One of the life-skills learned serving the Lord as a United Methodist is both the joy and angst of pastoral leadership change. Left to our own devices people prefer living in the land of UR (Usual Routine; Genesis  15).  If you don’t believe it, try to move something in your sanctuary.

I was well-trained by several spiritual leaders to welcome change as a true expression of the movement of the Holy Spirit. By its very nature, an active, thriving movement of the Holy Spirit can’t stay the same.

The third Sunday of April was ‘announcement Sunday’ in the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church. Each year, through prayer, discussion, prayer, goal-setting, prayer, evaluation, prayer, clergy appointments are made among the local churches and church organizations in each conference directed by a prayerful Bishop and a prayerful cabinet. Sense a theme here? There are many prayerful considerations in placements and moves such as retirements, newly ordained clergy, clergy growth, church growth, sabbaticals, community changes, career moves and new church starts, to name just a few. Hence the absolute necessity for intentional prayer and wise discernment.

Serving under the direction of different pastors and in different congregations has made me a better disciple of Jesus. Better at ministry.  Better at life. I’m a firm believer in submitting to the authority over me.  Hebrews 13:17 reminds us to, “Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.” God has placed inside of each of His people a calling. Submitting and trusting the process has taught me much about the grace and love of our creative and awe-inspiring heavenly Father. May I never doubt how God meets the needs of His people.

The Staff-Parish Relations Committee Chairperson arrived in the empty sanctuary that Sunday just before the live-streamed service. This was my first indication that an announcement was coming.  I took a deep, long breath. After presenting the Children’s Moment, I sat and waited in the empty sanctuary until the end of the service when the pending announcement would be made. 

As I waited, the Lord brought to mind the wonderful lessons learned by the amazing clergy I’ve had the pleasure of serving under. Some were pastors to me and mine during the remarkable moments of life. Some are my dearest friends. Some were guides. Some shared life. All were teachers.

If you lose your joy, you lose your impact. – Dr. D. B.
Your family is your first ministry. – Rev. J. H.
Do ministry in such as a way that when your children grow up they still love Jesus and love the local church. – Rev. R. H.
“Worship on Sunday starts on Saturday.” – Dr. R. H.
Every talk must speak of Jesus. – Rev. D. H.
 “God gives His children good gifts.” – Rev. R. H.
To lead people well, they must know your heart. – Dr. D. T.
Keep your connection with your home church because you will need a soft place to land and be loved when the job gets hard. – Dr. C. H.
Humility, humor, and prayer can ease the pain of cuts made by stained glass. – Rev. S. H.
What will set you apart will be your purposeful intentionality. – Rev. J. B.
“God has called you for such a time as this.” – Rev. R. H.

What are some of the lessons you have learned from the pastors you’ve served alongside?

“Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.” Hebrews 13:7

One of the most spiritual experiences of my life was the minute I delivered Baby Girl in Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I prayed that very minute that she would choose Jesus as Lord of her life at a very young age. Twenty months later, I prayed the same prayer when #1 Son was born. The Lord honored those prayers with a resounding YES! because I was on a mission to do all I could to make that happen. On April 6, 2012, we revisited that simple prayer the moment our first grandchild was born. More like a blessing over each one, all four grands were prayed for and God’s word spoken over each one anytime I get my arms around them.

Our culture leads us to believe that having fun, baking cookies, and gift-giving make us good grandparents. As followers of Jesus, there’s so much more. In Deuteronomy 4:9 God’s people are instructed to “Watch yourselves closely so that you don’t forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children AND TO THEIR CHILDREN AFTER THEM.” (emphasis mine) We have more than a one-generation mission to share our faith, we have a two-generation mission to intentionally tell of God’s great deeds.

Most of us learned how to grandparent by how we were grandparented. My paternal grandmother was a Sunday school teacher in her local church, but she was harsh, demanding, and that corset made her far from huggable. My maternal grandmother had the struggles of marrying at 14 in the hollers of the West Virginia coal mines. She was kind and generous though I don’t recall any conversation about Jesus. I learned much wisdom from her over a flour bowl she would use to make home-made biscuits in three times each day every summer from the time I was 10-16 years old. There was a family Bible on the coffee table and picture of a Guardian Angel on the wall of her home, yet that was their extent of grandparenting with the purpose of making Jesus Lord of my life.

The average age of a first-time grandparent in the US is 47 years old. If the best time to begin a Christian legacy in a child’s life is at the beginning, the best time to begin a Christian legacy in a parent’s life is at the beginning, it would behoove us to begin a Christian legacy in a grandparent’s life at the beginning of their tenure as a grandparent. Outside of parents, grandparents have the #1 influence in a child’s life because they typically have more time over time (long-term involvement), they’ve been around the block (offer greater wisdom), they’ve got great history with the Lord (stories of God’s faithfulness and forgiveness), and they care more that their grandchildren would have a faith in something greater than themselves. Grandparents enjoy a sweet spot in a child’s life. 

What can we do to better equip and support these disciple-makers through family ministry?  This demographic of discipleship is lacking in most local churches. I aim to be a catalyst to change that. 

“My people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth…things we have heard and  known, things our ancestors have told us. We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done…which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God.” Psalm 78:1-7

Think Tanks are opportunities for leaders in ministry with children to gather to share ideas, thoughts, culture shifts, and a powerful brain trust for making disciples of Jesus Christ among the families of our local churches. We gather several times each year in a home which by its very nature offers an intimate expression of God’s love through hospitality, trust, and perfect for building lasting personal and professional relationships. Thank you, Mimi Sanders, for hosting this amazing day in early March. This is some of what we covered:

We Are McKendree – A shared event with a local elementary school which shares it’s church name. The two-hour event provides food, translators, and fun in August with the goal of helping families and the community find local and church programs that would be beneficial to them in raising their families. Contact the Children’s Ministry of McKendree United Methodist Church for more information..

Klub Serve – Wednesday night programming for K5-3rd grade fun nights of service based on an informal survey asking the kids what they would like to learn including worship planning, ball games, science experiments, preparing care packages, consignment sale set up, cards for soldiers, and playground toy washes. Contact the Children’s Ministry of McKendree United Methodist Church for more information.

Big Sundays – Simple ways to make Sundays a special celebration without it becoming a huge, labor-intensive-expensive special event especially for those who share or rent space to hold church. Several big Sundays discussed were New Year/New You, Messtival, Fall Back Sunday, Tall Small Ball, Pajama and Pumpkin Party, Cocoa Loco, Sleepy Church Sunday, Cookies and Costumes, Lego-My-Eggo Sunday, Community Cupid, Bring A Grown Up Sunday, etc. Contact the Children’s Ministry of McEachern Memorial United Methodist Church for more information.

Lent Family Bible Study – Sunday evenings with kids and their tall people including a soup and bread supper. This study is designed to help families grow confident in using their Bible and making it their lifelong companion. Learning to Use My Bible does not assume prior knowledge of the Bible and is appropriate for confident readers, yet with adult assistance, appropriate for all ages. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Contact the Children’s Ministry of Tucker First United Methodist Church for more information.

Grandparent’s Club – With the average age of a first-time grandparent of 47 years young, this is an area of great conversation for equipping these disciples. Maybe your grandchildren are living with them. Maybe they’re thousands of miles away. Their parents may be actively involved, or absent from the family. No matter the circumstance, the GRANDPARENTS’ CLUB welcomes all! Come share the joyful, rejuvenating and sometimes complicated subject of GRAND-parenting. Whether you’re a “Grandma,” a “Poppy,” an “Opa” or a “Nana”, you are welcome! Contact the Children’s Ministry of Tucker First United Methodist Church for more information.

Family Passover Seder – A 2-hour seder meal with 4th & 5th graders and their families including a meal, celebration, teaching, and music. Contact the Children’s Ministry of Alpharetta First United Methodist Church for more information.

Kids Journey With Jesus – Whether you are headed to the local park or across the country let’s journey with Jesus this summer. While you explore God’s great creation let squishy Jesus tag along! Read a scripture, say a prayer then take a photo of squishy Jesus with your family or having His own adventure. Tag it #KidsJourneyWithJesus Contact the Children’s Ministry of Acworth United Methodist Church for more information.

Children’s Ministry Think Tanks take place each March in North Georgia. Two more were to be held in McDonough and in Canton which were cancelled due to the COVID-19 virus. Two weekly ZOOM meetings for those who serve in ministry with families have been in response. If ever there was a time of community and incredible creativity, this is that season. We are indeed, better together!

Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 1 Corinthians 15:1

We were made for ministry in this COVID-19 season. No, really! Even in the challenges, the quick-change of seasonal celebrations, the lack of certainty, the children’s ministry community has been rocking it. What would have taken a 90-day committee to pull off, we are finding lots of creativity, lots of grace, little expectation for perfection, and just doing stuff to keep ours and other’s eyes on Jesus. You are leading, learning, looking, laughing, and making ministry happen. I see you and you are rocking it!

“Flexibility is the new superpower.” – Carey Nieuwhof

On the flip-side, not everyone in professional ministry is thriving. Some are frozen, silent, missing-in-inaction. Some are overwhelmed with any task, lonely, and waiting for someone, anyone, to offer direction. Some are spending more time with the refrigerator, the news, and Netflix than they think. Some are overwhelmed with what others are doing. Some are disappointed because we are not being checked on, not included in conversations, not being communicated with at all. Take a breath. Take a really deep breath.

The things that are the most important are not uncertain: relationships, family, Jesus. 

As the local church we were made for such a time as this. We are in the business of pointing everyone to Jesus. We are not in the business of event-planning nor only information-sharing. We are in the business of offering hope, confidence, a non-anxious presence (the operative word being ‘presence’) for the four populations we serve: kids, parents/grands, servant leaders/volunteers, and for some of us, paid staff.

Serving these four populations and keeping our eyes on Jesus, the ICE framework helps:
I = Impact – What will have the greatest impact? Low-hanging fruitfulness? Easy wins? Then, do or be that.
C = Confidence – What do I have the greatest confidence I can do well? Know that those who love you are not interested in perfection, but you. What are you known for? What has not come naturally to me, I’ve watched others do well on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube with a willingness to try anything. Then, do or be that.
E = Experience – What do you have the greatest experience to do with the logistics already figured out; the relationships already figured out; the ease of who you are? What’s been your experience as the most important opportunities for life-long faith formation? Who is doing something you think you could try and reach out to? Then, do or be that.

My greatest challenge has been in a daily schedule, so a block schedule has helped me stay within some boundaries: 7-10am, 10am-1pm, 1-4pm, 4-7pm, 7-10pm.

You already have things in your backpack to not just persevere, but shine. The way we get through a crisis is together. Reach out to one another for logistics. Be the hope, the confidence, the non-anxious presence, but be fully present. When you look back on this season, what kind of Christian leader do you wish to be in the midst of it? If every church leader was just like you, what will the Kingdom of God here on earth look like when we are on the other side of this? Then, do or be that. 

You were made for this!

“I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” Psalm 27:13