Every Child and Student Equipped
November 3, 2024
Big Idea
Every Child and Student Equipped…Raising up a dynamic generation who are grounded in their identity in Jesus, confident in their faith, and passionate about sharing God’s love with their friends.
Scripture References
Opening Questions
Who is the person who has had the greatest spiritual impact on your life?
Bible Discussion
- Read Proverbs 22:6.
- Most kids and students today are struggling. Think of the kids and students you know. What challenges are they facing? What is contributing to these challenges?
- What difference could a solid foundation in Christ make in the lives of kids and students? What do you think would be most effective in
building that foundation? - What role can parents play in “Starting off children in the way they should go”? What role can extended family members play? What role could a church family play?
- Who are the kids in your life that God is calling you to help equip?
Every Child and Student Equipped Vision Prayer
One of the components of COMMUNITY’s New Vision is “Every Child and Student Equipped.” We want to raise up a dynamic generation who are grounded in their identity in Jesus, confident in their faith, and passionate about sharing God’s love with their friends.
Take a few minutes and slowly read through this Every Child and Student Equipped Vision Prayer aloud together. Pay attention to any words or phrases in the prayer that resonate with you and any words or phrases that seem unfamiliar or confusing.
Father, we believe you are doing a new thing. You are making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland (Isaiah 43:19), and we believe you want Every Child and Student Equipped.
We pray, God, for every child and student in our community. They are our greatest source of hope for the future of the Church. May our children be equipped with a thorough understanding of your Word, a solid foundation in their identity in Christ, and an unquenchable passion for sharing your love with their friends. May they be confident in their faith and able to articulate what they believe and why they believe it.
We pray for a blessing over our Kids’ City and StuCo ministries. May they be dynamic environments where young minds and hearts are nurtured to grow in wisdom and stature. May all of our children give their full allegiance to you, Jesus. May an increased engagement with Scripture grow them into disciples who hear from you and do what you say. Use us, God, to serve our kids and students, nurturing them to become confident, Christ-centered leaders who influence our world by carrying the torch of faith wherever they go.
We pray you will give us wisdom and practical strategies for developing the next generation of female leaders in the church. God, it grieves us that research has shown that the average woman’s self-esteem peaks at the age of 9. May that not happen in our church community! May we become a launching pad for young women, empowering them to confidently step into the fullness of your vision for their lives.
We pray for transformation in our homes. May you equip and empower parents to confidently pastor their families, turning their homes into greenhouses for Kingdom growth. May family devotions, prayer times, and discussions about faith be common in our households. May we, the church community, provide support, encouragement, and practical resourcing that those on their parenting journey need to invest in their kids with greater intention. Together, may we raise up a generation grounded in faith.
We pray for the resources to provide student leadership, residency, and internship programs to increase our intentional investment in students. Through these programs, we pray our students are not only learning about leadership, theology, and biblical principles, but are equipped and empowered to apply these in practical, life-transforming ways. Through these programs, may we develop young leaders who are ready to make significant contributions to our church and our communities.
We pray for opportunities for our students to experience cross-cultural missions through our local and global partners. May you use these experiences to expand their understanding of the diverse body of Christ and instill in them a heart for disciple-making, church planting, and global missions, while helping them become agents of change in the world. May you grow in this next generation a heart to alleviate poverty for all children at home and around the world.
Father, may we witness a generation rising up with a heart for your mission, ready and equipped to make a significant impact for your Kingdom.
Discussion Questions
- What words, phrases, or ideas from the Vision Prayer resonated with
you? - What words, phrases, or ideas from the Vision Prayer seem unfamiliar or
confusing? - What would be different in the lives of our kids and students if God answered this prayer?
- If we become a church where every child and student is equipped, what impact do you think they’d have in our community and the world?
Now, go back and pray the prayer aloud together. Have each person in your group take a paragraph to pray and offer this prayer up to God for
your group and our church.
Challenge
- Pray this week for the kids and students in our church.
- Consider whether God would have you help equip kids and students in our church by becoming a Kids’ City or StuCo volunteer. Reach out to the
staff at your location if God is calling you to do this.