The First Duty of Fatherhood

Life

Australian feminist Eva Cox says any mother who isn’t back in the workforce after her child turns one is a bludger. Why this growing attack on motherhood? Andrew Lansdown thinks that the changing role of the father has something to do with it.

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Read it aloud

Everyday Ministry

My most vivid recollection of 5th class is of my teacher, Peter Harwin, perched on his desk, reading aloud from the collected stories of Sherlock Holmes. I remember looking around and seeing boys sprawled face down on their desks while this fresh-faced teacher brought to life another spine-chilling instalment of ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’. When the hour was over, he would close the book and the class would suddenly rouse from its apparent slumber and beg him to continue. It was all in vain, for he was a master at keeping boys in suspense. It was sweet agony.

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Teaching children about God

Everyday Ministry

Wouldn’t it be great if someone said to you as a parent, “Do this, this and this and you will have mature, well adjusted children who are Christians as well!”? One of the things we long for as parents, is to know that if we do something, then we will be assured of the correct response by our children. Unfortunately, children aren’t like that, not even in the same family. Not only is this true in regard to their behaviour, but particularly so in their responses to our teaching about God. We long to see our children as Christians, taking the claims of Jesus for themselves, living godly lives and calling on God as their Father in Heaven. But we cannot orchestrate this development.

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Youth work

For many years, the barometer of a healthy church has been a strong and growing youth group. If the 1950s was the age of the Sunday School, the 70s and 80s have been the era of the Youth Fellowship. Coffee shops and youth outreaches have sprung up everywhere. Many churches, failing to make progress in adult evangelism and ministry, see their youth ministry as the key to a bright future. But what is the point of youth work? Is it worth the time and resources we pour into it? The Briefing examines the issues. (more…)