MAKING FAITHFUL STEWARDS OF OUR CHILDREN

Aniel BarbeStewardship Ministries and Trust Services

SIDCategory: Mainstreaming of Stewardship

The Four Focus Areas

1. Mainstreaming of Stewardship education.

2. Building Trust

3. Empowering the Partners.

4. Disseminating Information and Service for Trust Services.

 

The Four Focus Areas

1. Mainstreaming of Stewardship education.

2. Building Trust

3. Empowering the Partners.

4. Disseminating Information and Service for Trust Services.

 

 First Focus Area

To bring stewardship education to Everyone in the Church.

The Five Original Life Purposes

• Acknowledge and act as creatures (One Creator)

• Rely on God (God provided for All)• Behave as representatives of God (In

God’s Image)• Maintain relationship with God (God

Visited the Garden) • Accept responsibilities (God’s

Commission)

Objectives of the Presentation

1. Explaining why it is decisive to provide stewardship education to Children.

2. Providing techniques and tools to teach Stewardship education to Children

Part I

The Importance of Stewardship Education for

Children

The Basic Rational

What is acquired during childhood is withheld for the all life!

Proverbs 22:6

Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.

A Divine Commission

Deuteronomy 6:6,7a

“ And these words which I command to you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach teach them diligently to your children...”

Counsel from E.G. White

Too much importance cannot be placed upon the early training of children. The lessons learned, the habits formed, during the years of infancy and childhood, have more to do with the formation of the character and the direction of the life than have all the instruction and training of the after years.

Ministry of Healing, p. 380

Counsel from E.G. White

It is during the first years of a child's life that his mind is most susceptible to impressions either good or evil. During these years decided progress is made in either a right direction or a wrong one.

Ministry of Healing, p. 380

Other Reasons to Provide Stewardship Education to

Children Jesus loves Children (Luke 18:16;

Matthew 18:2-6; Mark 10:13–16)

Never too young to give (John 6:9)…Childhood is the time to develop lifetime givers.

Stewardship helps build self-esteem. Ads contribute to a lifetime of poor self-image and lasting discontent.

Other Reasons to Provide Stewardship Education to

Children Stewardship brings joy and

contentment.It is impossible to be grateful and unhappy at the same time (Acts 20:15)

The giving and spending trend is changing among the new generation.

Declined in giving.Spending 5 times more per year

than previous generation.Teenagers are called “Green

Machines.”

Further Explanations for the Actual Giving Trend

• New technologies, material possessions and lifestyles that would have once been considered as luxuries and “wants” are now “needs.

• No one is telling them that giving is a need for the believer.

Other Reasons to Provide Stewardship Education to

Children

• It creates a sense of belonging and ownership in the kingdom. 

 • The Economic Crisis prevailing in

today’s world.

Part II

Techniques and tools to teach Stewardship to Children

The first providers of stewardship education to children are the parents; others will build upon this foundation.

Four Basics of Stewardship Education

to Childreni. Help children to see the blessings

provided by God.

ii. Teach children to be grateful to God

iii. Show children how generosity has built our church and is supporting the church activities.

iv. Help children to see stewardship as a lifestyle.

Help Children to See the Blessings provided by

God.

– Challenge children to make a list of all God’s gifts to them.

– Regularly compliment children on their special gifts – simple things like nice handwriting, pretty smile, nice coat to keep you warm, etc.

– Encourage children to recognize their talents and the talents of other people.

Teach Children to be grateful to God

• Ask children on a daily basis to name something for which they are thankful.

• Ask children to write a prayer or a thank-you letter to God.

• Read and Discuss the Judgment of the Nations (Matthew 25:31-46) Show how service is a mean of being thankful to God.

• Encourage children to pray and offer services to the needy.

Show how Generosity has Built and is Supporting the Church – Tell children the history of the

church and the role generosity has played.

– Help children make a list of church activities and also of the needed resources.

– Invite a volunteer to come and share his testimony and joy about his service.

– Ask the children to question their parents and encourage the parents to share about their stewardship experience.

Help Children to See Stewardship as Lifestyle

Teach Time Management

- Record all daily activities and time spent for one week.- See if adequate time is provided for the 6 life priority zones of a steward: Time with God, Time for the Family, Time for Oneself, Time for Working/Studying, Time for the Church, Time for Others.

Help Children to See Stewardship as a lifestyle

Teach the Basics of Managing Money:

(1) There is a limited supply of money.

(2) You cannot have everything.

(3) Your current spending decision will impact your other goals.

The 3 S of Money Management

• Spending. How to create a budget? Help them to differentiate between “wants” and “needs.” Give Children the opportunity to manage a certain amount of money.

• Sharing. Teach the principle of tithe, offering and supporting the needy.

• Saving. Teach the principle of delayed gratification; giving up today's desires (short-term) for future benefits (long-term)

Help Children to See Stewardship as a lifestyle

• Bring children to recognize their abilities and talents.

• Provide opportunities and encourage children to use and develop their abilities and talents.

• Make it a joyful memory.

A Divine Commission

Deuteronomy 6:6,7a

“ And these words which I command to you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach teach them diligently to your children...”

Walk Your Talk

Deuteronomy 6:,7-9

“ Talk about them when you sit in your home and when you walk along the road, wen you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hand and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”

Resources

• The Wise Steward Award for Adventurers and The Stewardship Honor for Pathfinders.

• Dollars and Sense, a storybook about stewardship.

• 4 full camp meeting programs to teach stewardship to various groups: God’s Special Gift Me!(below 4 years);Sense-ational Stewards (4-6 years);Partners with Jesus (7-9 years); Earth Stewards (10-11 years).

OUR VISION

All of us in Full Partnership with Him, Accomplishing the final mission.

Conclusion

Our first aim is not to increase the income of the Church but to bring our kids to become disciples of Christ.

We do so by providing answers to these two critical questions: Who God is? and “ How should we respond to who God is?”

The results will be children who are both growing spiritually and using their various resources to build the kingdom.