Second Baptist Baytown

Hi, I am Ruth Charlson, the children's minister at Second Baptist.  I am 39 years old and hit the big 40! this year.  My husband, Scott, and I have been married for 17 years.  We joined Second Baytown the summer before we were married.  We have one blessing from God, Natalie, who is 7 years old and in the 2^nd grade.  She has been part of my ministry since birth and we are excited that she accepted Christ in the fall of 2009.

I grew up in a Christian home.  My father has been a Baptist preacher all of my life.  In fact, he is still a pastor in LA and has been at that church since I was 9.  I am from a family of 4 – 1 brother and 2 sisters.  It was a simple life but rewarding because we did everything as a family.  Vacations, holidays, outings, school events, and church gatherings – things we did as a whole family are my most treasured memories. We still are a close family and vacation together often and spend all of our holidays together.  Even though I don't live close to them anymore, we get together every couple of months.

As I was reading, I came across this article and I thought how true it is of children.  As parents, our job is to mold and create children into young adults that are good citizens, have great manners, and can become a friend to others.  How do children know how to do this?  By what they see and model in their parents, grandparents, teachers, neighbors, and friends.  Who do you want your child to take after? You or the TV character?  To help a child develop, we have to spend TIME with them and show them.

T is for touch

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that being touched by the right person, at the right time, and in the right way feels very good. We've all heard about scientific studies proving that human touch can actually improve mental and physical health, boost career performance, and even increase longevity. An appropriate touch can go a long way toward communicating love and acceptance. The well-timed touch on the arm, pat on the hand, squeeze of a shoulder, or platonic hug can improve a child's outlook, and it may be the only pure touch he or she receives.

I is for Inspiration

We all need inspiration. We need to know why we are toiling and sweating and sometimes putting up with difficult situations or people. Make sure that your children are participating in some event that inspires them to become better and to challenge their mind. Find out what they are passionate about and help them get involved.

M is for Motivation

Two sources can be used to motivate most children. The first is training. If you don't know how to do what they are passionate about, find the best book, DVD, or website that will help them do better.  Most children will be very grateful that you want to see them succeed in what they want to do and not what “you want them to do”. The second is life change. Make sure that what they are involved in changes their life for the better.  Don't keep them busy just for the sake of being busy.  Make it count! And motive them to do their best and learn from their adventures along the way.  If they don't learn from something they tried to do, then it was not worth the time in the first place.

E is for Encouragement

What is the best way to encourage children? Listen. Take the time to find out about their day, hobbies, and interests, and in the process, listen to their hearts. More than anything else you can do, listening causes children to feel special and valued. Think about it: people will sit in a bar late at night, click into an online chat room, or call a nighttime radio talk show just to be heard. We all need someone who will listen to us. Of course, in order to adequately listen, you must make sure you plan the time to do so.

Make sure you are giving your child T.I.M.E. Teach your children the importance of giving T.I.M.E. So they can grow up with this habit. If this isn't natural for you, then systematize the practice into your life. There's nothing wrong with putting it on your schedule or to-do list. People and children matter too much not to make this a priority. 

Excerpted by Tim Stevens and Tony Morgan, published by Group Publishing, Inc

About Ruth Charlson

As a child, I received a wonderful, godly foundation from my parents and my goal at Second is to help other parents do the same for their children. 

About Kidventure

In Kidventure, we try to create an environment where children are taught that God loves them no matter what, that church is fun and rewarding and they can know that God is “real”.  We want to help parents on their adventure as they raise Godly children.