The vital importance of the Trinity

Having given a rave review of Mike Reeves', 'The Good God' in my last post, here are some (not original) thoughts on the consequences of not giving enough thought to God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

1. A denial of Jesus' penal subsititutionary death: A few years ago a prominent speaker & author said that for the Father to punish the Son in our place and for our sins was like 'cosmic child abuse'. But this fails to appreciate a number of vital truths: first that the Son is fully God. It is not some harsh remote Father who punishes his young, good, boy for the sins of other, naughty, children. Rather, it is God himself shedding his own blood and bearing our sins in his body on the tree (1 Peter 2:23-35; Acts 20:28).

Second, it ignores the fact that Jesus willingly obeyed his Father in the full knowledge of what would happen. Jesus wasn't coerced, he wasn't naive, he is the eternal, divine Son of God, he is wise and understanding. As he himself said, 'No one takes [my life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.' (John 10:18 and see Mark 14:32-42). 

2. A denial of the complementary roles of men and women: The relationship between the Father and the Son expresses itself in an extraordinary way. The Father and the Son (and the Holy Spirit) are by their very nature, equal. Each possesses the attributes of the one and only God. And yet, the Father commands the Son and the Son obeys the Father (John 5:19; 12:49-50; 14:31; 15:10; Mark 14:36 [=Mt 26:39, 42 & Luke 22:42] see also Isaiah 11:3; Isaiah 50:1-7; Isaiah 53:7-10). Not only that, but the Son comes to his Father and prays - he makes requests of his Father. The Son doesn't act on his own, he asks his Father (John 17:1ff). 

This complementarity and equality is (or should be) reflected in the equal and complementary roles of men and women in the church (1 Corinthians 11:3 - notice how the relationship between God the Father and God the Son is a pattern for men & women: it's not cultural, but theological, as it is in Ephesians 5). If the thought of this repulses you, then have a read of this remarkable article by Fabienne Harford.  

3. A failure to understand, and engage with, non-Christians. We need to understand who it is that non-Christians are rejecting. And it's not the loving, relational, outward-looking, self-sacrificing Trinity. They reject a Spy-in-the-Sky God. A Big Brother (George Orwell, '1984', not Channel 5!). They reject a self-seeking, kill-joy God. They reject a 'fuhrer, not a Father,' as someone has said. If we're to witness effectively to these people (whether they're atheists, agnostics or Muslims) we need a sound understanding of the Trinity, and the ability to communicate this. Reeves has a lot to say about this, so read his book!

4. A lack of security and assurance: Our assurance lies in the fact that there is an eternal and superabundant love in the Trinity. This love flows out from the Father, through Jesus, and is applied to our hearts by the Spirit. So Jesus says, 'As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; (John 15:9 see also 1 John 4:7-10).

But that's not all. It's the Son's loving obedience to the Father that leads him to die for us. It's not because we're worth so much that persuades Jesus to go to the cross, but his eternal and perfect love of (and therefore his obedience to) his Father. (It's worth reading the whole of John 17 and asking what Jesus says about how his relationship with his Father impacts upon our enjoyment of God the Trinity). 

We could go on to look at how an understanding of the Trinity affects our joy in Him and our understanding of eternal life and the new earth, but that's probably enough for now. Don't be afraid of getting to grips with the Trinity!

One of the best little books you could read...

In these days, when we expect instant gratification, reading abook about the Trinity isn't top of many people's 'to do' list. But please do get hold of a copy of Michael Reeve's little book, 'The Good God: enjoying Father, Son & Holy Spirit.' 
Reeves doesn't waste words. He fills each and every page with captivating truths about the love that overflows from God the Father to God the Son and into which we are drawn by God the Spirit.
Having trawled through the greatest theologians of history, Reeves gives us the very best from the likes of Luther, Calvin, Edwards and Owen in delicious, bite-sized morsels. And of course, he never strays from the Bible, but explains and applies it with insight and real passion.
In particular, Reeves explains why God must be three persons and not just one (as Islam teaches). That doesn't sound very exciting, but the way he explains and applies it is truly stunning. If you're not deeply moved by this book, you need to come and see me for a serious chat!

This is a wonderful little book. Buy it. Read it. Be amazed.

£6.79 from https://www.10ofthose.com/products/11870/The-Good-God/

P.S. Thanks to Jamie for this great birthday present!! 

Christians and judgement

2 Corinthians 5:6-10

Over the years, a number of fellow – and well-meaning – Christians have questioned the genuineness of my faith & my relationships with Jesus. More than once I’ve been accused of not believing the Bible because I don’t believe in a literal 6 x 24hr-day creation. And someone once questioned whether I had genuinely repented because I had a slipped disc.

Some of the Corinthian church members were questioning the apostle Paul’s faith – and that’s one of the reasons he wrote this letter. 

The Corinthians didn’t think Paul’s life demonstrated the genuine marks of a Spirit-filled & empowered apostle: his preaching was weak, he was ill, he faced opposition from the Jews, the Romans and some churches. So was he really a gifted church leader? Was he filled with the Spirit? Was he really a Christian at all?!

If your faith was called into question what would you say? How would you demonstrate that your faith was genuine?

So far, Paul has defended himself by admitting that he is indeed weak: hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted, struck down. In fact, he says he’s like a plain & fragile clay pot. ‘But,’ he says, ‘it is through that suffering, that I’ve learned to put all my trust in God who raised Jesus from the dead. It doesn’t matter how weak I am, what matters is how strong God is and whether or not I trust him. I do trust him and so I’ve given my whole life over to serving him and proclaiming the gospel. And even if that dedication to Christ should lead to my death, so be it, for we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven.’ (v1)

But now in vv6-10, he tells the Corinthians that it doesn’t really matter what they think about him. One day, he and they will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, and that’s the only verdict that matters. So, v10: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due to him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

Why does Paul say this? Well, there was, amongst the Corinthians – as there still is today – a tendency for Christians to think that  because we’re forgiven, we won’t be judged. In fact, some Christians seem to think that on judgement day, they’ll be in the public gallery watching all the non-Christians being condemned.

And so Christians can become complacent. And complacency leads to carelessness, and carelessness to sin: “If Jesus has been judged in my place, I’m OK. If I sin a bit, if I’m lazy in my discipleship, if I compromise and live a… well, a more balanced life…  it doesn’t matter too much because Jesus has forgiven me and I’m on my way to heaven.”

At Corinth, this attitude led to sexual immorality in the church. It led to greed and a lack of concern for poor members of the congregation. There was spiritual pride and arrogance. Is the church today – are we – really any different?

Now, let me draw your attention to a number of critically important points here: First, look at v10: we must all appear before the judgement seat of Jesus Christ.

Yes, each and every one of us will appear before Christ the judge. Paul includes himself and all the Corinthian Christians when he says, ‘We…’  It’s not just non-Christians who will have to take the stand in God’s courtroom. Every person without exception will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Now that may surprise you. And it may worry you.

But before we deal with that, we need to be clear about who the judge is – who it that we have to give account to: v10, We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.

Yes, the judge is Jesus: as he himself said in John 5, The Father judges no-one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son… he has given him authority to judge.

So each and every one of us will one day stand before Judge Jesus.

But on what basis will we be judged? V10 again, We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due to him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.   

So we’ll be judged according to our actions & behaviour in this life – according to what we have done, whether good or bad.

Now, if you understand that eternal life is a free gift from God, then you may be wondering if Paul hasn’t completely lost the plot here. 

Paul is quite clear that we are saved by the grace of God received through faith in Jesus, and that is exactly what he says in 5:17 -19  

if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.

And v21: God made him [Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

God has taken all the initiative in saving us – he has reconciled us, he doesn’t count our sins against us, he made Jesus to be sin for us. God has done all that’s necessary for us to be at peace with him and for us to be forgiven.

So how come we’re judged?

Well, everyone – Xn and non-Xn – must appear in court so that the evidence can be presented to the judge in order for him to make a just, fair & right decision. And that’s the point here. To be acquitted, you will need to demonstrate that you accepted God’s free gift of grace – that you have received the free gift of reconciliation with God – that you have received the free gift of eternal life.

On Christmas day here at St Peter’s, I always walk around church and ask to see some of the Christmas presents that people have received. And people show the evidence of the gifts they have received – the toys, the ties, the i-phones and the jumpers. They’re not showing that they deserved the gift, they’re showing that they received the gift.

On judgement day we stand before Jesus to show the evidence that we received his gift of forgiveness and eternal life. We don’t stand there and try to demonstrate that we deserve EL – because we don’t. The non-Xn will have nothing to show. He’s rejected Jesus. He’s rejected God’s grace and gift.

So, there we are, standing before Judge Jesus. And the evidence that we have received God’s gracious gift is brought before him. What will he be looking for?

Verses 7-9 tell us…  For we live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ…

One of the things Jesus will be looking for is where you’d rather be. Would you rather be here on earth, at home with your family, with your friends, at work, on the golf course, at the footy or… would you rather be at home with the Lord?

Paul says he’d rather be at home with the Lord. There’s nowhere he’d rather be than with Jesus. There’s no-one he’d rather spend time with. There’s no-one he’d rather serve. And so he goes on, So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. The driving, motivating force in Paul’s life is pleasing Jesus.  Not because he thinks he’ll impress Jesus his judge, but because he’s so grateful to Jesus his saviour.

When Paul stands before Jesus the judge, the evidence will be clear: he had received the gift of reconciliation with God – the gift of EL – and he lived to please Jesus.

So when you and I stand before Judge Jesus, what evidence will we be able to present?

Will you have evidence to show that you had truly, consciously, deliberately accepted Jesus Christ’s offer of new life, and that you lived your life in deep gratitude for that gift? Will the evidence show that you truly believed that Jesus suffered, bled & died for you and that you lived your life to please him?

But, I guess that some of you are still wondering if this really is what Paul’s saying here. You don’t think this sounds quite right. Well, let’s follow through the logic of Paul’s argument:

The Corinthians doubt the genuineness of his faith. They doubt that he’s a Spirit-filled, God-appointed apostle. So, in chapters 1-4, he says, ‘I know that outwardly I appear weak and feeble. So did Jesus. He didn’t come with human power. He didn’t defeat evil with armies & chariots. He came in humility. He was beaten and abused. He was crucified.

And yet, out of his weakness came eternal life. And now, that eternal life isn’t displayed in human power but through weakness and suffering. And it’s because I know Jesus and have received his gift of life, that I’m prepared to lay down my life to please him. He’s done everything for me, he’s given everything for me, and I’m so grateful and so full of trust in him, that I’ll suffer and even die for him.

And if I do die, I lose nothing. Though at the moment, I’m away from my Lord and I live by faith, not by sigh,  yet I’m fully confident that one day I will see him and be with him forever – in fact there’s nowhere I’d rather be with than Jesus my Saviour and Lord.

If I took you down to Hotel du Vin for a meal and you could choose any guest in the whole world to be there, who would you choose? Did you have to think about it – even for a second? Surely the answer to that question is, without a moment’s hesitation, is “Jesus”!

That’s what Jesus is looking for when we stand before him. We want him. We want to be with him, we want to please him, to enjoy him, to serve him, to love him.

Jesus said, , ‘Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  (Matthew 6:19-21)

On judgement day, Jesus will be looking to see where your treasure is. Is he your treasure, is his gift of eternal life your treasure, or is it something or someone else?

Jesus said, Do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  (Matthew 6:19-21)

On judgement day, Jesus will look to see what you’ve spent your life running after and worrying about – the things of this life or his kingdom and his righteousness?

All of this will be evidence as to whether you’ve gratefully received Jesus and his gift of forgiveness & eternal life or you’ve rejected him and his gifts. 

So how will we increase our desire to please Jesus? How will we ensure that we will have the evidence of having received him?

Well, imagine that a man gets down on one knee and offers a girl an engagement ring. Eagerly, she accepts. All the next week, she can’t stop looking at the ring. She just can’t help touching it – and when no-one’s looking… she even kisses it!

Well, we need constantly to look at the gift God has given us. We need to be gazing on Jesus: Thinking about the cross. Wondering at his love. Marvelling at his compassion and endless faithfulness. As we do that, gratitude and a desire to please Jesus will well up in our hearts.

You know what it’s like if you begin to research the possibility of buying a new computer or a new car. The more you research it, the more you gaze at the pictures and examine the spec. the more you want it – eventually you decide you really can’t live without it.

So it is with Jesus. Gaze at him and you’ll see how much you want him and need him. Your love for him will grow and nothing will give you more pleasure than pleasing him.

Your evidence on judgment day will be plain for all to see.

Grace changes everything

Given the opportunity, what would you change about yourself?
No, I don't mean your looks or your body. I mean your character, your behaviour, your thoughts, your words. There are parts of our lives that, given the opportunity, we'd love to change. And as Christians, we know that our lives are being changed. Changed by the grace of God through the work of the Holy Spirit. 
The Gospel in Life course (which starts on Tuesday 22 Jan. at St Peter's) is subtitled, 'Grace Changes Everything.' And through the 8 weeks of the course, we'll see how grace changes our hearts, our communities, our work and even our eternal destiny. 
If you're a member of St Peter's, I hope you'll be joining us - and even if you're not, you're very welcome! Details and a trailer are on our website, stpeterstw.com

Swapping this tent for a building

2 Corinthians 5:1-5

439 British servicemen & women have died in Afghanistan since 2002. For what or whom would you be prepared to die?

 Actually, the answer to that question depends on (at least) 3 things:

1. How much you value your own life.
2. How much you value the person or thing you’re being asked to die for.
3. What death means – yours or the other person’s.

The critical point is the last one – at least it ought to be because it’s what happens after death that ought to determine how we view death – ours and other people’s.

If death is simply the end of all life – if this life is all there is – then we have to weigh up the lives that people are living now and decide whose life is most valuable. We then sacrifice the less valuable for the more valuable. But there's no evidence that life doesn't continue after death, and, as we shall see later, good evidence that it does, so let's move on from this speculation.

However, if death means suffering the eternal, terrifying wrath of God then it must be avoided at all costs.  As Jesus said, it’s better to lose an eye or a hand than be thrown into the fire of hell.

On the other hand, if death means eternal life and joy with Jesus, if it means every day full of more delight than the one before, then that’s not something to be feared, but welcomed – it’s ‘better by far’ as Paul said.

So perhaps we who are Christians should seek death, so we can enter that life of eternal joy? Perhaps we should all go & play with the traffic on the M25!

But… but what if this life means the opportunity to save others from the eternal death of hell and give them eternal life? In that case, we want this life to be very, very long so that we can save as many people as possible! Not only that, but we’ll be prepared to suffer hardships now in order that we might save as many as possible from hell. And that’s where Paul’s argument here in 2 Corinthians takes us.

He’s shown why he’s prepared to suffer in ministry – he’ll suffer to bring life to others:  ‘If we’re distressed,’ he wrote in 1:6, ‘it’s for your comfort and salvation.’ For Paul, this life is all about working to bring eternal life to others.

In the light of this, you’d think that people would hail him as a great man for giving his life so that others can enjoy eternal life. You’d think he’d be top of the new year’s honours list. But he wasn’t. In fact, the world despised him, and religious people thought his message was too simplistic, too ordinary, lacking pomp and ceremony, lacking charisma and power.

But this didn’t worry Paul in the least because he knew that the power was in the message not the man. He didn’t have the power to give eternal life, but the gospel message about Jesus does. 2 Corinthians 4:7-12

For Paul, because there is life after death, and because that life involves either judgment or joy, this life has huge significance because it’s in this life that people can – and do – receive the gift of eternal life.

And it’s this knowledge that empowers, drives and frees Paul to persist in gospel ministry even when it brings hardship and imprisonment and hunger and opposition. If gospel ministry should result in death, so be it. It’s not the end of the world – worse things could happen. You could spend your life collecting stamps. Or playing Call Of Duty. Or shopping. But Paul would rather preach the gospel, give life to others and die than waste his life on petty past times.

It’s in that context that Paul writes 2 Corinthians 5:1-5. 

First of all, our certainty for the future

Second, the order of events in the future

Third, our guarantee for the future

First, our certainty: 2 Corinthians 5:1

How does Paul know – how do we know – what will happen after death?

We can’t find out through research. So-called near-death experiences don’t tell us anything at all except that when the brain is starved of oxygen it imagines a tunnel with a light at the end – or very similar things.

The only way we can know what happens after death is if God reveals it to us. And he has revealed it to us in his word, the Bible, and through his Son Jesus.  As Paul said back in 4:14, we know that that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence.

So we know, with real certainty, that this body is merely a temporary body – a tent that will one day be destroyed.  And then it will be replaced by God with a permanent and much, much more glorious building.

Now I want you to think about two questions:

what will life look like if you don’t really believe this?

And,     what will life look like if you do really believe this?

If you don’t really believe that this body, this life is a mere tent, a temporary home, then what will happen?  Well, you’ll begin to treat this life as if its permanent. As if it’s all there is. This life – this body – will be of paramount importance. You will lavish this body, this life, with all the care and attention you can. Your bank account will reveal that you spend your money on making this life more comfortable, more beautiful, more luxurious, more enjoyable.

Millions of Christians today live like that. They pay lip-service to believing in the resurrection body, but live as though this life is all there is.  And in the coming years, a whole generation of Christians who have lived like this are going to have to face the reality of old age and the realisation that they’ve squandered their lives. Not only that, but they’re in danger of not being able to die well - of not having a sure and certain hope in the face of the death of this tent.

Jesus did not call us to live like that.

He called us to live like Paul – to live as truly believing that God has a building prepared for us when this tent is destroyed. If we truly believe this, then we’ll be living life for the future - not our own (you know what will happen to you) – but for the future of other people. We’ll be living to proclaim the gospel, and so bring others into the same hope we have. This will be reflected in a simpler lifestyle that doesn’t need every new luxury, every gadget & the latest fashions. Our bank accounts will show that we’ve given our money to gospel mission rather than spent it on flash holidays and so on.

You won’t neglect this tent of a body, because you’ll want to stay healthy in order to serve Christ, his church & the not-yet-believers. Genuine belief in the permanent, eternal, resurrection body makes real differences to this life.

And one of the differences is, vv2-4, that we groan – we long for this temporary and increasingly shabby tent to be replaced with a glorious building from God.

In particular, we don’t want to be found ‘naked’ as Paul puts it in v3. What does he mean?

Well, here he’s thinking about the order of events.

You see, our new, eternal home won’t be given to us until Jesus returns, and the earth is recreated. And if we die before then, we will be naked – that is, we won’t have a body. Yes, we’ll be with Jesus, and that will be wonderful, but we won’t have a body. And that, says, Paul, isn’t great. It will be far, far better when Jesus returns, God recreates the world and gives us our permanent body.

So Paul’s not longing to die. That’s not what he’s groaning about. But he is groaning in anticipation of the new heavens and the new earth.

And if we truly believe that there will, one day, be this great new creation, then we too will daily groan with longing for that day – that day when there will be no more opposition to the gospel, when Christians will no longer be persecuted and murdered, when there will be no hospitals, no funerals, no prisons, no police. But a world  of righteousness, worship and joy.

So we know for certain what will happen when we die and what will happen when Jesus returns.

Finally, we have a guarantee of the future.   2 Corinthians 5:5

God has given us a substantial deposit to guarantee our future – he has given us the HS as a down-payment, and the Spirit is our guarantee that one day God will give us a new building, a heavenly home.

But how do we know we have the HS?

Yes, from time-to-time we may feel his presence as he draws our hearts to worship and appreciate Jesus with a deep intensity. But most of us don’t feel like that most of the time. How can we be sure that we have the HS? How can we be sure that he is our guarantee?

Well, the evidence of the work of the HS is that we want Jesus. We long to love him and know him more. We long to live in a way that pleases him. We’re full or remorse when we fail him. And the fruit of the Spirit are being displayed in our lives: we’re becoming more and more patient, kind, joyful, self-controlled, loving and so on. It’s the work of the HS that enables you to call Jesus your Lord and master, and God your Father.

If these are true for you, you must be filled with the HS.

And so these desires in you are the evidence that your future with God is guaranteed. He will give you a permanent, glorious, heavenly home.

Now it's good to know that none of this is accidental. It isn’t an afterthought by God. No, v5, God made us for this very purpose – that we would live this life, in this tent, constantly remembering that God is waiting to give us a building - a heavenly home.

God created us to sit lightly to this life. He created this life to be a tent, a temporary home.

And therefore, 4:16, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles [as we serve the gospel of Jesus] are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

It takes the whole church to raise a child

After a delicious breakfast, we had a great morning with Mel Lacy on how the whole church needs to be involved in raising children to love and follow the Lord Jesus.
If you missed it, here are some of the main ideas and practical suggestions I came away with.

1. It is essential that we teach the next generation 'the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done' (Psalm 78:4) so that they will 'set their hope in the Lord' (Psalm 78:6). There is nothing more important for a child (or an adult) than that they know and love the Lord Jesus, and so have eternal life.
2. We fail to do this if we keep quiet, if our actions are inconsistent with our words, if our Christianity is confined to Sundays, if we teach Christianised morality or simply use the Bible as a series of character studies. We must teach about Jesus because God's character and acts are most clearly displayed in him, and it's only by knowing him that we become children of God.
3. The main responsibility for teaching & discipling children in the faith of Jesus lies with parents, not youth & children's leaders. The recent church practise of employing youth & children's leaders and the secular practise of farming children out to nurseries etc. has sometimes led to parents being inadvertently displaced by 'expert' paid Y&C workers. (Deuteronomy 6:6-7). Parents cannot expect the church to do the work that is properly thiers.
4. Nevertheless, the church family does have a responsibility to be involved in helping parents and children to grow in their love of Jesus. This needs to be done by focusing on family ministy, not just Y&C ministry i.e. supporting marriage, teaching Christian parenting, equipping parents to bring up their children in the love of Christ.
5. The church is the body of Christ made up of all sorts of people - all ages, backgrounds, married, single etc. We need to be what we are and work together in mutual help & encouragement.

Now for some practical suggestions. No church will be able to do all of these, and not all will be appropriate for every church, but our church council will certainly be looking to implement some of them!

1. Encourage parents of younger children to be involved (from time to time) in groups for older children to prepare for the next stage.
2. Use a common syllabus in teaching all ages (this is very hard!).
3. Teach specific groups e.g. being a Christian Dad/Father, Mum/Wife. 
4. Get families linked up in triplets to share experience, discuss problems, share meals (or even holidays!), develop strong relationships, pray for each other, model godliness etc.
5. Offer baptism families a church godparent (this could also be done retrospectively!). 
6. Ensure applications in Bible studies & sermons engage with family issues.
7. Train up family mentors who will encourage & pastor 5 - 10 families.
8. Have specific prayer meetings e.g. for children of primary-age children; for youth & children's leaders; for parents of teenagers etc.
9. Encourage families to go on Ventures together; gos as  church family to Bible by the Beach, New Word Alive .
10. Have a Parenting Forum where people can share issues & problems with church leaders & other parents.
11. Encourage feedback in services from parents & young people (e.g. about parenting, Ventures, school etc.)
12. Ensure parents know where to get reliable, biblical resources to maintain their own faith and to teach their children, i.e. appropriate Bible reading notes, Bibles, etc.)
13. Do a linch for a specific group of children & parents and show them how to do a family Bible & prayer time.
14. Make time together intentional i.e. ask people how they & their children are spiritually - and be honest about problems when asked! Pray together when you meet up as parents.

If you have more ideas, please post them!!

Finally, there's a fantastic article on the Gospel Coalition website about keeping children in the faith. Read it!!