Christian Education and Communication

One of the things that always amazes me about communication is that it is incredibly tricky. We struggle with communicating enough. We struggle with miscommunication. We struggle with misinterpretation. I often wonder how we ever communicate at all.

This is especially true in closer relationships including those in the church. In communicating to those in the church I find it especially hard to remember to whom I communicated to and what. In my mind it often goes like this: “I did think that right? So, I must have told them right? I did tell him, oh, but I forgot to tell her!! I can’t believe I said that. I can’t believe you thought I said that.”

You see how hard it can be? One of the areas of mass communication is to keep communicating because we tend to forget, loose our way, need to clarify or even add new folks into the mix of the needed to be communicated to. That is why you keep hearing that commercial over and over and over again on the radio while driving home!

So, for all of us, including me, I wanted to communicate (or try to) what our youth and children’s ministries have at their foundation as I have been reminded through some denominational reading. I do not think this should come as a shock but theology is at the foundation of our ministries.

First, we are Reformed which means that the Scriptures alone reveal to us that it is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone for the glory of God alone that we are saved and included into the people of God. Therefore, some foundational theological basics for us would be:

• God is absolutely sovereign
• The Bible is the Word of God and absolutely true
• We are dead in our sins from birth
• Jesus is the Son of God and salvation is through him alone
• God is the author and perfecter of our faith – he chooses us, regenerates us and seals us for eternity by the Holy Spirit.
• Repentance and faith is the response of God’s people
• We are called to live a life that glorifies him and to call others to faith and repentance

Second, we are covenantal which basically means:

• Through his electing grace God has established a promise with his people where he loves them unconditionally, is present with them and is all they need.
• God’s Word is about Jesus who proves this promise true
• God’s covenant promise is to us and to our children
• God works is families and in the family of families – the church.

(See Heirs of the Covenant by Sue Jakes for more unpacking of this in our lives)

Now that we see theology is at the foundation of our ministries, what does this mean for our ministries and how we do them?

• We focus on God and his glory over “only” the needs of our kids.
• We trust in God’s covenant promises for the salvation of our kids.
• We teach the Bible as one story about God’s promise of redemption. Christ is central!
• We see teachers as the whole church – even those without or with grown kids.
• We expect true disciples at an early age.
• We strive to integrate families into every area of ministry and home plays the key vital role for this biblically. Parents, think of your home as the everyday classroom and place for discipling the next generation. If you only leave it to church service and Sunday school it will not be enough. Your kids will learn much more from you than they ever will from a teacher in Sunday school. You must view your home as a part of the church because you make up the church. How does that change your focus of home life? In what ways? Think about it!

Obviously there is much more to our youth and children’s ministries but beginning to understand these foundational theological principles gives us better vision and understanding for what our ministries are about and how you all (TPC) actually play a part.