Blessings During a Pandemic By Brent Turner


know for many of you, like me, Covid-19 has changed the way we see and do things like never before. I admit I am one of those people who thinks twice before touching a door handle and after I do touch       carry a small tube of it in my pocket every- where I go. It has changed the way many churches do church. I see painter’s tape on pews and carpets as direction for where I can and cannot sit. Covid-19 has forced the  As I have looked at how this pandemic has impacted our churches, I have seen one area where I am encouraged. That area is in the area of Christian Education in the family. We learn in Deuteronomy 6 how important family worship is. We as family units are to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, souls and minds. As parents, we are to im- press God’s commandments on our children and talk about them in our homes. We are to be Godly teachers and examples to them. This pandemic has caused many families to       


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Families have had to slow down. So many of the extra activities (baseball, softball, cheerleading, etc.) have ceased. This has given us a gift. Spending quality time together as a family. For many families, this year has been one where families actually spent more time with each other in the home and around the kitchen table like never before. More families have had time to pray together and learn God’s Word together. Yes, there is a blessing found in this terrible pandemic. One ARP church has been having family Sun- day school outside. They have families sit at separate tables and instruct them how to learn and worship together. What a great opportunity to teach families. I have heard many parents talk about how they never thought they would be teaching school to their children at home. Many tell me they feel so inadequate and I can see their frustration. But this pandemic has caused many parents to take the job of teach- ing their children seriously. Our children need to know God’s Word and need to be instructed in God’s ways from their parents. We tend to have the view that school teachers are much more ad- equate to teach our children and we carry this over into the church saying Sunday school teachers, children’s teachers, youth leaders are so much more adequate to teach my children. Yes, they may have more schooling and have more training in areas but God has not left us without responsibility. Let me remind you that Prov- erbs 22:6 states that it’s the parent’s job to, “Train up a child in the way they should go.” We may not be perfect at it, but we have the opportunity to lead and lead well. I remember having a family


retreat at a church years ago. We had events centered on families do- ing things together and learning to worship as families. The biggest obstacle that challenged each family was “TIME”. I heard the phrase of- ten, “Oh if we could just have more time with everyone at home.” Well, Covid-19 has given many of us that opportunity. I hope and pray we are taking advantage of it. I know many are. We talk about the “new nor- mal”. I pray that families spending more time together in the Lord will be “the normal”.


Helping Christians Grow 10 The Associate Reformed Presbyterian


Christian Education Ministries


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