Discipline and discipleship are nearby branches springing from the same linguistic tree. They both trace roots back to the Latin word discipulus, meaning pupil. Effective discipline, then, instructs and gives our students greater understanding of norms, expectations, and appropriate behavior.
Behavior issues among children attending church seem to be at fever-pitch. The upheaval and isolation of the COVID pandemic interrupted more than just the academic learning of millions of children, it profoundly affected social and emotional learning as well. We have seen increases in child abuse and childhood diagnosis of depression as a result of the pandemic circumstances. The kids are not alright, and we see the evidence in their behavior.
How then, are we to respond to difficult behaviors of children in our churches in a way that is instructive and loving?
No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. – Hebrews 12:11
Our discipline in church must not be punitive; it must foremost be instructive. Jesus took all our punishment on the cross, and now the discipline that the Father enacts in our lives is for our training and the development of righteousness. Our goal in church is not to punish but to teach. We seek to foremost disciple children in the Gospel, even through our correction.
In our two-part podcast episodes on classroom management, we lay out foundational principles of classroom management to set kids up for success. We also address more difficult behaviors, including resources for constructively ministering to big behaviors, as well as tackling more controversial topics like reward systems.
KidMin with Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia 