Posted at www.churchleaders.com
By Erik Raymond
As a pastor I often get the question, “Do you have any advice for helping my kids to benefit from the sermon?”
This is a question that I really appreciate because it recognizes the importance of the preaching of the Word of God and our reception of it. It recognizes that even the children are to hear and, to best of their ability, understand what is being preached.
What follows are some things that I have done as a Dad and also as a pastor.
Parents Before the Sermon
Read the passage as a family before Sunday morning. This is easy and so very important. They hear the passage read by Dad or Mom and see your commitment to the Word of God. This goes further than you can imagine.
Ask the kids (especially the little one) to listen for one key point. If they can hear one thing and really get it, then you are winning.
Pray before you leave the car. After driving to church take a brief moment to pray as a family. Pray that you would hear, heed and love God’s Word.
Parents During the Sermon
It is very important to not only train your kids to sit “still and quiet” but also to be attentive to the preaching of the Bible. As parents we don’t simply want well-behaved quiet kids but rather Bible-loving, gospel-saturated, promise-claiming, world-changing kids. This starts with preaching.
By Erik Raymond
As a pastor I often get the question, “Do you have any advice for helping my kids to benefit from the sermon?”
This is a question that I really appreciate because it recognizes the importance of the preaching of the Word of God and our reception of it. It recognizes that even the children are to hear and, to best of their ability, understand what is being preached.
What follows are some things that I have done as a Dad and also as a pastor.
Parents Before the Sermon
Read the passage as a family before Sunday morning. This is easy and so very important. They hear the passage read by Dad or Mom and see your commitment to the Word of God. This goes further than you can imagine.
- Ask and answer questions about the passage. As you read it ask questions that help them to see connections and other important features.
- Highlight key themes.
- Make particular notes about the context. A good study Bible is helpful here (my favorite).
Ask the kids (especially the little one) to listen for one key point. If they can hear one thing and really get it, then you are winning.
Pray before you leave the car. After driving to church take a brief moment to pray as a family. Pray that you would hear, heed and love God’s Word.
Parents During the Sermon
It is very important to not only train your kids to sit “still and quiet” but also to be attentive to the preaching of the Bible. As parents we don’t simply want well-behaved quiet kids but rather Bible-loving, gospel-saturated, promise-claiming, world-changing kids. This starts with preaching.
- Provide the kids with paper, pencil and a Bible.
- Restate important things during the sermon.
- Point to verses in their Bible.
- Smile—don’t just give them the stink-eye. It’s not a root-canal!
- Be engaged yourself. You undo all of your work if you are nodding off or checking Facebook or the scores of the game.
- Look at their notes (or doodles).
- Ask follow-up questions.
- Help to make personal application.
- Pray for gospel growth.
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