Gospel. Community. Mission. You don’t have to be a certain age to participate in this beautifully simple mission of Providence Church. In fact, Jesus indicated the church is most vibrant and complete when all ages are pursuing Him (Matthew 19:14).
During child dedications at Providence, we witness families committing their lives to teaching their children about Jesus. These dedications also include a response, where the church makes this commitment to families:
“As a church family we promise to work alongside you in your efforts to teach and portray Christ to your child. By God’s grace we will support and encourage you in this good work.”
Child dedication helps to form the bond between the church and families which paves the way for many intentional conversations that follow.
The church body comes alongside families by teaching the simple gospel that saves. Every event, ministry, and resource at Providence should proclaim this truth. From Providence Kids to Community Groups, Family Devotionals to guest speakers, the gospel of Jesus should be ever-present.
Just over one month ago, my 13-year-old daughter, Ada, was saved into the Kingdom of Christ while attending Providence Students’ Focus weekend. This event will forever be remembered as the turning point in her faith, but it wasn’t the first time she heard the gospel. In this article, I’ve asked Ada to share her perspective on the way the Providence Church family has shaped her faith.
Jeremy: Disciples are made only through the gospel. We want the gospel to be the loudest, most constant message our children hear. So what is this message and where have you heard it?
Ada: The gospel is that God created us perfect, but we sinned and went our own way. Now we live in brokenness. God sent His Son to die for us, to save us. If we repent and believe that Jesus saved us, we will go to Heaven. Because we believe this, we should go to everyone around us and share this with them.
I’ve heard this message from my family, my grandparents, in Providence Kids, Sunday mornings, Providence Students, at the Reality Conference, Student Camp, Family Camp, and through friends.
Jeremy: Disciples are not made in isolation, but in community. How would you describe how your journey has been shaped by the people around you?
Ada: My friends from Providence Students push me to pray and read my Bible and overall are pointing me to the Lord. Same with my family who encourage me to go to youth group and to camp; they’ve taught me the gospel from ‘age zero’ to now. At school, we have Bible class every Monday to start the day, and my teachers (like Mrs. Esther) encourage me, too. The Reality Conference was jam-packed with so much instruction that helped me to realize that what the Bible says is true, to believe that Jesus is our Savior, and to live out what He called us to do.
Jeremy: Disciples are always on mission to reach others. In what ways have you learned this and in what ways have you participated in this?
Ada: I learned about the need to be on mission when my parents took time to go across the world to share the gospel. At church, I’ve heard many sermons about being on mission and it’s even in our mission statement. I’ve gone with my momma in GO Teams, and it’s nerve-racking but it’s really rewarding to get a good conversation going. This is where I learned the concept: if someone is on fire, would you leave them or help them? In Perspectives, we learned about how many unreached people groups there are around the world, and we were encouraged to share the good news with all those people. My school’s motto is “To know God and make Him known.” Earlier this month, my brother Beck and I went door-to-door with our friend Will to invite people to Providence for Easter.
What We Learned
One key role of the body of the church could be summed up by combining an ancient African proverb with Proverbs 22:6. I think it would sound a little something like, “It takes a village to raise a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” I, with so many others, am thankful for the village of people at Providence.
