I Love My Bible - Kids in Worship

Now that we have a firm grasp on what it means to have an Amazing Faith, our kids are going to begin studying why the Bible is so important, and how it can transform every aspect of our lives. This is why our next series is called I Love My Bible, and we are going to dive right into God's Word and see how God's Word is like bread, light, a shield, a sword, etc. Each week focuses on a key metaphor for God's revealed word to mankind, and we'll learn how the Bible is so much more than a book we have on a shelf or an ancient text for special occasions, but rather that the Bible is living and powerful just as Hebrews 4:12 says.

This is why I want every kid to have their own Bible and to bring it with them every Sunday night! Even if they can't read the words, I want kids to know the value and significance of having God's literal Words to us in their grasp. I can still remember doing Bible Drills for the first time when I was in third grade, and it was then that I began to see how important God's Word was, not just for church, but for everyday life. When we move from reading God's Word to actually believing it, then we have reached the point where we can exclaim that the Bible is living and powerful! I Love My Bible is much deeper than a love for a good book, it's a desire and a thirst for God's Word to fulfill a child's life, to give them the courage to be a bold witness, and to understand their own need for salvation through Jesus.

What Makes a Small Group Worth it?

The concept of small groups, community groups, life groups, or whatever kind of title you may like best is an explosive, powerful tool being used by many churches today. Oddly enough, the New Testament church in Acts is our prime example of this movement. For them, as we see in Acts 2:42-47, church was far from a gathering of hundreds of people in a large, ornate structure once a week. They were being the church every single day of the week. The Bible says that everyday they were continuing to meet in the temple courts, discussing their faith and sharing it with passers-by. It makes sense that churches are seeking alternatives to the Sunday morning routine and looking for ways where people can connect on deeper levels without the constraint of time or tradition. However, I do believe that a Sunday School class can be just as much of a small group as any other, for what matters is the mindset of those involved. Time, place, and environment shouldn't be as important as the relationships built and the growth which occurs from such a group although they can serve as important indicators of the goals and focus of the group.

Our young couples class has been working through several weeks of discussion, solely based on how churches are reaching the younger generation and what it takes to truly be an effective, Acts 2 type of group. We've discovered and worked through five distinctions that make a church and a small group appealing to the younger generation. The list is surprising, but the statistics and interviews validate these opinions given by 20-29 year old's who do not attend church. The five things are: to experience worship, a focus on service, meaningful content, discipleship, and authenticity & transparency. This is the environment that promotes unity, growth, and honest relationships built on trust and the Holy Spirit. I want the church to reach out to the younger generation, not so that they will be a part of our group, but so that they will experience the love of Christ they so desperately need. We don't have to build a new building or wear t-shirts, we simply need to model ourselves after the original church...the one that met in homes to share life and to glorify God in everything they did. I'm willing to get out of my comfort zone to reach them...are you?