VBS Thoughts

A few follow up notes after Vacation Bible School:

The spirituality of parents matters.  If you want faith to be important in your child's life, show your child that faith matters to you.  Make worship and study a priority.  Your child sees you watch TV; let your child see you praying and reading the Bible.

Pray with your child.  Your prayers don't need to be elaborate or articulate.  "Dear God, thank you for this food and all that you give us" is an authentic prayer.  So too is, "Lord Jesus, please protect us tonight and give us peaceful rest."  If you don't  know how to pray, learn to pray with your child.

Read the Bible with your child.  Christian booksellers have Bibles and devotional material for every age.  Find something age appropriate for your family and use it.  My family is working through the book Sticky Situations.  There are many good resources available, but the best resources do no good if they collect dust on the shelf.

Take your child's faith seriously.  "Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs" (Matthew 19.14).  Jesus commends a childlike faith, and the faith of children can be at once deep and simple.  Never make fun of or dismiss your child's simple trust in God.  Do all that you can to nurture each child's faith.

May God bless you and your child(ren) as you grow in faith, hope, and love.

Peace,

Chris