Sabbath: a day of rest.
One of the questions I hear alot is “How in the world do you have a sabbath as a volunteer in children’s ministry?” Trying to fit in a day of rest when we have family, friends, work, and ministry requiring our time and attention each week can be a challenge.
But hear me say this…IT IS POSSIBLE. Not only is it possible…IT IS NECESSARY.
We meet people both online and in person that just make us want to spend more time with them.
You know…those people.
Those people that just have something about them that you just want to be near them in hope that it rubs off a little. Those people that when they talk about their passions it is contagious. Those people that when you read something they have written or have a conversation with them and you know that you have to be around them and hear more.
“And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
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.
One of the workshops I attended at the KidMin Conference was Working with Parents: What They Do and Don’t Need from Us with Gina McClain. One of the things she shared has me thinking a lot about family time. She suggested that rather than giving parents something else to do during family time, we should be encouraging and helping them enhance what they are already doing with their families.
Here are some suggestions:
One of the greatest examples that Jesus showed us what serving really means wasn’t standing in front of a crowd.
It was kneeling at the feet of His disciples.
Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him. John 13:3-5
During our time in Children’s Ministry we are not only called to serve families, but each other as well.
What do we do with our kids who are here for multiple services?
This is a question we faced as we recently went to three services. We have parents that serve in one service and attend another service which means their children are in Kidzplayce for more than one service. We have affectionately nicknamed these kids “repeats.” What we found is that kids who are repeats tend to either zone out or become disruptive in the following services. We decided to tweek two of our services to make them a bit different.
Our first service at 8:30 tends to be smaller in numbers so we have adjusted it to be a more intimate time. Our teacher sits on the edge of the stage and the kids gather on the floor around her. The kids are using their Bibles for the lesson much more in depth during this time and are even doing some drills to help them learn how to use their Bibles. We have taken out small groups during this time and have replaced it with more of a group discussion time. The other aspects of the service like worship time have stayed the same.
