1. Train them in the way they should go, and not in the way they would.
2. Train up your child with all tenderness, affection and patience.
3. Train up your children with an abiding persuation on your mind that much depends on you. “Beware of that miserable delusion into which some have fallen – that parents can do nothing for their children, that you must leave them alone, wait for grace, and sit still … The devil rejoices to see such reasoning.”…
An important study, published in September 2014, showed that children who live in a family with married parents are better behaved, and have higher educational and employment attainment, than classmates brought up by unmarried parents.
The government-backed research – part of the Effective Pre-school, Primary and Secondary Education project – analysed data from 3,000 children from early years up to 16.
The study identified a number of factors influencing future education and employment success. These factors included size of family (children from smaller families tended to out-perform those from larger families) and the provision of pre-school education. …
Some maintain that all those dying in infancy are regenerated. Spurgeon attempted to demonstrate this from 2 Sam 12:23 (New Park Street Pulpit, 1861, p509).
If infants are saved, it must be on the basis of redemptive grace, Jn 3:3; 1 Tim 2:5. Scripture indicates that it is possible to be filled by the Holy Spirit from an early age, Lk 1:15, cf Ps 22:10. This implies an intuitive knowledge of God, apart from usual process of hearing and understanding the gospel.…
In the family of:-
1. It was God-centred and God-commanded, Gen 18:19; Ex 10:2; 12:26-27; 13:14-16; Deut 4:9-10; 6:7,9; 11:19; 32:46; Isa 38:19; etc.
2. Its content and purpose centred on the fear of the Lord, Pr 1:7; 9:10; Ec 12:13.
3. It was home-based.
4. Children were required to honour and obey their parents Pr 1:8; 6:20; Ex 20:12; 21:15-17; Le 20:9; Deut 21:18; Pr 30:17; cf Eph 6:1-3.
5. Children were viewed as sinful by nature, Ps 51:5.…
Roger E. Olsen has been been asked by a friend who is a youth pastor to speak with the boys of his Christian youth group.
Here, in outline, is what he plans to say:-
A recent change in UK law means that women in same-sex relationships can now register both their names on the birth certificate of a child conceived as a result of fertility treatment.
Instead of the usual allocation of one mother and one father, one would suppose that the child would therefore have two mothers in the sight of the law. However, this will not be the case: a birth certificate will be used which, instead of having a ‘mother’ and a ‘father’ section, with have two ‘parent’ sections.…
I was once asked to present a discussion paper to our Church Council on this subject. Here’s what I came up with:-
The Anglican Church, in common with most other branches of the Christian church, supports the baptism of adult believers and their children.
When a child is brought by Christian parents to be baptised, the minister welcomes the child with the words,
“God has received you by baptism into his church.”…
Some time ago, I participated in a debate on this subject, and was asked to argue in favour of the following motion:-
“We believe that it is right and proper for children who are baptised members of the church to be admitted to Holy Communion prior to their confirmation but following suitable preparation and instruction.”
Here’s my argument. (Please bear in mind that the debate took place within an Anglican context).
Specifically, the parish may ask for the bishop’s permission for children to be so admitted, providing that the child has reached the age of seven years; that the child is regularly involved in Christian teaching and attendance at Sunday worship; and that the child has undergone a period of instruction and preparation.…
This is a summary of an article by Roger T. Beckwith in Westminster Theological Journal.
This is an issue which has been widely discussed in recent years. The WCC Faith & Order Commission of 1971 supported the admission of baptised infants or children to the Lord’s Supper.
The practice rests on the following assumptions:-
1. that, like infant baptism, infant communion is early attested in church history;
2, that, if baptism is a ceremony suitable for children, then so is communion;
3. …
