Teaching children about friendship

Selected Passages from Proverbs

 

Purpose: This session we will explore five points from the book of Proverbs to teach our kids how to be friends with siblings and other kids

• Friendship requires love and effort (Proverbs 17:17)
• Friendship is about quality over quantity (Proverbs 18:24)
• There are people you shouldn’t be friends with (Proverbs 22:24-25, Proverbs 20:19)
• Some people might not want to be friends with you (Proverbs 19:4, 19:7)
• Work on virtues that makes you a godly friend with others  (Proverbs 19:6, 22:11, 27:6, 27:9-10)

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Book Review: Future Men by Doug Wilson

Purchase: Amazon

If you have read any of Doug Wilson’s book previously, you would expect his style and wordsmiths to shine through in this work. My expectation was not disappointed. Wilson did a good job tackling this topic of raising up men from a Christian perspective. The work is filled with practical wisdom concerning raising up boys to be men, applications which derive from Scripture. More fascinating to me is Wilson’s attempt to teach on how to even think about raising a boy. The work is written from a Complementarian perspective and thus recognizes the unique differences and difficulties in raising up boys won’t be the same with raising girls (I understand Wilson has also written on that subject). Wilson also grounds his perspective on raising boys to be future men from the position of Calvinism. Wilson ought to be respected for making the conscious attempt to apply his theology to the question of raising up men. Here is perhaps the weakness I find in the book, when it comes to certain things he prescribe to that I disagree with: Padeobaptism, Padeocommunion, sacremental theology and Postmillennialism. However, I think the book has enough food for thought, such as the discussion of “being cool”,the current education system that can cripple and work against young boys, young boys playing war and fighting, etc that are very stimulating and well thought out. I also enjoyed his critique of pop culture which we (and any of our kids) are heavily surrounded by. In my estimation, Wilson’s work reflect the maturity that often cultural fundamentalists lack in understanding the culture around us, and yet he is able to properly critique it beyond the stereotype of “just don’t do ____” without thinking through the whys. I’ve also thought it was the best concise theological effort in grounding manners that boy should have in honoring women that I’ve read. I recommend this book, with the caution of the areas I’ve already highlighted which I disagree with him.

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BANNED: MOM AND DAD

In California, Conservatives have been cheated once again with Governor Arnold

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58130

The word “MOM” and “DAD” is now banned in schools in California

Talk about stupidity

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PICKING ON THE WRONG CHRISTIAN STUDENT WHO’S DAD IS….

James White.

An Open Letter to Dr. Lee Carter

Dr. Carter Responds

A Second Open Letter to Dr. Lee Carter

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Study: Abstinence classes don’t stop sex

From http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070413/ap_on_go_ot/abstinence_study :

“Students who took part in sexual abstinence programs were just as likely to have sex as those who did not, according to a study ordered by Congress”

It begins with changing the heart. Christ can do the job that the state would not be able to.

One should not however, use this study to justify teaching sexual immorality instead.

I have questions about the type of Abstinence classes and the courses instead…

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Presuppostions Illustrated- Child Care

Study Links Child Care to Problem Behavior

I have been cataloging headlines which demonstrate the cost of Christian neutrality. Psychology, history, and now- Childhood development. On FOXNews, a study was released which reaffirms what the Christian already (or should already) know- the responsibility of taking care of the child is parents.

I’m going to add my usual qualifier: If the issue about the validity of the conclusion of this study comes up, the main evidence is not the research but the bible. This headline only illustrates the premise that the Christian should already start with when doing any sort of inductive research.

We truly need godly Christians to continue to take every thought captive to Christ, in sociology and psychology, refusing to be robbed by the wisdom of the world but destroying all strongholds and philosophies not according to Christ.

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Consumer Reports withdraws infant car seat report

As I was clicking on an incoming link, I came across a wordpress blog titled, “Are Car Seats More Dangerous Then Seatbelts?“Apparently, Consumer Reports published test results of child car seat tests that were disturbing. The blog included a link to the report. But instead of the test results, I discover the report has been removed.

In January 2007, the original Consumer Report removed the original article publishing the results of the baby car seat tests. The withdrawal states:

“The original study, published in the February issue of Consumer Reports, was aimed at discovering how infant seats performed in tests at speeds that match those used in the government’s New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). This program tests most new vehicles in crashes at speeds of 35 mph for frontal impact and 38 mph for side impact. Child safety seats, in contrast, are currently tested only in front-impact crashes at speeds of 30 mph.”

Why did they withdraw the report? Apparently, Consumer Reports was contacted by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), raising a “question about whether the tests accurately simulated that speed, however, so we are now reviewing our tests and the resulting article.”

Although the results were removed, 3rd party sources one can discern some original test results to see what was so disturbing. The Freakonomics Blog quotes the report saying,

“When we crash-tested infant car seats at the higher speeds vehicles routinely withstand, most failed disastrously. The car seats twisted violently or flew off their bases, in one case hurling a test dummy 30 feet across the lab.”

The NY Times also notes, “Of a dozen models tested in simulations of such impacts, 10 failed, some “disastrously,” the magazine reports in its February issue.” Besides the “disastrous” results:

“The magazine also found flaws in a much acclaimed system, required by the government in all new cars since 2002, that helps anchor baby seats to cars. Indeed, some child seats performed worse with this Latch hardware than when held in place by seat belts. The traffic safety agency said it would hold a public meeting next month to discuss how to improve the Latch system.”

One will have to wait to see if the new test results will be as disastrous.

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Christian Neutrality and Psychology

On February 27th, 2007 Los Angeles Times’s California section front page had a story about self-esteem. Titled, “Gen Y’s ego trip takes a nasty turn,” the article’s first paragraph notes, “All the effort to boost children’s self-esteem may have backfired and produced a generation of college students who are more narcissistic than their Gen X predecessors, according to a new study led by a San Diego State University psychologist.” (Generation Y is any person born after 1977 and before 1994 whereas Generation X is any person born between 1965 and 1975)

Though most likely the study conclusions are debatable to the non-Christian (requiring further study, or restudied due to flawed methodology), to the Christian the LA Times article only confirms the foolishness of human wisdom when attempting to understand the world and man outside of Christ. Any insights into the mind or behavior will always be flawed without first using the bible as the source of all knowledge and truth. For the word says:

“For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.”

1 Cor 3:19-20

Thus, any attempt to use psychology in combating depression, anorexia, or screening out astronauts “conducive” to murderous rage from jealously will always be flawed at the outset. The Christian must never succumb to the demands of neutrality, because doing so causes the Christian to lose true insight to the mind and behavior of man.

True knowledge will always begin with faith in Christ (Col 2:3, Prov 2:6), because God is the only being in heaven or on earth that would have such insight into His creation’s mind.

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Conference for Children Ministry

Children Desiring God and Bethlem Baptist Church are hosting a conference for leaders of Children’s minstries:

“We have planned a number of seminars designed to provide practical help and encouragement that we trust will benefit parents, teachers, leaders, and all who are invested in ministry to children.”

For full details, check out their website, which includes a PDF brochure and mp3/video by John Piper.

April 26th to 28th, 2007 – Children Desiring God 2007 Conference
Topic: Standing on the Truth: How Great a Salvation
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Speakers: John Piper, Wayne Grudem, C.J. Mahaney, David Michael, and “a number of gifted seminar leaders”

Seminars on date of posting:

• Vision-Driven Children’s Ministry Leadership
• Recruiting & Retaining Volunteers
• Partnering with Parents
• Nursery Ministry & Teaching Toddlers
• Preparing & Teaching Preschool Lessons
• Introduction to CDG Curriculum & Sequence
• Lesson Preparation & Presentation
• Preparing & Leading Application Time
• Leading Children in Worship
• Teaching Youth: Watch Out for Your Method
• Presenting the Gospel to Children
• Theology of Salvation Q&A
• Preparing Children to Hear the Gospel

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Teaching Imputation to Children

Yesterday, DesiringGod.org had an article by John Piper titled, “Teaching Doctrine to a Six-Year-Old.” The article was about teaching the meaning of imputation to Piper’s daughter, Talitha, using a story.

What I really like about John Piper is that he desires to teach the deep and important doctrines of the bible to children, which I noticed listening to some of his sermons on Romans.

This is reflected in Children Desiring God’s, “Philosophy and Distinctives“:

“Depth

We believe that children can handle deep truth at a young age. We want to fill them with solid Bible truth that will give them a foundation to fall back on when they go through deep waters. For this reason, the curriculum continually refers children to the Word of God; Bibles are an essential tool for children studying Children Desiring God curriculum. We believe that the Bible must be taught in depth, yet in a child-friendly, interesting manner. For this reason, much attention has been devoted to the development of creative presentation of essential Bible truths.”

Children Desiring God’s website is mainly a portal to purchase the resources developed and used at Bethelem Baptist Church.

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Albert Martin Mp3

Pastor Martin is clearly an exemplary preacher both in preaching and godly living.

Christian Liberty
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How NOT to Foul Up the Training of Your Children (These messages are important for parents)

More of Albert Martin’s messages.

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Challies: What Every Parent Needs to Know About Video Games

Challies.com discusses his interest in video games, most of them I enjoyed also (X-Com: UFO Defense, and Civilization), and summarizes Richard Abanes’ new book What Every Parent Needs to Know About Video Games.

I would be very interested to read about video games from a presuppositional perspective. In his post, he boils the book down to two major points.

What I probably would disagree with, based upon my understanding of neutrality, is the first point:

“First, computer games are neither intrinsically good or evil. Like television or theatre, video games are amoral. They can be made good or bad by those who design them, but have no intrinsic morality.”

But further thought about this will have to wait until another day.

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EDUCATION: PRIMARILY PARENTS RESPONSIBILITY

Concerning my entry on High Schooler’s and Rigorous Bible Studies, I recieved a feedback response that I thought was worth sharing:

Parents should be asking their children what they learned in Children’s church. Both mother and father should be signing up at least once a month to help out with chilren’s activities… Now having a child in my life I appreciate children’s church a lot.. so I can be fed the word, but the most important thing that my husband and I need to teach our son is how to walk with Christ. He can be a bagger at the commissary for the rest of his life, but if he has Jesus, that is all he will ever need, because G-d will provide him with the tools he needs to walk the path that G-d wishes. My husband and I have our faith and relationship with G-d, it is our jobs as his parents to share that wonderful relationship with him. It is our job more than it is any youth leader or pastor. What do you think?

So I ask any of you out there on WordPress, what do you think?

I thought it was interesting how someone who’s a bagger of groceries can still be faithful in teaching effectively and sufficiently his child…

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