Day 5: Wednesday 18th March 2020 Prayer for Children, families and Children Workers

Day 5: Wednesday 18th March 2020 Prayer for Children, families and Children Workers
(By Beth Smith Kids work leaders at CCB) 

​​In church we currently have between 15 and 20 children aged 1-11 years.  This is a significant increase to where we were last year and it's fantastic to see so much growth and life in kids work. We’ve have had to change how we do kids work and we are continually adapting and changing what we do to try and make our kids work the best it can be.We have a brilliant team of people who serve faithfully and have a real love for the kids we work with.  

As a team we are praying for the children to encounter God in new ways.  We want kids work on a Sunday to be a place that kids want to come to, not school, but somewhere exciting and fun.  We want every child to have an opportunity to get to know more about their Father in heaven, whether they've been coming to church since they were tiny or it’s their first time visiting. We know that God speaks to kids, we know that he loves them, we know he has a plan and purpose for each of them, we know that what they learn now will stay with them and set them up for the future. 

Sunday kids work is not a place to keep the kids occupied so the adults can get on with the important stuff.  We want it to be the place where we get to regularly share the gospel, where we get to talk about tough theological questions (kids aren't afraid to ask difficult questions!!), where we can see people stepping out in spiritual gifts for the first time, where we can see seeds sown for the future, where kids can gain a solid foundation, learn that they are fully accepted and loved and begin to walk in the full plans and purposes of God in their lives. It's an exciting place to be! 

We also have a toddler group that meets at Bentham Road Surgery on Thursday mornings.  This is a place where we hope to meet families for the first time.  We aim to build friendships and show them a God who loves and cares for them. The group has struggled a bit since we lost a lot of children to nursery and school after the summer holidays but has recently seen new growth and a deepening of friendships with one or two families who have been coming for a while now. 

Please pray for:

1. More workers so we can make sure the team gets rest times.
2. That we can manage the children's behaviour in Sunday Kids work, so they have fun but also learn.
3. That the children meet Jesus for themselves and they begin to grow in their relationship with him.
4. More families in church and at toddler group.

What does the Bible say?

1. Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

2. Deuteronomy 6:5-9 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. Take to heart these words that I give you today. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you’re at home or away, when you lie down or get up. Write them down, and tie them around your wrist, and wear them as headbands as a reminder. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

3. Deuteronomy 4:9-10 “But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren. Never forget the day when you stood before the Lord your God at Mount Sinai, where he told me, Summon the people before me, and I will personally instruct them. Then they will learn to fear me as long as they live, and they will teach their children to fear me also.”

4. Matthew 19:13-15 One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could lay his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him. But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” And he placed his hands on their heads and blessed them before he left.

5. 1 Timothy 4:10-11 This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Saviour of all people and particularly of all believers. Teach these things and insist that everyone learn them.

6. Deuteronomy 11:18-19 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds…Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.