Lisa Goodyear's blog

How can we encourage children to seek wisdom? Wisdom is vital for children to have in order to fulfill God’s plan for their life…especially in today’s world. But only God can give true wisdom and help a child apply it to daily life. Thus, we want to encourage children to maximize God’s truth by helping them understand biblical wisdom.

Happy New Year!!!  2013 is here and with the start of a new year comes new resolutions, new beginnings, new accomplishments, new opportunities, new life, and new blessings from God.

Several years ago I was on the Weight Watchers diet.  During the weekly meetings the leaders would share tips and encouragement to help us tackle the challenging task of losing weight.

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Is your leadership style blah and somewhat boring?  Could you use some rocket power ideas to blast into your children’s ministry this fall?  Do you desire for your leadership to reach out into a new galaxy full of energy, lighting up your children’s ministry with the love of Jesus.  Do you seek to lead your volunteers to shine like stars and sparkle brightly in the classroom where children grow into a deeper relationship with Jesus? Then it’s time to blast off and take your volunteers to new heights as they experience God’s grace through your leadership.

The month of September has arrived and fall is just around the corner. Excitement and energy fill the air as children embrace new activities, make new friends, learn new things, and move into a new classroom.  When I think of the month of September in Children’s Ministry, I think of these ten things.

In my last blog I discussed how to determine and set goals for your ministry.  After the goals have been set, the next process is to evaluate those goals.  Regularly evaluating and appropriately adjusting your goals in three key areas of your children’s ministry will lend to the overall success. 

Have you ever heard these words from your volunteers?  “I love the curriculum. Why do we have to change?”  Or perhaps, “we have been doing it this way for years and it has worked…do we really need to change?”  Here is a classic, “our kids love coming to Sunday school, why do we need to try something new?” 

On this Fourth of July, what is on your agenda?

Once upon a time there lived a blended family with a father and his daughter, along with a mother and her two daughters.  This family lived happily together under one roof until...the father died.  

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What would you do if...during circle time with your preschoolers, one of the little girls in your class was pinching the little girl next to her.  How would you handle this situation?

How well do you know HIM?  He is the resurrection and the reason we have hope of everlasting live.  Jesus Christ died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins and He said it is finished, but on the third day He rose again...Great News for all of mankind...Now He lives in heaven sitting at the right hand of God...As we approach Resurrection Sunday, I would like to encourage those of you who work with children to ask them the following questions...

“Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb…Mary had a little lamb whose fleece was white as snow; and everywhere that Mary went, Mary went, Mary went...everywhere that Mary went that lamb was sure to go.”

How do you start your volunteer training sessions?  Does it go something like… “Welcome, I am so glad you are here” or ”My name is” or ”Today we will be talking about” or ”Let us pray and get started?”  

Valentine’s Day has come and gone and for many people it was a special day full of love, fun, food, flowers, chocolates, strawberries and gifts.  What does the day after bring, though?

Tis the season to be...cold or warm? If you live in the northern hemisphere during the month of January you will probably experience cooler temperatures, shorter days, longer nights, snow, sleet, ice, dormant trees and brown grass, and fewer animals roaming around in your backyard.

As we approach Christmas let your heart be full of the love of Jesus.  Embrace the only one who can bring love, joy, peace, and hope everyday of the year.  This Christmas receive the love of Jesus who is God's gift to the world and the only reason to celebrate this season.

O Come let us adore Him...

On the First Day of Christmas the Bible reveals to me...Jesus born into humanity.

What is wisdom?  Where does wisdom come from?  Kay Arthur defines wisdom as “knowledge rightly applied.”  Billy Graham sums it up this way, “knowledge is horizontal…but, wisdom is vertical - it comes down from above.”  According to Dr. Tony Evans, “wisdom is the spiritual insight for earthly application, the ability to know what God wants and the know-how to apply it where you live.”

Being organized, having enough material, and planning activities according to your Sunday school lesson can at times be challenging.  Have you ever prepared a Bible lesson from the required curriculum and not had enough material to fill the time? Or better yet, the material in the curriculum book does not meet the needs of your students?  Have you ever had to scramble and search for additional activities, crafts, games, and handouts?  Below is another activity that can be used in the classroom when additional material is needed.  

It’s 1:00 p.m. and worship service is not yet out.  Sheer panic and frustration comes over the teachers as they cry out in desperation for more activities in their classrooms.  Kids are anxious for their parents to pick them up and they are fidgeting in their seats.  The classrooms are getting out of control from the lack of engaging activities and kids are bored.

It was Friday, February 4, when our mess began.  Do any of you remember the week of the Super Bowl, 2011?  If you lived in north Texas you probably will never forget that record-breaking week.  You see, for one week almost everything in the Dallas/Fort Worth area was shut down due to unusually cold temperatures and incredibly dangerous ice conditions that were left on our roads and highways.  Because of the lack of adequate road equipment to handle icy conditions many people stayed at home, enjoyed days off, and sat by the fire as they waited for the ice and snow to melt.

The first day of autumn 2011 is Friday, September 23rd.  According to the Encyclopedia Britannica online, "autumn is the season of the year between summer and winter during which temperatures gradually decrease."  This season is often called fall in the United States because leaves fall from the trees during this time.  Autumn is usually defined in the Northern Hemisphere as the period between the autumnal equinox (day and night in length), which falls on either September 22nd or 23rd. 

Our Sr. pastor, Dr. Tony Evans, recently finished a four part series entitled, “The Seed Principle.” Using the parable of the sower found in Luke 8:4-15, we were challenged to evaluate the soil conditions of our soul, in order to determine the growth of the seed that God implanted in us when we became Christians, (James 1:21).  You see, the seed is the Word of God (Luke 8:11) and it is perfect.  However, if the Word of God is to work in our lives, then the perfect seed must be allowed and stimulated to grow.  Dr. Evans went on to say that…”If the seed does not land in the right place, then the seed will not grow and there will be no transformation.  So, where has the seed landed in your life?  Has it landed on rocky soil, in the weeds, or is it flourishing in good soil?"

Hello, my name is …???  Hello, my name is …???  Hello, my name is …???  Over 50 years ago a new game show written by Bob Stewart and produced by Goodson-Todman Productions was first aired on CBS. “To Tell the Truth” game show, hosted by Bud Collyer, was introduced to the public on December 18, 1956.   After its debut, the show took off and was watched for over a decade in homes across America.  Because of the popularity of this twenty five minute program, it remained on TV until 1968.

MY TANK IS EMPTY…I NEED TO REFUEL!  How often has that ‘scream’ come flowing into your mind?  If you are like me, it is a continuous process to stay refueled and refreshed while serving in ministry…especially children’s ministry. 

Not too long ago, during our weekly women’s Bible study, I was talking with a woman who expressed concern and heartbreak regarding one of her grown children.  Her heart was broken because this adult child…who had been raised in a Christian home, confessed Jesus Christ as savior, and went to Church and Sunday school…had recently made some very bad choices.  As she was overcome with grief and concern, she expressed her discouragement and hurt, because the choices that her grown child was making were contrary to God’s Word and His principles...

Do you dread asking your faithful volunteers to attend another teacher training?  Have you ever thought to yourself...”Do they really need to attend this teacher training...Will they be encouraged, excited, and engaged…Would I want to attend it if I was a volunteer…Will this teacher training be effective and worth their time to attend…Will it meet their needs as a children’s ministry volunteer?” 

Help...Help...Help!  Volunteers to the rescue! 

How many times do volunteers come to your rescue when you say...”I need someone to serve...can you help?”  How often have they filled a vital need in your ministry by pitching in at the last minute or simply teaching every week in a classroom full of kids?