Let the Children Come to Me

Faith & Fellowship Magazine
Written By Tim Mathiesen

September/October 2023

Let the Children Come to Me

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Featured
Little Ears
Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Let the Children Come to Me, 2023-05
Little Ears
Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Let the Children Come to Me, 2023-05

The words of Jesus are a stark reminder of how impressionable children are. They watch, learn, and mimic all that they see. This is why Jesus warns us against causing them to stumble. It is also why he praises them for their faith. When Jesus called, the child came.

Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Let the Children Come to Me, 2023-05
Filling Their Backpacks
Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Let the Children Come to Me, 2023-05
Filling Their Backpacks
Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Let the Children Come to Me, 2023-05

Jesus welcomes people as they are, and children are not the exception. It doesn’t matter if they have never heard of him, or they grew up on the wrong (or right) side of the tracks, or they smell funny because their mom uses their bathtub as a kitty litter box. Jesus takes them in his arms and blesses them. He lays his hands on them.

Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Let the Children Come to Me, 2023-05
The Faith of a Child
Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Let the Children Come to Me, 2023-05
The Faith of a Child
Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Let the Children Come to Me, 2023-05

Children appear small, weak, and unimportant in many ways. Maybe the disciples thought, “Why welcome children? What’s the benefit of receiving them?” God’s kingdom—even Jesus himself—can also appear to be small, weak, and unimportant. If Jesus wants his disciples to receive the kingdom like they would receive a child, perhaps the disciples don’t understand what God’s kingdom is really like.

Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Let the Children Come to Me, 2023-05
Parenting a Prodigal
Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Let the Children Come to Me, 2023-05, Parenting
Parenting a Prodigal
Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Let the Children Come to Me, 2023-05, Parenting

We’ve been there; it’s a crushingly painful reality. It feels much like Kubler-Ross’ Five Stages of Grief: Denial; Anger; Bargaining; Depression; Acceptance. At the first signs of trouble, we want to believe it’s just a phase they are going through. They tell us everything is fine, and we hope it’s true. But it isn’t fine.

Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Let the Children Come to Me, 2023-05, Parenting
Making a Difference Together
Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Stewardship, Let the Children Come to Me, 2023-05
Making a Difference Together
Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Stewardship, Let the Children Come to Me, 2023-05

Christ asked that little children be allowed to come to him, but in the U.S. a teacher has to be careful how he/she does that. Then, I learned that a school was being built in Chad that would provide much knowledge and many skills to African children.

Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Stewardship, Let the Children Come to Me, 2023-05
Cohort: Women Together
Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Women's Ministries, Let the Children Come to Me, 2023-05
Cohort: Women Together
Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Women's Ministries, Let the Children Come to Me, 2023-05

As a Christian woman, I have felt the need to be pious—prayerful, generous, and constant in my Bible reading. As a young mother and worship leader, I have worried, “How could I teach my son or lead our praise team with a worshipful heart if my own Christian walk feels lacking?” I have often felt I am not doing enough. I’ve even felt angry at the standards that seem to be necessary to be a good Christian.

Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Women's Ministries, Let the Children Come to Me, 2023-05
The Biblical Family and the Church
Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Lutheran Brethren Seminary, Let the Children Come to Me, 2023-05
The Biblical Family and the Church
Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Lutheran Brethren Seminary, Let the Children Come to Me, 2023-05

Children serve as the Lord’s example for faith and entry into his kingdom (Mark. 10:14) because within the family they live by another’s care and love as we the children of God live by the Father’s care for us. The family and its life of blessing serve as the pattern for the Church’s life together.

Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Lutheran Brethren Seminary, Let the Children Come to Me, 2023-05
Learning from Our Children
Faith and Fellowship Magazine, North American Mission, Let the Children Come to Me, 2023-05
Learning from Our Children
Faith and Fellowship Magazine, North American Mission, Let the Children Come to Me, 2023-05

As churches, we invest time, energy, and money into the faith development of our children. This is right. We should do this. We need to guide and shepherd our children as they grow and mature in their faith.

Faith and Fellowship Magazine, North American Mission, Let the Children Come to Me, 2023-05
Where Are The Children?
Faith and Fellowship Magazine, International Mission, Taiwan, 2023-05, Let the Children Come to Me
Where Are The Children?
Faith and Fellowship Magazine, International Mission, Taiwan, 2023-05, Let the Children Come to Me

When we followed God’s direction to move to Taichung City and work alongside Taichung Victory Church, our desire was to help a struggling church.

Faith and Fellowship Magazine, International Mission, Taiwan, 2023-05, Let the Children Come to Me
Like a Child
Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Let the Children Come to Me, 2023-05, Re:Think
Like a Child
Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Let the Children Come to Me, 2023-05, Re:Think

So, how do you teach a child about child-like faith? The same way you teach older people. By living with Jesus, trusting in his word, and counting on God to make faith grow.

Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Let the Children Come to Me, 2023-05, Re:Think
Tim Mathiesen
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