I’m still feeling the effects of Yosemite Summit 2009. It is difficult to describe this event to someone who has not gone; it is truly a wonderful trip on so many fronts. But it is my prayer that some descriptions, some pictures, quotes from the guys and a video might help you get a glimpse of the unique experience Yosemite Summit is for the guys who take the time away from ministry to invest in their walk with God and a few other good men who share their passion for children’s ministry.
After the neat group of guys God brought together for the first Summit, I honestly was a little worried that the second year might feel different, but again God brought together a group of men who all got along great and seemingly instantly we were like old friends. I now get to pray the same for 2010!
There is simply no way to describe the grandeur of the vistas at Yosemite National Park. Pictures can’t even come close to capturing the awe of looking out from one vista to another across the sprawling valley below. It is like you can reach out and touch the presence of God.
One of the highlights of Yosemite Summit is getting some time alone in magnificent places to think, pray and journal your thoughts. All the usual distractions of life are hundreds of miles away… and somehow God’s voice is just so much clearer, if not louder.
Thanks so much for an awesome week! It was a real joy to hike with fellow CPs. I was blessed by each guy sharing each night and energized by the encouragement and new ideas shared. The spiritual challenges from Karl, were spot on and a great tool for God to work in my life. I look forward to continuing our new friendships. God Bless each one of you and may your lives and families and ministries never be the same!
We often were together as we hiked, but then had times to split up for some solo time as well. The balance between fellowship and solitude is not managed strictly, but seems to just naturally unfold as we hike at different paces, regroup at the most spectacular sites, and gather for meals along the trails.
How do you describe the feeling of standing at the top of a mountain? While we always stayed a safe distance from truly deadly or dangerous drop offs, you are often near places where the ground soon gives way to sky where hawks and eagles drift by. To be looking straight across at a water fall that is pouring hundreds of feet to a valley below you is awe-inspiring. While the falls seem distant, often you can still hear their roar as they crash into rocks thousands of feet away below and across the valley.
While much of what is experienced in Yosemite remains here or in our memories, the time invested in journaling helps take much of what God stirs within us back home. I love rereading from my Yosemite journal and then closing my eyes and remembering the place where I wrote those words.
Yosemite Summit met all my expectations and I came away feeling like it was one of the best things I could have done for my relationship with the Lord and my ministry. I love the idea of allowing retreat, re-create times to rekindle my love for God, my family and my ministry.
Because of today’s technology, it is wonderful to be able to have worship music playing in head phones as we hiked, journals, or just relaxed. At other times, walking in silence and allowing God’s creation to be the sound track was equally beautiful. With the distant roar of countless water falls, the chirping of birds, rustling of leaves and the occasional scurry of an animal broken only by the steady plodding of our footsteps, Creation offered us the most fitting background music.
I never in all my 20+ years of ministry had taken a “real” break away where I could focus on my relationship with Christ. Because of my time at Yosemite, I have committed that I would take a break regularly because of the impact this has had on my ministry, family and my relationship with Jesus. Yosemite Summit gave me the opportunity to refresh my soul, to renew my spirit and to come back home with a new resolve to fall in love with Jesus more, to serve him with a wiser focus and to honor him with the way I lead my family and my ministry. - Tom
I loved seeing the guys relaxing and can’t help wondering, how often do they truly get to relax back home - where they totally and completely let go of everything and just enjoy the presence of God?
There is nothing like the opportunity to get away, on your own, with no distractions while you listen to God’s voice. The memory will not quickly fade. Jesus made many different times to get away. He even took 40 days before beginning his ministry. How much more do we need to get away and just be with God? Yosemite Summit is this strategic opportunity. - Steve
One of the ways I worship is through the lens of my camera. While no film can capture the majesty of this place, it sure is fun trying. At least you get to take glimpses of it home to enjoy over and over again. Around every turn is yet another “perfect shot” that for some segments of the trip, I had to simply put my camera away and soak it in knowing that being there is better than any picture from there.
While we don’t do any ‘real’ climbing with ropes and gear, there are plenty of rocks that whisper, “Climb me!” And once ascended offer either a better view, or simply a satisfying feeling of having accomplished something worth relaxing and soaking in.
Nothing makes the heart pound like being near the edge of a cliff. And while our wives may fear our curiosity, we were always safe and looked out for each other. But nevertheless, sitting near an edge is a profound way to realize one’s humanity and to appreciate every day God grants us to worship and serve Him!
One of the highlights of Yosemite Summit is a hike that will most likely be included every year, the Mist Trail. There is a stretch where you’d get drenched to the bone if you didn’t wear a poncho! The mist from the thundering waterfall becomes so thick it is almost blinding and the sound of the water fall thrilling. Plus, realizing you will soon be standing at the top at the very edge (behind a railing!) makes the countless stone stairs worth every step.
This is Taft Point, one of the highest vista look out points in Yosemite (and one of the few with a railing) where you can peer straight down over 3500 feet! It was while hiking back from here that I was nearly stuck by lightening in a hail storm that rushed in on us!
The time away at the Yosemite Summit gave me the encouragement I needed, the time I needed to confront the hard issues I had been pushing back, and the conviction to embrace who I truly am in God’s eyes.
Yosemite Summit is an event that will recharge you as a child of God, a husband of your wife and a father of your children. The investment is worth it because the event will impact your walk with God and your relationship with your wife and kids. I can tell you that this single week will have an impact on the rest of my life.
Yosemite Summit 2009 may be over, but it’s impact will last a life time. It is now time to start praying about whether God would have you join us for Yosemite Summit 2010!
Yosemite Summit was a huge blessing and a very worthwhile investment in helping me be refreshed in my relationship with God and helping to keep me centered in my relationships with my wife, kids and my church. Walking by yourself part of a day through towering Sequoia trees praying to God and enjoying his handiwork after having spent time being encourage by and with 8 Christian guys is priceless! - Scotty H.
2009 Highlight Video:
The song in the video is Stop the World, by Matthew West, on the CD Something To Say
Remember? Remember when you first got in to children’s ministry? Remember the calling God gave you? The burden you had for children? The awesome responsibility you accepted? The urgency you felt? Back when it was about reaching lost kids and discipling those who had accepted Christ? Remember when the stories were about changed lives and your conversations were mostly about the kids rather than the problems? Remember when you spent a ridiculous amount of time on some minor, but fun aspect of the ministry just so you could see the faces of the kids light up when they arrived? Remember when you didn’t even notice how exhausted you were?
What changed?
You went into children’s ministry because you wanted to be a shepherd of children – and all too soon you became more sheepherder than shepherd. Just getting the kids where they need to be and hoping to have a reasonable adult-to-child ratio became a weekly battle. Managing volunteers, appeasing parents, buying supplies, keeping the senior pastor as well as the janitor happy, answering voice mail, e-mail and snail mail and countless meetings gradually took over. Before you knew it, being a minister gave way to being an administrator. And somewhere the kids got lost in the shuffle. Oh, the kids, are fine. But you feel your heart for ministry fading and you secretly miss when you were just a volunteer and not in charge of the whole operation.
It doesn’t have to be that way!
Children’s Ministry has gone nuts. Seriously. It’s less than a hundred years old and yet we’ve made it into an empire more daunting and menacing than the Galactic Empire! How did the Church survive for so many generations and produce such godly saints without all the trappings of our modern ministry? Perhaps all our advances are a part of the problem. Could it be that all we have created to help has in part become a hindrance? An entire industry of resources and programs (and websites!) has exploded and what do we have to show for it? Just statistics that seem to suggest that kids are worse off spiritually than ever before. How can this be?! Where have we gone wrong?
April 18, 2009 at 12:58 am · Filed under Leadership, Life
About six months ago I picked up a book at Costco that looked like a good read, The Last Lecture. It was written by Randy Pausch, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University. CMU had a tradition of having professors share what they believed was most important in life - what they would share if they could only offer one “last lecture.” By the time Randy was scheduled to give his “last lecture” they had renamed the series to Journeys and were unaware that it would indeed be his last lecture.
I’m now in Colorado enjoying some vacation time that God sovereignly planned months ago when He knew that this past week I would end up in the hospital to have a stent placed in my heart. I’ve shared some personal reflections on facing my own mortality, and as I was packing for our trip out here saw The Last Lecture sitting on my desk, and grabbed it to read.
Tonight I joined nearly ten million others who have watched the video (below) of his presentation and it was really good. You can watch it here on YouTube yourself (76 minutes long) as well as another talk he did later on time management. Both are worth the investment of time. As a newsweek writer Nancy Gibbs wrote when they reported on his death, millions have been “charmed by his easy manner and insight, [and] in awe of his complete lack of self-pity.”
The video is packed with real life wisdom illustrated by stories from his life - I really appreciated one of the themes that came up several times:
Every time he faced an obstacle he made the point that
“Brick walls are there for a reason: they let us prove how badly we want things.”
He made the comment that “brick walls” are to keep the “other people out” - others who don’t want it bad enough, or aren’t willing to work hard enough to achieve. I’m a brick wall smasher by nature - and I think I got that from my parents who believed in me probably a little more than I was worthy of! You will rarely hear me say “I can’t” - but you’ll often hear me say, “we can!” I do believe it often comes down to how badly do you want something and how hard are you willing to work to help it happen. (and how creatively too!)
I also appreciated this slide in his PowerPoint:
I remember as a young man wondering, “What am I good at?” Especially at the age when it was becoming more and more obvious what I wasn’t good at! (Thanks for allowing me not to list them all, its quite a long list!) But I figured out what I was good at, and worked hard to do it well, and share it with others - and both my church ministries would blossom as well as this little non-profit I founded called Kidology. I laughed out loud when he said people asked him, “What’s your secret?” because I’ve had so many people over the years ask me the secret to founding and running a successful “business” (ministry) and my answer is usually, “just go do it.” No one gave me any secret, and now that I’ve done it (with the Lords help and many others!) I know there is no “secret” - you just have to jump out there and DO something, and if you are walking with God and focused on serving others - it will succeed! Maybe that IS the secret - to DO something, rather than sit around wondering and dreaming forever.
I love his emphasis on fulfilling your childhood dreams, but also - helping others fulfill their own. I’ve had many dreams fulfilled, and the ones still left, I’m getting read to pursue with renewed zeal and passion, as I’ve been acutely reminded by recent events to make the most of my days! Expect some changes in my life soon! But I also find the older I get, as Randy mentions, the more you will find helping others is more fulfilling. I can point to many people I know I’ve been able to help or encourage or mentor, and few things are as fulfilling as watching them succeed and knowing I played a small part in their life. And then once in awhile I get an e-mail from someone I don’t know who shares the impact of Kidology on their life or ministry and again I get that awesome satisfaction of finding out how God used you in someone else’s life, even when you were completely unaware of it. Helping others succeed is far better than any ’success’ one can achieve for themselves. (and it will out last you too!)
So I’m reading and enjoying The Last Lecture and encourage you to watch the video and even get the book. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, let me ask you a few questions I am asking myself right now:
1) If you had the opportunity to give a “Last Lecture” - what lessons from life would you share? What stories would you tell? What advice would you give others? What legacy would you want to leave behind?
2) What childhood dreams do you have that are yet to be fulfilled or experienced? What are you waiting for!?
Don’t get stuck in a rut - life is too short! Get out there and DO something already. Too many people spend there life talking about what others have done, reading about what others have done, watching TV shows about the lives of others, and WATCHING life as a spectator instead of DOING life as a participant.
Side note: I watch virtually no television, and it comes up when people talk about American Idol or ask if I’ve seen a certain commercial or some other popular show and I know nothing about it. When I say, “I don’t watch TV” they usually think it is because of some conviction and I’m judging them, so I always have to say, “No, its just that I never turn it on.” It’s not because of some conviction or holier than though attitude, but just because I’m too busy living life to sit in front of a television. And it’s not that I’m a workaholic (been there, done that, cured!) but I just want to DO stuff, not sit and watch stuff that is nearly half advertising. (I do enjoy renting and watching movies and invested in a home theater to make it an incredible experience!) But to give my evenings to TV when I could be with my family, or DOING something else, or creating something just seems to be yet another way to let life waste away and miss out on so much that is so incredibly better.
I say, GET OUT THERE AND DO SOMETHING - if you miss out on anything in life, you have only yourself to blame!
Finally,
3) What do you day dream about? Why not stop dreaming, and start planning! I used to daydream about spending some extended time in Yosemite with a bunch of like-minded guys. Finally, one year, I stopped dreaming and started planning and Yosemite Summit was born.
I DARE YOU - stop dreaming and start planning!
(OK, my lecture is over, but it’s probably not my last!)
Getting worn out in ministry? Discouraged? Here is a little known passage of Scripture to encourage you, or that you can reprint to encourage others. (found in my archives tonight)
Sometimes it is fun to paraphrase Scripture a little to shed fresh light on the message it contains, as I did once to encourage my leadership team by posting this passage:
There was a children’s worker all alone;
she had neither partner nor team member.
There was no end to her toil,
yet her eyes were not content with her ministry.
“For whom and I toiling?” she asked,
“and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?”
This too is meaningless - a miserable ministry!
Tow are better than one,
more than two even better!
because they have a good return for their work:
If one falls down,
his team members can help him up.
But pity the children’s worker who calls
and has no one to help him up!
Also, if two or more work together,
they will keep encouraged!
But how can one keep encouraged alone?
Though one may be oeverwhelmed,
a team can help each other.
A cord of many strands
is not quickly broken!
When is the last time you took a leap of faith? When you stepped off secure ground and submitted yourself to the Hands of God by attempting something daring where you couldn’t see how the landing would be? Often we climb to great heights for God - and the view is spectacular on the summit - but perhaps God is saying it is time to stop enjoying the view and take a leap of faith.
I hear often from friends and collegues who feel trapped in there current ministry or life situation. Granted, life is tough, and the grass is always greener on the ‘other side’ - and it takes great character to stick it out in a tough situation. But there is another side to it. Perhaps you don’t have to stay stuck there. Perhaps the problems are God’s way of saying, “I have something else for you.” (Better doesn’t always mean easier, by the way, but better does mean excitement because you are depending on God!)
HOWEVER - I’m not speaking so much to those who hate where they are and daydream of being somewhere else. I’m thinking of those who are in a good place, a comfortable place, a place of acheivement and accomplishment, where it is easy to stick around and simply enjoy the fruit of their labor. Remeber when everything was a complete mess? How much you prayed and depended on God? And how exciting it was?
Perhaps it is time to take a leap of faith and ask God to give you the courage to step out into nothingless and let Him take you where He needs you next. I accept this challenge for myself as much as present it to you.
What daring thing is God asking you to do next? Take the first step into nothingness… and feel your heart begin to pound with anticipation!
This is an EXCELLENT summary of not only what kids need, but a brilliantly simple explanation for why things are done the way they are in this children’s ministry. Read, then I’ll comment. (Click to open larger)
I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a succinct statement that not only gives a philosophy of ministry and explanation for program elements but is presented in a manner that appeals to parents who are not focused on your ministry but on what their kids need. Go and do likewise!
This has been in my “to post” folder for awhile, and I’ve lost track of where I got it… but it is excellent. If someone comments with the sourse, I’ll update this post.
DON’T MISS THE FREE REPORT AT THE END OF THIS POST!
TODAY is one of those days I declare Electronic D-Day! It is the day I process all the e-mails I have deferred recently to be done “later” - unfortunately, later may never arrive if you don’t declare an Electronic D-Day!
Why is it D-Day? Because on this day EVERY e-mail that is pending action is either:
Deleted
Deferred
Delegated or
Dealt with
If you struggle with managing e-mail, I have two gifts for you.
#1 Enjoy this video of me destroying a laptop, as I’m sure you’ve wanted to do the same!
NOW FREE! YES, FREE! YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE NOT TO GET YOUR E-MAIL UNDER CONTROL TODAY! Why wait another day?
Perhaps it is time for you to declare an Electronic D-Day! The TEN POWERFUL E-MAIL TIPS FOUND IN THIS REPORT may just change your life. From the feed-back I’ve gotten from family and friends, that isn’t an exaggeration!
The ideas in this report are both simple and amazingly profound. You may never look at e-mail the same. Long Gone can be the day where your e-mail controlled you!
It is time for YOU to slay the E-Mail Monster!
Take it from someone who managed probably ten times the e-mail you do, you NEED THIS REPORT!
The Merry Hearts Clowns are hosting a workshop with two of the most talented, sought after kids entertainers in America right now. The workshop will be held on Sunday, March 29, 2009 from 2 - 5 PM.
It will be held at New Life Church, 3205 Cannonball Trail, Yorkville. You can register for the workshop by going to www.TimAndBarrysWorkshop.com. Your Creative Entertainer hosts will be Tim Sonefelt and Barry Mitchell or Barry Mitchell and Tim Sonefelt depending on which one you like more.
Join these guys for as much magic, creative thinking exercises, stage presence tips, and laughter as they can pack into several hours. Think of it as two workshops for the price of one. You receive inspiration to spark more of your own creativity and practical tips and tricks to improve your entertainment abilities.
Plus you get the benefits of two leaders who both have half a brain. Barry and Tim are known for funny family entertainment products, storytelling effects with morals, and inspiring creativity among entertainers. You’ll laugh, learn, and leave with more than you could possibly get from just one workshop leader.
What makes this workshop different from other touring entertainers:
Two speakers for the price of one
Audience tested routines for family audiences
Creative thinking exercises with audience involvement
Practical tips that may be applied immediately
FREE DVD Product for everyone who pre-registers (up to $45 value!)
You will not want to miss this great workshop. I have been in workshops that each of these guys have taught and they are tops!! Hope you can make it. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
I’m often asked why I call myself the “Kidologist.”
Does it mean I’m a children’s ministry expert?
Nope.
Does it mean I know everything about kids?
Nope.
Does it mean that think I’m the authority
on kids or children’s ministry?
Double Nope.
I started calling myself the Kidologist years ago because when people would comment on how good I was with kids I worried that as I got older I would lose that touch. I was quite aware that young 20-somethings are usually always get kid-connectors, but that many adults as they get into their 30’s, 40’s (or older) seem to lose their knack with connecting with kids, and I feared my saavy for relating and connecting with kids would diminish with time. As I began to analyize WHY I was effective with kids “Kidology” was born, the study of kids, and how to relate to as well as effectively teach kids. (Explained in more detail in CMPodcast #8)
I coined the term “Kidologist” as a reminder to me first of all, that if I wanted to be effective with children for the long haul, I would have to always be a learner. To always be growing, reading magazines & books, studying the culture of kids as well as the latest CM strategies, keeping up on church and ministry trends, attending conferences (not just speaking at them), and doing whatever it took to stay engaged with kids, their culture, and the world of children’s ministry. Failures as well as successes build experience, and then experience may bring expertise - but as the “Kidologist” I am first and foremost a forever learner in the arena of children’s ministry and my appetite to grow and develop must never be satisfied.
What is your nickname?
If don’t have one - what should it be? It’s a good exercise. It can force you to focus on what makes you unique, what your Calling is, what defines you or what you identify with. I know a Kidhelper who’s life has been devoted to helping kids come to Christ. I know a mother named Melissa who’s childhood nickname of “Meepa” (how she said her own name as a toddler) has grown into her adult nickname of MommyMeepa, as she pours her life into being a wonderful mother. I could name others, but I’ll stop there.
Please comment and give me your nickname, or be bold and give yourself a nickname. Whether it “sticks” or not doesn’t matter - what name would identify you?
First, George Barna confirmed what those of us in children’s ministry have known all along – that the ripest spiritual field is children, and that the most strategic way to stop the disappearance of a biblical world view in our church is to renew our commitment to children.
Next, Larry Fowler established the biblical basis for churches not just value children, but prioritize ministry to children. Others then followed with a renewed call to broaden the scope of children’s ministry to include the entire family, the loudest voice being Reggie Joiner asking us to rethink ministry at the Orange Conference offering their virtue-based family time resources and strategy to incorporate complete families in the Sunday church experience.
Then Awana Clubs, long known for its success at reaching unchurched children and providing kids a solid biblical foundation surprised us by dramatically altering its approach and confessing its past “let us disciple your kids” attitude was insufficient and began to completely re-engineer its programs to better include parents in the process.
Soon many more, like Julia Duin in Quitting Church, began revealing stats showing just how poorly we are doing in translating Bible Quiz-Whiz kids into faithful disciples when they got old enough to choose whether to attend church or not.
While DiscipleLand has long offered a comprehensive home-based/church-supported curriculum strategy for discipling children, other companies all over the map are waking up to the need to engage the home rather than just keep adding to the programs and resources available at church. “Family Ministry” and “Partnering with Parents” are the buzz words appearing everywhere.
Then Larry Fowler was back with a strategy to build a comprehensive birth to high school strategy for preparing the next generation to be spiritually strong and healthy; to be “Modern Day Josephs” in an ever increasingly secular culture. Most recently, D6 (Deuteronomy chapter six) has splashed on the scene offering not only a family-wide church curriculum, but also devotional magazines from preschool through adulthood aiming to get the entire family in sync with what they are learning in the home.
Everywhere you look, from workshops at CPC to the newest children’s ministry leadership books, you are hearing a growing call: The spiritual formation of children must be done by parents, not for parents. The church’s role is shifting from one of serving and supporting parents to one of empowering, equipping and encouraging parents.
If you can’t feel the wave growing, you’ve either let it pass ahead of you – or should see the swell rising behind you. To best “surf” this growing ministry wave, you’ll need to carefully watch the swell growing, letting some of the smaller advance ones pass, position yourself in the best spot, start paddling in the right direction, and get ready to start pushing down at just the right moment. Soon you too can stand up and ride it in!
Perhaps you are convinced already. Children’s Ministry “as usual” isn’t cutting it. You’ve got to better partner with parents if you truly want to see children transformed into spiritual champion and modern day Josephs. But how?
Let me tell you this. The answer isn’t another curriculum, resource or program. That doesn’t mean you might not switch to DiscipleLand, send home FamilyTime CDs, encourage the use of D6 devotional magazines, or establish new programs or plan various family events. But these cannot be your solution. They can only be components of YOUR strategy. The solution for your church begins with you and your pastor.
As I wrote about in my article The New Deal, in the Jan/Feb 09 issue of Children’s Ministry Magazine, and expounded upon and detailed in my Kidology Leadership Lab: Partnering with Parents, the key is to start with a brutally honest and open conversation with parents as to what their needs, desires, frustrations, struggles, and hopes are for their kids and how they see the church helping or hindering their efforts.
Next, I would suggest, you’ve got to step back and ask yourself three key questions about every age level in your ministry:
1. What KNOWLEDGE do I want them to have?
2. What SKILLS do I want them to have?
3. What EXPERIENCES would I like them to have?
KNOWLEDGE: There is obviously a great need for teaching children the Bible and the truth it contains. Most ministries do this fairly well. Few can give you an overview of their strategy to ensure what their student will or should know at the various stages of growing up. A genuine strategy for forming disciples requires that the organizer of the process know what the long term goals are. As the old saying goes, “If you aim at nothing, you are sure to hit it!” Now extend this to families! What knowledge do families need to be successful? Do we run the risk of filling our kids with a whole host of biblical trivia and neglect giving families the knowledge they need in order translate what the children are learning at church into real life? Perhaps it is time to get out paper and pencil and start writing out what you believe your families need to know to succeed, and then start evaluating whether they do, how they can, and how you’ll evaluate if they do?
SKILLS: My experience has been that the vast majority of church, if they focus intentionally on what their children need to know, stop there. But knowledge alone does make a disciple. (James warns that even demons know the truth about God, and shudder!) A disciple is one who lives out the knowledge of God in their daily life, and to do so requires key skills. Bible skills, while often taught to children, are only the beginning. We all learned to drive a car while young, but would all agree there is much more to driving than operating a car. Likewise, being able to navigate a Bible is useless if one doesn’t know how to study, understand and then apply what is discovered to life. Have you listed, by age range, what you want your children, youth and parents to be able to DO as a follower of Christ?
EXPERIENCE: The third aspect touches on one of the weaknesses of church programming. In the creating of programs and planning of events, we are often quick to forget the PURPOSE of programs and events. They are not the end – they are the means to the end. The goal of a church ministry is not to create programs or events, it is to create life experiences that impact the spiritual growth of the individuals enrolled in the program or attending the event. This is an important distinction because not all experiences that a disciple needs on along their spiritual journey can be programmed or created via an event. Programs and events can only create a context for life experiences. So, again, I would challenge you to invest some time in asking and answering the question, what experiences do the children, youth and families of my church need to grow as disciples of Jesus?
One of the best things you could do for your ministry is to mentally set aside all your programs, events and plans and answer the questions above. Then, after having answered them, take a look at your programs, events and plans and consider the following:
1. What is the best thing I could stop doing that doesn’t fit these objectives?
2. Does my curriculum support these objectives? (Beyond just teaching Bible knowledge)
3. How do my standing programs help or hinder these objectives?
4. What events do I need to create in order to provide the needed life experiences?
5. What events do I need to cancel because they may be good, but are no longer on target?
6. What experiences can no program or event create? How can I foster those experiences?
7. How can I help families develop the skills they need to keep growing?
In order to develop a ministry-wide strategy of making disciples, you must start to not only include parents in your considerations, but make them an essential ingredient. This will take effort, creativity, and a willingness to accept; even initiate change. “Ministry as usual” is certainly easier, but if long-term results are what we are truly after, then we must be willing to make adjustments now. If only one degree of change now can have incredible long-term results later, imagine the eternal impact of being more strategic now. Most ministries probably need more than one degree of change, but we’ll have all eternity to enjoy the results if we don’t hesitate. It all starts with asking the right questions. The answers to these questions will be different in every church. But if you don’t ask, you’ll never enjoy the results.
Because Jesus Loves Families,
Karl Bastian
Here are some helpful resources from Kidology.org to help you address this growing need to include parents in children’s minisitry.
