index: more than 500 sites at your fingertips

> Site Search Engine: the easy way to trawl our 500-page plus archives

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