The image below is a recent photo of a young girl’s entry in her My Church Notebook. These notebooks are designed to help guide children to participate in the worship service by prompting them to actively listen to the sermon, take notes, recognize key points, and ask questions regarding what they have heard. But it would be a mistake to think that once the sermon is over, the notebook has served its purpose. In fact, it was only the beginning.
Read again the words this child wrote. Along with the photo, her father sent this comment,
Kate wrote this in her journal and it sparked a great conversation that I don’t think would have happened otherwise.
“A great conversation” between father and daughter. A short question that a father used as a spring-board to deeper spiritual conversation. A conversation which might have included pointing out any misunderstanding the child may have had, explaining biblical truth in greater detail, clarifying what truly happened on the cross, reaffirming the wisdom of God in all things at all times, assurance of God’s steadfast love and care of His people, and on and on. Imagine instead, if after the service, the notebook was closed and that child’s question was never discussed or referred to again. What a missed opportunity that would have been!
Parents, are you using resources like the My Church Notebook as a tool for the comprehensive discipleship of your children? Do you use discipleship resources like this for all they’re worth? Are you actively looking for opportunities to seize upon even one short, simple question or statement from your child in order to “spark a great conversation”? Don’t miss out on the spiritual benefits for both parent and child!
You can learn more about My Church Notebooks (for ages 6 to 12) here and you can learn more about My First Church Notebook (for ages 3 to 7) here.
