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Three Quicksand Dangers in Kid’s Ministry
Quicksand is weak, unstable, and liquefied soil that traps and submerges people slowly into impending death. Normally, people get trapped into quicksand unknowingly, and are not purposely walking into it. Life turns into immediate panic when someone realizes they are trapped in an almost hopeless situation. Signs are posted to warn people of quicksand areas in order to keep others alive and avoid the horrendous situation. I want to ‘post’ a warning sign regarding three types of kid’s ministry quicksand: (1) Church-ianity; (2) Bible-ianity; and (3) Christianity. Interestingly enough, I think many others have already posted warning signs, and maybe this post is more so regurgitation. Future post will offer…
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A Worthy New Year’s Resolution: Be Steadfast, Immovable
Life is a fight, and it's a fight to stay alive. Children's ministry is no different. There are times of abundance and times of scarcity. Either abundance or scarcity can become two great powers pulling attention away from the true power of the gospel (c.f. Romans 1:16). We can let abundance or scarcity change us, or we can allow the gospel to transform us from the inside out, building a character of steadfastness and immovability "in the work of the Lord" (c.f. 1 Corinthians 15:58). The New Year of 2014, whether filled with abundance or scarcity, is a time and place to be resolved in the gospel. Paul writes to…
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Three Steps for a Decapitated Church
Is your church decapitated (headless)? If your church is headless, then your kid’s ministry is headless. Without the head, the body is lifeless, including all of its parts. Thus, a church (the body) without Jesus (the head) is headless and lifeless (Colossians 1:18). No matter how one dresses the body, the body is still lifeless. Interestingly enough, many in the church continually attempt to dress the body with budgets, meetings, strategies, payroll, square footage, advertisements, and lists of ministries. Some attempt to place charismatic leaders as the head of the body, creating a really awkward look to any church. Would people come to see a headless church? Sure, as it…
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Jesus
Jesus is primary. He is primary for anyone’s life, especially any ‘ministry.’ Don’t assume him; rather, know, trust, believe, and follow him. This is life or death for ministry as it is life or death for our souls. We are not the walking dead; rather, we are Christian – one walking alive until death to live with him forever. Christian means Christ-centered or Christ follower. We follow the Christ of Christianity. We follow the Christ of scripture (the Bible). We follow the Jewish man of the New Testament who claimed to be the promised one (Christ, Messiah) of the Old Testament. We follow the human man named Jesus that…
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I’m Back Writing and Excited
I am thankful for the invitation to continue writing for Bible.org's Children's ministry blog, Heartprints, and to encourage the rise of men and women to be passionate for the gospel in ministry to children! As you read, I hope you notice an active, planned involvement to kids personally – not just "ministry." This is not a job or a gift – it's a calling and command from God to any Christian – especially Christian men and pastors. We have grown numerically in our family, bringing on a 16 year old exchange student from Thailand for the last year and a half, and she looks to be forever apart of our…
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It’s a Boy!
Within the next month we will be having a boy! His two older sisters will need to determine whether there is room for another male in our household. We are excited for the new life. We have no idea if all will go well or not, but we believe all is in God's hands. Babies bring great noise to a home like cries, gas, burps, toys or laughs. Puking and pooping become the rhythm of a parents routine. Through the intensity of the first years, sleepless nights, hard work and noises, a parent takes great joy in seeing the child grow up. The same goes for kid's ministry, especially the…
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Pause, Pray and Plan
It's time to take time off of reading blogs and books and to place a moment of time to pause, pray and plan. Stop rushing to the next thing, pause at a coffee shop or an abnormal-non pressured place. In the moment pray through the sufferings, trials, joys and memories of your life in Christ. Plan for the day, week, month and year ahead of you. Stay simple in the complexitites. Even so, I am taking some of my own medicine from the best pharmicist – Jesus. My family is going camping for a few days among trees, dirt and lakes; and I will be taking time to pause, pray…
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Playground Mansions of Ministry Death?
Mansions across America sit empty because of the economy gone southward. Arrayed and adorned with expensive beauty, mansions appeal to the eye, but when empty they are inevitably heartless. The family truly brings life to the mansion, such as laughs, noises, movement and maintenance. Take away the family then the mansion is dead. Bring in life then the mansion is blessed and joyful! Therefore, how can death be joyful? Do we want to pursue building or keeping empty mansions without people?
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Leave the Fake Out, Give the Kid’s Real Jesus!
High voltage screams, wailing limbs, and snapping chains creates a ruckus among fearful neighbors as they watch the demonized man in the tombs flail (Mark 5:1-20). Parents are limited to protecting the kids from watching and left with the Americanized feeling of powerlessness. The kids witness a possessed man, a potential for their future, and ask questions like “what is wrong with the man?” American parents may respond with tucking the kids into the home, avoiding the situation, putting on a video for the little ones or marking it up to a psychological problem “over there”.
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God Produces Fruitful Faith for Faithful Hearers
What challenge, wisdom and advice would you give to men going into battle? Would you advise them that they will not die, never get hurt, comfortable, peaceful, short time frame and enemies love you? Or would you reveal to them that you are trustworthy and the advice given from you to them is just as trustworthy? Therefore, you know what to believe and do in order to enter the battle. The latter is logical, reasonable, helpful and real.
