Last week as Wednesday service came to an end, one of my fifth grade students asked me a question. “How much longer do I get to stay in kids church?” I looked at the calendar. My fifth graders have one Sunday and one Wednesday until they transition to middle school and Echo Student Ministry. I’ve had the honor of ministering to a few of my fifth graders since they were old enough to enter our elementary ministry. Some of them joined us later, and what a joy it has been to see them all grow in their faith and as young people.<\/p>\n
Studies show that children are in church for an average of 40 hours a year, only 40 out of the 8,760 hours in a year. The elementary ministry team works hard to make every one of those 40 hours count. We want our cumulative 200 hours with each student to build trust, love, and faith, and as those 200 hours over the course of 5 years draw to an end, we hope we’ve made a positive difference in the lives of our students.<\/p>\n
As ministers, we’re only with your children for a little while in the grand scheme of life, but you, you are the constant. Parents, guardians, grandparents, aunts, uncles, you are constant influences in the life of the children around you. Cherish that time. Leverage that influence. On average, a child has 936 weeks of life from birth to graduation. 936. How many have gone by already? How many does your child have left before they leave the nest and begin their new adventure?<\/p>\n
If there’s one thing we know for certain (and are very aware of during times of transition), it’s that every second counts. Before you know it, those 936 weeks will be over. For ways to make every week count, check out the Parent Cue app (available through the iTunes store and Google Play) or visit the Parent Cue blog<\/a> for inspiration, encouragement, and ways to reinforce your child’s faith.<\/p>\n