…not a talent issue.

Last night on the Kidmin1124 radio show on CMConnect, I once again got into some passionate prose, but failed to remember that some listeners may not know me in the capacity that the panelists know me.  I felt the need to clarify what I mean when I say we should do all things with excellence.

As we discussed large group teaching, we were in a conversation about various methods.  I implored those serving in children’s ministry that whatever method they chose to incorporate into their large group teaching, do it with excellence or don’t do it all.  Wayne brought some nice balance to that conversation, but I still felt that some loose ends were left.  (I’ve embedded the audio from the show tonight below.)

Serving with excellence is not to be equated with serving with talent.  There are many very talented people who do what seems to be a great job, but fail to serve with excellence.  I know, because I’ve been that person more times than I care to admit.  Because of a charming stage presence and some natural communication giftings, I have been known to appear to do well even with little preparation.  That will never be considered serving with excellence.

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Recently, my wife and I went through a rollercoaster of emotions as we dealt with many personal health struggles.  While this situation ended well for both of us, and also ended with news that we are expecting another child this fall, it was a long and personal struggle.  Because of the nature of some of it, we chose not to share it with anyone outside of our immediate families.  This meant that the people in our church, including the volunteers that serve with us, thought everything was fine.

I suspect that similar situations happen every day in churches across this country.  Pastors, for personal reasons, choose not to share every little detail of their life with church members and volunteers. 

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I recently wrote about “seasoning” our words with grace and wanted to consider this a bit more. I wrote about the “power’ of our words and said, “Consider Colossians 4:6, “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (NIV) As you enter 2012, commit to be a person whose conversation is always full of grace, seasoned with salt so as you serve the children and families in your church and community the “echo” which results in their lives will “shape” them with the grace God so richly lavishes on us!”

Certainly we all agree we need to guard against the careless word which has the potential to harm a child – or any other person as well, but along with guarding against the careless word, we also need to guard against the “intentional” word. How often have we used our words in an intentional manner to “shame” or “discount” another person or their ministry, but do so in a way which is subtle? For example, do we hold up a ministry in our own church while “tearing down” a ministry in another church? Do we say something along the effect of the following, “We used to do that in our ministry, but found it was a waste of time, money and energy. What we do now is so much better . . . ” While it may be true there are things we may have done in the past which, for whatever reason, we no longer do, it doesn’t mean other churches should also abandon that particular type of ministry. Nor does it mean what we are now doing is “better”, it just may be more effective in our particular ministry, with our particular people, community and culture.

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I am often asked what to look for in a small group leader in children’s ministry.

While there are many qualities that those who fill this position should have, there is one that stands out above the rest for me.  A small group leader should be a great listener.

Yes I believe that a small group leader should have a vibrant realtionship with God, spend time in His word, and be passionate about sharing Jesus with kids. Those are all very important.

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I posted today on my blog for grandmas about the power of our words and thought I’d share a bit more about this “power”. As I said, “My friend, Maralee McKee the Manners Mentor, recently said, ‘What a parent says to their child won’t be heard on the news or read in the paper. However, it will echo throughout his life, shaping it and the lives of his family for generations which follow.’ ” She is right, and this is significant power. Words have the power to damage and cause great pain or they have the power to heal and give grace to others.

As I’ve mentioned before, I receive alerts from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children – these alerts break my heart. When I see the photos of children who are runaways, I wonder what kind of words did they hear in their homes? While some of them may be from loving homes and just became influenced by people who did not have their best interests at heart, it is very possible most of them have heard words which echo through their lives with pain. I’ve also watched as my children, grandchildren and the children in the churches where I’ve served “light up” when they are encouraged, applauded and lavished with grace and love!

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Ok, I know that this seems awfully close to the slogan for a popular brand of athletic shoes, but hey the may be onto something.  Maybe I’m the only one that has this problem, but sometimes in children’s ministry we have a tendency to wait until everything is in place before we start something new. Let tell you about how this recently played out in my ministry.

You see, for the past couple years I have felt a burden to start a small group ministry within our children’s ministry. The past two falls I have been determined to launch this exciting new thing. Well, in each case I would work on it over the summer, but then when it came time to launch I would end up feeling as if everything wasn’t ready and I would not launch.

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If you work in Children’s Ministry, there’s a good chance you’ve heard about the deals from Only144.com  These are the guys who offer amazing deals on collections of children’s ministry resources that are available for only 144 hours each time.

Well, the newest 144 hours sale starts this Friday, January 13th at 12:00 P.M. and lasts for, you guessed it, 144 hours!

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So we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and he heard our prayer.

Ezra 8:23

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In Exodus we learn about God freeing the Israelites from the captivity in Egypt. After they left the Egyptians changed their minds and began to pursue them. In Chapter 14 God says something that I have found very interesting. In verse 4 he says, “…I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and his army.” With this statement God is saying that He is going to do something so big that people will know that it could only have been done by Him. He then went on to part the Red Sea, allowing the Israelites to cross on dry land before bringing the water crashing down on the Egyptians.

That is my prayer for my ministry in 2012 that God would do something so big that people will look at it and know that only he could have done it.

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Can you believe it? In just a few days 2011 will be over. As 2011 ends and 2012 begins it can be very easy to be so focused on the things we are planning for 2012 we forget to take time to thank God for the many blessings – big and small – he sent our way in 2011. So, before 2012 begins, let’s take some time to remember the blessings you experienced personally and in your ministry throughout 2011. Consider the following -

• Take time to stop and think about each blessing – big and small – He sent your way. Write them down and take one blessing a day until 2012 begins to focus on and thank God for the many ways He blessed you
• One of the best blessings God gives us is the opportunity to be a blessing to someone else! Take time to seek God and ask Him how He wants to use you to bless someone else. Remember, a simple word of encouragement may seem small to you, but to the one who receives it, it could be one of their biggest blessings of the year!
• Be ready to share with others how God has blessed in 2011 – this can be very encouraging!
• And don’t forget to be quick to listen to how God has blessed others in 2011 as well! Rejoice with them and thank God together!

Psalm 111:1-4 – “¹ Praise the LORD, I will extol the LORD with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly. ² Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them. ³ Glorious and majestic are his deeds,  and his righteousness endures forever. ⁴ He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and compassionate.” (NIV)

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