Letter To Our Children
by Pastor Joe | January 4, 2023 | Letters To Our Children
January 4, 2023
People were also bringing babies to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them.
But Jesus called the children to Him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”
And He took the children in His arms, placed His hands on them, and blessed them.
Every child you encounter is a divine appointment.
Wess Stafford
Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account.
Hello Friends!
When I first entered Pastoral Ministry, the verse from Hebrews hung low over me. It actually used to frighten me. It doesn’t anymore. Now I consider the responsibility of that verse one of the great privileges and purposes of my life and ministry.
As this New Year begins, I wanted to write to tell you how I cherish the privilege of serving you as a pastor. I know I will give an account of my care for you; I know it would be impossible to serve you as I should without God's grace, mercy, and power. I know I am weak, but He is strong.
The Real You
Think of it you were fearfully and wonderfully made and drenched with the glory of a universe that reflects God's beauty and splendor. In eternity we will stand together before His glorious throne. Therefore, you are incredibly and incalculably important to God. Subsequently, because of God, the same to me.
C.S. Lewis once wrote,
There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship…
That is not just true of grown-ups. It is true of you as well.
The United Nations has an important list of the rights of a child in this world. If you read through 1 and 2 Timothy (the pastoral epistles) there are things you should expect from me. They can be summed up under five headings.
To teach you faithfully and truthfully from God’s word.
To expose the error of false teachings.
To be a good example to you.
To pray for you regularly
To suffer hardship and persecution in my service, guarding the Gospel in the care of your soul.
And caring for your soul means every part of your life, including your future life, matters to me. So, I serve you with the “now” you and the “then” you in mind.
I want to get better and better at serving you. Those five headings remind me I have work to do. We have elders who have the same responsibility. We help each other in this, routinely asking God for His power to work through us what pleases Him, which is best for all.
One last thing. Please forgive me when I miss speaking with you on a Sunday morning or Wednesday night or when I do but seem a little nervous. That’s on me. I have struggled with this for as long as I can remember. I’m trying to get better. Will you please pray for me in that?
Happy New Year! God bless you as it kicks off and every day after.
Pastor Joe
P.S. There are children who have no connection with a church. Children who may have no one praying for them. Children without a dad or mom who belong to Christ. Please, think of them often, pray for them, speak to them- I will too.