Sarah Bowler's blog

A church with a good children’s ministry stands head and shoulders above other churches. Many parents choose a church based on quality of children’s programs. Many questions are essential: Does my child feel comfortable here? Is he being taught biblical principles? Is my daughter safe? Do the workers visibly demonstrate their love and care for the children?

It is common to have a bucket list of activities that we want to do, but I was particularly touched by one blogger’s list of conversations she wants to have with her children before they leave home.

Resurrection Eggs seem to be one of the biggest Christian family fads for Easter. If you haven’t heard of them before, the concept is pretty simple. Twelve plastic eggs help as visual aids in retelling the Easter story. Each egg has an item which symbolizes part of the story. But before you go thinking… I already spent a bucket load of money on Easter baskets, and now you want me to get Resurrection Eggs too? ... here is a cheap and fun way to make your own.

 
In J.P. Moreland and Tim Muehlhoff’s book The God Conversation, they write “The thoughts and questions our friends have about God and the Christian faith require careful answers. Our answers require study of the Scriptures, reading of Christian thinkers and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. They also require vivid illustrations to make our answers clear and memorable.”

 
Some weeks it seems like I deal with all kinds of solicitation call, e-mails, and junk mail. One Christian organization (whose name I won’t mention) keeps sending me e-mail even though I’ve requested 3 times to be taken off their list.  Companies want to know my personal information, what I buy, and in the end usually try to peddle a product. When it comes to visiting a church, I hope that it will be different. I don’t want to feel like a church is pushing Jesus on me to meet some quota or gathering information just to fill their database; I want to know that I and my family are genuinely cared for.

 
I am such a sucker for claiming my free welcome packets from churches. Yet, I honestly couldn’t tell you why I get so excited about them. I don’t really like getting gimmicky coupons for the church’s own coffee shop, and I am skeptical of eating any homemade baked goods. One time I got a large Hershey’s chocolate bar, but oddly enough I don’t really like chocolate that much.

It was a rather awkward moment. “Is this your first time here?” asked the greeter. “Um… no. We’ve been coming for about a year, “ I muttered.  A few steps later another greeter smiled and handed me a bulletin. “Well at least he smiled,” I thought, “Even though he still doesn’t know my name.”

Every so often I hear a person emphasizing the date he or she was saved. Some even go so far as to say that if you don’t know when you were saved you aren’t really saved.

 
With all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it can be hard to find a moment to breathe. Rush to the store to get more flour for a recipe. Hustle to a neighbor’s house with a plate of cookies. Drive to church for a hymn sing. Then somewhere in there you return home to find that the family dog knocked half of the ornaments off the tree. As you stand staring at the shards of glass, a million thoughts race through the mind: “Where’s the broom?” “How will I find time to go to the store for more ornaments?” “When will Christmas be over?!”
When we cave to the ceaseless hustle and bustle so prevalent in our society, we are prone to forget so much. The wonder of the incarnation. The splendor of God’s love. The joy of growing together as a family.

Staying focused on Christ’s birth can be a challenge throughout the holiday season. Amongst the busy schedules, shopping, and presents the incarnation of Christ gets lost. One way to remember the true meaning of Christmas is to build traditions with your family.
 

I like to think I am a thankful person, but the truth is that in a country full of blessings we are often not thankful people. I just watched the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving episode and was struck by how some of the comments resemble our attitudes. 

Chances are that we’ve all heard our fair share of “awkward Christianese,” and have probably been guilty of it a time or two as well. As a kid I remember talking to one of my peers about Christianity. “I am a Christian,” she proclaimed. I wasn’t so convinced. “How do you define a Christian?” “Well, I am a good person and I am American,” she said. The conversation got a little awkward as I said, “That doesn’t make you a Christian,” and briefly went on to explain why. She listened politely and acknowledged, “I never realized that before. I guess I am not a Christian after all.” She didn’t say anything else.

It’s easy to google for fall outreach ideas for ministering to children, but it is not nearly as easy to find ways to encourage children to reach out to others. While it is important for us to model outreach to the children in our lives, it is essential that we teach them how to serve. We must not communicate the idea that ministry is for adults only.

I overheard a co-worker talking on the phone recently about assurance of salvation. “It’s not pin the tale on Jesus,” he said. So true! Salvation is not a blind-folded guessing game. Those of us who have trusted in Christ alone for salvation can have confidence in our salvation.

Put yourself in the shoes of a family with children who have special needs. What do you think a typical week might look like? Perhaps, visits to a doctor, a therapist, or a counselor. Prolonged shopping trips to get special types of food. Worrying about class bullies. Fielding comments from insensitive friends or strangers. Finding just the right special needs school program. Endless communication with teachers or caregivers. Constant care and monitoring around the clock. Less time spent with your spouse or friends. By the end of the week you are likely exhausted, spiritually and physically.

Sometimes as Christians we act like we have all the answers. But when it really comes down to it, we merely act that way because we are afraid to voice our doubts and frustrations.

I am amazed at the numerous amounts of conversation starters I’ve seen all over the web. If you look on Pinterest, there are even printable charts with questions to ask your children each year on their birthdays. Building relationships with people is an essential part of reaching them with the gospel, and showing our care. For those of us who are not naturally gifted in making conversation, this can be very helpful. But instead of thinking in terms of “specific questions,” I suggest thinking in terms of topics.

I have those Sundays where everything seems magically calm, and I’ve had those difficult Sundays where every teacher joked “It must be a full moon this weekend.” Well moon or no moon, it is not always easy for young children to be away from their parents.

There is no magic cure all for separation anxiety. When your child cries and clings to your leg, it can prick your heart. But, like it or not, it is a normal part of growing up and can be a good sign. It shows that you and your child have a special bond. While it’s not always easy to leave your child with a nursery worker or Sunday school teacher, there are some ways to make those times of separation easier.

When I was new to teaching Sunday School, I visited a toddlers’ class to see an experienced teacher in action. She kept to her weekly routine, and near the end pulled out the well known book “The Hungry Caterpillar.” Most of the kids listened intently as the teacher read about the hungry caterpillar who eats a whole array of food from an apple to a pickle to a piece of chocolate cake. But, as she neared the end, a little boy blurted out, “We read this same book every week!”

One thing I love about children is how quickly they learn to pray from watching godly role models. Now granted I’ve heard some funny prayers in my time, like: “Dear God, Please help me get lots of toys for my birthday” or “Dear God, why do giraffes have such long necks?” But, they really seem to get it that we can talk to God about anything and everything, good things and bad things.

I recently saw a picture on Facebook of a mourning woman sprawled out in front of a veteran’s grave. The caption read: “MEMORIAL DAY: In case you thought it was national BBQ day.” The words caught my attention. Too often I focus more on getting a day off work or spending some quality time with friends eating patriotic themed Jell-O and floating in the pool. While those things in and of themselves are not wrong, it did get me thinking.

In preparing to do this blog, I did a little preliminary research. I was curious to see what a few quick Google searches on making Vacation Bible School evangelistic would yield. Not surprisingly VBS links and articles abound. Need help with themes? Never fear. Help with recruiting volunteers? Absolutely.  Games? Lessons? Crafts? Food? Yep. Yep. Yep. Yep. However, little was readily available on training your church and workers in evangelism specifically related to VBS.

Guitar? Check.

Coloring Sheets? Check.

Gold Fish Crackers? Check.

I could go on, but needless to say, sometimes the list of items needed for a children’s Sunday School Class can be quite long. As I run out the door, I mentally check off the items in my head to make sure I have everything. It is easy to have a preparation checklist for tangible items, but what about intangible things?

Easter Sunday seems to bring more people to church than any other day. So, chances are you saw some new faces in your children’s ministry programs yesterday. Let me encourage you to follow-up with them. If you are a Sunday school teacher or helper, then this post is especially for you. You have a chance to reach your visitors and their families in ways that your church staff members may not be able.

As a kid, I always looked forward to Sunday school. It was one of my favorite parts of the week. Bible lessons, games, snacks, songs, hanging out with other children my own age—they all shaped me. But interestingly, the Sunday I remember the most is the Sunday that I taught a Sunday school lesson to my peers.

Her glossy red hair matched the twinkle in her eyes, but she stood hesitantly at the classroom door gently tugging on her mother’s dress. Her eyes seemed to say, Do I have to stay here? “What a lovely bow on your dress! It matches your green eyes,” gushed the teacher. As the mother left and more parents came, more comments ensued. “What lovely braids!” “Awesome superhero shoes!” “I love your sparkly headband!” 

I was hesitant to join Pinterest, but after much cajoling from my husband I jumped on the bandwagon. Surely, I won’t like it, I told myself. I mean, it’s just a bunch of lame pinboards right? Several months down the road I confess that I like Pinterest more than just a wee bit. Okay, I confess I like it a lot. I am probably an addict. But can I just say that the potential I’ve found in Pinterest excites me? I love utilizing new and creative ideas, especially if I can incorporate them into my Christian walk in a way that points people to Christ. 

When I was growing up, my younger sister and I looked forward to 5-Day Clubs every summer. One particular time, the teacher said, “Everyone close your eyes. Raise your hand if you would like to pray to trust Christ.” After a pause, the teacher prayed, saying, “Thank you Lord for that hand that was raised.” It was my sister’s hand. I was so embarrassed. Not because I didn’t want my sister to be saved mind you, but because she had already prayed the prayer multiple times and it seemed like the teacher thought this was the first time. I didn’t want the teacher thinking something that wasn’t true.