A Trip to Mexico City
I am almost ready for a series of connections with pastors and church leaders. I will travel with a colleague, Rev. Walter Erion, and we will speak in churches and lead a series of workshops on Reaching and Teaching Children, and on The Health of Pastoral Families.
One of the main things that I want to do is to draw from these exciting Bible passages (plus a few more) and draw out five priorities for spiritual relationships with children.
"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.”" (Genesis 18:19, NIV)
"Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them." (Deuteronomy 4:9, NIV)
"“In days to come, when your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ say to him, ‘With a mighty hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery." (Exodus 13:14, NIV)
"There, in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you." (Deuteronomy 12:7, NIV)
"The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. 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’?”" (Matthew 21:14-16, NIV)

1. Let children know that they belong in God’s living, earthly family
2. Let children participate in God’s living, earthly family
3. Help children see Christian living practiced through God’s living earthy family
4. Teach the Bible as a way to explain life.
5. Help children to exercise more and more choice.
If you have studied children’s ministry over the years, you might pick up on a familiar ring in these 5 themes. That’s because they first appeared in A Theology of Children’s Ministry, written by Lawrence O. Richards in 1983. These themes are as alive as ever.

What are spiritually alive, thriving children? They are build kids who know they are part of a family, a spiritual family, and a glorious creation; kids who really connect with their spiritual family, and can see people living life out loud in the joy of the Spirit, and who see the BIG picture of the Bible though all of life; kids who are given courage to make responsible personal choices. Such children can be anchored in a deep, abiding confidence in a God who loves them despite all their wrongs and failures and sins. Jesus said “Let the children come.” (Luke 18:16) He made the way for a relationship with God. Children with deep spiritual health will come, and then they will turn the world upside down.

Where we will go?
We will go to Mexico City on May 13, and will spend eleven days with the staff of VELA Ministries and the pastors and leaders of partner churches. We will be onsite with seven different congregations! This post is  getting a little long, so I'll put up the schedule on another day.