God's gracious and global purpose in Jesus Christ is to save rebellious sinners and transform them into true worshipers of his glory and grace. This saving activity finds its expression in the local church, a people among whom Jesus' lordship, the Spirit's ministry, and the gospel's power manifest themselves. Delighting in God Children's Ministry (D.I.G.) is the way our congregation regularly unites with one another to serve the coming generations with the gospel and assist parents in ministering the gospel to their children.

Our goal in D.I.G. is to see the next generation equipped to delight in God's glory and declare that glory to our neighbors and the nations. This goal highlights our joyful responsibility to teach the Lord's glorious deeds to the next generation, so that they hope in God and remain steadfast in their faithfulness to him (Ps 78:5-8). Moreover it encourages us to depend on the Lord to sustain our gospel ministry to children, since he himself has an unwavering commitment to flood the earth with a knowledge of his glory through Jesus Christ (Hab 2:14; Rom 16:25-27).

Our heavenly Father makes our own participation in this ministry possible through the Spirit and faith in the truth. For this reason, we joyfully make a four-fold commitment to meeting and sustaining the stated goal.

1. We impart biblical truth even to the very youngest of children by...

• Acquainting children with the whole of the Christian Scriptures (2 Tim 3:15-17),
• Presenting the Bible as the revelation of the person and work of the triune God to deliver his people from darkness (Isa 46:9-11),
• Encouraging children to develop a biblical mindset and Christian worldview (Rom 12:2), and
• Instilling in children strong and intentional desires to memorize Scripture (Ps 119:11).

2. We emphasize a God-centered view of all things by...

• Guiding children to the God who owns the universe, created them, sustains their life, and governs all things (Acts 17:24-25),
• Showing children that God is the central figure and main character in the Bible (Ps 78:4),
• Revealing to children God’s chief passion to do everything for his own glory and the praise of his name (Rom 11:36), and
• Teaching children that when all the energies from their God-designed passions are spent for his glory, they gain the greatest satisfaction and delight (Ps 37:4).

3. We encourage enduring faith in God through Jesus Christ by...

• Leading children to recognize their sinful state, repent from their sins, and come to God by faith alone in the person and finished work Jesus Christ alone (Rom 3:24-26),
• Encouraging children to trust in the character and promises of God (Deut 7:9),
• Cultivating a habit of interacting and responding in faith and obedience to the Word (Jer 15:16; Jam 1:22), and
• Nurturing in children a passionate pursuit of joy in God’s presence (Ps 16:11).

4. We lead children to participate gladly and actively in the global purposes of God by...

• Helping children to see the hand of God at work in this world (Dan 2:20-21),
• Spurring on the children to pray fervently to the God of the Bible (2 Thess 3:1),
• Encouraging children to recognize and use their spiritual gifts for the good of the body and the world (1 Cor 15:58), and
• Stirring a passion in children to see God made supreme in the lives of family members, friends, neighbors, and all people groups (Matt 24:14).

These four dimensions of our commitment to equipping the children describe more than what we do; they remain characteristic of who we are as Christ's body. By intentionally focusing on these things and practicing them before the children and their parents, each department team will demonstrate a culture of attentiveness to hearing God's Word and delighting in God above all else through Jesus Christ. In this way, Redeemer Church hopes to build into each child an unwavering passion to delight in God's glory and declare that glory to our neighbors and the nations.