Last week I said, “There certainly are a lot of things we need to give our volunteers, but for the next few weeks, I’m going to share my top five essentials for us to give our volunteers.” Then I posted about the #5 essential thing for us to give our volunteers . . . give them resources! Today I want to take a few moments to consider the #4 essential thing for us to give our volunteers, training!

I know, I can practically hear you groaning as you think about volunteer training. I understand it can be very difficult to get volunteers to show up at training opportunities, everyone is certainly busy, but training is essential if we are going to be effective in our ministry.

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There certainly are a lot of things we need to give our volunteers, but for the next few weeks, I’m going to share my top five essentials for us to give our volunteers. Today let’s think about the #5 essential thing for us to give our volunteers . . . give them resources!

When we ask someone to volunteer their time, energy and self to serve in our children’s ministry, we need to be sure we are not also asking them to come up with the resources they will need to serve. Be sure you provide each of the following things for your volunteers . . .

• Curriculum – this may seem like a “no-brainer”, but there are churches where volunteers need to find and buy their own curriculum. There are of course several reasons you want to provide curriculum;  first of course being if you provide the curriculum you can be sure of the scope and sequence, the specifics the children will be learning and can be sure they match up with the vision and goals for your children’s ministry as well as the doctrine of your church.
• Craft supplies, materials for object lessons . . . everything a volunteer needs to serve. If you want your volunteers to engage the children in the activities each week, you need to give them the things the need to do this. You may have volunteers – or people who otherwise would be willing to serve – who can not afford to buy these types of things.
• Bibles – if the children in your church do not have their own Bibles, be sure to have classroom Bibles – consider presenting children with their own Bibles, but be sure they first of all are able to use Bibles in the classroom.
• Snacks and or treats if you want children to have these things. Ask your volunteers to show restraint in bringing extras to their class as this allows all your volunteers to serve on “equal footing”. If one volunteer is able to buy extras while another is not, children are likely to notice and may think their volunteer isn’t as “good”.
• But in addition to this, you need to provide the resources because if volunteers have to find and purchase their own resources, you may have people who would otherwise serve, but do not because they can not afford to buy the resources themselves.

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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 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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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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It is really easy for me to be excited about Christmas . . . Jesus came to Earth and was born as a human so we can know Him – this is truly exciting! It is very easy for this message to be “lost” in all the “busyness” and the “celebrating” of Christmas. I, probably like most of you, tend to be very busy at Christmas and I absolutely love celebrating it with my family, particularly my grandsons! But I need to be sure to remember some very important things about Christmas . . . there are those who are so badly in need of hearing and receiving the message of Christmas – Jesus’ love.

In addition to posting here on Kidmin1124 and writing my own blog, About the Children’s Department, I also write a blog for grandmas – and grandpas, moms and dads, too – grandma’s cookie jar. Nearly everything I post on this blog is about the “wonderfulness” (may not be a “real” word, but it works!) of being a grandma! I do however, also share each week the photo and information on a missing child so everyone can be praying for this child and his/her family. I receive the alerts from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children – and these alerts break my heart. Many of these missing children are considered “Endangered Runaways”. When I look at the photos of these children – typically between the ages of 12 and 17 – I wonder, “what was he/she like when he/she was three or four?” They were probably just sweet, little children who wanted to be loved. I wonder what happened to bring them to a point where they chose to run away from home? For some, home is likely not a safe place where they are nurtured, cherished and wanted. For others they may have been influenced by someone with motives of their own. Regardless of why they ran away, the fact is they ran away. I wonder, “how might things have been different if they had someone in their lives who shared Jesus’ love with them?” As you celebrate Christmas this year, please make the following commitments . . . (more…)

Last week I posted my Top 5 Reasons for Focusing Kids on Giving at Christmas, but this week I want to stop to think about the Top 5 reasons for Focusing our Kids on Receiving at Christmas . . . yes, I said “receiving“! At Christmas children – and adults, too – think quite a bit about the gifts they would like to receive, but in God’s Word we find some of the most incredible gifts anyone could ever receive . . . and we read they are gifts God wants us to receive! Consider the following .  .  .

• I Peter 1:3,4,8,9 “³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ and into an inheritance that is imperishable, uncorrupted, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, ⁸ You love Him, though you have not seen Him. And though not seeing Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, ⁹ because you are receiving the goal of your  faith, the salvation of your souls.” (HCSB) Praise God! Because of His great mercy, He has given us new birth and a living hope through Jesus’ resurrection! He wants us to receive His amazing gift of salvation! There is no better gift we could ever receive! This is a gift we want kids to focus on receiving!
• Acts 17:11 “¹¹ Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” (NASB) God’s Word is a gift like no other! It allows us the opportunity to know God and how to walk with Him. We want the children in our ministries to receive God’s Word with great eagerness! We want them to be excited about examining the Scriptures every day so they can grow in their walk with Jesus! This is another important gift for our kids to focus on receiving!
• Matthew 7:7, 8, 11 – “ ⁷Ask, and you will receive. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened for you. ⁸Everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who searches will find. And the door will be opened for everyone who knocks. ¹¹you still know how to give good gifts to your children. But your heavenly Father is even more ready to give good things to people who ask.” (CEV) Is there anything so amazing as the truth our Heavenly Father hears us when we pray? Not only does He hear us, but He says if we “ask” we will “receive“! Rejoice with the children in your ministries this Christmas over the incredible gift God gives us of hearing us when we pray and of answering our prayers! We want our kids to know they can and will receive answers to their prayers!
• Hebrews 12:28 “²⁸ We are receiving a kingdom that can’t be shaken. So let us be thankful. Then we can worship God in a way that pleases him. We will worship him with deep respect and wonder.” (NIrV) God’s Word tells us we are “receiving a kingdom that can’t be shaken”! This gift is the gift of hope! God’s kingdom will not be shaken. It is firm and it is everlasting and this does give us so very much to be thankful for! Lead the children in your ministry in worshiping God this Christmas for the promise He has given us of receiving His kingdom!
• John 14:15-17 “¹⁵ ”If you love me, you will keep my commandments. ¹⁶And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, ¹⁷even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” (ESV) As if all the other incredible blessings we receive from God isn’t enough, He goes above and beyond and gives us the Holy Spirit to be our Helper! He is with us forever! We can know Him! Amazing!

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“Christmas time is here Happiness and cheer Fun for all that children call Their favorite time of the year!”

Ah, yes . . . Christmas time is here and while children are likely to be focused on the gifts they hope to receive . . . as for many children it is their favorite time of year, I believe it is the ideal time to redirect their focus on giving to others! So . . .  here are my Top 5 Reasons for Focusing Kids on Giving at Christmas . . .

1. Jesus is our Example . . . He gave to us – John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (ESV)
2. Jesus told us to give to others . . . when we give to others, we are choosing to obey Jesus  - John 15:12 “‘This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.’” (ESV)
3. Giving to others brings glory to God! – Matthew 5:16 “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (ESV)
4. It pleases God – Hebrews 13:16 “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” (ESV)
5. It shows by what we do God’s love is in us!  - I John 3:17 “But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?” (ESV)

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With the news of the past week it is impossible to not have our hearts grieve for children who have been harmed at the hands of an adult they should have been able to trust. When news like this hits the airwaves, it leaves parents understandably shaken and in need of assurance they can trust the adults who have access to their children. So what can you do to help parents know their children are safe with you? Consider the following . . .

• Transparency. Share your written child safety policy with the parents of the children in your church and community. This is an excellent opportunity to mail a copy of your safety policy to each family in your ministry and schedule a time for parents to sit down with you to walk through your policy and how you implement it. Invite parents to visit their children’s classes and be sure they know their child’s teachers.
• Collaborate. Along this note, schedule a time for your volunteers to sit down with the parents. Give the volunteers the opportunity to share why they serve and provide time for parents and volunteers to pray together for the children. Help parents and volunteers come together as a team to disciple their children!
• Vigilance. Pay attention. Watch. Have a plan for safety in all areas of your ministry and stick to it like glue.
• Prayer. Make the safety of the children an issue which is at, and which remains at, the top of your prayer list.

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For the past few weeks I’ve been writing about some of the things I’m thankful for. I recently saw a post on a friend’s facebook which made me stop and think about thankfulness. . .

So . . . yes, I’m thankful, but do I take time every day to thank God for His many, many blessings in my life?  This caused me to ask myself a few questions . . . (more…)