Findability

November 11, 2010 — 6 Comments

Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:13 is one of my favorite verses in all of the bible.  It’s God’s Promise that he will always make himself findable to me.  Being able to find something when I really need it, is important to me.  Knowing that when things are confusing and dark, that God is always findable is of great comfort.  As I work to create environments for kids each weekend it is always a goal to make sure that God is findable to kids.

How do we make God as findable as possible? It starts with making sure that we actually talk about Jesus.  A novel concept, I know.  It’s easy to partake in storytelling, pushing out that “bottom line” teaching, and working through worship songs without ever mentioning the name of Jesus.  When I teach I try to always tie back what we’ve learned to Jesus.  He fits everywhere, trust me.

Second, we cover our areas with prayer.  We actually pray prayers like, “Lord, help these kids today see you in the midst of all that we will be doing.” Don’t underestimate the power of prayer.  Its after these prayer encounters, that I will often begin to see the best ways to bring attention back to God throughout my time with kids.

Third, we always, always, always, always, always remind kids why we are even at church.  Kids can easily get lost in the hurry and rush of Sunday Morning, and it’s my job to make sure that they remember we are here at church to worship, learn, and grow.  When we take a few minutes to welcome kids each morning, I remind them that we are here at church for a reason.  Even if Mom and Dad brought them…they are still here for a reason.

Finally, I always work to make sure that we are as distraction-free as possible.  I’m not sure about you, but I know that for me to see God clearly I need to eliminate distractions.  For me, it’s computers, music, other people, and maybe even a good old-fashioned fast to get my focus on Him.  For kids, it’s about making sure that when somebody is doing our large group storytelling, that they alone command the attention.  When small group leaders are leading, we want to make sure kids are only focused on what they are leading.

So how do you make God as findable as possible in your Kidmin environments?

In Bible, Ministry , , , , ,
 permalink

Advertise HERE

  • http://innovativekoehler.blogspot.com josh

    I try and do as much prep work for my small group leaders and storytellers as possible. This allows them to concentrate more on relationships and teaching. That’s one way I try and make God findable on Sunday mornings.

    • http://www.jonathancliff.com Jonathan Cliff

      That’s an important one Josh. Thanks for the comment!

      We do much of the same thing, under the idea of eliminating the distraction.

  • http://www.1stthings1st.org Karen Apple

    Love this toppic!!! Kids sometimes have trouble undertanding abstract concepts. They need someone “with skin on” to demonstrate christ’s likeness.

    • http://www.jonathancliff.com Jonathan Cliff

      So true Karen! Thanks for commenting!

  • Pingback: The Children’s Ministry Blog Patrol (November 2010) | Dad in the Middle

  • http://www.facebook.com/LisaJCash Lisa Clanton Cash

    Jonathan, you know I adore you, but I’m not sure how I feel about this one. Maybe it’s just the semantics that the semi-Calvinist in me is clashing against, but I don’t think anybody can make God truly “findable” except….God? I mean, as a parent, I wish it were formulaic, I really do–that if I’ll do all the right things, then the Lord will reveal Himself to my children in a powerful way. But it is Him who does the unveiling of the eyes, the revealing of His Glory. I am thankful that when we search for Him with all our hearts, He says He will be found by us. I do think there are ways that we can encourage, even catapult our children into being seekers, but I’m not sure there’s anything WE can do to make HIM more findable than He just IS. I’m SO not trying to pick a fight,and I wish I could write this in teeny-tiny letters, but I even think that might be a little bit arrogant to think that we have anything at all to do with making Him “findable.”