Just Follow the Rules!

Tonight we began our Wednesday night outreach ministry to children at Crosby Assembly of God.  This is something we have done for over 25 years, and the kids just keep coming.  The headcount was somewhere around 40, which is about average for the first night.  Multiply the activity level and noise of one child by 40 and you'll get approximately what we deal with on a weekly basis.

There are times it gets overwhelming.  Many of the children aren't used to a church setting, and really don't understand how to control their energy.  This year, someone suggested we establish a few simple rules at the beginning to see if it would help with the "crowd control".

We came up with four rules:

1.  We respect God's House and there is no running in the church building
2.  Snacks are to be eaten in the classroom
3.  We cannot leave the church property without permission
4.  No hitting

The rules were explained during the opening time when everyone is gathered in the sanctuary.  Our pastor reinforced them several times, and for the time being, they did a pretty good job of obeying them.

Over the years, I've noticed something about children.  They like boundaries.  Of course, they will push as far as they can to see if these boundaries are established and enforced, and if not, they keep pushing.

So often I think of the fact life would be much easier if people would simply follow the rules.  But who sets the rules?  In my life, the boundaries are contained within the pages of God's Word, the Holy Bible. 

Take the Ten Commandments, for example.  They are a good set of rules.  Check out Exodus 20 if you need a refresher course.  Jesus made it even simpler, in Matthew 22:34-40, by reducing the number of commandments to two. 

 

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and 

with all your soul and with all your mind."

 

"Love your neighbor as yourself"

 

Actually, if you look closely at the ten, you will see the first four all fit under the category of loving the Lord, and the last six will be accomplished if you love your neighbor as yourself.  Pretty plain and simple. 

 

 

Now, how are you doing?