INTRODUCTION V.1.05

THE NEED FOR PERFECTING AND EQUIPPING

Besides good seed, diligence, and endurance, a farmer mainly needs two things - expert advice and good equipment. A wise farmer does not waste his time learning by trial, and error but gets help from experienced successful farmers. Neither does he waste his time re-inventing or constructing farm equipment. He buys the most suitable tractor available and spends his time laboring with it on his crops.

The following materials provide both "experienced farmer advice" and some "farm equipment" for those who want to labor in "the field" of children. With the proper perfecting and good materials the need to be a "gifted and talented parent" is not necessary in order to raise children for the Lord and His purpose.

These materials are not just for some "Children Workers" to use only on the Lord's Day but are especially designed to help perfect and equip saints to labor successfully day by day with children in their home, in the homes of new believers, and in neighborhoods.

One corporate meeting a week for the children, although helpful, is very limited and by far not adequate. Children's work should be multifaceted: done in many ways, in many places, with many materials and by many persons. It is the perfecting and "good equipment" that will make us profitable as day by day "farmers" in raising and gaining children for Christ and the church.

BETTER COORDINATION BETWEEN ALL THOSE LABORING ON THE CHILDREN

Making all these materials available to all the saints enables there to be a better coordination among the saints concerning the children. These materials can provide every saint with not only the needed perfecting, but also a practical plan, a schedule, and materials which can be used.

THESE MATERIALS ARE ALONG THE LINES OF THE MESSAGES GIVEN CONCERNING CHILDREN IN 1989 6 1990 FALL FULL-TIME TRAINING

During the fall-winter terms of the 1989 & 1990 Full-time Training in Anaheim, Gene Gruhler shared weekly concerning the children and students. The stages and steps shared in those messages of bringing the children to Christ are covered in these materials. The 1989 and 1990 outlines and 1989 transcribed messages are included in

Volume One. The audio recordings of these messages are available from the Living Stream Ministry. The Fall 1990 sharings are also available on VHS video from Living Stream Ministry.

A BEGINNING - BUT MUCH MORE LABOR NEEDED

These materials are a beginning. We admit they are a "Model T", but we are endeavoring to advance. For this new version with additions, corrections, improvements, and even replacements will be forth coming. We believe that with more labor and fellowship by and among the churches in the Lord's recovery, the way with the children will become more practical and more fruitful. We are charging those who use these materials to will pick up a burden to improve them. Such things as stories, crafts, songs and etc. are needed so they can be added to each lesson.

If we all labor, many things should be forth coming, including training the children related to their character, behavior, ethics and morals. Their vessel should be preserved, made useful, and prepared to contain the Lord Jesus as the wonderful treasure for His marvelous eternal purpose.

Sterling Byassee The church in Santa Ana

Steve Clark The church in San Antonio

January 1991