House Conference 2024 - Response

Context…

“HOUSE Conference is about theological reflection for best practice in youth and children's ministry within a community of youth and children's ministers.” Basically, a bunch of kids and youth ministers go away for 3 days, engage theologically, and talk about how to apply these theological convictions to their ministries.

There are two theological papers presented, and then two youth and kids practitioners respond to each paper with their thoughts and try to ground it in practice. This is my response to one of those papers.

The paper was presented by Tom Habib, one of the lecturers at Moore Theological College in Sydney. I cannot link the paper because it’s only readable with purchase. But here is a brief rundown:

“People loved darkness: Sin in the Gospel of John

Is the way we talk about sin shaped more by Paul or by John?  In our kids’ lessons or youth talks, would we be more likely to explain that ‘there is no one righteous’ (Rom 3:10-12) or that ‘people loved darkness instead of light’ (John 3:19)?   John’s Gospel, whilst consistent with Paul and the rest of the bible, can deepen and expand how we think and talk about sin in our kids and youth ministries.   This paper will help us to explain what sin is and why we face judgment; to draw the connections between sin and unbelief; and to show how we can be free from sin and walk in the light. “

My response will not go into the theology found in the paper, but just refer to it. So you’ll have to fill in the blanks. Enjoy.

Response

Good morning!

I’ve spent the last 8 years working within the realm of family discipleship. As I disciple my own children, but also working to equip other families to disciple their children too, through resources and encouragement. So, I hope you’ll forgive me as I can’t help but apply my thoughts today to not only a church context but also a household one. Though I do think they are inextricably linked, so I hope you appreciate my perspective.

I’d like to thank Tom for his paper! It helped me deepen my understanding of John’s portrayal of sin. It offers us the opportunity to clarify our definition of sin, why we think this and what it means for us in practice.

I have summarised his paper as “Sin - more than just ignorance”.

I have a few thoughts on why I think this theology is important for us to be clear on, and 3 implications from that.

To start off with, is sin simply ignorance?

Thanks to the paper we can see that, no, sin is not just what we lack, or what we do, but is a state of being. It is who we are, or… for the Christian, who we were. It is the self. Not just blindness, but a love of darkness. Slavery. A belonging to the household of the devil. A rejection of the person of Jesus, of relationship with God himself.

And no man (or child), can escape this reality. They are stuck, unable to, and unwilling to, turn from it. It is an impossible situation that only an all powerful God can rectify.

BUT if you take a moment to read any modern, secular research on child development, or open up any current parenting books, or even take a scroll on instagram (eye roll) you’ll find the opposite reality.

The belief, and promotion, that children are inherently good. That given the right environment, tools, example and encouragement, they will naturally choose to do the right thing. The implication being that children do not need instruction, correction or leadership. They are “good kids, having a hard time”. Sin doesn’t come from within them, it happens to them. That our job as adults is to simply model good behaviour, and redirect them when needed. To enforce only necessary boundaries in order to keep them physically and emotionally safe as they wait to discover who they really are. And that children who do act out do so simply because they lack tools, support and a mature prefrontal cortex. That we can’t expect them to behave beyond their natural abilities. That self control and empathy will come with age as they experience the natural consequences that come from exploration.

The paper has helpfully pointed out that this is not the case!

Children do not act out simply because they are yet to discover for themselves what is good and true, they do so because their very being is shrouded in darkness. Their flesh wars against authority, and against God himself. This is a spiritual battle. And when we get this wrong the consequences are HUGE. Because the child without sin has no need for a saviour. The death of Jesus is redundant if there is no punishment to be borne.

It might sound like splitting hairs, but it’s important to know what our underlying beliefs are in order to get our practice right. Because more and more Christians are adopting secular practices without understanding the belief system that informs them. We cannot believe in sin AND unquestioningly adopt secular practice, in our programs and in our homes. While we can, of course, glean wisdom from specific secular tools and techniques, the underlying principles are categorically opposed to each other.

So, with that in mind, what ought we to do with this understanding?

My 3 applications are:

• Share the person of Jesus through proclamation

• Share our lives in our homes

• Share God’s blessing of belonging

Share the person of Jesus through proclamation

It is only Jesus himself who is able to rescue us from this pervasive darkness within our hearts. The paper explored this idea as it emphasised the work of God in bringing people out of darkness and into the light. It was not their own efforts, only God can be attributed to this miracle of life.

However, I do think it needs to be clarified, that the work of God’s Holy Spirit is achieved through the proclamation of God’s word. The person of Jesus is found within the bible. So, as the paper pointed out, while knowledge on its own is not effective in the redemption and sanctification of people, knowledge and education is the basis for this work.

In John 14:26 Jesus says, “… [the Spirit] will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you”.

It is through proclamation that God chooses to work within the hearts of sinners.

And if the answer to sin is the work of God, and God’s spirit works through the words of Jesus, then we need to continue to preach his word. And while we do this fairly well within our church programs, I think today’s parents, generally, under emphasise the role of explicitly teaching God’s word in their homes. That is, to regularly sit down as a family and canonically work through God’s word, to catechise their children, to instruct them in God’s law, to commit God’s word to memory, to point their children to scripture as they discipline. Not just the everyday conversations that come up, but intentionally giving their children a framework for those conversations to sit upon.

It is the responsibility of the minister to not only ensure children are being taught God’s word while on site, but also helping to equip parents to do the same in their households.

Which leads me to my second point,

Share our lives in our homes

One reason it’s so important for parents, not just church workers, to preach God’s word to children is because this is where children see clear examples of God’s work of salvation in practice.

The paper talked about the role of character within the book of John, and how John uses story to implicitly teach morals. This is a great point, and I’d like to expand on that to say that WE also are characters within God’s redemption story, and are living examples to children and young people of what God’s saving work looks like. Not that we are perfect examples of obedience, only Jesus fills that role, but are examples of God’s regenerating work in sinners. His work IN us is an example of the power of the cross. And his work THROUGH us an example of the power of his word. His character and power are magnified as he works in and through sinners.

And here is the importance of the household. The household is where children see conviction AND character hand in hand. The meeting of theory AND practice. This is where the gospel really shines. The gathering of God’s people is not limited to a Sunday, but is found every day within the households of our members.

But we do this knowing that children don’t just belong to our households, but to God’s. The paper helpfully highlight’s the picture John paints of God’s household vs Satan’s.

Which leads me to my third and last point,

Share God’s blessing of belonging

It’s important for us not only to INVITE children and young people to join God’s household, but to treat them, and use language, as if they ALREADY belonged to it.

As Anglicans, we believe that the children of believers are members of the visible church and God’s household. The implication of their baptism is that they already belong. They are not the church of tomorrow, but of today.

This creates an important distinction in the language we use with them. We aren’t simply imploring them to come out of the darkness, but reminding them that, through faith in Christ, they belong to the light. We aren’t just pleading with sinners to repent, but encouraging saints to continue in the life they have been saved into. They aren’t slaves to sin, they’re servants of the gospel, already, today. So the message is not one of warning, but of thankfulness and servitude.

This helps us as we wrestle with the dangers of moralism. The paper asks, “How do we call them to repent from sin without falling into mere moralism?” And goes on to say “our task is… first freeing our children and young people from the bondage to sin and parentage of the devil, and then calling them to live as children of God, doing what he does.”

So then the question is, when do we call them to live as children of God? And I would say, today!

We can be tempted to fall into the trap of only ever evangelising Christian children as we wait for them to be freed from the bondage of sin, probably sometime around the age of 14. Instead, we ought to help them understand they already have been saved. And as members of God’s household, we teach, correct, rebuke, and train them in matters of righteousness. For what right do we have to ask children to deny sin and live righteously if they don’t even belong to the household in the first place?

We are rightly cautious of a works based gospel, but living righteously is not the expectation of the outsider, but of one who belongs. Of a child of God. And if they belong, we then have the responsibility to teach them how to live to God’s standards. God disciplines those he calls sons, and as we imitate our father, we also lovingly discipline those who belong to the household. Not excusing their sin as simply developmental or a lack of tools or support, but using their sin as an opportunity to point them to the work of Jesus and the life he has saved us into. Not because we believe their good works will save them, but because, through the gracious undeserved work of Christ, they already are saved. Obedience brings glory to God, and blessing to them, and it would be a shame if we denied them this gift.

Thank you.

Do you have thoughts to share? Feel free to send me a DM on Instagram. I’d love to engage with you on this topic!