Kidology Leadership Lab
The 3rd installment of the Kidology Leadership Lab is now available from Kidology, Inc. Great training, at a great price to produce great Children’s Ministry leaders! Check out Kid-Focused Ministry today!!
Tears…
I’ve never been one to cry often, but sitting here moments ago eating ice cream – a much deserved treat after a weekend FILLED with ministry and suddenly it happened. I burst into tears. Not tears of sadness, not tears of pain or confusion, but tears of sheer gratitude! Sitting hear weeping with no ability to control or contain this burst of emotion all I could do was say “God, thank you, thank you so, so much!”
I wept because after years of struggle and disappointment with the church, after years of hooking up with wrong leaders, and places where there was no real freedom to be uniquely who God has called me to be, and being part of churches that talked a lot of stuff but didn’t walk it out, God has NOW placed me in a local church that I never could have dreamed of, never could believe existed, a church:
1.Where leaders are people not on pedestals, but people with issues and bold enough to admit it
2. Where Christ is central not just in word and church dogma, but in all that we do in ministry
3. Where we succeed and fail, and rejoice with one another as well as pick each other up when we fail
4.Where it is perfectly ok to be who you are (ethnically, socially, emotionally, etc)
5. Where there is no pressure to fit into any type of mold
6. Where actions follow words in regard to racial harmony
7. Where the blend historic and contemporary are encouraged and accepted
8. Where I have a pastor who’s heart and vision resonates with me
9. Where we are intentionally pursuing a multi-cultural worship experience
10. Where none of us are perfect, yet we are commited to moving forward
11. Where risk are taken and expected
Not long ago I was driving home from a class I was teaching and on the way home I took a detour and got lost. I drove for what felt like an eternity but it was approximately an hour and 30 minutes heading in the wrong direction. Finally I was able to figure things out and once I got on the right road heading in the right direction, I was stuck in a huge amount of traffic, but at that poing it didn’t matter, because at least I was on the right road and would eventually arrive at my destination. It caused me to reflect on my new church. There are so many inperfections and even some things that may frustrate me, but AT LEAST I AM ON THE RIGHT ROAD, HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION! God is amazing in my life and minsitry. And though I am there to lead children’s ministry, that’s not all that I am there for – I am there to worship, I am there to grow, I am there to be challenged, I am there to allow God to teach me and take me to deeper levels of leadership, I am there to influence and be influenced… – and I guess all of this is the source of the flood of tears I just experienced! What an amazing God MY GOD is!!!!!!
A Child’s View of God
“But God is mad at me.” As I was getting ready to begin a Bible message in Kids Church, before I could even get started good, these words flowed from the lips of a 5 year old boy. His words stayed with me. His words caused me to wonder. His words caused me to pray. His words caused me to feel compelled to give this child and perhaps other children like Him a correct view of God. Did he get this thought and belief from home? From church? From Somewhere else? I’m not sure. But my mind reflected on some of the words I have in the past heard adults utter to children when trying to help them behave. Statements such as “You better be good, because God is watching you” came to mind. Could this child’s view of God have come from statements such as this that promote fear, i.e. be good or else. Well, I’m not sure, but it was a reminder to me of just how significant my role as a Children’s Pastor really is. It is an opportunity to help children understand who God really is, and to shape their views of Him and of themselves as it relates to Him. Ironically, the message the next week was on the love of God, with the big idea being “God loves me even when I do something wrong.” I viewed the contents of the message with this child and other children like him in mind!