MIM EZINE, AUGUST 3, 2005CONTENT Children’s Ministry Checkup – Why Are We Doing This Anyway? Purpose Filled Ministry – Teena’s Top Six Ministry Website Resources Readers Write In – Hannah Syndrome Ministry Book Review – From the Ground Up: New Testament Foundations for the 21st Century Church, Classified Ads To read this ezine in its entirety click here Protect Your Familyand Your Computer with Reliable, Safe, Internet Filtering & Anti VirusSoftware
--- Children’s Ministry Checkup – Why Are We Doing This Anyway? By Karen Wingate Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the nuts and bolts of Children's Ministry, to float from one lesson or program to the next. Occasionally, we need to get a broader view of the Big Picture by asking ourselves some key questions: What am I doing? What am I trying to accomplish? What am I trying to provide? What end results do I want to see in the lives of the children I teach? This message came home to me recently in a small victory. Our church music director and I were teaching a group of kids a song to perform in the adult worship service. Needing seven kids to each sing one of the verses as a solo, we convinced two shy girls to sing a duet on one verse, then turned to the others to fill the rest of the slots. One girl volunteered and then realized she wouldn't be there for the performance. No one else volunteered. Then I felt a tug on my sleeve. "If you can't find anyone, Alexis and I'll sing another verse," said Mackie. I was floored. Several of Mackie's relatives had told me, "You will never, ever get Mackie to sing a solo." Yet Mackie had volunteered to sing another verse. During the performance, Mackie and Alexis belted out their song like there had never been a shy moment in their lives. Their transformation reminded me that our children's ministry needs to be a place of grace where kids can learn and grow in a safe environment. There are three things you can give the children in your ministry: 1. A haven. The church should be a safe place, a place where kids can try new skills and budding talents without fear of rejection. The church should be a place where they find love and patience as they awkwardly grow toward adulthood. When our kids suffer the slings and arrows of family conflict, harassment at school and the fear of world terrorism, the church should be one place where they feel secure. You may become impatient with the obnoxious behavior of an ADD kid. Your heart may break at the social clumsiness you see in a child from a broken home. Yet that same child that gives you so much grief in the classroom may be in your class because that's the one place in the world he or she feels safe and secure. 2. Hope. We're here to offer kids hope through Jesus Christ. While Jesus is the ultimate source of hope, we need to exhibit that same hope in our own lives, that Jesus does offer us something better than what this world has to offer. As teenage suicides continue to climb, kids need to know there's a better way to live than what they are experiencing. Kids who come from broken homes are watching your marriage. The stable marriages of Christian families can give them hope that a marriage can work. Kids are watching how Christians react to death or other crises. When they see that you handle crisis with hope and peace, they will know that not everyone reacts with panic and violence as they might see at home or on the television. We share hope with our kids when we tell them of God's power to change lives. Some kids do despair that life will never be any different, that "that's just the way I am." We offer them the hope that Jesus is in the business of transforming lives into something better. When I asked ten year old Ricky if he was ready to accept Christ as Savior, Ricky told me, "I can't do that because I'm too bad." I was able to tell Ricky that Jesus died for bad people and only Jesus could change bad people into good, godly people 3. Heroes. Kids are looking for someone they can look up to. There's a lot of talk regarding how kids idolize sports and movie stars. I wonder how true this is. While those stars are the names kids hear and repeat, I think their heroes are actually the people right around them: their teachers, their parents, those adults who take a special interest in them. If our names are on a kid's ballot for "Hero of the Year," we need to get involved personally with them so they can see up close how a Christian lives. We need to watch how we live so we will be unashamed to have kids copy our commitment to Christ. We need to share with them how we overcome the hurtles of life through God's power. Later, I asked Mackie if getting on stage made her nervous. She soberly nodded her head, so I told her how I used to have stage fright. "I would get nose bleeds, my hands would shake and I would cry afterwards because I was so terrified." "Stage fright never goes away," I told her. "You learn to do it anyway even though you are nervous. What helped me the most was a verse in the Bible that told me I can do all things through Jesus who gives me strength. Now, whenever I get nervous, I ask God to help me and He does. He helps me sing and speak in spite of my nervousness." My words must have hit home because Mackie did such a wonderful job onstage. Since then, Mackie has opened up to me. Mackie was looking for a hero, someone who would mentor her through one of life's tough moments. To be her hero, I had to be willing to be vulnerable, to share one of my weaknesses and how God helped me overcome. You may hesitate at the thought of a child seeing you as a hero. Remember, your job is not to be the perfect hero. Your job is to point the way to the best SuperHero of all, Jesus Christ, and to show how He is the One who has made you what you are. As you enter your children's ministry area this week, observe your kids. Who is looking for a safe haven? Who is starving for hope? Who is on a mission to find a hero? They've come to the right place. Now, how can you upgrade your program so they get what they are looking for? Karen Wingate is a teacher of teachers. She is known for her off the edge activity based teaching that is still solidly based on the Word of God. Currently, she is writing curriculum for the Salvation Army’s new Sonday’s Cool programs, teaches a high School Sunday School class and oversees the Youth Ministry Team at her local church near Canton, Ohio. kwingate@neo.rr.com --- Looking for a Retreat or Special Event Speaker? Ministry in Motion has added a Christian speaker directory. Now you can locate a Christian speaker or conference near you or promote your own speaking or conference. http://www.ministryinmotion.net/speaker_christian_directory.html Readers Write In From time to time readers write in with questions or comments and we like to share those with our readers. Feel free to respond to this ministry query by using the MIM contact email form below the letter. Dear MIM, I want to develop a ministry for women suffering from what I call the "Hannah syndrome." Many times, life can be devastating for women. They can be victims of abuse, trauma, rape, crime, spiritual abuse, rejection, abandonment, etc. They are left feeling barren, ashamed, humiliated, defeated, discouraged, and unacceptable to God. They have the Hannah syndrome and, the way out of the Hannah syndrome is a direct encounter with God Almighty who can open up her barren womb, her empty, formless, and dark life, and replace it with purpose and new life. This will be a ministry that gives women wisdom, counsel, direction, encouragement, and the support they need to make a divine connection with a God who can bring them back to life after a traumatic or devastating event. It will teach them how to begin to open the lines of communication, how to gain the forgiveness they need to remove bitterness, resentment, fear, doubt and unbelief. It will teach them how to learn who Jesus really is and how to fall in love with him and how to worship him so intimacy can occur and, then, conception, and then birth. Hannah worshipped God fervently and the result was Samuel. If women with the Hannah Syndrome worship God fervently, the result can be a prophetic ministry. Have any tips as to how I may get this started? Contact MIM--- Purpose-filled Ministry – 4. http://willowcreek.org/. http://www.ministryinmotion.net. Ministry in Motion began as a site to promote spiritual gifts discoverybut has grown to offer much more including a MIM ezine a ministry related ezine,ministry related columns, books and seminar teaching resources, links totopically related ministry sites, a job search page for those looking for and/orpromoting paid ministry positions, Christian book reviews of new releases, and arecently added Christian speaker and conference listing directory. Teena Stewart is a ministryconsultant, writer, and speaker. Learn more about her speaking by visiting http://www.ministryinmotion.net/speaker_christian_directory.html Developan Effective Volunteer Placement System Offering a spiritualgifts/ministry discovery class is the first step in ministry equipping. PuttingMinistry in Motion, the manual developed by Ministry in Motion teaches you howto develop an effective ministry placement process following your class. Thebook covers:
--- Book Review - From the Ground Up: New Testament Foundations for the 21st Century Church, J. Scott Horrell, Kregel Publications, 2004, ISBN 0-8254-2891-2, 109 pages. Reviewed by Tom Hanover In the midst of significant paradigm changes in the church of the 21st century Professor Horrell identifies the key essentials of the church based on New Testament writings. Perhaps the reason many churches resist change and struggle to survive is that they are focused on what they think are basics to ministry that have no foundation in the scriptures. Horrell also draws distinctions between the prophetic teachings of the Old Testament for the nation of Israel and the gospel teachings of the New Testament for the disciples of Jesus Christ. Ignoring these important contextual features could lead to some disastrous interpretations for the church of the future. For example, Professor Horrell notes the centralizing power of Israel’s manner of worship in the Old Testament. The chosen people were identified by their race. There was one Temple in Jerusalem. There was one day for worship – the Sabbath. And all of it was centralized in the governance of a religious order of priests. However, in the New Testament decentralization is the trend. The church is made up of many races. Followers are not commanded to come to the Temple to offer sacrifices, but to go into all the world to make other disciples. While it is highly likely Christians worshiped on the first day of the week, there is no scriptural mandate to do so. Furthermore, Christian leadership is not a profession, but “each Christian is declared a priest with direct access to God.” (p. 49) So what makes a church a church in the 21st century? Many churches function with four central images according to Horrell. One, the church is a building. Two, the church is what happens on Sunday morning. Three, the most important thing a church does is hold a weekly worship service. And four, the church employs a full-time pastor. Ironically, none of these four images are essential to the church of the first century. Using his expertise in Greek exegesis as well as his world wide overseas mission experience, Professor Horrell is able to identify the four key essentials for the church in the first century, and, he believes, the 21st century as well. He describes them as functions: “ worship, learning, fellowship, and evangelism/mission.” (p. 74) Professor Horrell writes a stimulating book for pastors and other church leaders, especially those who sense a call to lead the church towards God’s vision revealed through scriptures. Unless you want to challenge his declension of Greek verbs, his writing is not difficult to follow. It is a paper back of a little over 100 pages with a helpful bibliography and scripture index in the back. The only dimension I wish Professor Horrell would have added was more reflection on the church overseas, especially in Latin and South America. Apparently, he has had significant experience in ministry in Brazil, and perhaps elsewhere. There are some profound movements unfolding as God’s Spirit touches lives south of the border. Perhaps there is a sequel! ImportantLinks Ministry inMotion Home Page Ministry inMotion Bookshop.Ministry resources developed by Ministry in Motion Ministry inMotion ChristianBookstore. Order Christian books online while comparing prices Ministry inMotion ChristianJobs. Search for and post Christian jobs & ministry related jobs Classified Ads Just $10 per classifiedlisting. For more information on advertising visit our --- Wanted: Your Ministry Tips and Ministry Success Stories Looking forFamily-Friendly books at affordable prices? Visit --- Did you know that IrenaSendler saved over 2,500 Polish Jews from certain death during World War II? Learn more about her andother great women at www.historyswomen.com Revolutionize the WayYou Do Ministry Your congregation will beblessed as you preach the Word with power, ministering to their needs andequipping them to fulfill their calling. Get more information --- Join the ChristianConnection Ezine A free ezine for people wholove the Lord. Easy-to understand devotionals, testimonies, biblical questionsanswered, pen pals listings and resources to help you grow in the Lord. To Subscribe: Sendemail
|
