At ECC, we don’t see family ministry as a “program,” rather, we view it as a calling and a commitment. We love children because Jesus loves children, and we care deeply about the stewardship with which He has entrusted us. In our membership covenant we pledge to “bring up children under our care in the nurture and training of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4). We look forward to coming alongside you as you train up your children and point them towards the gospel.
Family ministry at ECC is based on five biblical principles:
Our aim is to teach and equip parents first and foremost. Scripture commands that parents are given the primary role and responsibility for their children’s spiritual development. The Bible commands parents to teach, equip, and eagerly develop their children’s knowledge of God and His Word. In short, parents are called to be the primary disciple-makers of the children that God places in their homes. Our church desires to come alongside parents and not replace parents as the primary disciplers of their kids. We intentionally structure family ministry so that the church supplements and complements the discipleship that should already be taking place at home. We believe the best way to equip parents to parent well is to help them grow in their maturity as Christians. The best parents are godly parents, and the way godly parents are helped is by being healthy members of a local church. We also equip parents with gospel-centered resources for discipling their children, as parents lead their children in the nurture and training of the Lord. Our goal for our children’s ministry curriculum is that it will serve as an opportunity for parents to discuss the material taught in the children’s ministry at home with their children. (Deuteronomy 6:5–9; Genesis 18:19;Ephesians 6:4; Psalm 78:4; Proverbs 22:6; 2 Timothy 3:15)
Our aim is to be Bible-saturated and gospel-centered in all that we do. Across cultures and ethnicities at ECC, we are united in our submission to the Bible as God’s Word and Scripture’s central truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We will aim to ensure our children and teen ministries are Word-Centered, and we unashamedly proclaim the gospel to our children, teenagers, and parents every week. This is the motivation behind all that we do. Therefore, we choose curricula that are faithful to Scripture, focused on the gospel, and foster sound doctrine. We also seek to avoid mere moralism or behavior modification. We instead remind children of the holiness of God, their own sin and need for a Savior, God’s saving work through the cross and resurrection of Christ, and the need to repent and trust in Jesus. (Psalm 96:3; Matthew 28:18–20; Romans 1:16; Romans 10:13–14; 2 Timothy 3:15–16; Acts 4:12)
Children and teenagers will be in children’s or teen ministries only for a limited amount of time. Eventually, they will grow up, and hopefully spend the rest of their lives as faithful and fruitful members of a local church. Church membership is essential for the Christian life and central to God’s plan for his people’s discipleship. Part of the goal of family ministry is to begin teaching and training children from a young age the importance of commitment to and involvement in the local church. Our children and teens are therefore led and instructed by volunteers who are covenant members of ECC, who faithfully participate in the regular gatherings of the church. We want to continuously teach children that the Christian faith was never meant to be lived out on their own, but rather within a covenant community of believers. (1 Peter 5:5; Acts 2:37–47; Romans 16:1–16; Ephesians 4:15–16; Hebrews 10:24–25)
We were created by God to glorify him and enjoy him forever. Gathered worship with the covenant people of God is the most important activity in a Christian’s life each week. We believe there is great value in families worshiping together under God’s Word, with God’s people, in God’s presence. One of the best ways of training our children and teenagers in the faith is for them to see their parents worshiping on the Lord’s Day together with the church body. We therefore strongly encourage parents to keep their children (even younger children) with them for the entire worship gathering, including the sermon. We provide resources like sermon notebooks for children to get the most out of the sermon. We also encourage parents to include their children in the life of the church by bringing them to congregational prayer, members meetings, Friday ministry nights, and other church gatherings. (Joel 2:15–16; Deuteronomy 30:1–3; Matthew 21:15–16; Psalm 148:12–13)
The Bible demands that everyone everywhere turn from their sin in repentance, put their faith and trust in Jesus alone for salvation, and then follow him to the end. We believe that conversion happens when God grants this gift of faith to people, awakening them to a conscious knowledge of their sin and need for a savior, and producing in them a heart of repentance and the obedience of faith. This includes children as well. All instruction to children and equipping of parents will reflect a biblical understanding of conversion. We therefore avoid unhelpful practices such as leading children to say “acceptance prayers”, “asking Jesus into one’s heart,” pushing children to make “decisions for Christ,” or prematurely advocating baptisms. Instead, we will rely on God to save children and teens in his own time by the work of His Spirit through the faithful and regular proclamation of the gospel. We will avoid “easy believism” and children will be taught the radical call of discipleship and the cost of following Jesus. (Acts 17:30, Luke 9:23, Ephesians 2:1, Romans 6:17, Colossians 2:13, Ezekiel 36:26, Ephesians 2:8, 2 Timothy 2:25)