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	Hijos del Altísimo
	(Children of the Most High)
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From the heavenly perspective ...

There is a tale about a man who met two bricklayers at work near the main square of the city. He asked one of them: "What are you doing?" - "I am laying bricks", he answered. - Then he asked the other bricklayer: "What are you doing?" - "I am building a big cathedral."

Two people can be doing the same work, but with a completely different perspective. Are you working with children as a teacher, Sunday School teacher, or in another ministry with children? Are you a father or mother with your own children to educate? So what would be your answer to the question: "What are you doing"? - Some would say: "I am only caring for some kids." But God has a very different perspective.
When God looks down from heaven, he does not see "only some kids". He sees in every child a wonderful plan for a whole life; a plan designed by Himself. And in addition, he sees everybody to whom this child will get related during his life and for whom he can be a blessing. He sees a large "building" where we can see only "some bricks". If you teach children the ways of God, you can bring blessing over a whole generation:

"... Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. 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 ..." (1.Mose 18:18-19)

Several years ago I had the privilege of getting to know a "children's church" in Kenya. The church consisted of about 150 children, and there were also some young people and adults. They had a praise choir wholly made up of children. Their deacons and ushers were children. Some of their Sunday School teachers were still children themselves. The pastor showed me the church and said to me: "Here in this church I have engineers, lawyers, doctors, congress members, professors ... Now they are still children. But some of them will have a good education and will be people who influence our country. How important is it that these influential people will be Christians!"
I admired the vision this pastor had. He was able to see the "large building" which God was building out of these children in his church. Can you see it too?

Jesus himself teaches us how important children are for God:

"And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me." (Matthew 18:5)

"But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea." (Matthew 18:6)

"See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angles in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven." (Matthew 18:10)

In the Bible we find also many examples of children who received great promises from God at an early age:

• Isaac and Jacob received promises from God before they were born.
• God preserved the life of the little baby Moses in a very special way, so that he would be able to fulfill his calling of liberating the people of Israel.
• Samuel began to hear God's voice and to prophesy while he was a child.
• David was a Teenager when he was anointed as a king.
• The kings Joash und Josiah began governing Judah when they were six resp. eight years old.
• Jeremíah was very young when God called him as a prophet, and God told him that he had chosen him even before he was born.
• John the Baptist was still in his mother's womb when he recognized Jesus as the Saviour. Few days after his birth, he received the following promise:
  "And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him." (Luke 1:76)
• On the day of Pentecost, Peter said that the fulfillment of this prophecy by Joel had begun:
  "I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy ..." (Acts 2:17)

As workers in the children's ministry and as parents, we are God's collaborators. We help raising this wonderful "building" He has planned for the life of every child which is under our care.

"If you think of fruit for a year, sow wheat.
If you think of fruit for ten years, plant a tree.
If you think of fruit for a hundred years, educate a child."
(After a Chinese proverb.)

Hijos del Altísimo - http://www.a-ai.net/altisimo - email: altisimo@amen-amen.net

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MATERIALS FOR TEACHERS

"Idea of the Month": We publish every month a new creative idea for teaching or for an activity with children.

The pastor's role in Children's ministry
Biblical and theological foundations for Children's ministry - The pastor as promoter and facilitator of Children's ministry - Strategies for the development of Children's ministry
(Teaching for the Association of Evangelical Pastors in Cusco, Peru, March 20, 2002)