Children Unplugged!

Most people who find themselves bored with the Sunday morning production, often keep going because they feel it is important for their children. How will their children survive spiritually without Sunday schools and youth groups? In the latest podcast Wayne and Brad examine children unplugged from organized religion. The question might now be how can they survive without it, but will they ever thrive within it? Young children and older teens alike are finding that thinking outside the box can be a wide open door to let them experience the life of Jesus with even greater reality and engagement.

7 Comments

  1. This discussion was fabulous. It hit right at the heart of what brought myself and several others I know out of the institution. I really liked the idea of letting the kids have their own responsibility before God for how they relate to Him. Age 12 is probably about right. I am going to talk to my wife about that as our oldest is just now 12.

    “Is God OK with this?” What an awesome thing for our children to be asking. Thanks so much for this encouragement.

    May the father help us all raise our children to His glory!

  2. I haven’t listened to the podcast yet, but hopefull will later this evening. One comment about the local institution though… (what’s the proverb about how a fool answers before hearing the matter?) 🙂

    We homeschool our kids so they don’t have much of the relational time that other children get through school. As busy as the Northern VA area is, forget about playing with the neighborhood children. Everyone is involved (or over-involved) in activities. Church was a nice place where our kids got to meet other kids and develop friendships. Baseball and softball have been ok too.

    – Kevin

  3. i cant seem to down load this episode as i usually do…im getting an error message of some sort?

  4. I loved this message, especially the comedy connection of Cummings and Jacobsen. Brad, did you really say, “pissed off?” Too funny but refreshingly real.

    Okay, here’s what pees me off. Maybe more of what has frustrated me. I listen to you guys talk about the wonder-filled moments in the life of you and your children. Awesome it is to have been able to get in on the ground floor, so to speak, of witnessing the forming of a child’s spiritual foundation. Incredible to hear about those moments you’ve both have had.

    Okay, so I have not been as fortunate. Me and countless others I’m sure. I know the grass always appears greener on someone else’s path but I’d love to hear some thoughts on what one can do with their teen/young adult children where parents like me didn’t have the Godly sense to bring them up in the wonderful ways that you guys shared.

    I have lived Christ in front of my family outside the walls of the organized church (club is more an appropriate term for sure) for some five years now. For a time my wife and son joined with me in learning to live apart from it. We enjoyed the simplicity of just being with others outside the traditional walls. But for the past three years they have chosen not to walk along side with me in fellowshipping with others as I do and I’ve learned to let go. So since that time I feel that I haven’t had much to give particularly my son. Maybe it’s the old, “Sunday School needs to teach him what he needs” mentality that still resides in me. I do understand what Kevin shared in that this Life is caught not just taught. But I just wonder how I can implement some practical ways of sharing this life with especially my son with the time remaining while he’s still at home. I want him to have an awesome and growing relationship with Jesus. It’s taken me fifty years to experience mine and I don’t want him to have to wait as long!

    If you can digest all what I said here into a single question please do! I just wanted to give you some background as to where I have been personally. I hope it makes sense.

    Thanks, brothers.

    Dave

    (You can keep me anonymous on this one – if I get any more airplay I’ll have to start my own Podcast.)

  5. Okay… no soon as I posted I sensed the Lord giving me His “easy answer”… Ask HIM what practical ways I can share Him with my son.

    When in doubt ask God.

    Duh.

    But I would still love to hear your thoughts.

    Dave

  6. Thank you so much for airing this webcast Wayne and Brad! I have longed to hear about where children fit in this journey outside the box. When we came home,…we really came home – so far out of our previous boxes that the empty spacious places are sometimes overwhelming! How much easier it is to be in the comforts of predictibility. As a mom of four who homeschools I find myself faced with the reality of falling before God and walking with God in front of my children almost 24/7. 🙂 At the moment it’s raw,messy and rough. A year ago we stepped out of busy pastoral ministry, with our main reason being because our children had been far too long neglected. I wanted intimate connection with God more than the identity I had made for myself in ministry, and one of the first things I heard Him say was “Whoever welcomes a child in my name, welcomes me.” So, to be honest I am learning the basics of how to welcome and recieve my children…how to show them through my words and actions that they belong, and that they are beloved. And that has really started with learning how much I am recieved into the heart and arms of the Father. This is all I know to do right now because the resistence to me “teaching” anything is quite tangible. Your Lifestream website has been healing balm in the midst of this. What a beautiful school of the Spirit…to learn to faciliate His presence and partner with Him, with your children first, and then with the world around us. Bless you guys.

  7. We are a home school family as well. If you are familiar with un-schooling, you might call living outside the box un-churching. The Father has blessed us with many others outside the box to share life with regularly. I recently came to realize how unique our situation is as far as providing avenues for our children to relate to others. The group we regularly gather with outgrew many of our homes and is now meeting in a couple homes on some weeks. We are all learning how to adjust as families to this change. I desire to be like John in the Jake Colsen story, but the relationships my family needs does not allow for that much of a free floating spirit in me. I pray together with you all that we can be sensitive to the relationships we have with people inside and outside of various groups and that our Father will help us to maintain those relationships as much as possible. Living free as families is a grand journey.

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