(One day after worship service in front of Room 7, Main Church…)

Mom:     What did they teach in Sunday School today, Ming?
Ming:    (Silent)
Dad:       Ming, do you know the name of your Sunday School teacher?
Ming:     No idea.

Any similarities of the above episode to actual individuals or events are coincidental. Christian families are accustomed to worshiping together on Sunday morning. They take a rest or review school work in the afternoon, sleep well at night, and another five-day routine cycle begins: the parent(s) go to work, and the kids go to school. Worshiping at church has become the routine for many, so they seldom reflect on what the worship service has to do with everyday life. Adults, not to mention kids, can hardly remember anything from the worship service.

Connect with God in prayer after the worship service: The faith of our children starts with what they see about their parents’ spiritual life. Do we often pray in our daily life besides praying at church? Simple things like saying grace before meals reflect our dependance on and gratefulness to the LORD. Having food to eat and the ability to eat it should not be taken for granted. Parents need to set a spiritual example. Their prayer must not be merely habitual. They should lead their children to seriously thank God for all that have been bestowed upon them. Parents should let their children see that their prayer is neither perfunctory nor empty but rather prayers to ask God to hear their needs. In doing so, the children will also see God’s different responses. From parents, the children will learn to be grateful for what God gives upon asking, and be obedient and trust in the Lord for what He does not give.

Practice God’s teachings after the worship service: Parents need to foster at home an Atmosphere of always discussing the teachings of God so their children get used to having the Bible as the content of their casual conversations. Many parents are good at telling their children Bible stories vividly. This helps the children grasp the content of the stories quickly. Other than the factual questions of when, where, who, etc., parents can add deeper questions, such as “why.” Why did the Lord Jesus stay with Zacchaeus the evil man? That is because He wanted to express God’s unconditional love for man. Now, “how” did the Israelites cross the Red Sea? God separated the water to let them cross. The Red Sea episode was to let the weak Israelites see the mighty power of God so they can trust Him firmly. The story is to let children understand that not all things can be explained. The emphasis is on the mighty power of God and His love for Israel. This enables the children to know from young that the Bible is not meant to satisfy our curiosity but to help us know God and trust and obey Him. Parents should not evade the children’s questions. They should reply if they know the answer, and say they don’t know when they really do not know. Of course, they can go back to church to consult the pastors.

Worship God in life after the worship service: At home, parents can play Christian music so the kids learn to sing the songs from young. I once heard a kid of two and a half years old sing “70+”, our 70^th anniversary song – and did so beautifully. Our worship of God is not restricted to our song leading. We need to often sing worship songs with our children. Children’s songs are also rich in spiritual content.

After the worship service is when the life of faith really begins…