Christian education should be given from the childhood. In a child, the image of God grows with the family. The home shall be a mini Church. Home is the cradle of all possible growth and expansion. It is the responsibility of the parents to teach, guide, and when necessary, to correct. Train their hearts. Cheer more, criticize less.

LITTLE HISTORY: In 1773 John Wesley and in 1769 Hanna Ball tried to train the children, but failed. In 1780 Robert Rajikas for children's safety and human love started Sunday School to teach children Bible stories. Even though children revolted against him and threw mud at him, his attempt eventually developed into ecclesiastical training and sacristical learning. After the industrial revolution, children became very violent with breaking windows, using foul languages, and fighting for anything and everything. The religious education started earlier was the immediate remedy to overcome the situation. In the 18th century, men dominated; women in the 19th; and children in the 20th.

HOME: Christian education should be given from the childhood. "Faith is not put in the life, but grows in the life." In a child, the image of God grows with the family. Home should be a Church to the child. The home shall be a mini Church. Faith shall be nourished there. Make sense of the Church (John 6:35; Luke 22:19) - our tradition and duties. "A child educated only at school is an uneducated child." (George Santayana). Home is the cradle of all possible growth and expansion.

CHILDREN'S EDUCATION: Education begins at birth. Parents are fundamentally responsible for the education of their children (Deuteronomy 11:19; Proverbs 22:6). The develo-pment of the character shall be the fundamental goal of education ... moral power. The basic text book is Holy Bible. God is the administrator and Jesus is the teacher. The Lord shall teach (Isaiah 2:2-3; 11:9). "A child miseducated is a child lost" (John F. Kennedy). "The fate of empires depends on the education of youth" (Aristotle). "Education is a weapon whose effect depends on who holds it in his hands and at whom it is aimed" (Joseph Stalin). "The aim of education is to teach values which should change behavior in a wholesome direction, "a progressive discovery of our own ignorance" (Will Durant). Education should give "the power to tell the good from the bad" (Samuel Johnson).

PARENTS: It is the responsibility of the parents to teach, guide, and when necessary, to correct. We will have to praise as well as to punish them. "A word fitly spoken is like apples of God in settings of silver" (Proverbs 25:11). The primary goal of parents is to prepare our children to adulthood for the day of their independence. "Not all teachers are parents, but all parents are teachers, the indispensable teacher. And as teachers, parents always have had the first and largest responsibility for educating their children" (William Bennett). Parents should teach their children God's ways - instruction, advice, and encourage-ment and also family nourishment - care of the body, mind and spirit - instruction, correction, advice, and encourage-ment. Contribute love to help continue to live. Train their hearts. Cheer more, criticize less. Accept as they are. Kids want to belong (kiss and embrace). Teach good manners, respect, and love. Have quality time and relationship. "That which the fountain sends forth returns again to the fountain" (H. W. Longfellow). "There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children; one of these is roots; the other is wings" (Hodding Carter). "I bend, but I do not break" (Jean Fontaine). "Make a memory with your children, Spend some time to show you care; Toys and trinkets can't replace those Precious moments that you share" (Elaine Hardt).

RESOURCEFUL RESOLUTIONS:

For children, September is the beginning of the new year - new books, clothes, shoes, friends and so on. Children need help to reach their goals during this time. They need encouragement, not criticism which only hurts and defletes the ego. Parents have to make the following resolutions at this time:

ALPHABETICAL CHILD RAISING RULES:

THE TASTE FAMILY:

Examine where we belong-
TEN GOLDEN RULES:

WHAT SHALL WE DO ?

A CASE STUDY: CHIP OF THE OLD BLOCKS:
A failure in Abraham was passed to his son, then to his grandson, and then to his great grandson. Abraham (Gen. 20:1ff) devised a lie for his wife Sarah (cf.12:10 ff); Isaac (Genesis 26:6ff) presented his wife Rebekah as his sister like his father as above, and Jacob (Genesis 27:1-45) lied for the birthright.

Carry him to his mother (2 Kings 4:19): Elisha and the Shunamite woman; the child crying, "My head, my head!", and his father saying the above words. Mother has great responsibility for the rearing and caring of a child, home, village, nation.

TEACHERS:
Teach the truth. Holy Bible is the textbook. It is living and powerful (Hebrews 4:12). Three areas to cover:

TECHNIQUES:

LIVE THE TRUTH:
People tend to learn by what they see rather than by what they hear (Matthew 5:16). We have to show our good works. Be model to others by practicing what we teach. ICS: Inclusion, Credibility, and Satisfaction: If we learn and teach, we will walk in His paths (Isaiah 2:3).

Husbands teach wives (1 Corinthians 14:35); parents teach children (Deuteronomy 6:6-7); grant parents and older people teach the youngsters (Titus 2:4-5). Answer questions (1 peter 3:15). Teacher taught John Scripture: Three things are here to remember: Teacher, John and Scripture. Children "listen more to what we are than to what we speak; yet the teacher tries to live the Gospel in his life. Education is not what man knows, but what a man is". "Your speech shows it," Pilate's servant told Peter (Mark 14:70).

FIVE M's:

CHILDREN:
Children learn about God from environments - family, friends, school, etc. It helps children to grow if they learn that there exists an all-powerful and protective God who provides them an enormous sense of security. "A child is a mystery and a shut-casket of immense possibilities." "How do you know the fruit is ripe? When it leaves the bunch" (Andre' Gide). "Every child born into the world is a new thought of God, an ever-fresh and radiant possibility" (Kate Wiggin). Children reinvent your world for you." (Susan Sarandon). A child depends everything on his/her parents. Children have firm faith in them; no worries or burden. They know that their parents have everything. They have pure hearts; no cheating or treachery; their obedience and complete submission and surrender. Children are angels .. at least most of them... their appearances, behavior and attitude. At Jesus' birth, the angels proclaimed the message: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men" (Luke 2:14). At Christ's death, they sang: "Holy art thou, O God." Angels are messengers. They listen, obey, and perform. Like children, they are the extension of God's love. They are instruments of judgments. We do not worship them (Colossians 2:18; Revelation 19:10). They watch, guide, reveal, praise, provide, and protect. Children have angels (Matthew 18:10).

Children, when they are in first grade, talk about them like "my dad, nose, eyes" etc.; in second grade about their parents, "my dad, mummy"; in third grade about the town, village, or city; in fourth grade about the county; 5th grade about their state; sixth grade and seventh about their country and by eighth grade about the world. When they become a teenager, all these change into a new spectrum. So also their conception about their parents also change: At four, a child thinks that daddy can do anything; at seven, daddy knows a whole lot of things; at eight, daddy doesn't know quite everything; at twelve, oh, well, naturally father doesn't know that either; at fourteen, father is hopelessly old-fashioned; at twenty one, that man is out of date; at twenty five, he knows a little bit about it, but not much; at thirty, may be it is better to find out what dad thinks; at thirty five, try to get dad's assessment before do anything; at fifty, dad was pretty smart and wonder what he would have thought about that; at sixty, dad knew absolutely everything; and at sixty five, "I'd give anything if dad were here so I could talk this over with him; I really miss my dad."

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6). The first question a child asks is: "Why?". When a child makes its first step, we are all happy. But when starts running and yelling, we finally say "shut up." Teach them when they are young: Who is God? Love: John 3:16; 1 John 4:8
Who we are? Children of God: John 1:12
What is the purpose of our life? Witness (Acts)
Teach the importance of ACTS: A: Adoration; C: Confession; T: Thanksgiving; S: Supplication. "Life is an egg, do not break it, but hatch it." Teach them three beautiful words: "I love you"; three difficult words: "I forgive you"; and another difficult word: "No" at times. One needs courage and strength to use the three royal refuses: (1) David refused to put on the armor (1 Samuel 17:38-39); (2) Daniel refused king's table to eat meat (Daniel 1:8); Jesus refused king's crown (John 6:13).

A child's mind is very sensitive - inqusitiveness. Have the child nearby during family prayer and at worship services. A child is greatly swayed by instincts. Heriditory in the blood runs in the family. The story of Laban, Jacob, and spotted and stripped lamb (Genesis 30:32-43) is a good example. Family life and environment shall be ideal. Have Bible reading, prayer life, church going all together. Train them to swim against the waves. Jesus considers children as an integral part of the Church:

Prepare children for worship participation by:

Fifteen Guidelines:

Six stages of Moral Development according to Kohlberg's Model:

Few questions to ponder:

Psalm 127:3-4: