Editorial

We hope for a lot for our kids, don’t we? And my guess is that our main hopes don’t revolve around the latest toys or gadgets but probably more around the things that are not as tangible. We hope for them to be kind, to be caring, to be brave and assertive, to be fun but sensible, to work hard and achieve many things. For me and my husband Mic, our deepest hope for our own children is that they will hold on to the love for Jesus that has been modelled to them, all their lives. We are not alone, are we?

That’s one of the reasons why we chose, as parents, to partner with MECS many years ago, as we understood that MECS was also interested in the faith development of our kids and providing them with a Christian education just made sense to us. 

The book of Proverbs tells us “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it” Proverbs 22:6. I hold on to this verse with the hope that we have done enough. Indeed, there are times when I doubt that we have done enough and I’m comforted by the fact that our partnership with our local church and with MECS as a school for our children, has been part of the plan of impacting our kids in their faith. 

John Piper has some great ideas for parents to consider as we navigate this area of cultivating and growing the faith of our kids. I’ve summarised them, below. 

• Pray for your kids – not just until they are adults, but beyond! They will always be our kids and they will always need our prayers. 
• 'Saturate' them with the word of God. Not in an intensely overwhelming way, but through reading, singing and playing songs, exposure to church, having discussions around the table at home. 
• Be 'radically consistent and authentic in your own faith' – kids watch us like hawks, so them seeing how we manage ourselves and our own responses to faith is really important. 
• Model 'the preciousness of the gospel' – help your kids to see that grace applies at all ages, all stages. Being able to say sorry to our kids and being able to show them that we get the chance to try again if we have mucked up, speaks volumes. 
• Be part of a church, or similar community. It’s not enough to depend on each other. Kids need other adults in their lives who are not their parents, who they can talk to and learn from. Being involved in a church community is a great way to share faith with your kids. 
• Help your kids with boundaries. Be brave to say no to the things that you know are not good for your children. Yes, it’s hard, but it’s really important for them to know that you know best, even if they don’t like it at the time. 

• Rest in God’s sovereignty. He knows you and he knows your child(ren) and he is the one who holds control over their lives, including what their future might look like. 

   

As you continue to partner with MECS, it’s my prayer that we would support each other in the nurturing of your children. 

Michelle Dempsey

Principal