We borrowed a semi-portable GaGa Ball pit from a generous church for a couple of weeks last summer. We loved it. It seemed that each time there were kids in the area, the kids would begin a pick-up game and the parents or grandparents would enjoy some bench time to chat and visit. We knew the ball playing would be fun, but the added benefit of building community was a bonus. Last December, we made the big purchase from Coach Cliff’s and just held onto the boxes until I could find a great carpenter to buy the wood and put it together.

GaGa Ball is believed to have originated in Israel, and slowly spread across the U.S. over several decades. Ga means “hit” or “touch” in Hebrew. In the rules of GaGa ball, the ball must touch the ground two times before it is considered in play, hence the name. The game moves fast and kids of all ages and stages can play together.

The goal was to have the pit ready for the Sunday after Easter, but we didn’t want to just put it out there without some expression of gratitude and ceremony. We wanted to let the children know that their church loved them so much they provided the pit for them, but ultimately all good things come from the Lord. So, we promoted a Blessing of the GaGa Ball pit to take place immediately after all Sunday services along with freeze pops on the Sunday following Easter. The freeze pops gave us a chance to offer direction since there will be no eating inside the pit. Once they finished their freeze pops, they could enter to play AFTER we gathered to remember that all good things come from the Lord and it is good and right to give thanks.  The pit will stay up until the first week of November, then packed away until the Sunday after Easter the following year.

Leader: Thank you, God, for this Gaga Ball pit.
All: This is a day to remember God’s love.
Leader: We know that everything we have ultimately comes from you, because you are the Creator of all things.
All: This is a day to remember God’s love.
Leader: We ask you to help this Gaga Ball pit to grow in us love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control as we play.
All: This is a day to remember God’s love.
Leader: We ask that as we play, we would remember to play by the rules.
All: This is a day to remember God’s love.
Leader: We ask that you help us remember that as we play, it is more important to be kind than to argue. Let us celebrate when we play well and when my friends play well.
All: This is a day to remember God’s love.
Leader: Let us invite the old friend, the stranger, the new friend, and all who want to play.
All: This is a day to remember God’s love.
Leader: As we play, let us remember God’s love.
All: This is a day to remember God’s love. Amen!

Two bouncy balls stay inside the pit making a pick-up game available anytime kids are around. That same afternoon of the Blessing of the GaGa Ball pit, upon our return from a 3rd-5th grade shared-event, the lingering began. The returning students started a game and the kids who were at church helping their parents set up for the following week’s consignment sale, came bounding downstairs to join in. Our families stayed another 30 minutes chatting, laughing, telling stories, and watching their kids play ball. This is going to be fabulous.  Thank you, Lord! This is a day to remember Your love.

“Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.” Psalm 33:3

Just imagine with me if there was a way to intentionally train up future leaders in Children’s Ministry FOR Children’s Ministry. I’m talking preparing the next generation of professional Christian educators while they are still kids. As I post multiple job openings for churches of all sizes all over North Georgia seeking amazing candidates to serve as the lead in ministry with children, I struggle with the lack of intentionality to coach young students to answer those calls…even for a season.

So this is what I’m thinking….

Right now our local church provides training for a team of Ambassadors to serve as leaders in the ministry they’re in. They set up, take down, clean up, provide tech support, greet, acolyte, encourage, and take on the beginnings of serving with intentionality in their home church in 4th & 5th grade. When they age out of our program upon entering 6th grade, I’m so grateful they are not expected to walk away from the Children’s Ministry in my local church. This is a rarity and I know it. I prayed for it.

At 6th grade through middle school, these students can return to be trained to serve in deeper and greater roles such as small group leaders, station leaders at special events, set up & take down for special events, provide tech support on a larger scale, write notes, serve as Cherub Choir leaders, take photos, and decorate. I recall a middle schooler who provided decorating support for VBS sharing, “I had no idea it took this much work to pull this off. I really thought y’all just pulled stuff out of a closet and it just happened.” There would be coaching all along the way as they interacted with students and parents, learned new sound systems, and the administrative support necessary to pull off an effective and sustainable ministry with children. Teaching not just the tasks, but the why behind the tasks, and the follow up. Those of us in the trenches know that follow-up doesn’t just mean clean-up and the measure of success isn’t just the numbers of kids who attended.

When these students age up to high school…I’m dreaming…in all honesty, I’m planning in my head….that there would be several very intentional times of training this team to dream, plan, calendar, and creatively provide for moving through the liturgical calendar year. This team would be involved with the teaching, the training, the creative energy behind large family events and weekly small faith-formation experiences. We would teach them to resource their idea, market it, plan it, set the goals for it, measure it for success or edit, as a team of freshmen, then as sophomores, then as juniors. As seniors in high school they’d serve as full-on interns to train up those behind them. We’d pay for their first national kidmin conference once 18 years old AND all the local kidmin training we can get them to throughout these high school years.

Then. Then! THEN! When these students age out of youth and into the next season of their lives, they’d be prepared and ready to serve in a local church as the lead in that 10 hour, 15 hour, 20 hour position if those were available. We’d get them connected with a local coach for THIS to be their part-time job in college. With churches probably moving smaller in the future, yet more connected, they’d be prepared for the continuing decentralizing of local church attendance.

I’ve begun talking about it among our students and they are all over it. The wins, just off the top of my head?

• Fulfill Titus 2 with a great hand-off ready for effectiveness.
• Through the training up, our local church would remain culturally relevant because of these student’s influence and leadership.
• Students can grow our church’s engagement in the digital revolution of our changing culture.
• Students will be ready to continue serving the body of Christ with effective skills.
• Students can earn a small living in those areas which are paid positions while in college/continuing education. Who doesn’t need a few bucks as a young adult?
• Students will keep those of us currently leading from making irrelevant assumptions about our community and the future of the church.
• Students will help us clarify the gospel message to our community.
• Students moving to a new area would have immediate connection to Christian community.
• When I hear there is a job posting for a 10-hour, 15-hour, 20-hour position, I won’t have to post it. I can send them someone ready to go with skills, enthusiasm, and a call to ministry…for we are ALL called to the ministry of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
• What else?

‘Go ye therefore, and TEACH all nations, baptizing them…: TEACHING THEM to observe ALL THINGS whatsoever I have commanded you: AND, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ Matthew 28:18-20

Reading Rethink Communication: A Playbook to Clarify and Communicate Everything In Your Church, author Phil Bowdle shares the following:

“The basic foundation of most churches has not changed dramatically. The average church is built around worship services, children’s ministry, student ministry, Sunday school or small groups, and ministry events. So what’s changed? It’s the people.”

He then quotes Dave Adamson, “Church attendance is not decreasing, it’s decentralizing.” BECAUSE, according to http://www.socialmediatoday.com, “The average person who attends your church may only physically attend eight to ten times a year. The average person your church is trying to engage with is on social media 116 minutes a day.” 

Breathe. Really. Just breathe.

Phil Bowdle was interviewed on the MyCom Church Marketing Podcast of March 12. He shared his dad was a United Methodist pastor, his mom served as a leader in Children’s Ministry. He didn’t just grow up in the church. His parents had keys! Phil serves today as the Creative Arts Pastor at West Ridge Church in Northwest Atlanta. I ordered the book before the podcast ended.

Jesus’ Great Commission to us as His followers is to ‘make disciples of Jesus Christ’ or in other translations, ‘go and teach’. We can only do that through engaging people in discipleship as they live their lives every day of the week. We MUST prepare and plan to engage people as they are inside the house AND outside the house.

So where do we start? Phil writes that many churches exist in the ‘chaos cycle.’ Two of the many symptoms of the ‘chaos cycle’ would be ‘reactive workflow instead of proactive planning’ and ‘everything comes together at the last minute.’ To break out of the ‘chaos cycle’ Phil suggests and outlines six plays to effectively communicate our message. Play #1: Clarify your message.

In clarifying your message, we ask ourselves three great questions:
1. Who is your target audience?
2. What’s the win for your message?
3. What are the barriers to your message?

I’ve spent the last week contemplating and talking about and to my target audience as we prepare to plan and promote a new monthly ministry to students in 3rd-5th grade next fall. I surveyed our 2nd-5th graders on Palm Sunday as they were waiting their class’ turn to move through the Easter Story Stone Stations after the traditional palm processional. Why? I no longer have a 2nd-5th grader living their everyday in my home and I don’t want to make assumptions.

The information gathered was surprisingly delightful, and so helpful. The questions we asked are below:
1. Top 2 shows you like to watch
2. Top 2 outside-of-school activities do you like to play
3. Top 2 sports you like to watch
4. Top 2 people in your life
5. Top 2 people you’d like to hang out with (past or present people)
6. Top 2 restaurants where you like to eat
7. Top 2 family traditions
8. Top 2 favorite colors
9. Top 2 things you like about church
10. Top 2 things you like about school
11. Top 2 things you like about Jesus
12. Top 2 things you like about your family
13. Top 2 people you like to talk to when you have a problem
14. Top 2 friends you have at church
15. Top 2 church leaders you know
16. Top 2 times when you like to pray
17. Top 2 times when you read your Bible
18. Top 2 songs you like to sing
19. What do you or have you participated in at church since you’ve been at McEachern? (circle all that apply)
Sunday School / Vacation Bible School / Ambassadors / Messy Family Lent / Messy Family Christmas / Acolytes / Winter Ball / Gaga Ball Pit / Christmas Caroling / Trip to Bethlehem / Ultimate Camp / Princess Class / Knights Class / Splish Splash / Tour of Nativities / Day Away at Ms. DeDe’s / Bible Ninja Warrior / Summer Special Sundays / Camp Glisson / Wonderfully Made / Faith Field Trips–Paddle Board, Puppets, Hiking, Movies / Recreation-Soccer, Basketball, etc. / McEachern Preschool

Next, I will work with our team to determine the win. Then, we address the barriers. This book is a practical playbook on communicating your message. Do I dare prepare a ‘next steps’ plan of discipleship for each age level based on this information? You bet I do!

“And again, ‘I will put my trust in him.’ And again he says, ‘Here am I, and the children God has given me.” Hebrews 2:13

Messy Church is a fresh expression of inter-generational worship, service, and fellowship experiences which values being Christ-centered, based on creativity, hospitality, and celebration. We used the framework for Messy Church for a Messy Family Christmas event last December for an afternoon event. Thirty minutes for creative activities; thirty minutes for inter-generational worship with familiar live music and a jacked-up children’s moment; thirty minutes for table life with a simple meal of soup, bread, and water. It was a huge success in registration of 100 and actually 120 in attendance. Our Missions Committee also used the Messy Church model as an opportunity to extend a Christmas blessing to families in need who are serviced by our food pantry and Teach-One-To-Lead-One missions in our local elementary and middle schools naming it The Christmas Table for the sole purpose of growing in relationships and sharing table-life with even more families in our community.

After receiving permission to take on the four 5th Sundays in the coming year to expand the Messy Church model in our context, we chose to present a Messy Family Lent event as an opportunity to celebrate the end of our first Glee Club & Cherub Choir season on March 31st. What was different? We chose to offer it as a takeover for the first part of the 11am Sanctuary service where the children sang, signed, offered the call-to-worship as a call and response, and were flanked by worship art the children had prepared with six panels representing six scenes of the Lent season in the life of Jesus.

The schedule included twenty minutes of familiar music (Jesus Loves Me; This is the Day) including special music (song and sign language) of Rend Collective’s “Strength of My Heart.” We then dismissed from the Sanctuary, along with all of our parents/families, to the gym for a beautiful signing piece from our Cherub Choir (4-5 year olds) followed by eight stations of experiential activities. Parents were required to stay with their children as they moved from one station to another. At 12noon, the stations closed and families joined up at tables (assigned tables of eight for families who registered to encourage families to make new friends) along with additional table and chair spaces for 32. With two two-sided serving stations, we served sloppy joes, buns, shredded cheese, chips, pickles, and water which folks signed up to bring when they registered. At 12:20pm we finished the event with a sing-along of Jesus Loves Me and This Is The Day (song sheets on the tables) and a rousing rendition of a JumpStart 3 song our students have enjoyed singing since the first of the year.

This particular Sunday was the beginning of Spring Break. Expecting numbers to be low, we were surprised with the 85 registrations. Knowing what happened at Messy Family Christmas, I planned supplies for 125 at each station that had individual take-aways. We used everything! One of the reasons this planning freak gal likes to use the Messy Church model for creative and inter-generational stations is that not everything is a craft requiring a fixed amount of individual take-aways. Each station is not about the task, but rather the discussion and relationship-building.

With our theme of JESUS IS AMAZING, the following stations were set up around the perimeter of the gym. Not all the stations were ‘manned’ since the families were to remain together. When the station was ‘manned’, it was manned by past Ambassadors (current middle school youth) or an adult (not a parent/grandparent), and the story eggs were led by a husband and wife team who shared the Resurrection story with flare, excitement, and creativity.

Station #1 – Decorate bag to carry goodies home
Discussion: What do you think about Easter?
What do you think about Lent?
Did your family do something special for the season of Lent?
Jesus is amazing!

Station #2 – Decorate an altar cloth for the altar table in the Treehouse
Supplies: Full Sheet
Sharpies
Activity: Draw a cross and write your name around it on the sheet in a sharpie.
Discussion: What does the cross remind you of? Jesus died on a cross so we could be forgiven and was buried in a tomb, but He didn’t stay dead. He rose on the 3rd day to let us know that we are forgiven. A cross reminds us of God’s love for us. For God so loved YOU that he gave His one and only son that whoever believes in Jesus will not perish, but will have everlasting life. John 3:16
After Jesus died on the cross, the women who followed Him, wrapped up His body and laid Him in a tomb (a cave carved out of rock.) What Jesus did for us on the cross is amazing!

Station #3 – Lent words to know
Supplies: Scrabble letters on a large cookie sheet from the kitchen
Paper
Markers
List of words to start with: Lent, Easter, Jesus, cross, blood, water, soldier, pray
Activity: Make a word; build on a word already on the cookie sheet (like a crossword/scrabble board).
Discussion: During Lent we might hear lots of new words like ‘resurrection’, ‘redemption’, ‘holiness’ which we don’t typically hear any other time of year. What are some new words you have heard? Every word points to Jesus, because Jesus is amazing!

Station #4 – Story Eggs
Supplies: Wooden eggs
Activity: Draw symbols on your egg to decorate it so you can tell the Good News of Jesus.
Discussion: Dots – Jesus’ mommy Mary & friends cried tears of sadness when He died and cried tears of joy when He rose again
Hearts – God sent His son Jesus so we would know how much He loves us
Swirls – God made you and Jesus loves you
Cross – Jesus died on a cross, but is risen because Jesus is amazing!
Star – Where is Heaven? Heaven is up like the stars are up! Jesus walked the earth for 40 days to talk with his family and friends after His resurrection then went up into the clouds to (1) prepare a place for us when our time on earth is through, and (2) to send us a helper, the Holy Spirit, to help us live a life that honors God and our family as followers of Jesus. Jesus is amazing!

Station #5 – Decorated Crosses
Supplies: Wooden crosses
Activity: Have children choose a wooden cross they can keep.
Discussion: Talk about why the cross is the most important symbol of Easter for Christians (Believers and Followers of Jesus). Jesus in amazing!

Station #6 – Please Stones
Supplies: Small stones/jewels
Activity: Pick up a stone/jewel and hold it in your hand.
When Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, He asked God to please let something else take place to save people from sin. But, if this (Jesus dying on the cross) was the only way people could be saved and forgiven of our sins, then He would do what God asked of Him. This was a “Please prayer.”
Discussion: What’s on your mind? What are you hoping for? What are you wishing for?
Pray a “please” prayer (a prayer where you ask God “please”) for what’s on your mind.
When you’re done, place your stone in the bowl along with everyone else’s. Notice the growing numbers of prayers we share together.
God hears every prayer, even the ones that seem small or silly. Jesus is amazing!

Station #7 – Crown of Thorns
Supplies: Brown playdoh
Toothpicks
Activity: Mold a circle/crown with the playdoh and place broken toothpicks in it to make a crown of thorns.
Discussion: The first time ‘thorns’ is mentioned in the Bible is as a punishment for disobeying God’s first and only rule for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. “Don’t eat the fruit of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.” Because they disobeyed and did eat the fruit from it, they had to leave the Garden and now grow their own food ‘among the thorns and the thistles.’ Now we see that a crown of ‘thorns and thistles’ were placed on His head. This is an example of what we call, “The rule of first mention” in the Bible. When something is mentioned in the Bible for the first time, it matters how and when it is mentioned throughout the Bible. What does it feel like to your fingers? Jesus loves you so much that He took the punishment for our sin (our selfishness) so we can be forgiven and learn to live a life of kindness and help for other people. Jesus is amazing!

Station #8 – Rolling the Stone
Supplies: Marbles, poster paint, linen hand towel
Activity: Roll marbles in paint, and then roll them over the hand towel to leave a pattern.
Discussion: Talk about the stone being rolled away from Jesus’ tomb=the cave where Jesus was laid after He died on the cross. Jesus is amazing!

“They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.” Psalm 145:7

This week is hard. The memories come fast. The tears come even faster.

Three  years ago, on March 31^st, we found my mother-in-law ‘asleep’ at the table we shared many a salad, scrambled eggs, and story about her amazing grandchildren.  Her birthday was the day before on March 30^th. This woman knew me before I knew myself. We grew up together.

On April 1^st my Daddy was escorted to his Heavenly home before my very eyes. The best and worst of days for this Daddy’s girl. From 1am-3am I sat in the presence of our sweet Jesus as He took two entire hours to gather the spirit of this larger-than-life man only 14 years ago.  I have his laugh, his booming voice. He told me first about Jesus. His head was always full of ideas and nothing seemed impossible. I like to think that my voice and Jesus’ voice overlapped as Dad moved from here to there.

My father-in-law’s birthday is April 3^rd. It’s also #1 Son’s spiritual birthday, accepting Jesus as his Savior at 5 years old. Frank went to his Heavenly home on April 4, 1994, the day after Ben decided to follow Jesus.

This week is hard. The memories come fast. The tears come even faster.

Yet the Lord can redeem a season of loss.

Mr. Yummy, our first grandchild, turns 7 this week on April 6^th. Amazon has already delivered a rebounding soccer ball, the board game Sorry, and a box of foam swords.

#1 Son and the most amazing Daughter-in-Love & Law will celebrate their 3^rd wedding anniversary on April 23^rd, the same wedding date as my in-laws.

Miss Precious, second grandchild, delivered by her super-hero Dad on the side of the road during rush hour traffic, turns 5 on April 24^th. I was surrounded by 70 of my best-girl-friends-in-Lord that evening and she made international news. We also mailed our Son-in-Love & Law a cape the very next day.

As I dust the frames of our family pictures on the wall this week, the memories come fast. The tears come even faster.

A dear friend gave to me a copy of Rockstar Grandparent written by Chrys Howard for my birthday.  Chrys Howard is Korie Robertson’s mom of Duck Dynasty fame. They live in Louisiana. She shares, “Your life is like a one-million-piece puzzle. The good – no, great – news about this stage of life is that your corners are probably pretty secure. You’ve raised your family, worked forever, and established yourself in your church and community. Gone are the days of wondering what you’ll be when you grow up or how you’ll handle the death of a loved one or the loss of a job or the betrayal of a friend. Chances are you’ve experienced similar scenarios in life and conquered them. But there are still a few pieces missing from your puzzle.”

Lord, I pray that the few pieces still missing from our puzzles will be filled with stories retold, new celebrations to experience, and we are smack dab in the middle of Your will and purposes for our lives. May our legacy be Christ-centered, lived out in the local church and in our homes, in joyful obedience to Your Word.  And may we welcome the tears and memories as a direct result of the depth of our love for one another.

“We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 1:3