Tag Archive - kids

Learning Forgiveness

May 18, 2011 in Ministry, Personal with 1 Comment

This past month I’ve been confronted with Forgiveness in a new and fresh way.  For starters, we are studying the Godly Virtue of Forgiveness in all our Elementary environments at Trinity, and then I get the chance to teach a Child Dedication class this past week where I share about the power of reminding your kids that you’ll always forgive.  And then in the same week that I’ve been forced to eat some crow and ask someone to forgive me, I’ve also been in the position to forgive what somebody did to me.

With our Children we define Forgiveness as “Deciding that someone who has wronged you doesn’t have to pay” and after the experiences of the past 3 weeks I’m going to back that up with a blog-worthy “AMEN!”

Here’s what I’m learning about Forgiveness this month:

  • When I choose to forgive, I’m empowering people to move on.
  • When I ask for forgiveness, I’m empowering people to move on.

 

  • When I choose to forgive my children, I’m demonstrating to them that I can be trusted.
  • When I ask my children to forgive me, I’m demonstrating to them that I can be trusted.

 

  • It’s good to ask for forgiveness, even if you don’t feel there is anything to pay.
  • It’s good to offer forgiveness, even if you don’t feel there is anything owed to you.

 

What do you know about this Forgiveness challenge?  Anything life has taught you about the power of forgiving?

Guest Post: The Real You // Tim Livengood

March 17, 2011 in Ministry with 2 Comments

Today’s guest post is by our Youth Pastor at Trinity Church.  Pastor Tim Livengood is responsible for a ton of kids between the 6th and 12th grades at Trinity…and it’s a HUGE undertaking!  I’ve watched Tim walk parents through some tough times, and I’ve watched him teach kids in a service setting; and he’s a great communicator in both places.  He just started a blog this week, so go say hello! I got his permission to steal an email he sent to his leaders a few weeks ago.  Enjoy.

After about 12 years in youth ministry I have come to realize a secret that is probably not much of a secret to most of you. I am not cool enough to be a youth pastor. I am short, not very athletic, can’t surf, don’t have cool hair, and I can’t grow a goatee to save my life. There are times I am guessing you feel the same way about your coolness factor. The feeling hits me the hardest before a youth service. Last week I was trying to have a conversation with a student who I couldn’t get to take their earbuds out of their ears. Deep down I am sure that if I was cooler I could get their attention!

God challenged me on that thinking. I want to be a rock star in a student’s eyes, but if there is one thing I know about rock stars it is that they are unapproachable. They have their sunglasses on as they rush into their limousines with security surrounding them. As cool as rock stars are from a distance, I can’t imagine talking about my loneliness with Bon Jovi. Bono doesn’t care if my brother is cutting himself. I wouldn’t even try to go to one of them with a problem. They are to be admired from a distance. If I need someone to talk to I call my dad.

Our students are the same way. They don’t need rock stars because the more like a rock star you become the more unapproachable you are. They don’t need leaders that are going to look cool, jump onto stage, wow them, then disappear into the back room under cover of security. They need leaders willing to live real lives in front of them and with them. The thing that they need the most is the real you.


Guest Post: “I don’t know anything about me.” // Starr Cliff

March 9, 2011 in Personal with 1 Comment

That’s what he finally choked out:

“…I don’t know anything about me.”

At Trinity Church, elementary-aged kids are checked into Kidsplace each week by their parents, using an electronic key fob like the one above; or, if that’s misplaced, they can use touch screen computers to enter their phone number.

One Sunday morning recently, I saw a little boy standing sheepishly near the entrance. He didn’t have an adult with him, so I went over to help him out.  I asked if he had ever been to Kidsplace before.  He looked mildy panicked at the question. He stammered  “Umm…maybe?  I think I’ve been here…once?  I’m not sure. I can’t remember.”  Hmm.  Okay.  I walked him over to the touch screens and explained that if he had ever visited, his phone number would be in the system and we could get him all set with a name tag. Panic registered on his face once again.  He looked down at the floor, and I thought maybe he was embarrassed because didn’t know his phone number.  No big deal.  I started to explain that it was no problem; we’d just manually enter his name and grade and print up a name tag.  No sweat! But before I could explain he looked up and with a sigh of resignation quietly said,

“I’m a foster kid.  I don’t know anything about me.”
Now on a cognitive level, I knew he meant that he didn’t know his information. He didn’t know his address or phone number, and couldn’t remember if Trinity was one of the many churches he had visited.  But that statement…I don’t know anything about me…it broke my heart for him.  I don’t know who I am.  I don’t know if I’m valuable.  I don’t know if I have a family who will love me forever.  I don’t know if I’m merely being tolerated.  I don’t know anything about me.  The worries of an orphan’s heart, on display before me.

Panic. Embarrassment. Resignation.  These were the emotions he registered within a 2 minute span…because he didn’t know who he was.  And sadly, some of those emotions feel all too familiar to me and to the girlfriends I love:  Panic over the future. Embarrassment over our looks.  Resignation that we will never change.  Too many of our days are filled with these emotions because we don’t know who we are.  We’re living like orphans, when we are daughters!  Not one of us is fatherless.  Not one doesn’t belong.

 

Doing Smart Things

March 1, 2011 in Personal with 10 Comments

It’s March, and I’m approaching my 35th birthday. Compared to some people (See Gina and Sam) this isn’t really that old yet, but I feel like I’ve learned a few things over the years. After 12 years of marriage, I’ve learned that there is a right time to say certain things to my wife, and most defiently other times that are not the right time. After 8 years of being a parent, I’ve learned that quiet and solitude are things of the past, and that coaching sports is never as glamorous as they make it sound. After 11 years of living in Texas, I’ve learned that things really are bigger here.

Image Source: bizarrocomics.com/

And after 10 years of working in and around churches with all different sorts of ages (predominantly children), I’ve learned a few other things. Here is that list:

  • Prepare for the weekend. Even when you don’t think you need to, just go ahead and prepare like you need to prepare. I don’t teach every weekend, but I still prepare as if I am. You read that right. I take time to look over Kindergarten lessons, Elementary storytelling segments, and all small group materials. I’m not claiming to be totally 100% prepared, and ready to teach at any level; but I’m at the very least familiar with what’s going on in most every area I’m responsible for.
  • Say Thank You. Simply put, it’s my #1 gift to those that serve all around me. There are a few 1,000 ways to do this, but the easiest of these is to just say it.
  • Clean your shoes. I didn’t say this list was perfect, but I’ve learned that a pair of nicely polished shoes or clean converse’s can go a long way with people. Don’t believe me? Good for you.
  • Speak well of those that don’t speak well of you. There is no easier way to make someone look like a fool than to find positive things to say about that person (hopefully person and not persons…) that continually speaks ill of you.
  • Get good at shaking hands. There is such a thing as a wimpy handshake. If you disagree with this one, then I can guarantee you are offering wet fish handshakes to the rest of us. Come on, firm that handshake up and watch your respect level rise!
  • Be good at what you do. I guess this should be obvious, but whatever your job description is where ever you work; you should be exceeding this and more every day you do your job. Be good at what you do, is my little secret to you. You’re welcome.
  • Do whatever it takes to make kids like you. It is always worth the investment to spend time with children. After a while of being around kids, you’ll learn what it takes to endear them to you. When you’ve done this, then influencing their parents is gravy!

So I’m gonna push away from the advice table now. Here is my official advice from a nobody. But I have one final question:

What am I missing? Add your own advice in the comment section below!

Some ParentLife Love

February 28, 2011 in Ministry with 16 Comments

I have a new sponsor at jonathancliff.com.  I’d like to introduce everybody to the greatness of the ParentLife magazine.  What?  You think you’ve heard of it before?  Well if you’ve run in any of the LifeWay circles of the past, then you might have seen a ParentLife magazine.  However, they’ve completely redesigned their cover, and done a massive overhaul to the content between the covers.  The folks over at LifeWay were kind enough to send over a free copy for myself to look through and I have to say that it is a really well done parenting magazine.

Here are some of the things I liked about ParentLife:

  • The cover is wild and makes you want look at it further.  It’s just a fun, inviting, humorous cover.  The people at ParentLife do things well, and the cover will show you that right off the bat.  (I’d also love to say that I love the texture of the paper used on the cover.  Not that it matters, but it’s different and I liked it!)

  • It’s relevant.  The material is extremely relevant and all the information is so easy to find.  I loved the age sections with pertinent information for each age of kid.
  • Along these same lines, it’s also all-encompassing.  There was an article for grandparents, single parents, divorced parents and their step-children, and even that rare breed of married couples living with their own children.  This would make a great hand-out resource to the families in my church.  Those with and/or without children.
  • It’s short and sweet.  I sometimes have the attention span of an 8 year old; yet I was able to enjoy this magazine.  It’s a rare thing, but there wasn’t an article that spanned more than 2 pages.  Every article was well written, but it was concise and begged for my attention with it’s short span.
  • It had great ideas.  It was chalked full of really easy-to-do things with my kids.  From bible study ideas for my 8 year old, to play-time ideas for my 7 year old, and interesting do around the house craft things for my 5 year old.  I walked away with ideas after reading it.  Not something I can say with every magazine I subscribe to.

So here’s the thing.  ParentLife has sent me a free magazine, and they are of course a site sponsor with purchased advertisement space on the side bar; but I really love their product.  I hope that you’ll take some time to read my advertiser Disclosure Statement, and you’ll read that I don’t let just any organization run ads on my site. ParentLife is something I believe in, and after looking at this new re-design my wheels are already spinning with ways I could use this with some of my new and visiting parents at Trinity.

ParentLife has even offered to giveaway an entire 12 month subscription to their magazine to one of my readers.  Yes, you read that right.  A FREE 12-month subscription!  There are a few 1,000 ways to run a blog contest, but I’m lazy and will make this totally random using Random.org to help me sort all the entries to find our winner.  So to enter I’ll le t you leave a comment right here on this blog post to be entered.  And with this post going out on Monday, I’ll let you leave a comment every day for 5 entries total.  So to recap, you have 5 days to leave a comment on 5 different days to get your name in the drawing up to 5 times.  Get it?

See you on Friday when I announce the winner of the free 12 month subscription to ParentLife.

We have our winner: http://www.jonathancliff.com/2011/03/parentlife-magazine-winner/

In the mean time take some blogging time to visit www.lifeway.com/parentlifeblog and read what the ParentLife people are producing for all the blog readers!  It’s gonna be a great week.  Now Go!

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