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June 2006
Hear, O Israel: The lord
our God, the lord is one.
Love the lord your God
with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
these commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.
Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and
when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up
(Deuteronomy 6:4-7 NIV)
One of the great themes in the Bible is God's special care for children.
the disciples tried to discourage people from bringing their children to
Jesus and he said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not
hinder them for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
He took them in his arms and ministered to them. Jesus late said that we
must all come to faith "as little children" and that if we cause a child
to sin it would be better to have a millstone tied around our neck and
be thrown into the sea. I don't know how Jesus could have been clearer.
The entire Bible places the
teaching and care of our children as one of its highest priorities for
both parents and the entire people of God. One of the great promises
comes in the book of Proverbs, "Train a child in the way he should go,
and when he is old he will not turn from it." (Proverbs 22:6) What an
awesome responsibility and privilege it is to minister to, and teach the
children that God has placed in our care. How blessed we are when we
make the Christian formation of children a high priority in the Church.
When we baptize a child, the
parents and godparents are asked, "Will you be responsible for seeing
that the child you present is brought up in the Christian faith and
life?", and, "Will you by your prayers and witness help this child to
grow into the full stature of Christ?" These are formidable promises.
Equally compelling is the promise by the congregation, "Will you who
witness these vows do all in your power to support these persons in
their
life in Christ?" When we answer, "We will!", we are making a commitment
to supplement the task of the parents to offer an atmosphere that not
only welcomes children, but also provides quality, meaningful Christian
education.
Lynn Chalfoun has tirelessly
given of her time and talent to lead Children's Ministries in the past
years. Lynn is stepping down as Director of Children's Ministries
at the end of this school year, and we all owe her a debt of gratitude
for her service. Please take time to thank her for all she has done. We
are pleased to announce that Hilary Lutwyche has agreed to take over
this important ministry. Hilary brings experience and expertise to the
position, thus assuring us that our commitment to our children will
continue.
I ask that everyone, and I mean everyone, pray and consider how you
might contribute to the education and formation of the children that God
has put into our care. We have numerous people, men and women, young and
old, who have gifts to offer children. "But I put in my time when my
kids were young." Would you be willing to do it again? There is no
greater calling than to teach, nurture, and encourage the children
that Jesus holds so dear. Please pray, and when the call goes out for
helpers, remember Jesus' words: "Whoever welcomes one of these little
children in my name welcomes me", and "Whoever welcomes me does not
welcome me, but the one who sent me."
Fr. David+
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