Suffer the little children…
SJC has evolved a certain ministry approach to families and children which we believe is based on biblical values.
- We want families to worship together in our main Services.
- We want our children to have a fuller participation in church life according to their age or maturity. This includes experiencing worship, teaching, discipling and community life which is catered for them.
- Our children grow together and by the time they transit to the Youth community (JYM), they are already doing so with peer church friends.
- We want our parents to know other parents, as the task of growing families in the Lord is a journey we all take together.
This is the reason why we run Super Powerkids the way we do. We don’t do Sunday School parallel to the Services. We commit the best of our resources to SPK to ensure it is a quality church life and experience for kids (and their parents.) We have children who grow up worshipping in our main Services so that the liturgy and Communion becomes less a strange and an “adult thing.” They learn that one does not need to be entertained to worship. The older children (Primary 5 onwards) are assigned bible study groups to prepare them for JYM and they move over as friends.
This is why we welcome children in our Services. There will be the usual noise and distractions and I ask that we do our part to be supportive of young families in our midst. Our facilities in Harding are limited. The teaching group for children (within an age-bracket within 3-7 yrs, experimental programme to start in Sept) during sermon time is one way of helping but it cannot do everything. The needs of children will need the whole church community to support.
True, it is a whole lot of work. However the fruits are there to be seen.
I first read Matt 19:14 in the King James Version. And so it is “Suffer the little children…” The word means to “allow.” I like this word in the sense that it speaks of something that we (adults) have to sacrifice or do for our children. They don’t just come to us. They do not just grow spiritually on their own. We have to allow and make it happen.
So, will you ‘suffer…’?