CDM Archive

Discipleship Ministries of the PCA

Teachers/Disciplers

Does Curriculum Make a Difference?

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chd-inside.jpgI am responding to two related questions below that focus on curriculum, the main topic in this edition of Equip for Ministry. One is what difference does it make what curriculum we use in our church? A second question has come from pastors who basically ask, why should I get involved in the curriculum used in the church? Several years ago in a random sampling, I found that only one-fourth of the pastors queried knew what curriculum was being used in their Sunday school.

Let me respond briefly to both questions before more elaboration. Curriculum choice becomes an extremely important question. If you read the lead article by Dave Matthews on curriculum evaluation, you will see its importance. So much of the materials that are put together in curriculum format, especially for Sunday school and other Bible study materials are either heavily moralistic or legalistic, generally reflecting a theology that is at odds with our Reformed and covenantal doctrines. Paul told Titus in the discipleship process to teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. Solid, biblically Reformed curriculum will avoid the simplistic and erroneous moralism and legalism so prevalent today. It will focus on God and his kingdom perspective, focusing on a creation, Fall, and redemption motif.

In response to the pastors’ questions, as the teaching elder in the church, it is your responsibility, as we will note below with the session, to be certain that what is taught is in accord with sound doctrine, particularly our biblically Reformed distinctives. That’s what Paul says to Pastor Titus and by implication to us today. But even from a pragmatic view, we have dealt with too many churches over the years where conflict has developed over the contrast between what is being taught from the pulpit and what is being taught in the Sunday schools and other Bible studies. I remember one church that we worked with having five adult Sunday school classes. One class was taught by a charismatic, another by an old-fashion fundamentalist, one by an knowledgeable dispensationalist , another younger couple’s class that was broadly evangelical, and one of the five that was distinctively Reformed taught by a seminary graduate. The church was an eclectic mess. I would describe the pastor as a classical Calvinist, but he would not interject himself into that part of the church’s ministry. I don’t have to tell you what that church had to go through before the session finally stepped up to the plate, hopefully from our encouragement, and dealt with the problem.

We have so little time in the church to disciple God’s people that we cannot afford to be theologically eclectic in our approach. There is enough confusion, especially with our younger generation, with today’s education systems, television influence, and the internet.

As Dennis Bennett references in his “Equip Tip” article in this issue, do not confuse curriculum with ends or objectives. The purpose of curriculum is to be a means to an end. It should assist the discipling process, including the leader/teacher, with ideas, information, activities, and good biblical exegesis. We do believe and encourage local churches to clearly define their objective in all the educational/disciple training programs to assure and insure accountability and meaningful evaluation.

The Presbyterian Church in America Book of Church Order (BOCO) chapter 12-5d states that the Session oversees the life and ministry of the church (with pastoral leadership), which includes all of its parts. It must approve the activities related to each group, including the people and study materials used in its ministry programs, especially its educational/discipleship activities.

To apply that oversight principle, approving materials that are not at cross-purposes with the churches mission and philosophy of ministries is essential. We noted some of our experiences above with one example. Whatever the church does as a whole or through its various groups must contribute to the overall accomplishment of the church’s mission.

The teachings throughout the church should also support the mission and direction of our PCA churches; therefore, the materials (curriculum) used must be consistent with Scripture. This is the most basic element in choosing curriculum or materials, though this is not intended to suggest that all studies have to basically Bible studies, though the Bible must be at the heart of the curriculum.

The materials used should be supportive of our confessional position, as set forth in the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Larger, and Shorter Catechisms in order to under gird the idea that as a PCA congregation we do represent a certain biblical, theological and philosophical perspective which should be woven throughout the ministry, and to insure that what is taught from the pulpit ministry will be carried throughout the church’s life.

The materials or curriculum should also be spiritually helpful to those using them. For example, they should reflect good solid exegesis and teachings that are consistently with sound doctrine. Remember that is the biblical principle!

We should be certain that the materials and people involved in the education/discipleship process are able to apply those resources to their specific situations so that the students, young and old, will have more of a kingdom perspective.

Last, whatever curriculum we choose, it should be clear and easy to use. Not only should the author’s purpose and intent be clear and attend to the above suggestions, but the students should be able to use them without too much difficulty. Christian Education and Publications has a network of regional trainers that are regularly assisting local churches with things like planning and teacher training. They can be scheduled from the CEP office by calling 1-800-283-1357.

How Should We Understand “Curriculum”? Part 1

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dennis.jpgWe have all used the word curriculum, but not many really know what it means. To most it conveys the material we use. It comes from the Latin meaning “a race.” God’s curriculum, or race, for His children is that in the end we are more like His Son Jesus. What we generally refer to as curriculum is really a curriculum plan. When we use Great Commission’s material for, say, grade three, it is a segment of the overall race that will take a child through the third grade with specific experiences for that quarter and year.

Great Commission Publications has done a great job laying out the curriculum plan up through high school, but what curriculum plan does your church have for adults? God’s plan is clear, but how are we going to know if we are moving each individual in our church toward that goal?

We usually refer to adult curriculum by another term – discipleship. However, if we are to see our people truly discipled we need a curriculum plan! We need to plan how we are to get a new Christian from the point of birth to maturity, from infancy to disciplemaker. If your church doesn’t have a plan let me suggest one for you. This plan allows you to monitor the growth of each individual in your church. If we keep in mind that the work of the pastor-teacher is to “equip the saints for the work of ministry” then the plan here is for the leadership to examine each person in the church, determine where they are at on this chart, and then make a plan to move him or her to where he or she is living for the Lord in all areas of life and discipling others.

A

B

C

D

E

F

Unsaved – Being nurtured along and is very interested in spiritual things

New Christian, immature, needing nurturing

Actively growing personally, but not involved in ministry

Spiritually maturing – needs now to be trained to disciple new believers

Spiritually mature – train to disciple others A-C

Spiritually mature – should be leading the Church A – F
Level 1
Searching		 Level 2
Believing		 Level 3
Growing		 Level 4
Becoming		 Level 5
Serving		 Level 6
Leading

It has often been said that if we have no goal we are sure to meet it. For discipleship to take place there has to be movement in the right direction. CEP is presently working on details for this plan. If we at CEP can help you in any way to accomplish this, please feel free to call us. If you would like to contact me directly, you can reach me at 678-825-1158 or dbennett@pcanet.org

Evaluating Your Sunday School Curriculum

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]by Dave Matthews
(Article from September 2006 issue of Equip)

Graeme Goldsworthy in his book, Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture: The Application of Biblical Theology to Expository Preaching, has a section on “The Preacher’s Christian Education Program.” He mentions that a manifesto, or creed, for a local church program of adult Christian education (and I would add for all age levels of Christian education) might look something like this:

We believe:

  • That every believer in Jesus Christ is part of the body of Christ.
  • That God calls us to express this fact through fellowship with a local congregation.
  • That God gives to every believer spiritual gifts for the benefit of the body.
  • That God calls every believer to serve by using gifts and talents.
  • That believers need to be equipped for such service through teaching and training.[1]

Part of the church’s responsibility of equipping teachers for a ministry in the church is to provide them with the proper curriculum. While it is a challenge for most church leaders to understand and know how to use curricula, some churches do not even desire to use curricula.

“We don’t need curriculum. We just teach the Bible.” Whether or not it is articulated, this attitude sometimes exists in churches and Christian organizations. However, it usually results in inferior education. Good curriculum is designed to facilitate Bible teaching, not replace it. Therefore, an understanding of what curriculum is and how to choose and use it effectively is essential for Christian education.[2]

A major problem in churches today is choosing a curriculum that is biblically sound and faithful to a correct theological interpretation of Scripture—the redemptive-historical approach. Many churches, independent and denominational, use material that is broadly evangelical and user friendly without discernment of the curriculum’s focus.

There are several factors to consider in choosing Sunday school curriculum. One is the educational philosophy in the curriculum. Every curriculum has a bias toward certain philosophical underpinnings. Is the curriculum based on authoritarian instruction with little participation by the student, or does it adhere to discovery learning that makes the student an active participant in the education process through well laid out interest centers and behavioral objectives for its lessons? Most curricula contain both elements with one being more dominant. Churches need to choose which is more important. Do our teachers have the theological and biblical backgrounds to use more user friendly material, or do we emphasize theology with less user friendly material? While educational philosophy is important, theological considerations are critical. Robert Pazmino in Foundational Issues in Christian Education suggests the following (1) Does the theology of the publisher and curriculum writers agree with the theology of the particular church or ministry? Are theological concepts presented which are appropriate for various age levels and comprehensive in exposure? (2) Does the curriculum affirm the Scriptures as authoritative in the sense embraced by the particular church or community served? Is the whole counsel of the Scripture addressed in the sequence of the curriculum across the age groups? Besides the Scriptures, what other authorities functionally operate in curricular decisions?

It is interesting to look at examples of lessons in some of the more popular Sunday school curricula and compare these with those of Great Commission Publications, one of the few curricula with a redemptive-historical foundation. One popular curriculum on the market for over 50 years, in a series titled “Friends and Enemies, Security, Priorities,” has a life focus of “How to be good friends; security that comes from God; putting God first.” The core worldview questions in the curriculum ask, “How does God’s love and acceptance empower us to demonstrate His love through accepting others and sharing the good news with them?” A sample lesson from this curriculum for Grades 5-6, for the fall of 2005-2006, has a moralistic message. The character study is from I Samuel 18:1-4; 19:2-7, 20; 2 Samuel 1:9, and the teacher is to find ways David and Jonathan showed true friendship, discover reasons why people become friends, understand that God wants true friends to care for and protect each other and identify and plan ways to be true friends.

Great Commission’s lesson on Jonathan and David in the context of a fall curriculum,God Prepares a Kingdom for His, is titled “Rejoicing in God’s Plan.” The Scripture Basis is 1 Samuel 18-23. The Scripture Truth is that Saul’s jealousy and Jonathan’s loyalty to David reveal their attitudes toward God. The Lesson Aims state that by the end of the lesson students should be able to…

  • Compare the ways in which Saul and Jonathan respond to David.
  • Show how attitudes toward God’s anointed reflect attitudes towards God.
  • Assess their attitudes toward Jesus.

The Lesson Summary (summarized) is Saul rebelled against God’s anointed one and tried to kill him. On the other hand, Jonathan’s friendship and loyalty to David displayed his submission to God’s plan, even though it meant he would never be king. As God’s true Anointed One, Jesus came to be our king, to replace us as rulers over our own lives. Whether we are submitting to God’s plan or rebelling against it can be seen in our attitudes to God’s Chosen One, as well.[3]

Much Sunday school literature is moralistic rather than christocentric, the product of attempting to address a common challenge churches have‑-difficulty recruiting enough Sunday school teachers. An easy way to help solve this problem is to find the most colorful, visually appealing, teacher friendly curriculum without a careful analysis of its content. Much of these curricula have non-redemptive messages and is not as Christ-centered as needed, possibly leading the teacher to incorrect interpretation of the text. A problem common to both preachers and teachers is a failure to understand and apply redemptive aspects, and end up preaching or teaching moralism and human-centered messages. Dr. Bryan Chapell addresses this problem in his book, Christ Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon,

“The Menace of the Sunday School” is the title of a rather notorious portion of a book that sadly captures the essence of much evangelical teaching. In an effort to promote moral behavior and deter sin, the stereotypical Sunday school teacher implores children to be good little boys and girls so that Jesus will love them and take care of them. The stereotype is unkind and unfair, but it comes painfully close to characterizing much contemporary preaching that portrays God as a perpetual Santa Claus who is making a list and checking it twice to punish the naughty and reward the nice.[4]

Dr. Chapell states further that, “Messages that are not Christ-centered (i.e., not redemptively focused) inevitably become human-centered, even though the drift most frequently occurs unintentionally among evangelical preachers.”[5] He calls these messages “The Deadly Be’s’—messages that strike at the heart of faith rather than support it often have an identifying theme. They exhort believers to strive to ‘be’ something in order to be loved by God.” Several examples Dr. Chapell gives are “Be Like,” “Be Good,” and “Be Disciplined” messages that focus the attention of listeners on the behavior, accomplishments of a particular biblical character, or exhort believers to improve their relationship with God through more diligent use of the means of grace. The problem often lies not in what preachers (or teachers) say, but in what they fail to say. [6]

Many publishers gear their curriculum to an interdenominational market. Much of what popular publishing houses produce is good—Bible surveys, growing spiritually, Bible discovery techniques, along with several practical suggestions—but does not address the critical importance of correct interpretation. The cause of this interpretation problem, which leads to faulty Sunday school curricula, is lack of a redemptive-historical message as the foundation of the material. As a result, lessons in many curricula stand alone and are not part of the overarching theme of Scripture. Dr. Edmund Clowney says,

“The unifying structure of Scripture is the structure of redemptive history. The Bible does not have the form of a textbook, and the witness to Christ unfolds with the progressive epochs of revelation which in turn are grounded in the successive periods of redemption. Biblical theology recognizes both the unity and the epochal structure of redemptive history. …if we may so speak, we discover that each epoch has a coherent and organic structure and also that there is organic progression from period to period as the plan of God is revealed.”[7]

Many Sunday school teachers have hearts of gold and desire to teach the children, but lack the theological background for understanding the “big picture” of the Bible in its redemptive flow of history. A teacher’s presuppositions applied to a text for interpretation are central for communicating God’s truth. If the interpretation is not correct, the principles and applications will be headed down a wrong road in a nonredemptive context. The Bible is not an assortment of similar parts (verses) which, like pizza, can be dished out at random; rather, each text must be understood in its own historical context and in the light of God’s progressive revelation before it can be proclaimed as God’s authoritative word for contemporary congregations. Dr. Edmond Clowney, in Biblical Theology and the Character of Preaching, says, “Biblical theology, then, seeks to unlock the objective significance of the history of salvation. It focuses on the core of redemptive history in Christ. On the other hand it also opens up for us the subjective aspect, the religious riches of the experience of God’s people, and its relation to our own.”[8] [9] The redemptive-historical approach also helps present what Dr. Chappell refers to as a Fallen Condition Focus. The Fallen Condition Focus (FCF) is the mutual human condition that contemporary believers share with those to or about whom the text was written that requires the grace of the passage for God’s people to glorify and enjoy him.[10] Identifying the FCF helps a sermon, or lesson, not to be anthropocentric.

Finally, the curriculum should be gospel-centered. Goldsworthy says, “We cannot begin to expand on such a set of principles (footnote 1) without first acknowledging again the centrality of the gospel. The life and ministry of the local church needs to be self-consciously gospel-centered if it is to maintain any kind of effectiveness for the kingdom of God.”[11] Even if one cannot see Christ directly in a passage, or as a type or allegorical comparison, the fallen condition focus should lead us to the grace we need through Jesus Christ. One of the greatest helps a church can give to its Sunday school teachers is to supply a curriculum that is gospel-driven from a redemptive-historical foundation. There are very few curricula on the market that have such a focus. The curriculum will not only help the students learn about the grace of God, but it will be a great tool to disciple the teacher as they spend time preparing a lesson.

 

 

[1]Graeme Goldsworthy, Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture: The Application of Biblical Theology to Expository Preaching (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.), 129.

[2]Robert E. Clark, Lin Johnson, and Allyn K. Sloat, Christian Education: Foundations for the Future (Chicago: Moody Press, 1991), 495.

[3] Great Commission Show Me Jesus, The Junior Teacher’s Manual, “God Prepares a Kingdom for His People,”(Suwanee, GA: Great Commission Publication, 1988), 23.

[4] Bryan Chapell, Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon, 2nded. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic), 297-298.

[5] Chapell, 288-294.

[6] Ibid, 289

[7] Edmund P. Clowney, Preaching and Biblical Theology (Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Publishing), 75.

[8] Ibid., 78.

[9] Sidney Greidanus, The Modern Preacher and the Ancient Text: Interpreting and Preaching Biblical Literature (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1988 (reprinted 1998)), 72.

[10] Chapell, 50.

[11] Goldsworthy, 129[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

The Power Source

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Why is it that there seems to be so little evidence of power in the preaching and teaching offered in our churches?

The question makes an assumption: Power is lacking.

The message might be biblical. And the Bible does say that the Word of God is powerful (Hebrews 4:12).

The lesson could be presented in a compelling manner. People respond positively. So, what’s the problem?

My answer is that our efforts seem to produce comparatively little change.

Granted, teaching has a cumulative effect. Yet, even factoring that in, for most of us life goes on and we function the same way day in and day out with little observable difference in our values or lifestyle.

Sometimes change is precipitated by a catastrophic event–a job loss, a major illness, a terrible accident. Such change can either draw us to God or push us away. And when the crisis is past the tendency is to revert to the familiar pattern disrupted by the trouble.

Here is another assumption: We need to change.

I fear that some, perhaps most, in the Christian community tend to think of change in the moral and spiritual realm as something that took place in the past. And the longer we are in the church the more likely it seems we will have such an attitude. Most of us are at best dimly aware of how much work God still needs to do to bring us to maturity, let alone the perfection he demands.

We could look at various areas in an attempt to come to grips with the problem.

For instance, the dominant culture has a profound affect on all of us. Christian people are far more tolerant of things like homosexuality and divorce than was the case a generation or two ago. As far as ministry is concerned, that has some advantages and disadvantages, for obvious reasons.

As a group we give generously compared to others but we are stingy relative to our wealth. Yet so many carry so much debt they wouldn’t think it possible to give more.

Materialism is so much a part of our value system that we have difficulty recognizing its presence. Preachers and teachers might make us feel guilty on occasion, but usually not guilty enough to make a significant difference in the way we live.

Then there is the “Christian culture,” which is expressed in concrete form in the church with which we are associated. We have our own brand of political correctness that encompasses everything from family and politics to education and entertainment.

Recently, my wife and I were invited to a “main line” denominationally affiliated church for a special Easter program. I had to check myself because I was fully prepared to be critical. It proved to be just the opposite. The production was one with which I would have been pleased to be associated. Yet I had to consciously refrain from looking for things I considered “wrong.” And that is just plain wrong. This sort of thing can be seen in many areas. If a democrat said it, it can’t be right. If a family has their children in public school there must be something wrong. Christian people watch movies today that their counterparts fifty years ago would have condemned. Use of alcoholic beverages has become commonplace.

At the same time, ministry to the poor has taken on great importance. Previous generations would not only have been less than enthusiastic, there would have been a strong suspicion that the church was compromising the gospel. We are more concerned about racial reconciliation than we ever were in the past.

Yet with all this I’m not hitting the target. We could legitimately write volumes about our inability to think biblically, our lack of desire to follow Christ wholeheartedly, the numerous ways we are regularly deceived – justifying that which will hurt us and shrinking from that which will help us. But rather than attempt to pile on the guilt, let’s think about this a little differently.

The Word is powerful. The Bible indicates that God’s basic way of getting that Word out is through proclamation. Yet there is something more. It is the Spirit of God who changes us as he applies the Word to our lives.

So if you preach or teach ask, “God, what do you want to say to me?” If we speak regularly it becomes difficult to let the Word through the Spirit work in us before we move on to the next thing. And the same thing happens with those who hear. The message is given and it seldom sticks with either the speaker or the listener.

With our hectic pace is it possible to slow down enough to let the Word simmer and then as the Holy Spirit might prompt to make it concrete in some way? It might be in a seemingly insignificant area. But if it’s something positive it could be picked up by a friend who has noticed the difference in us. Or it might become a challenge for a small group. In such ways we become conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.

That will make us attractive to some and cause us to be condemned by others. Peter talked a lot about suffering for doing good. The net effect will be that the Kingdom will grow.

When we enter the secular arena, whether it’s government, the ministry, business or school, we must be conscious of our own weakness. If nothing else it will help avoid a “holier than thou” attitude. Along with this we much become increasingly conscious of the way Christian values might influence what happens in our area of responsibility.

Think of the student who is teased because she’s still a virgin. Or the young man who refuses to help a friend cheat on a test. Such influences can propel us toward behavior we might otherwise shun.

What happens if you’re the person who befriends a person nobody else wants anything to do with? The risk is that you will be identified with him-an outcast.

We don’t need to think about changing a nation or even a church. We can pray that God will make us open to his Word and sensitive to his Spirit as we face the challenge of everyday living-the challenge of living with ourselves.

The Lost Art and Practice of Family Devotions

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By Brad Windsted

Brad Windsted is Director of Children’s Ministry International www.childministry.com (CMI), a ministry endrosed by CEP, develops catechetical and reformed material for churches. Brad is the father of eight and grandfather of three children. He is also a Ruling Elder at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Atlanta.

No one has to tell me how busy they are as parents in this cyber/new millennium age. Two income homes are now the commonly acceptable and necessary economic structure of many Christian homes. The increasingly fragmented family finds it almost impossible to set aside any time for family fellowship let alone family worship. To have a meal together is now a cherished event reserved more for holidays and seldom seen during the week as conflicting schedules leave us with microwaved suppers and exhausted parents and children.

This environment presents the idea of family devotions as an anachronism from another “little house on the prairie” era of fireside family discussions. However, if one goes back to Bible-believing pastors who were concerned by the lack of “family worship” in their congregations in the mid-nineteenth century, here is what you would hear:

Along with Sabbath observance and the catechizing of children, family worship has lost ground. There are many heads of families, communicants in our churches, and according to a scarcely credible report, some ruling elders and deacons, who maintain no stated daily service of God in their dwellings. Thoughts On Family Worship by James W. Alexander, 1847

Pastor Alexander saw in a day much simpler than our own the need for family devotion time, yet lamented that fewer and fewer households were taking it seriously. In his classic book quoted from above, Pastor Alexander wrote lovingly of the benefits of family devotions on the individual preparing the devotions, the parents, the children, the church, relatives, the commonwealth (state or nation), and our posterity. I would commend this quick read, classic to anyone who needs to be persuaded that family worship or devotions is as needed today as it has been anytime in the history of the church.

The reasons we don’t and won’t do family devotions are as long and full as each day we have filled with lesser things. The Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter XXI Of Religious Worship, and the Sabbath Day, paragraph VI states “…but God is to be worshiped everywhere, in spirit and truth; as, in private families daily, and in secret, each one by himself…” The book of Church Order of the PCA in chapter 63, “The Christian Life in the Home” states:

In addition to public worship it is the duty of each person in secret and of every family in private, to worship God….Family worship, which should be observed by every family consists in prayer, reading the Scriptures and singing praises or in some briefer form of outspoken recognition of God….Parents should instruct their children in the Word of God and in the principles of our holy religion. The reading of devotional literature should be encouraged and every proper opportunity should be embraced for religious instruction.

Our church’s fathers of the faith have recognized for years the necessity to build the family around devotions or family worship time. The great Presbyterian preacher of the eighteenth century, Jonathan Edwards, called each Christian home a “little church” as each father is a pastor to that small congregation within the greater church. To ensure our children see living examples of vibrant faith from the parents they must see it more than once a week on Sunday. As a part of elder visits to homes, one of the most probing (and embarrassing) questions to help determine if a family is growing in faith and in knowledge of Christ is to ask the parents about their private (quiet time) and family devotions. If there is nothing from Monday morning to Saturday night, the church is left with precious little time in Sunday school and worship to fill the spiritual void of a week of confrontation with the fallen world and our fallen natures.

So how does one become motivated to have, as Charles Spurgeon would say, “the want to, to want to.” I remember as a younger Ruling Elder in a Presbyterian church telling people on my elder shepherding list, that they should make family devotions a real priority in their families. If a member had the courage and perception to ask me how I did it for my young and growing family, they would hear a convoluted, “do what I say rather than what I do.” Yes, it was a high priority in my family that never got done. Of course, I could jog, read mountains of magazines (this was pre-internet days) and have lots of other mediocre excuses for not doing what I was trying to tell them was foundational to Christian living in the home.

PRIORITIES ARE WHAT WE DO. If we have time to check the weather report off Madagascar everyday on our internet (or other important news) don’t we have time to take our families before the Throne of Grace? Don’t say something is a priority in your life and yet let the lesser things crowd it out. Maybe for most of us a five-minute time of family prayer is all the time we have, but that is a start to something great.

Think about how quickly our covenant children come and go out of our lives. My children are now getting married and one by one they are leaving the home. It seems like yesterday that I was changing their diapers! Yet, if for around forty weeks out of the year (taking time off for summer, vacations and other unforeseen events) we have a brief family devotion, then in the twenty-odd years that God has placed them in my home and charge they would have had approximately 4000 opportunities to open the Word of God, to sing God’s praises and pray for theirs and other’s needs. But most important of all, my children would have an inheritance of daily communion with God and all the benefits that flow from it. They would have a family tradition that would come much easier then it did to me, who had no family tradition of growing up daily in the Scriptures and prayer.

A goal for family worship would be prayer, reading the Word of God and a song of praise or thanksgiving. Depending upon the age of the children, the materials can go deeper or be quite simplistic.

Now the difficult question of “how can this be done?” Fathers, you must take the lead. As in most spiritual leadership questions, your wife is hoping you will become motivated to take the lead. When you give up and give it to her to accomplish it will be much less profitable and your children will get the message, loud and clear, that family devotions are a low and expendable priority.

As I said above, start with something achievable. Decide if morning or evening would be better; before or after breakfast or supper. There are lots of helps available to guide us. Children’s Ministry International (CMI, www.childministry.com), of which I am the Director, has published comprehensive devotional guides to take busy parents through the Shorter Catechism of the Westminster Confession of Faith with prayers, hymns/songs, Bible lessons, practical suggestions and other helps to allow one to go through the basics of our faith at their own pace. There are three small booklets that easily fit into the Bible. The PCA bookstore has other helps ranging from PCA Pastor Terry Johnson’s excellent book The Family Worship Book and Starr Meade’s work on family devotions and the Shorter Catechism.

Of course, there are lots other guides to family devotions and maybe you would want to start by reading a chapter from Proverbs or a Psalm daily. God has given us 31 chapters in Proverbs so you have a chapter a day and you will never get lost. If its the 21st of the month then read the 21st Proverb (or Psalm). See how God meets your efforts with real insights and practical advice for the day ahead. Listen as your wife and children share prayer requests. Write them down so you have a testimony of answered prayer. The big issue is whether this is really going to be a priority or let it be crowded out by good but less eternal things.

As Pastor James Alexander said in his classic book Thoughts On Family Worship, “Let other heirlooms perish, but let us not deny to our offspring the worship of that God who has been our dwelling-place in all generations.”

Small Groups – A Place to Serve

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Two negative outcomes are possible when a small group of the same people meet together indefinitely. One is that the group gradually disintegrates. Another is that the group becomes exclusive. Other people aren’t really welcome-even if it’s said that they are.

One way to avoid this is to try to get people involved with a different group each year. It’s something I’ve found fairly successful. Another is to focus on the “empty chair.”

To have an empty chair means that as a group you think about someone who will fill that chair. It could be a follow church goer, a friend of one of the group members, somebody’s neighbor or a relative. The group then prays for that person and the person who will extend the invitation. That’s one task most any group can take on, if there is a willingness to see others become part of your meeting. And it could lead to someone making a profession of faith in Christ, feeling they’re a part of your church or growing in their relationship with the Lord.

At Covenant Church in Fayetteville, GA, where I work we’ve done some significant mercy ministry projects through our small groups. One that has become a staple is Prison Fellowship’s Angel Force-both the Christmas gifts and the summer camp ministry.

To do something for somebody else is an important component in a small group’s life. It helps to get the focus off the needs in the group and centered on someone or something else.

If a group isn’t careful they can find themselves centering virtually all their prayers around needs of people related to the group. This too can be one of your tasks-to pray systematically for someone or something not directly related to you.

In addition to all this, working on a task together will help cement relationships within the group.

Remember the three legs of the stool which enables small group ministry to stand-task, Bible study, and an opportunity to tell your story.