Yesterday was a big day for me.  I returned from an overnight pastoral retreat, played Mario Cart with the boys, showered, took the kids to MacKenzie Park where we ate PB&J’s for lunch, then let the kids ride their bikes, fed some ducks with the leftover bread, stopped by the Hub City Cruzers Annual Car show, visited the Buddy Holly glasses statue, got home in time to read some of my John Adams book, fell asleep on the chair in the living room, woke up and hurried to Saturday Night services, hung out with 20 or so Elementary kids for an hour, took my family to Rosa’s Cafe for dinner, returned home to put the kids in bed, watched Pushing Daisies with my wife while she slowly fell asleep on the couch, then read some more of my John Adams book before I fell asleep at 11:00 pm.  And all this on my 11th Wedding Anniversary.

My daughter summed it up best while talking at dinner about Daddy and Mommy’s wedding, when she asked,

“Who watched us when you were there?”

While I often remember the days before my children (eating out late, long vacations, road trips, sleeping in on Saturdays, etc…); I cannot remember much of what happened before I met Starr.  I do know I was 17 years old, and that life sure was more fun with her around.  So much fun that I asked her to marry me, and she did on June 13, 1998.

And don’t worry you romantics out there, later this week we’ll be taking a short 11 year Anniversary trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico.  No kids!

I started at Trinity Church in Lubbock, TX exactly two years ago today.  What a change that was for my family and I!  We’ve adjusted moderately well to not having trees in our yard, and the dust storms are beginning to grown on us.  The growth we’ve seen in the Children’s ministry here at Trinity has been phenomenal over the past two years, and the future is sure to be exciting.  As I was reflecting over my 2 year anniversary, I pulled out my answers to some questions that Trinity asked me to answer during the arduous interview process.  One of the questions was, “In your opinion, what are the characteristics of a healthy children’s ministry?”

What a great question, and one that I struggle with often.  Health is such an evolving word, with health meaning different things to different kids at different stages of life.  Here is how I answered it back then, and with maybe a few minor variations it’s still true for me today.

The characteristics of a healthy children’s ministry include (in no particular order):

• Children that have learned the responsibility to serve those around them. Helping children see themselves as a one very important part in a much larger story than they can see with their own eyes.  This is a challenge, because it’ challenges the Adam within all of us.  Thinking of others first isn’t a natural thing, and must be reinforced.
• An environment that is accepting of everyone, and makes everyone feel welcome. Much easier to accept kids than to accept their entire families.  True acceptance of children can only happen when entire families are welcomed and involved in the process of Spiritual growth.
• Leaders who are inspired to teach and lead. Leaders that know they are God’s vessels of service.  Ministry to children will inevitably become ministry to leaders.  It is my desire to see growth in everyone involved in Children’s Ministry, and this growth will be deliberately pursued.
• Children who have an understanding of their important place in God’s kingdom. Children looking for ways to actively demonstrate their place in God’s Kingdome before everyone. (Parents, teachers, friends, etc…)
• Changed lives and families in the overall church population. Change lives are the currency that we measure success by!  If lives aren’t being changed, then changes must be made.  More specifically I desire to see children be the catalyst to change for entire families to come to Christ.