MILESTONES
Preschool Ministry
Little
ones bring such joy and excitement to our homes and hearts.
There are so many first experiences that
you will treasure: first smile,
first step, first word, first haircut, first day of preschool, and the list goes
on and on. We often capture these
special moments on film and fill their baby books with mementoes that will help
us and them remember these significant events.
They grow up all too fast. What
better gift to give them than one of time and memories!
These significant events are often
called milestones. Did you
know that there are also spiritual milestones they should experience as they
grow and mature in their Christian life? Spiritual
milestones are events, preceded by a period of instruction from parents which
celebrate a spiritual developmental point in your child’s life.
The first milestone, Baby Dedication, is unique in that it is one that
the parents initiate while the child is very young.
These parents are taking their instruction from the Bible, God’s Word.
This ancient practice goes back to Old Testament times when Hannah prayed
to the Lord for a son, promising to give him back to the Lord for all His days.
Hannah later gave birth to a son and named him Samuel, meaning, “Because
I asked the Lord for you.” When
Samuel was young, Hannah took him to the
Few parents will have to make the
kind of sacrifice that Hannah did, however, the commitment you make as a part of
this service should never be taken lightly.
The Bible presents a clear picture of God’s plan for teaching children
spiritual truth in Deuteronomy 6:6-8. The
biblical plan begins at home and indicates that parents are the primary Bible
teachers for their children. In
scripture, you find that the home was the school of faith.
The church was always designed to support the work of the home, not the
other way around. Parents cannot
lead a child to experience the transforming truth unless they first are
transformed by its power.
The Bible can and must be used with
preschoolers from the very first days. It
must be a centerpiece of play and worship in the home.
In the daily routine of life, preschoolers are learning how to relate to
God. Parents must develop ears and
eyes that are sensitive to helping their children recognize God at work in the
world around them. This sense begins
the process of a child’s developing biblical world view.
The story of Samuel and Hannah also
reminds us of the joy of answered prayer. Pray
for and with your child so that this becomes a practice they emulate.
Model family devotions and regular church attendance so that these habits
become life patterns for them.
Remember preschoolers learn best
through their 5 senses. Allow them
many, many opportunities to see and smell the world around them, to hear music
and to touch the Bible. Babies and
preschoolers have many basic physical and emotional needs.
As you faithfully and lovingly meet these daily needs they are learning
that they can trust you. When they
learn they can trust those they can see, it becomes a very natural thing for
them to transfer that trust to a God whom they can’t see.
Usually that transformation takes place in the childhood years. Once
leaving the Preschool department, your child will continue their spiritual
journey in our Children’s Department. The
discovery stage that took place between birth and six years now becomes the
discerning stage.
Parents of preschoolers are busy people. We live in a fast paced world. For you to maximize the spiritual growth of your child during these foundational years, you will have to be intentional. If you sit back and just hope it will happen, it probably won’t. Carmel Baptist Preschool ministry is committed to helping you as parents in any way we can. Let us know what your needs are. It is a joy to share in the spiritual journey with you.