One particulary hot Sunday afternoon, my wife and I took our daughter and her friend to the beach.  It was, of course, very crowded as it was a holiday weekend.   We enjoyed our time laying in the sun and reading and eventually going in the refreshing water with the girls.  After our time was complete, we packed up the mini-raft, the floating toys, the four towels, the sunscreen, books, and beach bags, on the father, me.   We walked off the beach and out the parking lot, the two girls and my wife in front of me, the pack mule.  Just before we reached the car, some young ladies called to us from between the cars – “Is anybody missing a little girl?”   Lori went over to the girls who told her that this little girl was walking around, crying.   My wife picked her up and said “I’ll take care of her!”  and headed back to the beach as I tried to unload all of the beach articles I was carrying.  Lori and the girls walked onto the beach to help the little girl find her mother.  They spotted a police officer and approached him, telling of the little girls situation.   As I walked to catch up to them, I couldn’t help but to wonder where her family was, and why weren’t they walking, or running around, yelling her name in search for her.  The police office took my wife, still holding the little girl, over towards the edge of the water.  I noticed a family there, who were all at or in the water, searching, dread on their faces, hoping for the best, but expecting the worst, that their little girl was gone. 

       I encountered a little piece of God’s love as the family turned and saw the little girl in my wife’s arms. The mother, who had been holding it together, took her little  girl, embraced her and broke down weeping.  We walked back to the car, praising God that we could help show His love to that family.

The past couple of weeks in our VIP time we have looked at the last chapter of the book “Delight in Your Child’s Design” entitled Love is a Verb.  The author, Laurie Winslow Sargent gives nine ways to treasure your kids, whether they be your own, or your students in Sunday School.

1.  Talk to God about your child  - pray for them during the week

2. Show joy when you see them.

3. Recognize and rejoice in your child’s giftedness.

4. Admire your child’s strengths without going overboard.  Remind them to be grateful for the gifts God gave them.

5. Use words creatively - with your praise, or maybe writing short  notes on their

craft or coloring page.

6. Touch them with hugs or pats, etc. A mom asked her young daughter how often a parent should hug their child.  She said “once before breakfast, once before lunch, once after lunch,” and so on. High fives are another good touch.  Little boys like to wrestle with their dads

7. Give gifts of appreciation- my little Olivia’s favorite teacher in Sunday School was the one who always brought in little trinkets or gifts or awards.

8. Turn attitudes into actions – a caring attitude can be seen in your actions – the hugs, the stooping down to talk face to face, placing a gentle hand on their arm when you are talking to another person when they interrupt. 

9.  Play, Play, Play!  - this goes especially for those helping in Toddlers and Twos!

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 Moses challenged every family: Hear O Israel: the Lord your God is one.  Love the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  Impress these commandments that I teach you upon your children.  These verses are some of the most frequently referenced by churches to explain the importance of family.  In this pivotal moment in Israel’s history, Moses is speaking to the entire nation and calling everyone to be responsible for how the next generation is raised.  His timeless message applies even more to our society.

We want the Heritage church family to embrace our next generation:  Heritage Kids!  Pastor Jim explained the Cultural Shift we are making here at Heritage, one that should help us focus even more on the next generation.   He said that we are initiating and embracing the following cultural expectation: 

that every “Regular” Attendee with children and Participating Member would partner with Heritage Kids by serving in Children’s Ministry 6 times a year.

All “partners” will be assigned to supporting roles, not lead-teaching roles. If you are already serving regularly in another position at Heritage, thank you and please continue!  You are not expected to do both.

We have six training times for those who have never served in Children’s Ministry.  So if this is you, please plan to attend one of the upcoming Heritage Kids Partner Training Sessions.  At the Partner Training you will be able to sign up for the dates that work best for you, authorize a background check, and be equipped to experience the joys of working with our children.

We are very excited about this cultural shift as we mobilize our church family to get involved and help raise the next generation, Heritage Kids.  We certainly understand that this is a change for you and for us as a church, but we believe it will result in a great blessing for all of us, especially our Kids.  Should you have any questions, please call or email Matt Liston, Children’s Ministry Director, mliston@heritagecc.org

614-898-9412 ext 440