The past two years I've gone to the Children's Ministries Promiseland conference at Willow Creek. The first year was with my mom, the second with Amy (my Early Childhood Director). Both years were refreshing, challenging, encouraging, enlightening and energizing. Unfortunately, both years were also expensive. This year my resources are a little more limited. Amy and I have been praying that somehow God would provide the $3200 needed to take the two of us and two other team members to Chicago. In November, an unexpected gift of $1300 came our way. I was certain this was a word of encouragement from the Lord that we were on our way to Promiseland.
But these three months have passed with no increase to the conference fund. We prayed and prayed, and prayed some more. But over the last month I've felt the possibility of our time in Chicago slipping away. I struggled with this. After all, we need this conference. Why couldn't God provide the money? With a new service added and an increase in attendance, I can feel myself physically, emotionally and spiritually needing a get away, a refreshment, a retreat.
This week I met with Ken, our executive pastor, and it became clear that a trip to Willow Creek wasn't a possibility this year. I had to fight off emotions and accept what was going to be. But then, as I walked down the stairs to my office, I remembered something. Just a few weeks earlier I'd received a program for the NW Christian Educator's Conference. At the time I just flipped through the booklet and threw it away--after all, I was going to Promiseland. But now, with my precious dream thrown out the window, NWCEC sounded like a silver lining. And guess what! I figured out that with the money already sitting in my account, we can take the four of us original conference attendees, plus one more, with money left over!
While the retreat won't be what was expected, I'm sure God can work through it just as much. And, it comes a month and a half earlier. Probably at just the time when I'll be ready to run away due to exhaustion.
And as though this new discovery wasn't encouraging enough, I also received affirmation for the change. Last night, Nolan and I were at our college/career group and the speaker was teaching out of John 4--when the government official went to Jesus to heal his son. He made a long journey with a request and a hoped for answer. In his view, Jesus needed to touch his son for healing to happen. But Jesus had a different answer. He told the official to go. His son was healed.
Who knows what God has in store for us at the NWCEC. All I know is I came with a request and an expected answer, but Jesus responded with another. He's telling me to go in faith. Who am I to argue?
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
The Importance of Good Advertising
My husband and I love our TV shows. Which is why our evening life has been somewhat sad since the writers' strike postponed all hope of new episodes after the Christmas break. So this evening, after finishing a movie (Netflix is now our best friend), we were scrolling through the channels and noticed Chuck was scheduled to play after Celebrity Apprentice. Last time we'd seen our favorite Buy More employee we were told Chuck may or may not be around in 2008. So we checked the info on the show to find out which episode would re-run. Imagine our surprise upon reading that it was brand new!
We've watched commercial after commercial introducing new sitcoms, dramas and game shows. We've watched movies to avoid the sadness felt from not seeing our favorite friends of TV land. And we've even ventured as far as playing board games and trying something old fashioned called "talking." Wouldn't you think at some point in the midst of our desperate search for new episodes, NBC and the producers of Chuck would have promoted a new episode non stop? We're so glad to have happened upon a random listing (and I just discovered there was another episode even earlier) allowing a reunion.
And as commonly happens, a TV show I enjoy got me thinking about ministry. How often do we have something great to offer, an event we've intensely invested in, or a valuable thing to share, yet neglect the important aspect of good advertising? How many times are we saddened by poor results, while parents, children, families are sitting at home, finding other things to fill their time, all the while unaware that they're missing what they've been waiting and hoping for?
And a final thought (as the episode of Chuck just came to a close with the statement of "new episodes coming soon")... when you do satisfy that need/hope of the people, make sure that you offer concrete, upcoming options. We must be careful not to excite and give hope, yet lack future follow through.
I'm happy to have unexpectedly spent an hour with our television friend, and I look forward to seeing him again. And while I watch carefully for upcoming episodes, may it be a reminder and a caution to make sure the families in my ministry don't have to be so attentive.
We've watched commercial after commercial introducing new sitcoms, dramas and game shows. We've watched movies to avoid the sadness felt from not seeing our favorite friends of TV land. And we've even ventured as far as playing board games and trying something old fashioned called "talking." Wouldn't you think at some point in the midst of our desperate search for new episodes, NBC and the producers of Chuck would have promoted a new episode non stop? We're so glad to have happened upon a random listing (and I just discovered there was another episode even earlier) allowing a reunion.
And as commonly happens, a TV show I enjoy got me thinking about ministry. How often do we have something great to offer, an event we've intensely invested in, or a valuable thing to share, yet neglect the important aspect of good advertising? How many times are we saddened by poor results, while parents, children, families are sitting at home, finding other things to fill their time, all the while unaware that they're missing what they've been waiting and hoping for?
And a final thought (as the episode of Chuck just came to a close with the statement of "new episodes coming soon")... when you do satisfy that need/hope of the people, make sure that you offer concrete, upcoming options. We must be careful not to excite and give hope, yet lack future follow through.
I'm happy to have unexpectedly spent an hour with our television friend, and I look forward to seeing him again. And while I watch carefully for upcoming episodes, may it be a reminder and a caution to make sure the families in my ministry don't have to be so attentive.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
We Survived!
Tonight was our first Saturday evening service. Considering we just announced it to the church last Sunday (by the way, if you weren't there, we now have a Saturday evening service), the response was incredible! Attending adults, children, and volunteers totaled about 525, almost three times what was anticipated. While our classes were over crowded and under staffed, the evening lacked the chaos that could have easily ensued. Clearly, we were covered by God's grace. I also know there were several things that helped us in the process. So what helped tonight go so well?
-While this addition has been a topic of discussion for a few years, three months ago we were warned of the possibility of a Saturday evening service in the near future. We began researching like crazy! Thanks to some wonderful, helpful Children's Ministry leaders on Kidology (a forum I'm a part of) we had a rough idea of what to expect--volunteer response, possible attendance, and even advice for avoiding burn out. Without their words of wisdom and experience our team would have been lost.
-After researching, we had a long meeting to hash out what was needed, expected, to be avoided, and much much more. We talked through the pros and cons of starting such a service, and methods for simplifying our program on Saturdays.
-We were told to wait. We thought a Saturday service had become a distant dream. But then, when it was put on the calendar with only a few weeks notice (with Christmas in the middle of those weeks), we were ready to go with our notes from before.
-We held things loosely. We accepted that flexibility would be our motto. We planned well but were prepared to change.
-And finally, we trusted. Trusted that God was guiding our executive staff. Trusted that God would bring the volunteers. And trusted the Lord would bless our efforts.
I'd like to say a HUGE thank you to Geary Furukawa, Molly Cotter, and Nolan Nelson. Three volunteers who came tonight and will return in the morning. Thank you for your willingness to help us get this new ministry up and running.
So here we are, one Saturday service down... countless to go!
-While this addition has been a topic of discussion for a few years, three months ago we were warned of the possibility of a Saturday evening service in the near future. We began researching like crazy! Thanks to some wonderful, helpful Children's Ministry leaders on Kidology (a forum I'm a part of) we had a rough idea of what to expect--volunteer response, possible attendance, and even advice for avoiding burn out. Without their words of wisdom and experience our team would have been lost.
-After researching, we had a long meeting to hash out what was needed, expected, to be avoided, and much much more. We talked through the pros and cons of starting such a service, and methods for simplifying our program on Saturdays.
-We were told to wait. We thought a Saturday service had become a distant dream. But then, when it was put on the calendar with only a few weeks notice (with Christmas in the middle of those weeks), we were ready to go with our notes from before.
-We held things loosely. We accepted that flexibility would be our motto. We planned well but were prepared to change.
-And finally, we trusted. Trusted that God was guiding our executive staff. Trusted that God would bring the volunteers. And trusted the Lord would bless our efforts.
I'd like to say a HUGE thank you to Geary Furukawa, Molly Cotter, and Nolan Nelson. Three volunteers who came tonight and will return in the morning. Thank you for your willingness to help us get this new ministry up and running.
So here we are, one Saturday service down... countless to go!
Friday, January 4, 2008
Honoring God's House
So many of my childhood memories took place at church. I can still picture rehearsals for a Christmas musical and being told that our choir’s stage laugh sounded like a bunch of machine guns. Or singing “Our God is an Awesome God” and doing sign language to accompany it. Or playing hide-and-seek in the large cupboards that held folding chairs. My best friend and I (probably in third grade at the time) even fought over a toy in the preschool class once after an evening service. I look back fondly on my early days of serving—starting in the 4’s and 5’s class, then the nursery and toddler rooms, and finally leading a 3rd grade small group. But even more lasting than these memories were the lessons taught by my parents through our presence at church.
I can’t name which creative method was used to first communicate the story of David and Goliath, and the words to the song, “The Perfect Ten” (about the Ten Commandments), now escape me. But I weekly live according to the example set by my parents. Church was a priority. Any time a service or program was offered, we were there. Even when invited to a sleep-over on Saturday night, I only stayed for the evening. After all, we had church in the morning. For the most part, my brothers didn’t participate in sports that required Sunday involvement, but, for the occasional church-conflicting game, my brother went with a friend, and the rest of our family filled the stands once church was over.
Sure, there were Sundays when we were tired, the house was a mess and company was coming soon, or life had been busy. But honoring God through our attendance at church—being a part of the church—was a priority.
2008 is a year for Morning Star to remember the point that rang so clear in my house growing up. The leadership has chosen Nehemiah 10:39 as a theme verse for the year—“We will not neglect the house of our God.” While it’s a valuable and important verse to put at the forefront of our minds when coming and going through the doors of the church, isn’t it even more essential to be teaching this within our own homes? So how can you teach the lesson of not neglecting the house of God to your children?
--Place church attendance as a priority. As a family, look at what distracts you from attending each week. A scheduling conflict? Filling your weeks with so many activities that you’re too tired to show up on the weekend? Is it just hard to wake up? As a family, talk about how you can change priorities. Ask your kids to keep you accountable by being enthusiastic about church attendance.
--Place serving as a priority. By modeling service within the church, your actions will speak louder than any lesson we could teach in any of the Zones. Service could be anything from teaching a small group, manning the Information Center once a month, or making photo copies mid-week.
--Place giving as a priority. Tell your children why you give to the church, and then teach them to tithe their allowances.
While the lessons we teach here at church from week to week are valuable and can help shape a child’s relationship with the Lord, they pale in comparison to the impact of a parent’s example. As a family, do not neglect the house of God. Honor it. Follow Joshua 24:15, “Choose you today whom you will serve… but as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”
I can’t name which creative method was used to first communicate the story of David and Goliath, and the words to the song, “The Perfect Ten” (about the Ten Commandments), now escape me. But I weekly live according to the example set by my parents. Church was a priority. Any time a service or program was offered, we were there. Even when invited to a sleep-over on Saturday night, I only stayed for the evening. After all, we had church in the morning. For the most part, my brothers didn’t participate in sports that required Sunday involvement, but, for the occasional church-conflicting game, my brother went with a friend, and the rest of our family filled the stands once church was over.
Sure, there were Sundays when we were tired, the house was a mess and company was coming soon, or life had been busy. But honoring God through our attendance at church—being a part of the church—was a priority.
2008 is a year for Morning Star to remember the point that rang so clear in my house growing up. The leadership has chosen Nehemiah 10:39 as a theme verse for the year—“We will not neglect the house of our God.” While it’s a valuable and important verse to put at the forefront of our minds when coming and going through the doors of the church, isn’t it even more essential to be teaching this within our own homes? So how can you teach the lesson of not neglecting the house of God to your children?
--Place church attendance as a priority. As a family, look at what distracts you from attending each week. A scheduling conflict? Filling your weeks with so many activities that you’re too tired to show up on the weekend? Is it just hard to wake up? As a family, talk about how you can change priorities. Ask your kids to keep you accountable by being enthusiastic about church attendance.
--Place serving as a priority. By modeling service within the church, your actions will speak louder than any lesson we could teach in any of the Zones. Service could be anything from teaching a small group, manning the Information Center once a month, or making photo copies mid-week.
--Place giving as a priority. Tell your children why you give to the church, and then teach them to tithe their allowances.
While the lessons we teach here at church from week to week are valuable and can help shape a child’s relationship with the Lord, they pale in comparison to the impact of a parent’s example. As a family, do not neglect the house of God. Honor it. Follow Joshua 24:15, “Choose you today whom you will serve… but as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”
Friday, December 28, 2007
The Importance of a Loving Father
Aside from a brief period in junior high, I never questioned my parents' love for me. And even then, I just had a hard time grasping that my dad loved me for me, and not for what I did (difference in love languages). Little did I know, or even realize until recently, what a profound impact that understanding of love would have on my relationship with the Lord.
At Women's Retreat in November I kept hearing ladies comment on how hard it was for them to accept that God truly loved them. I honestly wondered if there was something wrong with me. I can't think of a time when I've had a hard time accepting God's love. I know He created me in His image, He has a plan for me, and even better than that--He loves me with an everlasting love! I might even err at times on the side of forgetting that I am a sinner because I know how much God loves me. I shared my awkward feelings over easily accepting God's love with a friend of mine and she felt the same way. We finally came to the conclusion that because we felt unconditional love from our earthly fathers, acceptance of love from our Heavenly Father came easily.
Sadly, at one session of the retreat, the speaker asked for all the women who grew up with a loving father to raise their hands. Less than half of the women were able to make such a claim. This retreat was in November, and I still haven't been able to shake that reality. A loving father makes such a difference in a child's understanding of God's love.
I know that I am a daughter of the King because my dad not only called me "Princess," he treated me like one too. I know that God has created me in His image and His design for me is perfect because I grew up being told that I was beautiful. I know that I need have my heart reflect my outside because I was always challenged to be pretty on the inside. And I know that despite a difficult time or phase in my life, God still loves me because after receiving discipline I was told, "I love you."
If only all fathers could understand the importance of loving their daughters. Cherish your little girls. Show her how a gentleman would treat her. Tell her she's beautiful. Your words and your actions will help shape her understanding of her Heavenly Father. Your words and your actions will help grow her up into a woman of God.
At Women's Retreat in November I kept hearing ladies comment on how hard it was for them to accept that God truly loved them. I honestly wondered if there was something wrong with me. I can't think of a time when I've had a hard time accepting God's love. I know He created me in His image, He has a plan for me, and even better than that--He loves me with an everlasting love! I might even err at times on the side of forgetting that I am a sinner because I know how much God loves me. I shared my awkward feelings over easily accepting God's love with a friend of mine and she felt the same way. We finally came to the conclusion that because we felt unconditional love from our earthly fathers, acceptance of love from our Heavenly Father came easily.
Sadly, at one session of the retreat, the speaker asked for all the women who grew up with a loving father to raise their hands. Less than half of the women were able to make such a claim. This retreat was in November, and I still haven't been able to shake that reality. A loving father makes such a difference in a child's understanding of God's love.
I know that I am a daughter of the King because my dad not only called me "Princess," he treated me like one too. I know that God has created me in His image and His design for me is perfect because I grew up being told that I was beautiful. I know that I need have my heart reflect my outside because I was always challenged to be pretty on the inside. And I know that despite a difficult time or phase in my life, God still loves me because after receiving discipline I was told, "I love you."
If only all fathers could understand the importance of loving their daughters. Cherish your little girls. Show her how a gentleman would treat her. Tell her she's beautiful. Your words and your actions will help shape her understanding of her Heavenly Father. Your words and your actions will help grow her up into a woman of God.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
A Complete Family
A family in our church is in the process of adopting a little girl from China. I just finished reading their story of the process so far, and it made me look forward to the day she joins our ministry!
We need to be sure that we're always ready to minister to children of all backgrounds. Different life stories influence the needs each child has as they enter our doors. Some may not have had a complete breakfast that morning, or even dinner the night before. Others may face instability in their home from day to day and need a safe and secure environment. Some may have recently joined a new foster home, while others may have just been adopted into their forever family. Whatever their story, we want Sunday morning to be one of the happy, joyful and safe chapters of their life.
We need to be sure that we're always ready to minister to children of all backgrounds. Different life stories influence the needs each child has as they enter our doors. Some may not have had a complete breakfast that morning, or even dinner the night before. Others may face instability in their home from day to day and need a safe and secure environment. Some may have recently joined a new foster home, while others may have just been adopted into their forever family. Whatever their story, we want Sunday morning to be one of the happy, joyful and safe chapters of their life.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Intentionally Sharing with the Lost
We had a ministry staff get-away today to look at our church's vision statement and evaluate how well our ministries are actually doing at following the values expressed in that statement. The vision of Morning Star is to be a worshipping family of believers who are growing in our faith, loving God and others, serving in our gifts and sharing with the lost. As we looked at the different elements, I felt encouraged by most of them that Children's Ministries is currently in achievement mode. But then when we got to "sharing with the lost," things became diluted. While yes, we are sharing with the lost through the ministries currently functioning under the umbrella of Children's Ministries, but what are we doing to intentionally share with the lost?
We used to do a Fall Fun Fest under the description of "outreach". But when we actually surveyed those who attended, it was realized that only 1% of the 500+ who came were unchurched. VBS could also be considered an outreach because we emphasize the kids bringing friends, and present the salvation message through our lessons over the course of the week. But our purpose isn't specifically to share with the lost.
So now I'm at a loss. It's not like we can take our kids on a mission trip or go street-witnessing downtown. Yes, I can give the kids tools to be mini-evangelists in their schools or neighborhoods. But on the programming end of ministry, what can I formalize along the lines of specific outreach? If you have any thoughts or ideas, I'd love to hear them. Just post a comment!
We used to do a Fall Fun Fest under the description of "outreach". But when we actually surveyed those who attended, it was realized that only 1% of the 500+ who came were unchurched. VBS could also be considered an outreach because we emphasize the kids bringing friends, and present the salvation message through our lessons over the course of the week. But our purpose isn't specifically to share with the lost.
So now I'm at a loss. It's not like we can take our kids on a mission trip or go street-witnessing downtown. Yes, I can give the kids tools to be mini-evangelists in their schools or neighborhoods. But on the programming end of ministry, what can I formalize along the lines of specific outreach? If you have any thoughts or ideas, I'd love to hear them. Just post a comment!
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