As Christians generally, and in children’s ministry in particular, we must be constantly learning in order to grow spiritually.  One of the ways I do that is that I am an avid listener of podcasts.  As a volunteer, my time can be limited, and I find that listening to podcasts is a great way to continue my spiritual growth while I am driving, or working, or walking or whatever else I might be doing.

The following are some of the ones I listen to.  In case you’re curious, I listed them alphabetically by the last name of the first listed contributor – not necessarily in my order of preference. (more…)

When we think of creativity, we often think of people like Leonardo DaVinci or Pablo Picasso. Maybe you think of George Lucas or Gene Roddenberry. Or maybe it’s people like Harley Earl who influenced automotive design from the 1940s through the 1960s; including designing the very first Corvette. Maybe you think of musicians like The Beatles or Jimmy Hendrix. Maybe you even think of people like skateboard legend Tony Hawk. Whoever comes to mind, chances are you would not compare your creative potential to theirs. I would argue that, if you are a Christian your creative potential is not only equal to that of these creative geniuses, but perhaps even greater.

Genesis 1:27 states, (more…)

Earlier this summer I attended a conference in Miami for my day job. While at the conference there were the usual main sessions and breakouts. During one of the main sessions there was a keynote speaker who said something that really struck me as both a father and a children’s pastor. He talked about his job experience, his wife and his kids. It was while he talked about something that one of his daughters said to him, that he struck me with a nearly mortal blow. She said, “Daddy, could you listen to me with your eyes and not just with your ears.” I nearly broke down in tears right then. How many times have I been doing something and have my son walk up and want to talk to me? How often do I continue working while half listening to what he is saying? More times than I care to admit.

Honestly, I am capable of hearing what he is saying while continuing to work, but that’s not the point. I consider myself a family man; the type that puts my family ahead of my worldly pursuits. However, in that moment I am telling my son that whatever I am doing is more important than him. In my mind I may be thinking that what I am doing is more important than what he is saying. This may be true as he most often wants to talk about cartoons or video games, but that’s not the point. In that moment the message I am sending my son is that whatever I am doing is more important than HIM. I could cry now thinking of the times I have done this while working, or worse, while watching TV. I fear that my son may already think that I don’t have time to listen to him, or that these other things are more important than he is.

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There is no I in team, but if you rearrange the letters a bit you can find me. In a world that promotes an “all about me” mindset, it can be difficult to find yourself as part of a team. I have been watching the tv show “Friday Night Lights” with my boys, and it made me look at children’s ministry through the similarities of a football team.

• A team has to have a coach. A person to direct from the sidelines. A person to train and teach the players on the field.
• There are cheerleaders who root for the team while they are on the field and encourage them during the time between games.
• Every player is essential. They work together towards the same goal.
• Each player has a position according to their giftings. The expectations of those positions are clearly defined.
• Players meet on a regular basis to fine tune the team. This means celebrating the wins and brainstorming ways to improve.

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