by Alicia Goodrowby Alicia Goodrow
You know the song: “The wise man built his house upon a rock….and the house on the rock stood firm.”
Where are the rocks for firm foundations of faith in our slippery and sandy world today?
What is the house that the man built? Did it take a lifetime of commitment to construct or did he suddenly order it pre-fab from a catalogue when he woke up one day with the notion that he needed a house for the storms that were coming?
The house is a house of faith. It takes a long time to build if it is strong enough to withstand the storms.
The rocks are the tools we are given through the Grace of God from the time of our Baptism throughout our lives. But do we use these tools? Do we even recognize them?
One of the most prominent “rocks” we find is the “rock of membership in a strong community of faith.” But to really incorporate this Rock into the foundation of our house of faith, we need some bolts, brackets, ties, and fasteners. Where do we get these? How do we share these with our kids?
You hand out all sorts of ties and brackets to your children whenever you sign them up for a group and support it. Soccer teams, ballet classes, music lessons…..your children become tied to these communities and activities as your family invests time and money into the program, the people, the practicing, and the passion of the activity. These can be important foundations in your child’s development. But they cannot replace the Rock.
You can hand out ties and brackets to the community of faith also. Signing up for Wednesday Night Alive! (WNA) activities is a great way to build your house of faith on the Rock. It’s a great way for your kids to become tied to the community, the Word, the Witness, the songs and stories of faith that will last as foundational rocks throughout their lives.
Listen to the sounds of children building on the Rock at WNA! They are part of a community of children sharing and building their faith lives through fun and fellowship. These kids don’t skip soccer, piano, ballet or the hundreds of other activities on their plates. But their families find time for this ROCK as a foundation and refuge in the middle of the week.
Nicholas Liebster likes to Hang Out at Kids’ Club with his friends and Tim and to “party all night long.”
Nick Lloyd likes to play games with his friends and sneak out for Jamba Juice.
Zach Goodrow finds Pizza and older boys who invite him to play.
Ben Willcockson finds time to play games in World Explorers and learn to lead worship with Ms. Kirsten now that he is invited to sing in church with the Jr. Choristers.
Haley Goodrow finds a place where no one tells her to stop singing and she makes art with her friends
Katherine Willcockson finds friends and new stories each time.
Anthony Lloyd has time to chase his sister and goof off with the other boys.
These kids are busy building foundations in their faith community. They are learning that “church is cool.” Church is cool because of the peers and adult leaders who nurture them in many ways. When the kids become confirmands, the hard work of intellectual faith formation will be bolstered by 10+ years of community building with peers they trust. Perhaps, when they go to college and need a safe haven to question their faith and build friendships (with free food), they will know that Campus Ministry provides that kind of support. And when they find themselves grown up, working, married, parenting, and otherwise adrift in the world, maybe they will discover these rocks are still under their feet. You did.
Wednesdays are about more than music class, Godly Play, pizza, Frisbee, and games. Wednesdays are a long term investment. Make a matching contribution to your kid’s college saving’s account in the form of ROCKS provided free on Wednesdays at Christ the King.