Shepherding a Child's Heart

Music teacher Mr. Russ Granillo teaches rhythm modeling with hands-on practice. Modeling is a key element in discipleship

What about discipline?

from "The Book of Fives"

1. Covenant children inherit total depravity.  

From the adorable infants we welcomed at birth, it doesn't’t take us long to begin to see Adam’s seed in our offspring. The Scriptural reality that there are “none righteous” (Romans 3:10) challenges us to find constructive and effective ways to train our young in obedience to God’s revelation.    

2. Covenant children are created in the image of God.  

Although tainted by Adam’s sin, our children also inherit the wonderful mark of God’s ownership, the very “image of God” in which we are created (Genesis 1:26). Therefore, discipline for covenant children must be rational, not controlling, out of respect for their uniqueness as sentient beings. The key is communication, not conditioning through punishment and reward.    

3. Covenant children deserve to be discipled.  

Trusting in the promise that if we “train up a child in the way he should,” then “when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6), we optimistically and confidently follow the precepts in God’s Word to provide consistent and inspirational training in righteousness for these covenant children.    

4. Disciplers must be those who are committed to shepherding a child’s heart.  

Believing  that  true amendment of character comes from heart change rather than outward conformity (Ezekiel 11:19), we hope to inspire our students to repent and trust God for the changes needed in their lives. We understand this requires persistence and patience in our lives as adults.  

5. Parents are the ultimate authority in a child’s life.  

Parents should not turn their children over to unknown, uncooperative, or untrustworthy authorities. We affirm the authority of the home and seek to partner with responsible Christian parents. This requires that we be in frequent and thorough communication with parents concerning the needs and accomplishments of their covenant children.