Covenant Theological Seminary

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Covenant Theological Seminary

• CE 511E Introduction to Childrens Ministry

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I remember...

• My First Big Trip
• My Favorite TV Program as a Kid
• My First Job
• My First Kiss
• My Favorite Room
• My Favorite Teacher

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The Covenant Childrens Ministry

• Why?

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• Age range who experience salvation within that
  age range
• 5 to 13 years 32
• 14 to 18 years 4
• over 19 years 6

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• "Todays kids are on track to become a powerhouse
  generation, full of technology planners,
  community shapers, institution builders, and
  world leaders, perhaps destined to dominate the
  twenty-first century like todays fading and
  ennobled G.I.Generation dominated the twentieth.
  Millennials have a solid chance to become
  Americas next great generation."
• Howe Strauss

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• Growing churches have a vibrant childrens
  ministry
• What Really Matters?
• Easily the three most significant factors were
  the beliefs and doctrine of the church, how much
  the people in the church seem to care about each
  other, and the quality of the sermons. A majority
  of church-goers listed each of these factors as
  "extremely important."
• The other three items that are the highest
  priority for church shoppers are friendliness to
  visitors, involvement in serving the poor and
  disadvantaged, and the quality of programs and
  classes for children. Roughly 45 of adult
  church-goers identified each of these elements as
  "extremely important.
• Barna Reseach

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• We must think through an issue theologically,
  because our ministry is a reflection of our
  theology.
• Susan Hunt

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Creation Fall - Redemption

• For God was pleased to have all his fullness
  dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to
  himself all things, whether things on earth or
  things in heaven, by making peace through his
  blood, shed on the cross.
• Colossians 118-20

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Agents of Reconciliation

• Restoration of the following four relationships
• Personal with God
• Personal with Self
• Personal with Others
• Personal with Creation

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What is the Covenant?

• The Covenant theme is the Biblical thread that
  links the promise of Gods sovereign outworking
  of His redemptive purposes in all creation for
  His glory.

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Summary Passage

• I will take you as my own people, and I will be
  your God. (NIV)
• Exodus 67

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Where do children fit into the church?

• Children are an integral part of the Covenantal
  community and are used by God to reveal His plan
  of redemption, and therefore and entitled to the
  rights and privileges of the church. They are not
  simply an add-on or the future church.

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Circumcision The Covenant

• OT Rite
• Sign of the Covenant (Promise)
• Union with God
• Union with the covenantal community
• Key Passage

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Circumcision The Covenant
Gen 17 I will establish my covenant as an
everlasting covenant between me and you and your
descendants after you for the generations to
come, to be your God and the God of your
descendants after you. Then God said to Abraham,
"As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and
your descendants after you for the generations to
come. This is my covenant with you and your
descendants after you, the covenant you are to
keep Every male among you shall be circumcised.
You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be
the sign of the covenant between me and you. For
the generations to come every male among you who
is eight days old must be circumcised, including
those born in your household or bought with money
from a foreigner-- those who are not your
offspring. Whether born in your household or
bought with your money, they must be circumcised.
My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting
covenant. Any uncircumcised male, who has not
been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off
from his people he has broken my covenant." (NIV)
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Baptism The Covenant

• NT Rite
• Sign of the Covenant (Promise)
• Union with God
• Union with the covenantal community
• Passage

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Baptism The Covenant
Acts 238-39 38 Peter replied, "Repent and be
baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus
Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you
will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The
promise is for you and your children and for all
who are far off-- for all whom the Lord our God
will call." (NIV)
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Role of children in the Covenant

• In Genesis 128 we read that "God blessed them
  and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in
  number
• Gen 176-7
• 7 I will establish my covenant as an everlasting
  covenant between me and you and your descendants
  after you for the generations to come, to be your
  God and the God of your descendants after you.
• Ps 13913-14
• 13 For you created my inmost being
• you knit me together in my mother's womb.
• 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and
  wonderfully made
• your works are wonderful,
• I know that full well.

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Implications

• Our children are a gift from God we must be
  good stewards of that gift.

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Role of children in the Covenant
Gen 1817-19 17 Then the LORD said, "Shall I
hide from Abraham what I am about to
do? 18 Abraham will surely become a great and
powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be
blessed through him. 19 For I have chosen him, so
that he will direct his children and his
household after him to keep the way of the LORD
by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD
will bring about for Abraham what he has promised
him." (NIV)
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Implications

• Our children are a gift from God we must be
  good stewards of that gift.
• Home has responsibility to teach our children.

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Role of children in the Covenant
In Deuteronomy 64-9 we read "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."
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Role of children in the Covenant
In Deuteronomy 3112-13 we read, "Assemble the
people -- men, women and children, and the aliens
living in your towns -- so they can listen and
learn to fear the LORD your God and follow
carefully all the words of this law. Their
children, who do not know this law, must hear it
and learn to fear the LORD your God as long as
you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan
to possess."
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Implications

• Our children are a gift from God we must be
  good stewards of that gift.
• Home has responsibility to teach our children.
• Covenantal Community has responsibility to teach
  our children.

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Role of children in the Covenant
Exod 1224-27 24 "Obey these instructions as a
lasting ordinance for you and your
descendants. 25 When you enter the land that the
LORD will give you as he promised, observe this
ceremony. 26 And when your children ask you,
'What does this ceremony mean to you?' 27 then
tell them, 'It is the Passover sacrifice to the
LORD, who passed over the houses of the
Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he
struck down the Egyptians.'" Then the people
bowed down and worshiped. (NIV)
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Role of children in the Covenant

• Exod 208-11
• "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. "Six
  days you shall labor and do all your work, but
  the seventh day is a Sabbath of the LORD your
  God in it you shall not do any work, you or
  your son or your daughter, your male or your
  female servant or your cattle or your sojourner
  who stays with you. "For in six days the LORD
  made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all
  that is in them, and rested on the seventh day
  therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and
  made it holy.

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Role of children in the Covenant

• 2 Chr 204
• 4 The people of Judah came together to seek help
  from the LORD indeed, they came from every town
  in Judah to seek him.
• (NIV)
• 2 Chr 2013
• 13 All the men of Judah, with their wives and
  children and little ones, stood there before the
  LORD.
• (NIV)

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Role of children in the Covenant

• 2 Chr 3116-18
• 16 In addition, they distributed to the males
  three years old or more whose names were in the
  genealogical records-- all who would enter the
  temple of the LORD to perform the daily duties of
  their various tasks, according to their
  responsibilities and their divisions. And they
  distributed to the priests enrolled by their
  families in the genealogical records and likewise
  to the Levites twenty years old or more,
  according to their responsibilities and their
  divisions. They included all the little ones, the
  wives, and the sons and daughters of the whole
  community listed in these genealogical records.
  For they were faithful in consecrating
  themselves. (NIV)b

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Implications

• Our children are a gift from God we must be
  good stewards of that gift.
• Home has responsibility to teach our children.
• Covenantal Community has responsibility to teach
  our children.
• Home Covenantal Community have responsibility
  to train in Worship

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Role of children in the Covenant
Ps 781-8 O my people, hear my teaching listen
to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in
parables, I will utter hidden things, things from
of old-- what we have heard and known, what our
fathers have told us. We will not hide them from
their children we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power,
and the wonders he has done. He decreed statutes
for Jacob and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our forefathers to teach their
children, so the next generation would know them,
even the children yet to be born, and they in
turn would tell their children. Then they would
put their trust in God and would not forget his
deeds but would keep his commands. They would not
be like their forefathers-- a stubborn and
rebellious generation, whose hearts were not
loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to
him.
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Implications

• Our children are a gift from God we must be
  good stewards of that gift.
• Home has responsibility to teach our children.
• Covenantal Community has responsibility to teach
  our children.
• Home Covenantal Community have responsibility
  to train in Worship
• Home Covenantal Community have responsibility
  to teach the whole counsel of God

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Role of children in the Covenant
In Jeremiah 3238-41 we read, "They shall be My
people, and I will be their God and I will give
them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me
always, for their own good and for the good of
their children after them. I will make an
everlasting covenant with them that I will not
turn away from them, to do them good and I will
put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they
will not turn away from Me. I will rejoice over
them to do them good and will faithfully plant
them in this land with all My heart and with all
My soul."
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Role of children in the Covenant
Luke 1815-17 15 People were also bringing
babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the
disciples saw this, they rebuked them. 16 But
Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let
the little children come to me, and do not hinder
them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as
these. 17 I tell you the truth, anyone who will
not receive the kingdom of God like a little
child will never enter it." (NIV)
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Implications

• Our children are a gift from God we must be
  good stewards of that gift.
• Home has responsibility to teach our children.
• Covenantal Community has responsibility to teach
  our children.
• Home Covenantal Community have responsibility
  to train in Worship
• Home Covenantal Community have responsibility
  to teach the whole counsel of God
• Your relationship to God effects your children
  and the Covenantal Communitys children.

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Role of children in the Covenant
Eph 61-3 1 Children, obey your parents in the
Lord, for this is right. 2 "Honor your father and
mother"-- which is the first commandment with a
promise-- 3 "that it may go well with you and
that you may enjoy long life on the
earth." (NIV)
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Role of children in the Covenant
In 2 Timothy 314-17 we read, "But as for you,
continue in what you have learned and have become
convinced of, because you know those from whom
you learned it, and how from infancy you have
known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make
you wise for salvation through faith in Christ
Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is
useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and
training in righteousness, so that the man of God
may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
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Implications

• Our children are a gift from God we must be
  good stewards of that gift.
• Home has responsibility to teach our children.
• Covenantal Community has responsibility to teach
  our children.
• Home Covenantal Community have responsibility
  to train in Worship
• Home Covenantal Community have responsibility
  to teach the whole counsel of God
• Your relationship to God effects your children
  and the Covenantal Communitys children.
• Expose children to God at a young age.

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Role of children in the Covenant
In Psalm 81-2 we read, "O LORD, our Lord, how
majestic is your name in all the earth! You have
set your glory above the heavens. From the lips
of children and infants you have ordained praise
because of your enemies, to silence the foe and
the avenger
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Role of children in the Covenant
Matthew 2115-16 we read, "But when the chief
priests and the teachers of the law saw the
wonderful things he did and the children shouting
in the temple area, "Hosanna to the Son of
David," they were indignant. "Do you hear what
these children are saying?" they asked him.
"Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read,
"'From the lips of children and infants you have
ordained praise'?"
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Views of the Church

• (WCF XXV, II)
• II. The visible Church, which is also catholic or
  universal under the Gospel (not confined to one
  nation, as before under the law), consists of all
  those throughout the world that profess the true
  religion2 and of their children3 and is the
  kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ,4 the house
  and family of God,5 out of which there is no
  ordinary possibility of salvation.6

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Role of children in the Covenant
Children are an integral part of the covenantal
community and are used by God to reveal His plan
of redemption and therefore and entitled to the
rights and privileges of the church. They are not
simply an add-on or the future church.
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Implications for the church that children in the
Covenant

• Intentional Strategy of Christian Education
• A fine-tuned educational program can reinforce
  the pulpit ministry of the church.
• A coordinated program can give greater assurance
  that a church is proclaiming the whole will of
  God and is thus innocent of the blood of all
  men.
• Curriculum materials can be carefully evaluated
  for theological consistency and pedagogical
  excellence.
• Care can be given to integrating the educational
  program with the entire ministry-philosophy and
  ministry-map of the church.

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Implications for the church that Covenant

• Teachers can be enlisted, trained, and
  encouraged.
• Each teacher can concentrate on his or her
  particular slice of the educational pie if he or
  she has a clear picture of the overarching
  Christian education plan and the particular
  purpose of the program each is working in.
• Community can be cultivated within each class.
• Community can be intentionally cultivated between
  age-groups.
• People can be trained and mobilized for mercy
  ministries.
• (Susan Hunt)

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Questions Regarding children in the Covenant

• Salvation of your child
• Worship
• Stewardship Time, Talent, Treasure (Childcare,
  Nursery, Sunday School, Kirk Kids, Kids Klub,
  Summer Camps, BYC, VBS, etc)
• Missions
• Assurance
• Communicant Membership

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Salvation of Your Child

• Relationship with Covenantal Community
• Breathing
• Dimmer Switch
• ?The Prayer?

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Salvation

• Horace Bushnell (1860s)
• grow up a Christian, and never know himself as
  being otherwisenot remembering the time he went
  through a technical experience, but seeming
  rather to have loved what is good from his
  earliest years.

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Worship

• Martin Luther 1500s
• When I preach, I regard neither doctors nor
  magistrates, of whom I have above forty in my
  congregation. My eyes are on the servant maids
  and the children.

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Stewardship

• Samuel Miller (1830s)
• After the observation and experience of a long
  life, I have come decisively to the conclusion,
  that, if I had my life to live over again, I
  would pay ten times as much attention to the
  children of my charge, as I ever did when I had a
  pastoral charge. If I were now about to
  undertake the care of a new or feeble church, I
  should consider special attention to the children
  and young people of the neighborhood as one of
  the most certain and effectual methods of
  collecting and strengthening a large flock that,
  humanly speaking, could possibly be employed.

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Stewardship

• Dr. Gerhart (1900s)
• Minister is a workman in the garden of the Lord,
  and are these little ones (that is, the children
  of believing parents) living plants, or are they
  poisonous weeds? If he cannot answer the
  question, then how can he go to work?
• Why?

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Missions

• Backyard Clubs
• Musicals/Programs
• Summer Family Trips

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Issues with Assurance

• WCF Chapter 18
• 3. This infallible assurance doth not so belong
  to the essence of faith, but that a true believer
  may wait long, and conflict with many
  difficulties, before he be partaker of it
• 4. True believers may have the assurance of
  their salvation divers ways shaken, diminished,
  and intermitted as, by negligence in preserving
  of it, by falling into some special sin which
  woundeth the conscience and grieveth the Spirit
  by some sudden or vehement temptation, by God's
  withdrawing the light of His countenance, and
  suffering even such as fear Him to walk in
  darkness and to have no light yet are they never
  utterly destitute of that seed of God, and life
  of faith, that love of Christ and the brethren,
  that sincerity of heart, and conscience of duty,
  out of which, by the operation of the Spirit,
  this assurance may, in due time, be revived and
  be the which, in the mean time, they are
  supported from utter despair.

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AssuranceQuestions to Ask

• Are they aware of their sin and do they confess
  it quickly to God and to those they have
  offended?
• Are Christs death, burial, and resurrection real
  to them?
• Do they show evidence of a personal relationship
  with Jesus?
• Are they willing to submit to authority, not out
  of force, but out of respect and love?
• Do they love Gods Word and striving got know Him
  better?

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Issues with Assurance

• No dramatic contrast before/after receiving
  Christ
• More important to ask Do I have signs of
  Christian life now? rather than wondering if a
  past conversion experience was genuine.
• Lordship of Christ issue
• Benchmarks

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Role of Communicant's Class

• Confirmation Class
• Reality of the Covenantal Promise
• Rom 109
• That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is
  Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised
  him from the dead, you will be saved.
• Lords Supper

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Where do children fit into the church?

• Children are an integral part of the Covenantal
  community and are used by God to reveal His plan
  of redemption, and therefore and entitled to the
  rights and privileges of the church. They are not
  simply an add-on or the future church.

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Covenant Children

• Are you the shepherd of the whole flock or just
  part of the flock?

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A Reformed Childrens Ministry

• Typical
• Childrens Ministry
• Focuses on the children and their need.
• Hopes that the child may one day be saved.
• Expects discipleship to begin later.
• Expects children to begin serving when they are
  older and ready to practice their faith
• Recruits teachers
• Expects lack of interest as children grow older
• Ministers to the families in a separate context

Reformed Childrens Ministry Focuses on God and
His Glory Trusts Gods Covenant promise Teaches
Bible as one story about Gods promise of
redemption Expects discipleship to begin at
covenant baptism (birth) Expects service as a
main goal of the children's discipleship form
the beginning See teachers as the whole
church Expects disciples at a very early
age Integrates families into every area of
ministry
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Saturday

• CE 511E Introduction to Childrens Ministry

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Philosophy of Ministry
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Philosophy of Ministry

• Why is it important?
• Doctrine of Authority
• Who are our children?
• Why are we here?
• What do we want to accomplish?
• How are we going to get there?
• Implementation
• Did we accomplish our task?

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Leadership
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Children

• Millennials (1991 2003)
• Generation Z (2003-)

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Millennials (1982 2003)

• Idealists
• Committed to changing the world
• Work together
• Understand right from wrong
• Family centered
• Need relationships

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Generation Z (2003-)

• Extreme Racial Diversity
• Changing Educational Methodology
• Technologically Advanced Kids
• Conformity Before Conviction
• Malaise vs. Making a Difference
• Changing Families

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Goal of CE

• Assist the Parents
• Glorify God
• The goal of covenantal education is to glorify
  God by enabling individuals with the tools
  necessary to see all of life from the perspective
  of our relationship to God through Christ, and
  behave according to the rules of our relationship
  with Him.
• Allen Curry

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Curricula Review

• Three Questions
• What does this passage teach us that God is like?
• What do His actions show about His character?
• What does this passage teach us about Christ?
• Anne McCain

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Curricula Review

• Three Questions
• What does this passage teach me about Gods
  character and promise?
• What does this passage teach me about Jesus, the
  Mediator of the covenant?
• What covenantal privileges and responsibilities
  are mine because of who God is and what He has
  done and is doing for me through Jesus?
• Susan Hunt

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Developmentalism

• Students Should Be Growing
• Luke 252
• And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in
  favor with God and men.

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Developmentalism
Cognitive
Affective
Spiritual
Moral
Social
Physical
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Developmentalism

• Students Should be Growing
• Eph 411-16
• 12 to prepare God's people for works of service,
  so that the body of Christ may be built up 13
  until we all reach unity in the faith and in the
  knowledge of the Son of God and become mature,
  attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of
  Christ.
• 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back
  and forth by the waves, and blown here and there
  by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and
  craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15
  Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in
  all things grow up into him who is the Head, that
  is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined
  and held together by every supporting ligament,
  grows and builds itself up in love, as each part
  does its work.
• NIV

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Developmentalism

• Discipleship
• Process of bringing a believer to maturity in
  Christ.
• Dr. Perry Downs

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Developmentalism

• Students should be known by the teacher

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Lunch Time
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• Recruiting
• Teacher Training
• Children Protection
• Special needs
• Bibles
• Calendar Programming

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• Facilities
• Worship
• Communicants
• Hospital, etc

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• Q A

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• Rev. Barksdale Pullen
• Wildwood Presbyterian Church
• 100 Ox Bottom Rd
• Tallahassee, FL 32312
• 850.894.1400
• bpullen_at_wildwoodpca.org
• www.wildwoodpca.org