Your family and the war - CFN newsletter Week 94

CHRISTIAN FAMILY NETWORK NEWSLETTER 94

> How God uses children
> News:
> Hundreds find Christ in army recruits revival
> Clubbers hear the Gospel at student nightclub events
> Evangelist hires limo for youth outreach
> Sites:
> Talking to your kids about war and terrorism
> Christian reflection on the war with Iraq
> Taking precautions to guard against terrorism
> Marriage MOT: Love is not envious
> You've got to laugh: When Billy Graham drove the car
> Members' Zone latest

Dear All

As the war progresses, many of us have been struggling with ways of helping our children understand what's happening. So this week we've brought together a range of resources to help you

• talk through war and terrorism with your children
• think through your own response as a believer to what is happening
• take sensible but worthwhile precautions at home

We hope you find them helpful - and do mail in your thoughts, prayers, ideas and response to current events and how it impacts your family.

Finally, I'd like to encourage you - if you haven't done so - to renew your membership with Christian Family Network. We're committed to this fledgling ministry, so long as we have members to minister to! We've come a long way in three plus years, but we do need you to renew your membership - and maybe encourage one other friend to join - if we're to continue running CFN in the future. Do it today!

May the Lord watch over you in everything you do

God bless

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

PS Christian Family Network is here to direct you to the best in parenting, marriage and family resources; to link you up with other Christian families up and down the UK; and to help you make the most of life as a follower of Christ - at home, at work, at school and college, at play and online.

Your feedback, positive and negative, enables us to develop CFN in the way that is most useful for you - so please tell us if we're off the rails or on the button!

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ANALYSIS

How God uses children

• Continuing our series of excerpts from Dave Roberts' book God's Plan for Children (Children's Ministry/Kingsway)
  

Children are certainly not mere spectators in the drama of salvation history. We will examine their role in more depth in another chapter, but let's consider the following at this point:

• Daniel and his friends - defied their persecutors, even to the point of death.
  
• Samuel - heard from God, prophesied to the chief priest.
  
• Josiah - raised to reverence God, acted swiftly against pagan idolatry.
  
• Naaman's maid - gave the advice that led to his healing.
  
• David - challenged Goliath, the man the nation feared.
  
• Jeremiah - told not to use his youth as an excuse.
  
• Joseph - his ability to interpret dreams caused him great pain, but was to lead to greatness.
  
• Jesus - debated with the High Priest at the age of 12.
  
• Mary a teenage girl who gave birth to the Messiah.
  

The biblical record and a wide range of commentaries suggest that all of the above were either children or teenagers.

Are we ready to give children and teenagers tasks within the life of the church? Are we willing to admit to the possibility that they might have insights and perceptions prompted by the Holy Spirit that are every bit as valid as the pastor, the vicar, the deacon, the elder or the PCC member?

Jesus certainly thought so.

Jesus and children

Jesus' attitude to children is deeply instructive. He drew them in from the fringes, but also made it clear that despite the high regard of his culture and the Scriptures for the family, following him took precedence.

In Mark 10:13-15 we read of Jesus calling the children to him. He was indignant at the disciples' attempt to exclude them. The disciples reflected the culture of the day, which didn't encourage women or children to participate in the more formal teaching and discussion that surrounded rabbinic figures like Jesus.

Jesus makes his point strongly by insisting that "The Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these". His audience would have expected a kingdom and a Messiah that would free them from the burden of the Romans. Jesus places children at the centre of his kingdom.

Go to the rest of this article in our Advice section at http://www.cfnetwork.co.uk/members/advice.asp

> THIS WEEK'S NEWS

>Hundreds find Christ in army recruits revival

As Anglican bishops began to express their public support for British troops engaged in the conflict with Iraq, a former soldier claims to have witnessed an amazing outpouring of the Holy Spirit among new recruits at Army Infantry Training Centre in Catterick, North Yorkshire.

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

> Clubbers hear the Gospel at student nightclub events

Student clubbers had the chance to find out about Jesus last month, helped by top Christian DJs, rappers and break-dancers.

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

> Evangelist hires limos for youth outreach

When Rhondda charity, Focal Point, wanted to change young people's attitude to Church, they did it in style by hiring three chauffeur-driven limousines to take them to a night of Christian worship.

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

Love is … not envious

All of us have some insecurities. Sometimes we keep them well hidden. One way we can spot them is when we find ourselves feeling jealous or envious of the one we love. On our lips is: "It’s not fair." Or: "It’s all right for them". "I wish I could …" "I wish I was ..."

Are you at home with who you are. Do you love yourself – not in a proud way, but can you accept yourself, even the less attractive bits? If you are able to do this, then you are less likely to wish you were someone else and become jealous of something about your loved one.

Can you enjoy the success of your spouse, when something goes well for them.? Can you be genuinely pleased for them? Or, do you need to put them in their place every so often to help you feel better about yourself?

Envy leads to competitiveness. It is the seed of resentment, which grows into a weed that stifles love. Far better to root out the causes of envy before they take root. How about a bit of gardening today?

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> EVENTS

> YOU'VE GOT TO LAUGH ...

Driving 'em out of their seats

Evangelist Billy Graham had just finished a tour of the Florida East Coast and was taking a limousine to the airport. Having never driven a limo, he asked the chauffeur if he could drive
for a while. Well, the chauffeur didn't have much of a choice, so he got in the back of the limo and Billy took the wheel.

He turned onto the freeway and accelerated to about 90 mph. Wham! The blue lights of the State Highway Patrol flashed in his rear view mirror.

He pulled over and a trooper came to his window. When the trooper saw who it was, he said: "Just a moment, please, I need to call in."

The trooper radioed in and asked for the chief. He said, "I have a REALLY important person pulled over and I need to know what to do."

The chief replied: "Who is it, not Ted Kennedy again?"
The trooper said: "No, even more important."
It isn't the Governor Jed Bush, is it?" asked the chief.
"No, even more important," replied the trooper.
"It isn't the President George W Bush, is it?"
"No," replied the trooper, "even more important."
"Well, who in the world is it?!" screamed the chief.

The trooper responded: "I don't know for sure but I think it might be Jesus, because his chauffeur is Billy Graham!"

from Heather Darnell

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

> Advice

> How God uses children

> Resources

> How churches are falling for a Nigerian online scam
> River reflections - spiritual encouragement for you
> Anti war demos - is your child's involvement to be encouraged?

> News

> Hundreds find Christ in army recruits revival
> Clubbers hear the Gospel at student nightclub events
> Evangelist hires limo for youth outreach
> News Extra: family trust wins extra funding plus fresh boost for YMCA's Dads and Lads programme

> Top sites this week

> Talking to your kids about war and terrorism
> Christian reflection on the war with Iraq
> Taking precautions to guard against terrorism
> Playleader resources for those working with under-fives
> New look for Heart of Worship site

> 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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