International Ministry Urges Renewed Emphasis on Child Welfare
by Allie Martin
November 1, 2005
(AgapePress) - The president of the child development ministry Compassion International says the time has come for Americans to make a radical change in the way they think about children. In his new book Too Small to Ignore, Dr. Wess Stafford encourages adults to take a stand on behalf of the world's kids, especially those living in Third World and developing nations.Stafford says adults can help children in many practical ways. First of all, he points out, grownups need to follow the example of Christ when it comes to spending quality time with the young.
"I believe that the greatest challenge that faces children is to understand that they are loved," the ministry spokesman says. Kids need to know "that they are important, that they matter to God. They matter to those of us grownups who have them in our lives, and they need to get over the obstacle of this message that digs into the heart that says, 'You don't matter,'" he says.
Stafford, who grew up in a poor African village, says it is ironic that the message an adult communicates to a child about his or her intrinsic worth "comes through whether the child is in poverty or smothered in the lap of luxury." But unfortunately, he notes, children who live in poverty often come to believe lies from society and the world -- lies he feels the Church has not done enough to dispel.
Dr. Wess Stafford | |
"If you had to ask [me], as president of Compassion International, what grade do I give the Church worldwide on what it's doing in the lives of children," the ministry president says, "it's a failing grade. It's a D minus at best. It wouldn't pass on any campus."Even though Christians would never say that they don't love children, Stafford adds, "we're behaving as if they are not very important." But on the contrary, he asserts, "I believe if you understand the heart of Christ, if you understand the centrality of the kingdom of God, you have to understand how incredibly important children are."
The author of Too Small to Ignore lists certain freedoms that every child has a right to enjoy, and he urges the Church to become involved in ensuring them. They include freedom from time pressure, freedom from materialism, freedom from corrosive competition, and freedom from daily fear.
Stafford believes churches can do better when it comes to taking care of needy children, and he says it will begin with adult Christians changing their priorities toward young people. He hopes his new book will help inspire many more believers to join in the battle to protect children from poverty and provide them with resources to bless their lives and ensure their futures.
Too Small to Ignore is available from bookstores nationwide, and can also be ordered online through the Compassion International website.
Allie Martin, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
