Talking About Brother Felix Y. Manalo: A Guide for Parents
Dear Faith and Family,
I want my kids to value the work of God’s messenger, but how do I talk about prophecy and Brother Felix Y. Manalo in a way they’ll understand?
Sincerely,
Hopeful Parent
_______________________________
Dear Hopeful Parent,
Thanks for your question! Actually, parents are first in line as teachers for spiritual training (Proverbs 22:6), so your initiative is very admirable! Talking about the Bible is something that should be part of our everyday language with our children (Deuteronomy 6:6-7 NIRV).
It’s vital that we are the first ones to understand the importance of God’s messenger in these last days. Why? Because it’s part of the history of the Church Of Christ, and it helps in understanding the Church Administration, and ultimately our connection to Jesus and God. Our children should know the basis of our beliefs so they have a strong foundation!
But, understanding prophecy and the messenger may not be the easiest to understand for young minds. So, where to begin? To supplement what we learn in the worship services, INC Media offers tools to help as well.
First review your own understanding of God’s messenger
Ask yourself these questions:
- Do you know why Brother Felix Y. Manalo’s role is important to your membership in the Church Of Christ?
- How will it benefit your child for him/her to understand prophecy and know about God’s messenger?
- Do you have a parent/grandparent or know a Church elder who can share some history with you?
Here are some links to get started:
To watch on your own:
https://incmedia.org/what-we-believe-about-brother-felix-y-manalo/
This video covers biblical prophecy, testimonials, and discussion about Brother Felix Y. Manalo with ministers of the gospel as panelists.
To watch with young kids
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9OwD0ZxTY0
This video uses narration, animations, and a simple explanation of the Bible for kids to illustrate the life and work of Brother Felix Y. Manalo.
To watch with older kids
https://incmedia.org/how-important-is-a-messengers-name/
https://incmedia.org/the-leadership-of-a-true-messenger-sent-by-god/
These videos answer questions about Brother Felix in a question-and-answer format and discuss why his leadership (and great Christian leadership) is important.
* It’s best to watch the links above first on your own before watching with your child.
Now let’s get a discussion going! Remember, information is best retained when you explain what you learned to someone else, or write it down. Get creative! For younger kids, you can scrub back and forth certain parts of the video and ask them if they remember what that portion was about. For older kids, you can create a fill-in-the-blank sheet for them to follow along with as they watch.
Here are some sample discussion questions to get the wheels turning:
What is a prophecy and how is it different from a prediction?
What does it mean that there was a prophecy about Brother Felix Y. Manalo?
How has Brother Felix’s work helped us?
Why is a messenger of God needed?
What can we learn from Brother Felix?
Why is it important that a Church have effective and trustworthy leaders?
What happens if members of the Church Of Christ don’t share their faith?
How can we be helpful to the Church/local congregation?
We hope all these resources are helpful to you and your family! Talking about topics such as this deepens the understanding of our faith so that our kids (and we parents) can continue our growth as members of the Church Of Christ.
-Your friends at Faith and Family
