“Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven...” Matthew 19:13-15

Children were considered to be lowly, powerless and even unimportant throughout the ancient world. There- fore, as children were brought to Jesus, the disciples rebuked the people. Yet the Lord responded, “Let the little children come to me...”. Seeing the little children at church is one of my greatest joys as a pastor. Seeing them grow up in the faith is the greatest sight to be seen! And as they grow, I always look ahead... ten to twenty years and ask myself in this hypothetical time machine, “will they be equipped in God’s Word as they live in this world?”. And thus, it is a reminder how important it is to teach, equip and prayerfully encourage our children in the one true faith.

Parents, I pray that you continually prepare your little children in the Word. How can this be done? 

• Bring them consistently to church so they may hear and receive the Word of God(Eph6:4)
• Have the children attend Sunday school to further their faith through the study of the Holy Scriptures (Rm10:17)
• Parents should also attend bible class for their own edification. Also, this shall serve as reminder to the children that the study of God’s Word is important to their parents too.
• At home, read the bible and small catechism to the children and pray with them. This will greatly assist them in anticipation of the 2 year confirmation program.

As a church, how can we encourage our children at Faith Lutheran?

• As models of faith, continue to encourage them in the Word.
• Pray for the children as they grow through God and His Word.
• Volunteer at Vacation Bible School or in our Sunday school program.
• Support our children as they fundraise throughout the year for the Higher Things conference.
• Encourage the parents and pray that God will grant them faith and wisdom to lead their family in the Word.

Equipping the children in the Word is of the utmost importance. As a church this is our high priority as we prepare “the future” with the Word and the Sacraments. Indeed, the future is bright because Christ [yesterday, today and forever] is our true light!

Have a blessed May!

✝️ Pastor Jeong

The full newsletter can be found here:
https://www.faithmoorpark.com/files/pdf/2023/2023-05-Newsletter.pdf