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Category: Family

Keep Parents in the Loop!

  In children’s ministry, communication with parents is not just helpful—it’s critical. Parents are the primary spiritual influencers in their child’s life, and your role as a children’s ministry leader is to support, encourage, and resource them. Effective communication helps bridge the gap between church and home, allowing parents to continue faith conversations, reinforce lessons, and participate in their child’s spiritual growth. When parents are in the loop, it helps foster a partnership between the ministry and the family, creating a foundation for lasting spiritual development. However, keeping parents informed and engaged is not always easy, especially in today’s busy and distracted world. The Challenges of Communication in Today’s World Busy Schedules and Sporadic Church Attendance Parents today juggle countless responsibilities. Between work, extracurricular activities, and personal obligations, many families are stretched thin. Church attendance has become increasingly sporadic, with some families attending only once or twice a month. This inconsistent presence can make it difficult to build rapport and maintain regular communication. When parents aren’t consistently present, important announcements, event invitations, or updates can easily get missed. How People Receive Communication We live in a digital age where everyone has their preferred mode of communication. Some parents check their…

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A Pen-Pal in the Philippines

It was a Sunday night in high school. And even though I was sitting in the back pew with my buddies, it was a day that would change my life forever. We had chosen these seats, the farthest possible away from the action because there was a guest speaker from out of town. A missionary who had asked if he could come preach in Chicago because they happened to be in town, even though most of his supporters were out West. My dad had offered his pulpit. I knew the missionary sermon all too well. Matthew 28… Great Commission… pictures of the mission field… challenge to pray, give, or go. I probably could have stepped in if he’d gotten a sore throat and needed me to. But then, I saw it – the picture of his family – and heard him talking about his daughter, Sara. I had just returned from a mission trip to Honduras the week before and perked up. (She was cute.) As her dad talked about some of the dangers they had faced as a family – including hiding her in a hidden compartment when soldiers came through the neighborhood – my buddies and I all…

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May I Come In?

May I Come In? By Doug Bastian God came in among his earthlings Cloaked, concealed in human frame, King to be, clothed first in swaddling, Given Joseph’s revealed name. He grew up a pure example For the work he was to do, Shocked the rabbis in the Temple With his wisdom which shone through.   Worked like all men to make ends meet, Helped his dad make things of wood, With rough hands and dusty, tough feet Fit right in where e’er he stood.   Blended with his people’s goings, Did not tell from whence he came, Saw their plight and their souls’ longings, Saw their leaders’ crafty game.   Then his cousin John came calling By the Sea of Galilee, Choosing hides to be his clothing— Locusts with his daily tea.   John called out for true repentance To the crowds that gathered there, So that they’d avoid the sentence Holy God will bring to bear.   Look! Watch your Messiah enter, Breaking on the earthly scene, Heaven’s dove shows John his Mentor, “This your Lamb may now be seen.”   We are glad he came to show us How to step into the Light, How to bear our…

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Would You Toss Your Kid to Sharks?

PARENTS? Would you toss your kid to sharks? You say, “Of course not! Silly question!” Then, let me ask you some some other questions, as a dad who is try to save my own son from some very real sharks. Do you let you kids have Shapchat? Do you not have a filtering on their Internet? Do you monitor their texts, chats and web browsing? The sharks are out to get your kid. If you don’t believe it, you are living in intentional ignorance. Scripture says, BE ALERT AND SOBER-MINDED. YOUR ENEMY, THE DEVIL PROWLS AROUND LIKE A ROARING LION, (aka Sharks!) SEEKING SOMEONE TO DEVOUR. 1 PETER 5:8 Are you leaving your children unprotected? As a pastor, I’m disheartened by parents who give up – “It’s just too hard.” As a father I get angry because it makes it harder for me to lead my own son when I hear, “but my friends parents let them,” and these are Christian parents. Is is hard? Yes. Is it worth it? YES. Parents, especially those I know –  I can’t do this alone. We need to be a team. We need to FIGHT THE ENEMY, not our kids. Our kids need…

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Drawing Easter!

My mom was a Chalk Artist. If you don’t know what that is, it’s a lost art from a day when people didn’t need everything to be fast and instant. An artist would draw to music while an audience watched. My mom and dad meet in college where she was drawing and he was playing his flute. Chalk that up to romance! One of my favorite drawing she often did was of the Easter Story. I don’t have her talent, but I loved the image she would draw. She would end with dark light revealing a hidden image of Jesus risen! A few years ago, while waiting to build the amazing kids church set I know enjoy, we put up a black board wall that I would decorate for each series. For Easter 2018, I attempted to draw my mom’s drawing myself. Since our culture likes things fast, I don’t expect you to watch the two hours I worked on it, so here it is sped up! ENJOY and Happy Easter!

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