I have had the privilege of being a pastor for most of the last fifty years. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the Lord in this position, and many blessings have come along with it.
People are precious to God, to me, and to many other shepherds as well.
We, the church, are called to be disciples and make disciples.
I have observed over the last decade or so in communities where I have served that too many children in our communities are poor readers.
That, of course, is not an insult to the children in these communities by any means. It is, I believe, a result of possibly many factors working in our culture against children’s education.
We live in a world filled with “weapons of mass distraction.” Social media, TV, cell phones, video games, etc. Consequently, our children are very distracted, and parents are often highly distracted as well.
The following is a project that can help us work to accomplish two very important and fruitful goals for our children, in one project.
A Youth Discipleship/Tutoring Challenge
This project can help us do two very important things through one challenge/activity :
Help our children consistently read and consume the Word of God.
Help sharpen their reading skills.
How can we do that?
The following is one way to accomplish both tasks :
This project can be carried out by a parent or an adult tutor in the community, by phone, with the knowledge and consent of the child’s parent.
Done over a period of two weeks at a time, the child will read each evening three chapters or passages of Scripture to the parent at home or an adult tutor by phone.
The child and parent or tutor will each use the same Bible translation.
The parent or tutor with keep a notebook and record what the child reads over this two-week period.
The child will read three selected chapters from the Bible each evening, Monday through Friday, for two weeks.
While the child is reading, the parent/tutor will correct any mispronounced words or assist with any problems the child may have as he or she reads.
At the end of the two weeks, the child will receive a designated monetary gift (decided on beforehand by the parent or tutor – possibly ten dollars, twenty dollars, etc.) Or it could be another prize that the parent or tutor has decided to give that really motivates the child.
When a child reads the Word of God consistently in this manner, two very fruitful things will take place : the Word of God is being planted in the heart of the child, and the child is sharpening his or her reading skills.
Remember, there is power and anointing in the written Word of God. Our children can be tremendously blessed as they participate in this challenge.
And, be mindful that any child who consistently reads, under the guidance and supervision of a listening parent or tutor, can greatly sharpen his or her reading skills!
It’s a fun project and it’s a win-win opportunity!
Please prayerfully get involved and help and encourage children in your sphere of influence and community to join this challenge.
For more information on implementing and getting involved with this challenge, contact Pastor Joseph Parker, jparker@afa.net, or call us at 1 662 844 5036, ext. 381.
(Editor’s Note: This article was posted first on AFA’s blog, The Stand: https://www.afa.net/the-stand/)
Joseph Parker is Chairman of the Board of the Pregnancy Care and Hope Center and serves as Director of Outreach and Intercession with the American Family Association. He has been in the ministry for almost 40 years and hosts the radio broadcast, “The Hour of Intercession,” on the American Family Radio network.
The views expressed in opinion articles are solely those of the author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by Black Community News.
Photo credit: Gage Skidmore (Creative Commons) – Some rights reserved
