The Children’s Ministry Director of The Church of Pentecost, Pastor Prof. William Otoo Ellis, has urged Christian parents to make conscious efforts to teach and nurture their wards in Christ by effectively communicating the word of God, the worth of God, ways of God and the works of God to them.
“To achieve the desired results, this must be done consistently (purposefully and orderly), continuously (without breaks), convincingly (persuasively with godly wisdom) and based on the parent’s (guardian’s) personal testimony or experiences,” he noted.
Pastor Prof. Otoo Ellis made this passionate appeal during a presentation on Thursday, January 28, 2021, at the Greater Accra Regional session of the ongoing Ministers and Wives’ Conference at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC), Gomoa Fetteh.
Speaking on the topic, “Raising Godly Children to Possess the Nations,” he noted that children are the most valuable assets to the family, the church and society, yet they are also the most vulnerable in society and thus require the most of attention.
He observed that “in times past the importance of children in the family chain was obvious because they had first place in the lives of families, determined the lifestyles of families, especially mothers, as to whether to work or not to work, and even determined the types of professions some parents pursued all intending to have the opportunity to spend quality time with the children.
“Due to changing trends in contemporary times, such as the role change factor, where more women are now in formal employment, increasing single-parent households, increasing exposure to the media/social media and other tools, the introduction of policies that minimise the role of parents in parenting, increasing ‘rights’ system, and lack of requisite attention by parents and guardians to child-related issues, there is the need for a new approach in raising children in Christ,” he stated.
Reading from Psalm 127:3, the Children’s Director stressed that children are a heritage from God and therefore ought to be handled with all the utmost care.
“Heritage means a treasure that may be inherited or a special or individual possession. The word ‘heritage’ also implies that children are not made, but inherited from an original owner and Creator, God. Therefore, the child is a special gift God gives to us to care for and nurture as stewardsfor Him,” he said.
Citing Psalm 78:5-7 and Joel 1:3 as scripture references, Pastor Prof. Otoo Ellis said that children are very instrumental in God’s plan because they form the fulcrum for growth, sustenance, and survival of the church as well as the foundation for building a godly family and society.
“From scriptures, we learn that as children grow, taught the word of God, and taught to practice or live the Word; they would, in turn, teach their children, who will also grow and teach their children,” he said.
He asserted that it is the fundamental responsibility of every Christian parent, not Sunday School teachers (Child Workers), to raise their children in a godly way through training, discipline, and admonition (Ephesians 6:1-4).
Pastor Prof. Otoo Ellis, therefore, urged parents and guardians to serve as role models and mentors to their wards by training them in Christ and modelling the word of God in their daily lives. He also advised them to coach their wards by exposing them to the realities of the times.
“Parents should always know that they are not only raising children, but they are raising godly adults,” he said.
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