The hearts of my wife and I are overflowing with joy and gratitude as we see how our adult children love the Lord and are actively serving Him.

But as I reflect on God's great blessings upon our family, one thought that comes through my mind loud and clear is that I am not solely responsible for the success I have enjoyed thus far as a father. Of course, the glory is entirely the Lord's. He orchestrated events that molded our home and opportunities that shaped the lives of our children.

The only commendation I deserve is that I did not entirely derail my family from the tracks upon which the Lord placed us. God provided the great pastors who instructed me on how to fulfill my dual role of husband and father. Without that guidance, I wouldn't have had a clue about effectively leading my family. In my own wisdom, I would certainly have wrecked our home.

But the pastor is only one element in the organism known as the local church. He is only one tool in God's kit. The Lord also uses other people to influence our homes and inspire our children.

Note how God organized His churches into support centers for His people in general, and families like mine in particular: "Wherefore he saith, When he ascended upon high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men."

"And he gave ...pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the editing of itself in love." {Ephesians 4:8-16}

Together with the pastors who taught my family and me how to be good Christians, there was a great host of teachers who instructed us each step of the way. The training for our children began from the first church service they attended after birth (which was always the first service after Mom was discharged from the hospital). Each of our newborns was immediately placed in the loving care of nursery workers (we do not believe that babies belong in the preaching services of the church). These wonderful ladies assisted us by teaching our children how to respond to adult authority outside the immediate family. Our babies were learning, too, even before they could hold conscious thought, that they would not monopolize the attention of their parents; a father and mother's first allegiance is to Christ, and then to each other. Their duty to their children follows thereafter.

Slowly but surely, the children graduated from nursery to the preschool department of the Sunday School and also into the children's church. Eventually they marched off to kindergarten in the church school. Year by year they ascended the elementary ladder, moving from grade to grade in the church school, Sunday School, children's churches, and midweek programs.

Gradually came junior camp in the summers and then the major move into the Teen Ministry, which opened up a whole new world to them. And even after high school graduation, there were more pastors and teachers awaiting them at a carefully selected Bible college (we chose one that is itself a ministry of an outstanding local church*). These dedicated servants of Christ were anxious to further expand our children's horizons.

The common denominator in all these classes and programs was the parade of Godly adults who were each called of God and gifted by Him to work with a particular age group of children. I could have withheld my children from the influence of those adults (which many parents today sadly choose to do), but my kids would have been impoverished by such a move. The character of each of my children -- now all adults themselves, actively serving the Lord -- is the sum total of their parents' training combined with their pastors' preaching, and their teachers' instruction, plus the input of numerous assistants, helpers, drivers, activity directors, and many other Christian adults.

As a father, I simply employed a Biblical principle that, sadly, is being abandoned by many parents in our churches today. That principle is found in Galatians 4:1-2:

"Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father."

The Apostle Paul alluded to an ancient custom that would have been understood by Old Testament Jews as well as 1st century Gentiles. A wise and wealthy father would place his offspring under the supervision and training of "governors and tutors". He would not limit his children's potential by restricting all their education to that which could be provided by himself, nor even within the immediate family. He would, instead, seek out the finest instructors that he could find and afford, and hire them to refine his youngsters in ways that he was neither prepared nor equipped to do himself.

Fortunately, my children have a very wealthy father. My wealth has never been measured in material assets, but in spiritual blessings. I have attached myself and my family to institutions of "highest education" called churches, and within each church has been a wealth of pastors and teachers who were prepared to richly supplement the foundational training I was providing at home. We worked as partners in the lives of my children -- as a team under the overall guidance of the Holy Spirit -- to "bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." {Ephesian 6:4}

 I'm so glad that those pastors and teachers -- "my" governors and tutors -- were there to help me raise my kids for God's glory. For my part, I made sure that my children were always, always, always present (early, in fact) to every church service, class, and activity, so they could benefit fully from the influence of those Godly guides.

Those leaders would have been remiss not to heed God's call to serve in those ministries that were designed to help children such as mine, and I as a father would have been negligent not to fully and gratefully avail myself of their services.

I thank God for the precious gifts of pastors and teachers that He gave His church, who work singly, or in humble pairs, or in small groups, to minister to our babies, children, teenagers, and young adults. Together, they comprise a mighty army who help defend the next generation from the destructive might of the enemy. They are unsung heroes.

May our Lord richly bless them now, and even more so in eternity to come. May we as parents respect their God-given gifts, and utilize their services for the enhancement of our children's spiritual training.

"Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering: (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." {Hebrews 10:23-25}