As I continue to dig through the stack of goodies from International Network of Children’s Ministry Network’s Children’s Pastor’s Conference (CPC) Orlando, the process of the Certification was a great way to keep me focused on the “how” and “when” to implement some of what I had learned. One of the requirements was to attend pre-determined sessions and write a short essay in response to 5 questions. To encourage some accountability, this is what I submitted:

1. What have you learned about the First Initiative: Impart God’s truth to this generation? What are some next steps for implementing this in your ministry?
An intentional purpose, process, and pathway is expected to move toward the goal of spiritually healthy children.
Next Steps:
(1) Determine and write down what a spiritually healthy child looks like which is developmentally appropriate.
(2) Evaluate and adjust the 2013 WC calendar to incorporate more “Belonging” opportunities as we intentionally balance opportunities for belonging, worship, growing, serving, and sharing opportunities.

2. What have you learned about the Second Initiative: Provide a safe and relevant environment? What are some next steps for implementing this in your ministry?
Although the pre-determined session did not address safety, it focused specifically on relevance. When kids are having fun, their minds are open. Be aware of what’s culturally influencing my kids and leverage it.
Next Steps:
(1) Plan a “What if…” retreat or meeting with my Children’s Council.
(2) Download Todd Henry’s “Accidental Creativity”
(3) Take a 1-hour “vacation” each week to hear the voice of God and ask for His hand in the creative process.

3. What have you learned about the Third Initiative: Communicate with families? What are some next steps for implementing this in your ministry?
I was reminded that ALL parents want the best for their kids. I must intentionally be communicating that we are providing the best to their kids and that we love their kids. I should be telling my parents how glad I am they are bringing their kids to Sunday School or CLUB345 or church or whatever they are choosing as the spiritual priorities for their family.
Next Steps:
(1) Set some “easy wins” for my parents with multiple opportunities to start in the calendar year.
(2) Celebrate when anyone reads anything I put out there.

4. What have you learned about the Fourth Initiative: Networking with an community of leaders? What are some next steps for implementing this in your ministry?
It is up to me to shore up ALL my networks: family, staff, servants, professional. I currently coordinate several Christian Educators networks for the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church, blog, and mentor new KidMin Directors…but there are more networks within my KidMin world.
Next Steps:
(1) Become involved in networking outside my denominational and state boundaries.

5. What have you learned about the Fifth Initiative: Praying for the international community? What are the next steps for implementing this in your ministry?
There are men and women servants proclaiming the Good News of Jesus all over the world and I can be a part of that. Our church is engaged in our 2013 theme of “Go into the world” based on the Great Commission as written in Mark 16:15. It is my heart’s desire that my students experience God and not just know about Him that comes through local and international mission opportunities. The number 1 way disciples move toward maturity is “time in the Word.” The number 2 way, by far, is “outreach”.
Next Steps:
(1) Post global maps throughout the church, especially in the classrooms with students.
(2) Provide global maps in Bible Bucks store for students to purchase and use at home.
(3) Pray for kids and workers in an area we see on the maps in the classrooms during our prayer times (child-directed).
(4) Invite global servants to speak to my students monthly.

My plate is full, but I don’t want to get to heaven and find out I have been great at the wrong thing…making disciples.

If you see me at the networking groups, on facebook, or Starbucks, hold me accountable by asking me where I am on my next steps.  I’d love to talk with you about it.

Opening with a general session is genius. It’s gives me a chance to let the caffeine kick in and eat a clementine … true meaning of “breakfast on your own,” and begin the day with some fantastic music.

Yesterday (day 2) sent me to Steve Adams who serves at Saddleback. Very funny, yet very authentic fella who asked, “What does a spiritually healthy child look like?”….gave us a few minutes to write out our own definition…then never answered it for us, leaving the challenge hanging in my heart on a chain. My first “to do” when I get home. He spoke of intentionally balancing our opportunities for little people to grow, worship, serve, and share… and belong. Belonging. Love that word! Are we intentionally offering opportunities for our little people to belong…belong to the church, belong to each other, belong to their spiritual leaders? “Health comes from a balance of resources to promote growth, service, sharing, worship, and belonging.” I’ll be checking out the KidMin calendar when I get home to be sure we are offering enough “belonging” time.

The second workshop was led by Billy Graham Evangelstic Assn’s Chad Miller…fantastic presenter who gave me a B12 shot in the arm for modern day missionaries.  Got some statistics, he outlined Satan’s strategy (“We have a generation of ‘christian’ kids who don’t live for Jesus. They are over-entertained and under-challenged.”) and scriptures to back up our motivation to step it up.  Strategies to equip our kids for the work of the gospel:  scriptures (use them often), sharing stories (ours and their’s), field trips (“While I was going to …”), being vulnerable (be willing to share my failures and hangups), and to be on mission myself.  “I don’t want to get to heaven and have excelled at the wrong things.  Where are the disciples Jesus told me to make?”

Lastly, attended an information workshop about a new partnership with Bethel Seminary and INCM to offer a certification in global children’s ministry.  100 hours of instruction (online and at CPC and KidMid Leaders Conferences) from 2014-2015 with projects to be implemented in my own house/church at an incredibly reasonable investment.  Praying that one through as we have the upcoming Discipleship Team’s training endeavor for best practices that will begin this fall.  It may be the next step for someone wanting to go further.  Further investigation is necessary.

Headed off for another full day of CPC.  I am so grateful to be serving at a church with spiritual leaders who see the value in education and making this investment in me.

“God is not the ‘I was’, but the ‘I am'” – Chad Miller

Attending CPC with ministry best friends is a highlight of my year. The laughter, overwhelming creativity, and sheer awe of what is presented and shared blesses my socks clean off.

Attending the Pre-conference intensive training session the day before the actual CPC begins found me in “More Creative Teaching Ideas” led by John Tasch and Eric Hamp. With great energy and volume, these guys shared wall-post-it-note upon wall-post-it-note of ideas for Creative Games, Class Openers, Themes and Events, Object Lessons, and Attention Getters. Watch out CLUB345 if you see me walking in with frozen t-shirts and wearing my “ties and awful things.”

Sheila Walsh was the first general session leader: “What truth are we to impart to our children and their families?”
1. We have a GREAT God…Paul said, “I am convinced…”
2. We have a REAL enemy…all Satan can do to us is lie and see if we believe it.
3. We are not home yet…we are on a detour

Today we begin going through the CPC Certification requirements to address the 5 initiatives that are the filter to providing excellent ministry to little people.  Those 5 initiatives are…

Five Initiative Certificate Program Schedule
Breakout #1 Initiative 1 – Imparting God’s Truth: Steve Adams
Breakout #5 Initiative 2 – Provide a Safe & Relevant Environment: Steve Adams
Breakout #6 Initiative 3 – Communicating with Families: Jonathan Cliff
Review: Panel Lunch Discussion
Breakout #7 Initiative 4 – Networking with a Community of Leaders: Michael Chanley
Review: Breakfast Discussion
Breakout #8 Initiative 5 – Praying for the International Community: Lori Bethran and International Partners
Essay to be turned in prior to the start of Final Session with Certificate Available for pick-up following final session

“People decide to listen within the first 8 seconds…even little people” – John Tasch

There are some amazing KidMin directors within my network and playing with them and their kids always makes for a fun and memorable night. We came up with an idea called the “Winter Ball Invitational” where, because my church has a gym, these awesome KidMin servants bring their kids (3-5th grades) and we play “odd-ball” games.

This is what we did …

5pm – 5:30 dinner made up of Meatball subs (1 meatball to a water roll or 2 meatballs to a hotdog roll), cake balls, cheese balls, ice water in dispensers…round tables out in 1/4 of the gym with chairs

5:30pm Introduce Games in the gym through 6:40 at stations inside gym with an       Icebreaker:  Students meet at center of gym and move (run) from one side of the gym to the other if they better relate to…

Cake balls or Cheese balls

Cake or Cookie

Coke or Slurpie

Popcorn or Candy

Radio or iPod

Basketball or Soccer

Tennis or Football

Video Games or Board Games

Board Games or Card Games

Mountains or Beach

Circus Clown or Circus tiger trainer

Ballerina or Model

The Voice or American Idol

Survivor or Big Brother

Read or Paint

Book or Movie

QT or RaceTrac

Target or WalMart

Jonah or David

Mary or Esther

Now it’s time for the stations…led by our fabulous youth.  Before each game is played at each station, students must answer the question from the Bible

1.  Wrap basketball with whole roll of toilet paper

Question:  What friend of Jesus, who was the brother of Mary & Martha, was brought back to life when he was already buried with burial clothes when Jesus said, “Come out?”  John 11:43

Answer:  Lazarus

2.  Twister with football spinner for colors using colored office dots on a huge gray tarp

Question:  Where was Jesus when He raised His hand and said, “Be still” Mark 4:39

Answer:  In a boat

3.  Mini basketballs in to the circle cutout boards

Question:  What are the first 4 words in the Bible?

Answer:  “In the beginning God” Genesis 1:1

Who empties their bucket first by throwing basketballs through the circles and reload

4.  Little balls in 10  buckets (then students do what bucket says before moving on)

Question:  In what 2 books of the Bible do you find the 10 Commandments?

Answer:  Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 (who answers first gets to go first)

Bucket 1 – jump up and down 3 times

Bucket 2 – whistle

Bucket 3 – snap your fingers

Bucket 4 – what do you like best about your church?

Bucket 5 – put a bow/ribbon in your hair

Bucket 6 – do a cheer

Bucket 7 – what is your favorite thing your parents do for you?

Bucket 8 – if you could have lunch with anyone, who would it be?

Bucket 9 – high 5 everyone at your station

Bucket 10 – give a funny face

5.  Hockey puck balls INTO buckets/baskets on it’s side (taped down with painter’s tape and using footlong hockey sticks I just happened to find in the supply closet

Question:  in Mark 16:15, Jesus told his disciples to “Go INTO all the world and preach the good news to _________?

Answer:  all creation (not just people, Psalm 36:6)

6. Play horse near a basketball goal but spell out LOVE

Question: Who was Jesus talking to when He spoke John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that who so ever believed in Him would not perish but have everlasting life?”

Answer:  Nicodemus (Winner gets to start the game)

7. Stuff many balls into clothes over kiddie pool to see who has the most in a timed setting

Question:  In John 14, 1-5, Jesus told his disciples that “In my Father’s house are many what?

Answer: rooms or mansions

8. Last game:  Rock, Paper, Scissors team

Objective:  To end up as the engine of a train made up of all the players

Set up: players are scattered throughout the playing area

Instructions:

1.  Players find someone to play rock, paper, and scissors with.  The losing player stands behind the winning player, holding his/her shoulders.
2. The player in the front finds another pair to play and competes with the front person in that pair. The loser in that competition joins the end of the train.
3. The group continues playing and joining trains until two trains play each other in a final competition.
4. When the entire group forms one train, start again if time permits (which we did because they enjoyed it so much), OR move everyone to the bleachers with all in one line.

End with a Devotion: Pistol Pete Maravich (his devotion to Basketball and the move to same attention to live as a devoted follower of Jesus).. of course I’d have to throw in an LSU-related devotion, especially since my dorm was directly across the street from the Pete Maravich Center.  Dan Farr has 2 outstanding books devoted to sports related devotions specifically for tweener boys.

AND award trophies to each church participating in the 1^st Annual Winter Ball Invitational.  The Wesley Chapel trophy was given to our youth to thank them for partnering with our tweeners for an outstanding event.

What do you do to partner with your networking bffs?