As the children help Mr. MacDonald with his harvest, he teaches them the parable of the seed and the sower. When they’re visited by some mischievous crows and rumor weeds, they begin to understand that the best way to produce the fruit God desires in their lives is to plant their roots firmly in God’s Word.

All children ages 7 to 13 (as of January 1, 2011) are welcome to join the choir for this production. The musical contains 10 songs which the entire choir will be performing together with no auditions necessary. There will be auditions for speaking roles and solos, tentatively scheduled for March 30 and April 3. Every child in choir is welcome to audition.

Keep reading for complete details and how to participate!

To join this production, simply fill out the form below which includes an order for CDs and choral books. Each family should order at least 1 CD and choral book (you may choose to order more if you desire for each child in your family to have their own book or CD). CDs cost $6 each and choral books cost $8 each. Please submit your order form by Tuesday, March 8. Payment will be collected at a later date at choir, when the order arrives. (We will also be purchasing t-shirts for this production which will be ordered at a later date and should cost no more than $10 per child.)

Our rehearsal schedule will involve our regular Wednesday night rehearsals from 7 to 8 pm. In addition, the whole choir will need to be at two extra rehearsals during the week of the musical (technical and dress rehearsals). Choir members who receive speaking roles will have additional acting rehearsals either before or after choir on Wednesday nights (for example, either from 6 to 7 pm or 8 to 9 pm).

Acorns to Oaks is an excellent opportunity for your children to learn more about growing in Christ, advance their musical and artistic skills, and hide God’s Word in their heart through memorable songs they will love to sing!

Imagine your son or daughter in 30 or 40 years. What one phrase would sum up everything that you hope for in the life and character of your son or daughter?

Amy Chua (the “Tiger Mom”) recently published a book called Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother which contrasts the “western” approach to parenting with the Chinese approach which she considers superior. Here is how she sums up the two views:

Western parents try to respect their children’s individuality, encouraging them to pursue their true passions, supporting their choices, and providing positive reinforcement and a nurturing environment. By contrast, the Chinese believe that the best way to protect their children is by preparing them for the future, letting them see what they’re capable of, and arming them with skills, work habits and inner confidence that no one can ever take away.

I think the “Tiger Mom” would answer my question by saying she would want her children to be successful. And she would argue that there is an absolute standard of success. In her view “success” is always getting A’s and never an A minus or less. Her hope is that her children will work at whatever they are doing until they reach that perfect grade.

Of course there is nothing wrong with success and hard work and doing well at what you are doing. But does success really sum up our hope for the future as Christians? Even if our son or daughter is the most successful person of their generation will that really be enough? Jesus asks this question in Mark 8:36, “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?”

So what is the answer? What phrase should describe our hope for our children? Jesus tells us a couple of verses earlier:

And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.

Mark 8:34-35 ESV

Jesus calls us to “come after” him. This is what it means to be a disciple of Christ. This is my hope for my children to be a…

Disciple of Christ

If my children as adults are fully devoted disciples of Christ, my hope for them will be realized. And Christ does not just give us a phrase but he also clearly defines it. These disciples are not just Christian In Name Only, they are doing three things: 1) Denying themselves (huge!), 2) willingly sacrificing themselves for the cause of Christ (even unto death), and 3) following Christ in their life. I get excited just thinking about it. If my children are doing those things what more could I want?

If your hope is that your children grow to become fully devoted disciples of Christ, I want to recommend the book Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp. In my opinion this book is a  modern classic. It will help parents understand their role as partners with the Holy Spirit in leading their children to become disciples of Christ. We must remember that our children’s greatest problem and their only solution is the same as with all mankind. Our collective problem is sin and our collective answer is our savior Jesus Christ.

But what are we, fathers, doing today to help lead our children toward being disciples of Christ? My family has done a lot in the last two years, including: piano lessons, the softball practices, the school work, the music competitions, the art classes, the vacations to amazing places, the museums, Sunday School, etc. In doing all these things was I (or am I) doing them in hope of my children becoming something other than a disciple of Christ? Is them becoming a disciple of Christ a lower goal or hope?

We are in the process of adopting two boys from Haiti. I just know that I will be tempted to push them into sports because of my secret hope that one of them will be the next Pierre Garçon (Haitian born wide receiver for the Colts).

All those things I am doing for my children are good things, but what good is it if they master those areas but forfeit their soul?

Clearly my job as their father is to disciple them. But to do it right is to disciple them in Christ, not in success.

Do you want your child to not hit their siblings? Or do you want your child to deal with anger at the heart level with the power of the Holy Spirit?

Do you want your child to work hard? Or do you want your child to work heartily knowing they are serving the Lord Jesus Christ?

Here is a harder one for us as parents: Do you want your child to be a successful (fill in the blank)? Or do you want your child to deny his own desires, be willing to sacrifice self, and then do whatever Christ calls him to do?

Tedd Tripp will help you to see your call as a father to lead your children in partnership with the Holy Spirit toward being disciples of Christ, not disciples of “success.”

One of the ideas they shared was for parents to encourage their children to take notes during the sermon.  My first thought was how hard this would be for my kids  (who are ages seven, nine, and ten) because it’s hard enough for me! But I decided to give it a try. I gave them some basic instructions and encouragement and we tried it out.

The first Sunday of note taking was a little rough. I had to remind them a few times to keep it up during the sermon, and they had trouble knowing what to write. Like I said, note‐taking isn’t easy. But one thing I did notice was that for the most part, they were paying attention during the whole sermon.  It felt like a small but significant step forward.

The next thing I did that really helped was create a one-page, note-taking form for them to use. The form  includes boxes that hopefully get them thinking about what to look for in the sermon. The boxes give  them  special places to write down the main verse, other verses, big  idea or main point, what I should do, words I don’t know, and extra lines for additional notes.

As an Easter gift to our kids, Christy made them each a decorated three-ring binder in which they can keep their sermon notes. They loved the binders and are excited about writing down things on the form each week.

We’ve been using this form for a couple months now, and I’ve been really impressed with the results. It is incredible to me how quickly they’ve been able to learn this skill and how much they are able to write down. The other significant thing is they are doing their best to pay attention to the sermon now. Some weeks are better than others, and sometimes they give up or get frustrated, but we’ve found that they are really growing in it and making progress. They are learning important life skills in listening and note taking, and I want to deliberately help them grow in these areas.

Another great benefit we’ve found from the note taking is it gives us an opportunity to talk about the sermon as a family. At dinner on Mondays, we all get out our notes and walk through the sermon. Christy and I help the kids fill in parts that they missed, and we explain the parts that were hard for them to understand. This also reinforces the big ideas for Christy and me too!

In the May newsletter, Jack talked about worship “preflight” and how important it is to get ready in advance to worship. That pre-worship preparation is important for success in teaching your children to take notes.

Ultimately, our family goal is to teach our children about the incredible value of worship and learning in a community of believers. As a parent, I also need to teach my kids through my actions about the exciting opportunity we  have  on  Sunday mornings  to  corporately worship our God and Savior. My kids need to see me truly excited about worshiping God in order to fully incorporate this lesson into their lives.

Download the pdf here:

Side note: “The Quest for Authentic Manhood” and getting together with other men has been a fantastic time and if you can work it into your schedule I encourage you to make a commitment to it. I hope to see you there!

Something that struck me this morning that I wanted to share are five things Lewis listed as being what every son wants and needs from his father. This aspect is just part of his larger point which I won’t share here but the points on fathering sons was excellent.

Got a son? Read on …

1. Time Together – Lewis said that “Memories are the markers of life.” Every boy wants that time where it is “just me and dad.” He wants to go out and throw the ball and pretend they are in the Super Bowl together or put together that model or just hang out and laugh. Proverbs 17:6 in part says that “the glory of sons is their fathers.”

2. Life Skills – Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train a child in the way that he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” Robert Lewis described “life skills” as the stuff we need to know to get by in life. It might be practical skills like how to change a flat tire, or the oil in your car, or how to tie a tie. Popular Mechanics pubished 100 Skills Every Man Should Know that might be a starting point for the practical stuff. But there are also emotional and spiritual life skills that need to be taught. For example we men generally have a hard time understanding our emotions and how to share from our heart. Sharing from your heart and understanding your emotions is an important life skill that fathers can help train and teach to their sons. Other life skills… How do I treat a woman? When is it appropriate to laugh and goof around or to be serious?

3. Direction with Solid “Why” Answers – Lewis described this as the philosophical stuff of life. “What is really important in life?” “What is life about?” “What is my ultimate purpose in life?” It could be described also as our convictions about higher truths. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 says “These words I am commanding you today must be kept in mind, and you must teach them to your children and speak of them as you sit in your house, as you walk along the road, as you lie down, and as you get up.”

4. Convictions Through Modeling – This is the influence of your words plus your convictions lived out in what you model in life. This point in equation form: Your Convictions + What you Say + Your Model in Action = Your Integrity. It is showing him through the model of how you actually live your life. The son knows the real father and not just the veneer or what he says. 1 Thessalonians 2:10-11 makes this point very well, “You are witnesses, and so is God, as to how holy and righteous and blameless our conduct was toward you who believe. As you know, we treated each one of you as a father treats his own children”

5. Dad’s Heart – Lewis said this is what sons need most of all from dad. It means that the son is loved and affirmed by his dad. He said there are three things every son wants to grow up and leave home with confidence having heard from dad: 1) I love you, 2) I’m proud of you, and 3) You are good at _____ [fill in the blank]. Lewis said even today as a grown man “I wish my dad would come out of the grave and tell me these things.” Jesus the Son recieved these things from God the Father. Check out Matthew 17:5 how God says all these things about Jesus: “While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my one dear Son [I love you, son!], in whom I take great delight [I'm proud of you, son!]. Listen to him!’ [hey everyone, my son has something good to say!]“

As you consider joining children’s choir this year, there are some changes that will be important to note. First, the age eligibility has changed slightly from previous years. Children should be between the ages of 7 and 13 on January 1, 2009. Children who are currently 6 years old but will be turning 7 by January 1, 2009 are eligible. Please note, however, that the music the choir performs is geared toward children ages 8 and up. Many 7-year-olds do a great job; some find the rehearsals and music a little daunting. Parents are always welcome to sit in on rehearsals with their children and see whether or not the choir will work for their family.

Second, there will be a small charge for the music this year. For the fall quarter, each family will be required to buy a $5 CD that you will get to keep. You may also be asked to buy a red long-sleeved t-shirt for performances, which cost $10 / shirt. If you have your shirt from last year, you will not have to buy another shirt.

Finally, rehearsals will be structured differently than last year. The entire choir will remain together during the 7:00 hour–there will be no division into Junior and Senior Choirs during that hour. The Seniors will have a separate rehearsal from 8:00 – 8:30 p.m., but there will be no special division of the Junior Choir this year. Instead, the entire choir will work together during regular rehearsal on several musicals and special concerts that we will perform together throughout the year.

For Emancipation Day, we are planning to perform a collection of spirituals. In October, we will perform a mini-musical titled “Heaven’s Kitchen”–a take-off on the many popular cooking shows of today. We are also excited to be a part of the Christmas Play. In the winter, we will be putting on another mini-musical and then a full-length musical show at the end of the school year. As usual, there will be plenty of solos and speaking roles available in all of these performances!

The Senior Choir will continue to rehearse and perform specials in the worship service in addition to being a part of all of the general performances noted above. However, since we are not splitting up the choir during the main 7:00 p.m. rehearsal time, the Seniors will now be rehearsing on Wednesdays from 8:00 – 8:30 p.m.–immediately following regular rehearsal. This additional rehearsal will allow the Seniors to work on more challenging music with additional parts. The Seniors will first be working on a special for the Emancipation Day event that they will perform in addition to the songs sung by the entire choir.

This new schedule will provide a good mix of both fun and challenging music for the entire age-range in the choir. Younger children will enjoy staying together with the older children during the main rehearsal as we all work together on more special performances than ever. Older children will get to stretch their wings with the additional challenge of Senior Choir, and children of all ages will love the musical dramas we have planned for this year! Your children won’t want to miss our kick-off on August 27!

Don’t forget to check out their blogs:

- Joe

- Denise