music to my ears and my heart

This past weekend my husband and I were sitting in service listening to a great message about embracing grace. One of the verses used was Ephesians 2:8. Almost immediately my husband looked at me and said "Isn't this on one of the Seeds CD's?" This made my heart leap and then of course I started singing the song! Seed's CD's are found at your local christian book store or you can buy them online at www.seedsmusicstore.com.

They describe their music like this;

It's a Scripture-memory tool -- It's a CD full of fabulous music. It's both! Seeds combines songs that use Scripture for lyrics with strongly produced music that is varied in style to create a sound the whole family will love. Each song helps a child (and any adults in the vicinity) memorize one or more Bible verses from the NIV.

I totally dig these CD's, they are a great tool!!

Music is one of those amazingly powerful resources for children's ministry!

What great music have you found for kidmin??

a weapon in church?

A couple of weeks ago, the kids created a "mold" of their face with aluminum foil. There were specific instructions about reaffirming children that they are fearfully and wonderfully made, in fact the instructions were so specific they even said to remind the children not to fold up the aluminum foil into a weapon. Wow, that's pretty detailed!

In one small group though, the aluminum foil was not the weapon.....

As the kids were making face molds with their foil, one first grader struggled to get the foil around his glasses. He tried and tried and tried, and then, the unthinkable happened! A leader from another grade saw him looking at his attempt at a mold and snatched it from his hands saying, "We told you not to create a weapon." The little boy was crushed! His small group leader was crushed, but tried very hard to salvage the situation by telling the little one the other leader just made a mistake, and all people make mistakes right?!?

Our words are so powerful! This little one was convinced he should cover his face, he thought it was a weapon, all because of the powerful words one assuming leader spoke. This is nothing new, Proverbs 12:18 says; "The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing."

I pray that this weekend we all choose to leave our weapons at home as we minister to His children. Let's all be wise and use our words for healing!

Faith, Hope & Love

wonder and awe

“Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe. And they praised God, saying over and over again, ‘We have seen amazing things today.’” –Luke 5:26 NLT

“Have you ever seen the face of a child when she received a present she wasn’t expecting? Have you ever seen the face of a child when she receives a present she was expecting? It’s the same face: bright eyes, bubbly smile, slight gasps of oohs and aahs, surprise, astonishment, and amazement.

Children teach us mischief and fun. They teach us to appreciate even the tiniest miracles around us. They refuse to allow complacency. They approach every part of life with wonder. I don’t think Jesus ever wants us to lose that way of engaging the world. Have you ever lost your sense of wonder and awe? Misplaced your sense of amazement and surprise? Have you drifted into a rut or redundant routine? Many of us have. The good news is that we’re serving children, and children are the best teachers about wonder and awe in the universe. Learn from your kids this week!”

What a great reminder for me as a volunteer and also as a mom of three amazing children. I need to always be mindful of the wonder and awe God places right before our eyes every day!

Thanks so much for serving God by serving His church, and don't forget to learn from your kids this week!!

love is the same in all languages

I recently read a post I had written while on a mission trip to Kazakhstan and it was a great reminder that what all children want more than anything is love. That's true for all God's children, birth to 128, we all crave the same, love.

I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to be the craft guru of this amazing Kazakhstan journey. Today was the first day we were able to spend extended time with the children at the orphanages, and yep, you guessed it, my job was craft girl.

At the first orphanage we encountered children with different learning disabilities. I don't know why I am so amazed that we packed the appropriate crafts and activities for just the occasion. (Can you say "thank you Jesus!"????) Bubbles were perfect! From four years up to seventeen years, they loved blowing bubbles and catching them all at once, it was a beautiful sight to see. Next, scratch crosses. As I would show them how to scratch the paper with the wooden stick I would make a heart and scratch off the center and the beautiful colors would show through. Well, they liked the colors so much they just scratched the black wax off the entire cross and held it up for me to take a picture of them with their new creation! Again, it was a beautiful sight to see. Then, it was time for me to switch hats and become parachute girl. Aiman taught me how to tell the children to raise the parachute up and then down in Kazak. I already have forgotten how to say it, but I must have been saying it correctly at the time because they would raise it on my command and then lower it when I spoke again. There was one little guy who stood next to me but wouldn't grab the parachute. He was four and he would belly laugh each time the parachute would rise above his head. The joy on this sweet boy's face was priceless. Even his eyes were smiling! After the crafts were finished and the parachute was put away, it was time to hand out tennis shoes. The children were thrilled to say the least! Only one problem, we didn't have enough!! So it was time to go to the "Bazaar." (How bizarre, how bizarre...)

We walked through this maze of a market until we were deep into the area where the cheese is hidden....oops, I mean until we found the tennis shoes at a decent price. Aiman talked the man down from 2900 tenge per pair to 850 tenge. Just trust me when I tell you that is a very good deal, especially when we needed to purchase 30 more pairs!! We returned to the orphanage and handed out the new shoes. Then, we headed to orphanage number 2!

The second orphanage did not have special needs children. We decided to pull out the slap bracelets and markers for a little do it yourself slap bracelet artwork, then, the "God is Love" crosses were handed out for some gluing fun. Next, the ultimate craft......God's Eyes! Who would have ever thought yarn and popsicle sticks could be so fun?!!?!?! I would show the kids how to do the craft and I would say; "over, and around.....over, and around....over, and around" until they started saying it, in ENGLISH! Some of the kids would repeat everything I said and mimic my hand motions, they even mimicked my laugh! It was comical! It reminds me that love is simply the same in any language!

I pray that you will enjoy showing God's love to the children He brings your way this weekend!

Faith, Hope & Love

wanted: awesome small group leaders

I am so blown away by small group leaders. There are so many different leadership styles associated with small group leaders, but their passion is always the same, for kids to love and follow Jesus with all they've got!

Watching a small group leader recently, I noticed two students who tested this leader and they passed with flying colors! In just less than an hour, this leader impacted two students' lives in a huge way!!

Student 1

This student found five dollars at the bus stop and was thinking about what to buy with it. This awesome leader took the time to talk to him about what is important to him. Games? Fast food? Clothes? God? The student then began to ask questions like "What could I give this money to that would help someone?" The questions continued for about 5 minutes with the leader constantly putting the decision back on the student. How easy it is to just tell kids what they "should" do instead of leading them to think about their priorities and values. Several more questions later, the student decided to give it all to God. The student felt that he had everything he needed and because there are people out there who don't, maybe the church could help them. The win here is not that the student gave the money to the church to help others, the win here is that the student thought about what matters to him and to God. His decision was based on his faith in God and his priorities.

Student 2

This student keeps to himself. He never misses a week but he sits hunched over in the back of the room during the initial small group time trying to be invisible. This same volunteer strikes up a conversation with him. Shows Christ's love by accepting him and engaging him. The student responds with a slight smile and eventually decides to sit next to the leader during large group time. That is huge!! There are so many students we see each week that want to hide and sometimes we let them!! Not this leader! There was no way he was going to let him fade into the woodwork, he was going to do whatever he could to get him connected and on this day all it took was a conversation filled with love! I noticed that when this student sat in large group next to his leader, he sat up a little straighter and looked a little more at ease. It was a beautiful thing to witness.

Thank you small group leaders for your heart and passion for kids to love and follow Jesus!! You are AWESOME!

repeat after me, people before task

I have heard a lot of leaders share their struggle with people vs. tasks. I know there is tension there, but you will never go wrong putting people before any task.

There are lots of ministries that look like they've got it all together. You walk in and are blown away by the decor. You talk to the leader who shares with you how awesome the ministry is, everyone knows the 5 core values and the curriculum they use is just amazing. From the outside looking in you might be thinking it's the perfect ministry! Because you are visiting or evaluating you get a lot of smiles and everything looks like a well oiled machine, but is it? Unfortunately, sometimes it's just a facade.

After digging a little bit deeper you find out that although everything looks great, the picture painted is awesome alright, it's just a little out of focus. The people who were smiling at you are the same people who feel uncared for, misunderstood or not empowered. They are filling a hole because their children are in that room, or because they have always served in children's ministry!! How does this happen?

It's simple, the task can seem so exciting that we forget about the people who carryout the week to week ministry. As a big vision leader, I can see what can be and it's so tempting to focus on getting the tasks done. The problem is that the people come second, this should not be! There is balance to every tension, we must navigate that tension and if we fall too hard on one side or the other, it must be the people side. I recently listed to a brief John Maxwell talk from Catalyst. He was asked to share one thing about leadership. Of all the things he considered he landed on this; "Intentionally add value to people every day." If you constantly sow, the reaping will happen. Pour into your leaders, care for them, understand them, empower them! The tasks are the easy part, but not at your leaders expense. If you value your team, they will gladly help with the tasks!

Repeat after me, people before task.....

never underestimate the kingdom difference

Wow, I am always in awe of God. He is always at work, sometimes I think we just aren’t looking for the “life change,” but I am convinced it is all around us all the time! Please enjoy this story of life change from a small group leader....

“One of the kids was telling me that she had a friend that had never been to church and that his dad had a picture of the devil in his house. She was really amazed at that. I told her that she needed to pray even harder for that kid. I also told her I had witnessed a father accepting Jesus and getting baptized all because the son when to church and talked his dad into coming.

She handed me the prayer request and I put it in my folder and didn't really look at it until yesterday. Anyway when I opened it, my heart just stopped. I really did get through to her. She had written “Please God let my friends Dad believe in you and your son."

Doesn't that send chills down your spine and tears to you eyes? It sure did to mine, then and now again as I write this. NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE KINGDOM DIFFERENCE YOU ARE MAKING IN THE LIVES OF THE KIDS YOU SERVE!”

So, you ready to serve? Bring on the weekend!!

Faith, Hope & Love,

heroes, enter here

Every kids ministry volunteer lives out the description of Christian service found in 1 Corinthians 15:58:

“Stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

Holding a baby, singing a song, telling a story, listening to a child, recruiting volunteers, praying for coworkers—none of these are a waste of time because God understands that all of it is done for Him. Every weekend, volunteers (or heroes if you ask me) inconspicuously walk through the doors. Each volunteer does what they do because of a conviction that drives them without any expectation of honor. In today’s world, it’s easy to be too busy to volunteer or too distracted by a career to answer God’s call into children’s ministry. Thanks for saying yes to serving kids! You willingly traded the easy way for an exciting journey. As God watches you, know that he promises your award waits for at the end of your ministry adventure! You truly are a hero!

Faith, Hope & Love

how lucky are you?

It’s not even St. Patrick’s Day, but I am feeling lucky!! I know, there's no such thing as luck, maybe luck isn't the right word, maybe it's actually blessed! I feel blessed (lucky) that I have the sheer privilege of serving God’s leaders and His children. This weekend, you get to serve God by serving His kids. You get to help shape a young life into a future Godly leader. Yes………….YOU!!! It’s true and Paul’s words ring so loudly in my ears today…..

"By God's grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News. Though I am the least deserving of all God's people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ. I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning." Eph 3:7-9

I was struck by Paul's gratitude. He felt it an absolute privilege to be given the responsibility of ministry (and keep in mind he was in jail as he wrote). Can’t you hear Paul saying; "Can you believe I get to do this?!? How blessed (lucky) am I!?!"

Serving….it’s just that cool!!

Faith, Hope & Love

off to great places

Have you ever read the book “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” by Dr. Suess? What an encouraging little ditty! This book reminds me of the opportunities we have each weekend to serve children. We have the privilege of helping families and children on their faith journey. We can take them to a hot airy desert where manna fell from the skies, we can take them lakeside where a young boy shared all that he had, we can take them to prison where a prisoner sang praises to the almighty God, oh the places we will go when we decide to serve God with all we’ve got!!

My favorite lines from the whole book are;

And will you succeed?

Yes! You will, indeed

(98and ¾ percent guaranteed.)

So….

be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray

or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea,

you’re off to Great Places!

Today is your day!

Your mountain is waiting.

So…get on your way!

The weekend is here, will you succeed? Yes! You have Christ in you and you are serving His children! So, go……get on your way! Pray for the children and their families, love them when they arrive, model for them what it means to serve Christ, send them away with a hug or a high 5 telling them you can’t wait to see them next week!

Oh yes, I do love the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind and strength! Let’s serve together, amazing children's team!!!!!

Faith, Hope & Love

I promise

Last week, I was challenged to look in the Bible and find five promises from God. So, being obedient, I took the challenge and out of the first five I found, two really stood out to me.

The first promise that stood out to me was the promise that God will supply every need. (Philippians 4:19) I think this stood out because this past weekend I told the kids I would be leaving and asked them to pray for our family as we move. Several kids hands went up and as I called on them they asked "Why do you have to move?" and some said "I will pray for you" but the one that made me realize God will supply my every need is when the last student I called on said these four powerful words; "I will miss you." Yep, it got to me! I looked at my husband with tears in my eyes. You see, I didn't know if I could finish the lesson, but God promised to give me everything I needed and at that moment He gave me the strength to continue with His lesson.

The second one is this; "God has promised that all things work together for good to those who love and serve Him faithfully (Romans 8:28)." This struck me right between the eyes! As most of you know, I will be moving in just a couple of weeks. I have loved my time here! I have been so blessed with big love, great fellowship, and an amazing leadership team. I am at peace that God has called us to this new adventure, but I would not be truthful if I said it wasn't hard. Just this morning I was texting one of my new friends and my eyes welled up. I started thinking selfish thoughts like, "How can this season be so short?," "I just got started Lord, there is still so much to do!," and then He gently reminded me, "Be still and know that I am God." God's promise that all things work together for good to those who love and serve Him faithfully is at work right here! Although my time is short, God allowed me to serve (or work together) with you to accomplish HIS goals. I guess HIS goals were accomplished in 8 months!! Although it may be difficult for us to see and understand this at times, God has promised it.

I have always been told that you never make a promise you can't keep. I believe that 100% and I want to make a promise to each one of you. I promise I will never forget the Christ-like love you have shown me and my family.

Faith, Hope and Love,

no guts, no glory

June 11, 2010

I have recently been mentoring a leader who has just "stepped up her serve." She had decided to follow God's prompting to step out in faith to lead an area of ministry. I see someone who wants to chase after God's plan even though it is hard. One of the most rewarding things I have seen is the way she wants to pass on her knowledge to other leaders. This is a huge step. The light bulb has come on so to say in this area of leadership. All of the experiences God has blessed us with are to teach us and are for us to teach others. We are to equip the saints and this is one way to do that!

As you enter a classroom you probably notice your room is ready to serve children. The lesson materials are all carefully counted out and placed in your room, the toys have been sanitized and placed in inviting areas for children to see as they walk in, snacks and supplies are restocked and ready for use. Each environment is carefully created to provide the best possible opportunity for children to draw closer to God. This past week as I talked with this leader, she knew all of this was happening, but she didn't quite see the big reason behind it. The sparkle in her eyes told me that now, she does! Each room is a tool for ministry, not just a place for kids to play. Everything has a purpose and a place. That was just the first breakthrough of the day, the big breakthrough was next.

Watching her serve brought to my attention that she tries to do everything herself. We talked about building a team approach. Instead of labeling volunteers as "teachers and helpers," we would like volunteers to have ownership and serve as a team with specific roles (small group leaders, worship leader, large group leader, etc). We talked about replacing ourselves and allowing our knowledge to pass to other leaders with the hope of growing the team members we come in contact with. That's when I saw her holding back emotion. She knew God had blessed her with a unique gift to teach children, it was just dawning on her the new responsibility she has to pass along that gift. "Can you do this? I know it's different and difficult and it's going to take time and effort." She looked at me with the most serious face and said; "Yes, I can do this." That takes guts my friends!

Mark Batterson wrote a book; "IN A PIT WITH A LION ON A SNOWY DAY" and in his book he says this; "When we don't have the guts to step out in faith and chase lions, then God is robbed of the glory that rightfully belongs to Him."

This team is full of amazing gutsy leaders!! To God be the GLORY!!

Turtle Rescue

What a whirlwind week! And by whirlwind, I mean whirlwind! Two nights ago, there was a tornado! I had heard a storm was heading our way, I even waited up to see it, but after I had finally given up and went to bed, it arrived! My children were all telling me to "come see the storm," but I was already sleepy and I could see the lightening flashes from my room. I guess I was a little nonchalant about it by that point. Until I heard my daughter yell, "Oh no, the turtle!" She keeps her turtle outside and with the rain pouring down she was afraid the tank would overflow and the turtle would escape. She was right! In the middle of a storm (a TORNADO mind you!!!), she asked her brother and a friend to go out and save the turtle!! Those brave boys! They put their suits on and out the door they went. Wind blowing 80mph, trees laying sideways, fences down, and these two are looking for a 6" round turtle. Thank the Lord it didn't take long! They found "squirtle" on the driveway heading towards the street unharmed.

You are probably wondering why in the world would I tell you this story? Well, after I thought about it, this reminded me of all the hurting people we serve on a weekly basis. They are caught in the storms of life, much like squirtle the turtle. They are heading down the road and need someone to show them love. That would be each one of you!! Just like the boys rescuing the turtle, we have the opportunity each week to show love to the families God sends our way and rescue them from their storms. It may be a sick family member, or job loss, or any number of things that cause stress or "storms" and we are privileged to be Jesus with skin. Although we can't say "Peace, Be Still" and calm everybody's personal storms, we know the one who can!

Be on the lookout this weekend for turtles, and take the time to rescue them!!

Faith, Hope & Love

Is it okay that I helped a visitor?

When was the last time you were a 1st time visitor in a church where you

• showed up uninvited
• knew absolutely no one,
• had never been in the building before?

For most of you, it's probably been a while. At our church this happens on a weekly basis!! Praise the Lord!! Last week we had nine families visit the children's ministry for the first time, NINE!! That's a lot of visitors! It made me wonder, "What do we do to make our visitors feel welcome?" So, I looked around and I noticed the following things;

• We have a greeter who not only welcomes visitors to the children's building, they also hold the door open for them! This says we notice you and we want to get to know you!! (I'm glad you are here)
  
• We have a clearly marked check in area specifically for visitors that always has a volunteer ready and willing to help! That might not seem like a big deal, but it is!! Visitors don't want to wait in a long line and then find out they will hold up that same line by filling out a visitor information sheet. We have taken a little bit of that stress off of them by having a separate area just for them!! (Quick and easy check in)
  
• We have a volunteer whose main responsibility is to take each visiting family to their child's classroom and introduces them to the team members serving their children. A guided tour?!?!? I believe this helps to calm a family's fears of "Where am I leaving my child and how do I find them when service is done?" (We value your feelings)
• That same volunteer then escorts the parents to the sanctuary or big church as we call it!! Visitors might not have any idea where they are supposed to go, they have never been here before! By walking with them, some of their anxiety might be lifted. (YOU and your children matter)

I feel incredibly blessed that our team cares so much about the families God has entrusted us with! Whether they are first time guests or regular attenders, I believe the children's ministry team does a great job of making everyone feel welcomed and loved!

This past Sunday, I noticed one of our amazing check in leaders go the extra mile for a visitor. Because there was already a family at the visitors area, another visiting family went up to the regular check in area. The team member could have said; "you can check in over there at the visitors area," but instead she said; "sure, I can help you here!" She proceeded to register the family, check them in, give them the tour and then led them to the sanctuary. When she returned, she looked up at me with big eyes and said; "Is it okay that I left my check in area to help them?" I can honestly tell you that I was so blessed by her servant heart that all I could do was hug her and say "Of course!"

Like I said, we have an amazing team that does a great job of making everyone feel welcomed and loved! Thank you unnamed team member for going above and beyond and being Jesus with skin to this family!! (I told her I would keep her anonymous)

Faith, Hope & Love!

kids and families matter here

I have been re-reading "The Disney Way" by Bill Capodagli and Lynn Jackson. Every time I read this book the same chapter sticks out to me as I relate it children's ministry. The chapter is all about details. Why are details so important? The details are the little things, and little things add up to become big things. Here is a great quote about this from Craig Jutila; "It's the little things, that make a little difference, that make a big difference."

You might be thinking what are the little things? Let me share, the little things are the intangibles we can not measure. The things that you may think to yourself, "That's just what I do," that mean more to the people around you than you could ever imagine. Having a clean facility. Smiling because you are blessed to serve God. Greeting a team member with a giant hug. Saying good morning, or telling a family you are glad they are here! Setting up rooms so they look inviting not only to kids but to parents too. Changing a diaper and placing a sticker on the outside that says; "Changed with Care." Praying for a child's cat and asking them the next week if their cat is better. Making sure all the toys in each room are cleaned, disinfected, and age appropriate. Noticing that the dad of one of your small group students is home on break from the military and introducing yourself to him. These all say loud and clear; "KIDS AND FAMILIES MATTER HERE."

The funny thing is, we haven't even mentioned the weekly lessons or activities we use in the classroom to teach children about Christ! Would it be a stretch to say we are modeling it before they ever reach the room? I pray this is true!

As you serve this weekend, think about all the little things you do that make a little difference, that make a big difference in the lives of the children and families you serve.

Faith, Hope & Love,

definition of a volunteer

Several years ago, I came across a "volunteer" definition that made me giddy!

Vol un teer – (n) men and women who love Jesus and, without pay, passionately use their God-given gifts to make Sunday morning the very best hours of the week for the kids He sends their way, and in so doing . . . change the world!

Holding a baby, singing a song, telling a story, listening to a child, recruiting volunteers, praying for team members—none of these are a waste of time because God understands that all of it is done for Him. Every weekend, volunteers (or heroes if you ask me) inconspicuously walk through the doors. Each volunteer does what they do because of a conviction that drives them without any expectation of honor. In today’s world, it’s easy to be too busy to volunteer or too distracted by a career to answer God’s call into children’s ministry. Thanks for saying yes to serving kids! You willingly traded the easy way for an exciting journey. As God watches you, know that he promises your award waits for you at the end of your ministry adventure! You truly are a hero!


“Stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”


It's almost Sunday, time to change the world one child at a time!! :)

consumed by love

I loved leading worship this past weekend. I loved the way the students reacted to the music and then to the lesson and then my absolute favorite part, small group. I loved seeing the interaction between students and their leaders! And then it happened, God gently reminded me through one little girl that people are way more important than the program.

This little one sat on a chair because her shoe was broken. One of her leaders sat next to her and asked what was wrong and she said she was sitting there because her sandal was broken. The leader fixed her sandal, but she didn't move. Then, I watched another leader walk up to her and start a conversation about all the animals she liked, ducks were the winners. She smiled a little and the leader invited her to play a game, she declined and still just sat there. My turn. I walked up to her and said; "Are you okay sweetheart?" and the tears started streaming down her face. She started telling me that she didn't have anything to give her mom on mothers day next week. She didn't have any money and she didn't want to ask her dad because she really wanted to do something by herself. I told her that the most important thing she has to give her mommy was her love. She said, "I know, but I want to make her something." (Ah ha! Meeting a felt need! I can do this, no problem!) "How about we go to the restroom and wipe away those tears and I can teach you how to make flowers out of coffee filters and chenille sticks! Does that sound okay?" The smile returned, we walked to the restroom and she dried her tears, next stop, the supply closet! I taught her how to make the flowers, then I put all the supplies she needed in a brown paper bag so her mom wouldn't see. As she left, she smiled at me from ear to ear, I smiled back knowing that she can surprise her mom with handmade flowers on mothers day.

Although this special little one loved learning about Noah and worshiping God through song, she was consumed with how to show her mom love. I pray that this little story reminds you to be consumed each week with showing God's love!! As you lead worship, or lead a small group of elementary students, or teach preschoolers their lesson, as you hold babies or read a book to a toddler, let it always be because you are consumed with sharing God's love!!

Faith, Hope, & Love

keep trying

I spent the past couple of days this week at the Orange Conference. What an experience! I listened to one speaker in particular that reminded me how important it is to "come to Jesus as a little child." He shared the story of Adam and Eve in the garden. They were totally fine and then, it happened. They lost their innocence and started caring more about what other people thought about them instead of what God thought about them. Their ability to just be free was gone because of sin. The speaker went on to say that this happens between ages 3 and 5. At three the world is new and amazing everyday!! At five, the world has crept in just enough to start thinking that what other people think about us is more important than what God thinks.

I am so thankful that Jesus reminds all of us to come to Him as a child. To remember the innocence of those we are privileged to serve every week!

Last Sunday, I received a comment card from an elementary student that hit me like a ton of bricks. It's a perfect reminder to not lose your innocence in Christ!! Here is what he said;

Be a good friend and love God,
love others, love your family,
make good choices, obey, pray,
share, tell the truth, trust God,
have faith, hope, keep trying.

Great words of wisdom huh?? I pray as you serve the children in your care this weekend that you will do all those things!! It's obviously not easy, as he reminded us by the last two words, "keep trying." That's exactly what I am choosing to do, no matter what, I will keep trying!!



Faith, Hope & Love!

attitudes

I don't know if you have noticed, Yeah RIGHT!! I know you have noticed how crowded our rooms have been!! What an incredible blessing we are receiving from the Lord! Our rooms are getting full and I love the attitude I have been seeing from each one of you! You are willing to do whatever it takes to make sure the children are cared for and know more about Jesus by the time you hand them back to their parents!

Attitude is everything. We have a choice to embrace this incredible opportunity and rise to the occasion or become stressed and not trust God to provide. Just as God is providing children for us to minister to, He will also provide the team members to serve them. Do you know someone who wants a place to serve? Invite them!! Lets help every find their place of ministry!!

Here is one of my favorite quotes on attitude by Charles Swindoll, enjoy!!

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.

Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company ... a church ... a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable.

The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude ... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it.

And so it is with you ... we are in charge of our Attitudes.

Faith, Hope & Love!

bunnies and elves

Hosanna in the Highest!!

I just heard the song Hosanna by Hillsong United. After hearing the chorus I found myself praying. Praying for our church family, especially kidmin volunteers and children. The words just flowed and reminded me of why we are here and just how important the next two weekends are. This Sunday is Palm Sunday and next Sunday is Easter. We get to share what Jesus did for each one of us on a larger scale because we will be blessed with visitors.

There are people who only come to church two times each year. I sometimes call them the "bunnies and the elves." They only show up on Easter and on Christmas so lets make the most of our opportunity to share God's love with them! I want each visitor to feel the love we have for them through Jesus Christ! I want each parent to walk though the doors of the children's area and see volunteers ready to help them find their child's classroom and most importantly find their way to the sanctuary to hear the greatest news of all time!

Right now, I bet you would like me to get off my soapbox! Sorry!!! Sometimes I just get so passionate for those that are far from Christ to cross the line of faith and be close to Him!! As you read the chorus below, let it be our prayer for the children's ministry and let us love everyone around us the way He loves us!!

Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like you have loved me

Break my heart from what breaks yours
Everything I am for your kingdoms cause
As I go from nothing to
Eternity

Oh how He loves us!

generosity

This past Sunday the children learned about the love of money as they heard Jesus' extreme saying that is is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. We challenged the students to ask God to show them where they could give some of their money to help someone else. I can honestly say it didn't take long for a couple of students to put their lesson into practice.


During AWANA store time Sunday night there were two brothers who were supposed to be at a birthday party but chose to leave the party to attend AWANA. They didn't have their handbooks or shirt or any of their AWANA bucks to use at the AWANA store. They were both sad and Jennifer, the AWANA commander, noticed.


She called out to all the students; "Is there anyone who would want to help a friend out and give them some of your AWANA money so they can get something at the store?" Within seconds, another student gave his friend $40.00 AWANA dollars. That is equivalent to 5 weeks worth of attending AWANA, reciting your VERSES, remembering your BIBLE, wearing your SHIRT, and participating in this awesome program. He was able to go to the store and purchase legos because of the generosity of one of his club-mates! His brother was in another group, but the same thing happened. Another student gave him $35.00 to use at the AWANA store!


The generosity of the kids didn't stop there. At the end of the night, Jennifer asked if there were any students who wanted to give their AWANA bucks to missions. She collected $81.00.


I am blown away by their generosity and love for each other! When Jennifer shared this story it made me think what amazing examples these children are! Just as Jesus said in Matthew 18:3; "And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." I pray we can become like these children and help those around us this week!

you are loved and you matter

I was recently reading "Before You Leap" by Kermit the Frog. (No, I'm not kidding!!) One of my favorite quotes in the whole book was this;

"It doesn't matter if you're a frog or a pig or a bear or even a person. It doesn't matter if you're a big fish in a little pond or a small fish in a big pond--you're you and you matter."

This made me think about each one of you and all the different places of service in children's ministry. God has placed you right where you belong! Serving Him as you serve His children and their families!! Infants, toddlers, preschool, elementary, jr high, registration, worship team, tech team, coordinator, Sunday morning, Sunday evening AWANA, weekday child-care, it doesn't matter where you serve or what time you serve, YOU ARE YOU AND YOU MATTER!

This week, I would like you to pray for a team member you serve alongside. Pray that God will give them wisdom and strength as they serve HIM with all their might!!

amazing

What an amazing Sunday! I was so blessed as I watched YOU serve God by serving His children!

In elementary, Mrs Ruby was just sitting down with her small group when her allergies started acting up. They were so bad she had to leave class as the other leaders took over. During small group time the students have the opportunity to write down a prayer request, a question or a comment. Two girls in Mrs Ruby's group chose wrote this on their paper; "Help Mrs Ruby get better and pray for her." and "Pray for Mrs Ruby to get better." WOW!! A third grader and a fifth grader decided to put themselves aside and pray for their leader! That's the kind of stuff that brings a tear to my eye! Students who are "getting it!!" Christ-like examples at such a young age!

But wait! There's more!

Right before the baptisms began, I see all the AWANA leaders and students filing in to support their friends. As Lucia, Grace, and Avery were making their way to Pastor Rick, their friends were cheering them on and watched with amazement! CONGRATULATIONS to Lucia, Grace, and Avery on your baptism! We are so proud of you! Thank you Jennifer and each AWANA leader for giving up your club time to be there!!

See, I told you it was an amazing Sunday!!