Tag Archive - Children’s Ministry

Sunday Prayers: Hear His Voice

March 22, 2010 in Bible, Ministry, Personal with 1 Comment

John 5:25
Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.

This is one prayer that I most certainly do each and every morning on my way to the church.  This is a prayer for parents, children, and everyone that enters the building each Sunday morning.  I know that there will be a lot of voices heard at church, from teachers, to preachers, to greeters, and friends they will have their ears filled with voice after voice after voice.  My prayer is that at least one person will be able to discern the voice of God at some point throughout the morning.

I pray that God’s voice penetrates the heart, soul, and mind of at least one person.  I pray that one person in the audience and in the crowd is able to easily discern God’s voice speaking to them.  I pray that it comes through the words of a close friend, or a new friend.  I pray that His voice is heard during a time of worship and solitude.  I pray that as God’s Word is taught with power, authority, and conviction that God’s Voice is heard clearly in their spiritual ears.

I believe that it happens to more than one person each week, but I firmly believe that if God just spoke to one person each weekend…that their world would be changed forever.  Just one person is all it could take.

This is part of the discussion started HERE, and continues the Sunday Morning Prayer Series.

Sunday Morning Prayers

March 21, 2010 in Ministry, Personal with 5 Comments

Can we be honest?

My weekends are crazy.  Starting on Saturday Nights with the evening service, and then moving to an early morning on Sunday followed by three services full of people.  It’s wild and wooly in every way possible.  By Sunday at 2pm when most of everything is cleaned up and put back in place, I drive home by myself in a quiet car processing what I’ve been a part of over the previous 24 hours.  Sometimes my drives home are filled with “What could have been” thoughts and sometimes I’m excited about “What has been” and “What will be.”

Sometimes those drives home are filled with the sense that I was there, but not really there.  Know what I mean?  It’s like I did a bunch of stuff, but none of it was very valuable.  Don’t worry, I’m not getting depressed or anything.  I know that even if all I do is prepare rooms for others to lead kids, then I still live in an A+ world.

So how have I worked to maintain proper perspective?  How do I guard against always thinking the worst about myself?  How can I overcome my Sunday Morning fears and business?

Over the next 5 posts, I’m going to share the 5 prayers I pray on my Sunday Morning commute to church.  These 5 prayers are the ways I prepare my Spirit, Mind, and Body for what lays ahead on a busy morning of ministry.  In the spirit of full disclosure I don’t always pray all 5, but I work through them throughout the morning.  At the conclusion of each one, I’d love to hear your thoughts as well as how you prepare yourself for what is about to happen.

Sunday Morning Prayers:

  1. That at least one person will hear God’s voice.
  2. That  my leaders will be sensitive to the hearts of the children they work with.
  3. That somebody hurting gets out of bed this morning, and looks for God.
  4. That I will not get lost in the business of the morning.
  5. That God will help me to see the way He sees.

Collaborate: Family + Church Book Pre-Order

March 9, 2010 in Ministry, Personal with 0 Comments

Today is the day! I wrote about this a few weeks ago, but now you can officially go to Amazon.com and pre-order Collaborate: Family + Church.

I’m excited that I’ve been able to be a part of this special project, but I’m more excited that I get to read what so many others have written on the topic! Go online today and pre-order your copy!

Milestone: The Big Take-Away

March 4, 2010 in Ministry with 2 Comments

Earlier I wrote the Introduction about the issue at hand in our Children’s Ministry about what to do with our Kindergarten age children as they transition between learning styles.  I said that I thought there were 3 milestone questions to consider.  Read about #1, “What does Kindergarten look like?”, #2 “When do Children Start Reading?”, and #3 “When are Parents Comfortable Making the Change?”

The Big Take-Away:

What we’ve decided is that we might need to allow an option for parents to move their Kindergartners into a new area at the time that they feel it’s time.  I have to trust that parents know what their kids can handle, yet at the same time also seek the opinion of my Early Childhood leaders to determine which children may benefit from a different more mature environment of learning God’s truth.

Now that we’ve identified the milestones unique to each age child, and each family; it’s time to work on communicating it to our church family.  Letting them know that they are a valuable part of this decision, and that their input is highly desired.  It is all of our best intentions together that will make the most delicate of learners lovers of God’s truth!

OK, here is where I need our #kidmin community to spring into action. What are you doing to transition kids through these milestones?

If you’re not a Children’s Ministry leader, and find yourself to be a concerned parent then speak up.  We’d all love to hear how you think these things are best done. Do you like the optional format, or do you prefer being told where to go and when to go there?

Milestones: When are Parents Comfortable Making the Change?

March 3, 2010 in Ministry with 0 Comments

Earlier I wrote the Introduction about the issue at hand in our Children’s Ministry about what to do with our Kindergarten age children as they transition between learning styles.  I said that I thought there were 3 milestone questions to consider.  Read about #1, “What does Kindergarten look like?”, and #2 “When do Children Start Reading?”

#3 When are parents comfortable making the change?

If the family at my church is a regular attendar, then they are very aware of the change from a classroom format in Early Childhood areas, to a large group/small group format of the Elementary areas.  For some families it’s seen as a big “My baby is growing up” moment and met with trepidation.  For other families, it’s seen as a “Finally my kid will get to be where the fun is happening” moment and met with excitement.

What does this mean for me? It means that I need to be sensitive to each parent, and offer options.  It’s difficult to insist that every family do things our way and move their own kids when I tell them to move them.  Not all kindergartners are created equal.  Some have early birthdays, and are bigger physically and more comfortable in large group environments; while others aren’t turning 6 until the last few months of Kindergarten and need a slower transition than the more comfortable peers.
For you it means getting to know your parents.  If you don’t have kids in this age range (of which I have a’plenty), then get to know those that do.  Trust me, Kindergarten parents are an opinionated bunch.  Get to know them today!
What have your parents told you that they prefer?  Do share your experiences!

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