About Ministry to Adults and Children

We believe that the Biblical norm in families is that parents, grandparents and guardians should make their own spiritual growth, church attendance and Biblical fellowship the greater priority in relation to their children. This is because there is actual spiritual need for continuous and ongoing growth, service and evangelism in and by adults all through life and adulthood is generally much longer than childhood. Children will generally do what they see us do, particularly if it conflicts with what we, or the programs we put them into, tell them they should do.

Children are positively affected when we as adults make Biblical spirituality our priority. They are impacted when we noticeably and truly walk with God, when Jesus Christ and obedience to and worship of Him are central to our lives. The difference for their lives is huge. Parents: We must look to our own spiritual walk, faithfully fellowship with the brethren, and make mastery of the Word as our first priority. Our children will be encouraged to follow our example.

If children perceive that a church and its programs are primarily child-centered; about them and catering to their every want and keeping them occupied and entertained, they can get some unhealthy ideas: First, it fosters the idea that the world revolves around them and that what they think of as “boredom” is an evil to be avoided at all costs. Secondly, that Christianity doesn’t sometimes involve difficulty, struggle, pain and, yes, obedience. That it’s okay to discard the difficult or inconvenient and keep only the happy, interesting and fun bits. Thirdly, that spirituality, the Bible and church are mostly children’s fairy tales for teaching good moral stories to them and that grown-ups don’t really need that stuff. It gives children the notion that Christianity is childish and for the naive, that the Bible and Christianity don’t have answers for or apply to adult “real life”.

To the contrary, we believe with the rest of historical Christianity that the Scriptures are God’s revelation of reality as it actually exists, over and against the vapor of the world’s various “realities.” Adults need to point in this direction with their church attendance, their attitude toward fellowship, and their entire lives as a light in a dark place for our children.

Children are a wonderful blessing from the Lord and we truly enjoy and cherish ministering to them and they are an integral part of GBF. Jesus said to “permit the children to come me.”  To do this in a godly way we want to make sure that as a congregation we encourage the best spiritual and moral future for our children by keeping a wise and Biblically emphasized view of adult and children’s ministries. We also know that some children come from homes where Biblical spirituality is absent, and we delight in ministering the gospel and God’s love and tender mercies to them in a particular way.