What is Family Quest?
By Robin Scobee - Children's Ministries Director
My daughters love American Girl books. One of their favorite girls is "Rebecca," a Jewish immigrant living in New York city in 1914. As we read that story together one evening, I turned the page to see a beautifully illustrated picture of a large family seated around a Sabbath table. There was a menorah, a loaf of challah, head scarves for the women, yarmulkes for the men, the traditional meal of roasted lamb, and a Jewish bible laid open on the dinner table.
I had to catch my breath at the image of this family--which included grandparents--worshipping God in their home. Suddenly, I realized why it's true that Jews are the only people on earth who have called themselves by the same name, called the same land home, spoken the same language, and worshipped the same God for over 5,000 years. It's because they worship in their homes. God is a part of their daily lives--when they're at home, when they're on the road, when they're lying down, when they're getting up. He is a part of their weekly rituals and annual celebrations. Children see their mothers and fathers observing these rituals, speaking to God every day, and living as if they believe He exists.
At this realization, I had to wonder, sadly, if American Christianity would endure the same way. The statistics for children who walk away from the faith as adults and never return are alarming. This makes it a faith whose numbers rely in large part on adult conversions. But is this going to be enough to sustain it in a world that is more and more secular and hostile to Christianity with each passing year?
This leads me to wonder......what do the families who go to OUR (or any protestant/evangelical) church do to bring faith into their homes? Anything? Some do, to be sure. But many don't. The apostle Paul's writing frees us from laws and rituals, and as a result, the traditions that have always made God real to us humans have largely been lost to us modern day Christians. Is it any wonder then, why kids are done with God when the church runs out of programs for them?
I don't think the answer lies in better, more expansive church programs. And I don't think we need adopt rituals into our homes to fix this. As Galatians-style Christ-followers we have something BETTER than rituals. We have transformed lives.
Bringing faith into our modern Christian homes begins the same way Judaism began in Deuteronomy 6:4-9 - "Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."
Moses goes on to tell the Israelites parents that one day their kids are going to ask them why they have to follow all these rules and commands. His response was not to say, "Just bring them to Temple and there will be a volunteer in the children's wing who will tell your kids all about God." His response was to say, "YOU need to tell them about all God has done for you. And YOU need to tell them about the promise of eternity."
My friends and fellow 21st Century parents, I am here to tell you that YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS. Your church longs to come alongside you and help you figure this out. That is why we are offering Family Quest as a midweek program beginning September 14 at 6:30. Family Quest is a time when family units--whatever that looks like--can come together in the same place to worship, learn, open their bibles, pray, and play TOGETHER. And then you'll have a Wednesday night each month to do it on your own, in your homes.
We believe that passing along a true, life-transforming faith to the next generation is not something that is so far away that someone (i.e. a children's ministries professional) has to bring it to you. No, the message is close at hand! And Moses tells us that it is as easy as repeating the truth of God when you are at home (sharing a meal at the dinner table), when you are on the road (those backseat-of-the-car-conversations can be the best, right?), when you are going to bed (bedtime prayers), when you are getting up (sending them off to school with the promise of God's presence).
It really is that simple. It's just living. And having thoughts of God always on our minds and on the tips of our toungues, ready with words about His wondrous creation, His unfailing love, His mercy, His goodness, His promise of hope. It's parents who are are true believers, showing by their actions, behaviors, and choices that they are living examples of a person who has been made new.
When Family Quest begins, we will spend the entire year focusing on this truth: God and His Word can be trusted. Our prayer is that this will help you parents lay a foundation for your kids that will make God real to them even when they're out in a world that delights in telling them that the bible is a fairy tale. That way, when they are too old for a program at church, God will still be real to them. And one day in the future, they'll be passing on their faith to the next generation!
Please join us on Wednesday nights beginning September - May from 6:30-7:30.