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!

Saying Good-bye, Walking By Faith

Well, Sunday was an interesting day, and Sundays usually are for me, just as it probably is for other Children’s Pastors. As I am preparing to make a needed, Holy Spirit lead exit out of my current place of ministry for lots of very significant reasons:
….. Needing a place where I not only serve, but also receive what I need spiritually
……….Needing a leader who will lead courageously and support me as I serve
……………Needing to grow a children’s ministry rather than simply maintain it (progress, relevance and innovation matter a lot to me)
……………….. Needing a place to serve where I am allowed to be uniquely who God made me to be and lead by my strengths
……………………….Needing to serve in a ministry that authentically values children
…………………………….. Needing to be in the center of God’s will for me – this is the most important thing!

I announced to a group of kids yesterday that I would be leaving, and there was some disbelief. For starters we deviated from the normal curriculum and chose a theme that would lead us into the discussion of my leaving. The message “Go When God Says Go” drawn out of Genesis 12, God’s call to Abraham, was used by God as a springboard to help me share my plans with them.

As I shared I received responses like “are you serious?” “Are you really leaving?” “Your serious?” “Are you lying?” “Who’s going to be in charge now?” “Let’s put a kid/_________ in charge? “Do you have to leave?” Hearing the questions and talking to them about leaving was absolutely difficult, for no other reason than the fact that I love them and care about them.

But I love what God accomplished through this, i.e. He gave the kids an opportunity to hear a practical, real life example of someone they know who is living out the Biblical concepts of faith, and obedience to God even though all of the details are not always clear.

God more than likely accomplished more than I am aware of at this moment, but doesn’t He always. Saturday night was difficult because I was filled with anxiety about sharing with the kids, but God filled me with strength, and with His peace, and I will trust Him to continue to fortify me as I move forward in obedience to His leading and call for me.

In addition, God has taught me many things in this, one of the things He’s taught me is that one can have all of the right gifts for a specific ministry calling, but if we try to use them in the wrong place, it renders us ineffective and leads to frustration. Right gifts+wrong place=ineffective.

I will miss the kids and the adults that I have built significant relationships with, and as I shared with the kids yesterday, sometimes it’s scary leaving who and what you know to follow God to another place, but faith+obedience=God’s pleasure and delight!