Reformation = Seeds of Change

As parents of young children, the one thing that remains the same from day to day and year to year is CHANGE! It sometimes seems that our children grow overnight; sometimes they do! It has been 500 years since one big change occurred in the church, The Reformation. Okay, it was more like sowing seeds of change. As Presbyterians we speak about being “reformed and always reforming,” which is another way of saying “changed and always changing.” What should this change look like? Well, there have been committees, sessions, kings, queens, popes, and wars about that throughout Church History. However, in Matthew 18:3 (NIV), the Bible quotes Jesus, "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

There is a lot of change coming up for our children. There is a new school year which begins NEXT WEEK for some of us. August 6^th will be "Promotion Sunday" at Second Church when children change classrooms--moving up and on to new challenges and ways of understanding. With all of this change one thing will remain the same; that one thing is God. God loves us; God welcomes us; God claims us for God’s own. That is the constant that allows us to move through change. The church learns, adapts, and reforms as we try to be a more perfect reflection of the One we follow.

All of Second Church will soon be talking about the Reformation and the changes this brought to us, our world, and our church. However, here in Children’s Ministry, we live in the world of change as a constant. We are being constantly reformed as parents, teachers, friends, and disciples. As we head into a new Sunday School year of service, I hope that you will get to know and pray for the children in your child’s class. Pray for the teachers and shepherds. Check in with them and with Pastor Dennis so that we can celebrate and facilitate the changes ahead for your child in their walk this year.

Parenting is not always easy. Consider joining a group of combined veteran and novice parents. At Second Presbyterian Church we have the Families in Christ Sunday School class where parents share trials and triumphs; and for those with infants remember, “we may not all sleep, but we will all be changed!” (1 Cor 15:51.)

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