The Great Omission
The President of Compassion Wess Stafford has a single biggest compliment he can pay someone. When someone really understands God’s heart for children he’ll say, “He gets it.”
I had the opportunity to sit down with with Dr. Ed Young Sr. of Second Baptist Church in Houston for a conversation and to hear him speak tonight at the Synergize Conference. To quote Wess, he gets it.
Pastor Young said the church in America has forgotten their children. ”We’re not even winning our own children to Christ.”
Then he shared the experience of his church Second Baptist Church in Houston, TX. He said that last Sunday he had between 11 and 12,000 children in his church. “Am I saying that to impress you? Yes!” He told how most Christians become Christians as children and that most people in the world today are children. If you want to reap the harvest, if you want to win the souls of the world you must take children seriously.
How does Pastor Young draw so many people to his church? He introduced one of the deacons of his church and said he is one of the best Bible teachers he has ever met. Then he asked the deacon where he worked in the church. “Children’s church” was the response. “I assign the best people, provide the best facilities and tools, and give the most money to the children. And, if you show you love my children, even if I don’t like you, I’m still going to be willing to listen to what you say.”
One of Pastor Young’s son’s in Ed Young Jr., of Fellowship Church in Dallas and another, Cliff, is one of the founders of Caedmon’s Call. I asked Pastor Young of his secret to raising such great kids. He said, “We simply raised them in a Christian home.” He then paused, thought for a moment and said, “We consider Christianity as a joyful, happy thing. So, we raised them in a joyful, happy Christian home. We laughed a lot.”
This is a man who gets it. Does your church?
