This season of intense yet innovative faith formation looks nothing like the job description I was given when I was originally hired. What about you?

Each of us brings something more to the table once we get our sea legs under us after the first year. When we dock our fishing boat at a new harbor we are given that original job description, then we typically don’t see it again. Understanding church culture, I got into the habit of updating my job description, even if only for myself, each year in January. In that update, I assign percentages of how much time it takes weekly to accomplish each task with many bullet points assigned “seasonal”.

Each year we learn new skills, adjustments take place in organizational charts, new services or buildings or leadership are added to the mix. All affect how we live out our roles and the realistic time it takes to do everything ‘as unto the Lord.’

I’ve heard of churches making a person’s job description a one-liner, but it’s not been my experience. My one-liner might read, “to create safe, irresistible and transformational faith formation experiences for children so they love the Lord their God with their whole heart and mind for their whole lives.”

We are naive to think that local churches aren’t going to be making changes in the weeks and months to come. Changes in leadership, budgets, space, updates to organizational charts, processes, systems, security, safety, school schedules, all have a part to play in the rhythm of church world. Rather than waiting with anxious breath and fear taking up space in your head, take an hour this week to take a fresh look and edit your job description.

No one knows what you do, but you. Make it a matter of prayer and release your leadership from knowing all that you do or how long it takes to do it. They already have in their heads what you do and it’s not even close. In all fairness, we don’t know what all they do either, and that’s okay. Don’t get caught in the comparison trap or the weeds of disappointment from unmet expectations. Remember, the goal is organizational health. Remember the tasks for which you will be evaluated should take priority and this is a great way to bring yourself back within some navigational beacons.

What you did in September 2020 is way different than what you focused on in September 2019, and it looked differently again in September 2023. Many children’s ministry directors I know are now also directing weekday preschools, women’s ministries, even cooking Wednesday night dinners because they love their churches and we do what we’re asked stepping in where we’re needed.

Fix a cup of something warm and tasty and take an hour this week to update your job description, even if just for yourself. Editing your job description now will help you and your leadership prioritize when and if any adjustments need to be made in the future. The SPRC (Staff Parish Relations Committee) held one-on-one meetings last week where I serve to gather this information. More importantly, they prayed over each of us and said, “I see you.” I could almost cry.

You Just Gotta Know: Struggles and challenges look differently today. I’m standing in the gap for you. Perhaps you are facing your Esther moment, your Daniel moment. That moment when you feel a push to bravely speak up, wave the banner for your families with a louder voice, even fight for spaces and places just to love your kids to Jesus. I’m standing in the gap in prayer and support for you. This blog post is the result of someone reaching out.

I fully believe God wants to hang your picture in the gallery of faith between Hebrews 11 and 12. Can I help? Need a Mordecai or a Shadrach or Meshach to your Abednego? Let’s share the journey, the struggle, and the celebrations. You are in the World’s Toughest Race!  I’m on your team! Let’s give ’em something to talk about! If you can get to me, let’s do tea on my back porch or pick up a chai tea latte from the local coffee shop. Who’s in? Reach out to dedereilly@comcast.net.  

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:3-6

When I heard last winter Vanessa Myers was writing an Advent devotional for kids with questions kids (and adults) wonder about the Christmas account, I was thrilled. Wondering To Bethlehem: A Wonder-filled Advent Devotional For Kids provides inspiration and knowledge beyond my wildest imagination. Vanessa’s devotional books for kids are written for middle to upper elementary to read for themselves or younger if directed and read by a big person: Bible Food Truck and Breakfast With Jesus. Her knowledge and understanding of how kids learn, what makes a learning sticky, Bible study, and using a child’s imagination makes this devotional my go-to this Advent season. Her kid’s devotionals offer so much more than just a great developmentally appropriate read.

Vanessa’s knowledge of the Bible offers nuggets of wisdom and ‘did you know?’ notes throughout especially on the “Wonders To Unpack” pages which follow each Advent reading. For instance: “The angels praised God at the beginning of Creation (see Job 38:4-7). And now, the angels praised God at the beginning of a new creation: the birth of God’s son.” (pg. 85)

Each reading includes a daily invite for kids to write, “Things I wonder about in this story…” entitled Wondering Notes as well as a half-page space for drawing a picture of the story. The special add-on to make this devotional especially interactive is the QR code in the front for a download of twenty-six 2-inch round stickers for cutting out (how I’ll use them) or printing on round stickers for each daily reading PLUS two additional readings for Christmas Day and Epiphany.

This is a beautiful gift for the grands and the kids, AND I’m using this 125-page advent devotional as the inspiration for how our children’s ministry will celebrate Advent this year. Here are a few of our ideas…..

• Campfire Christmas is our kickoff event with worship led by a special musical guest, shepherd stations for creativity and storytelling (luggage tags, sticker nativity ornaments, sheep mini fidgets, waterbottle stickers, bookmarks, sheep masks) an interactive re-telling of the nativity story for anyone who wants to participate, sheep games, roasting marshmallows, finishing well with dinner served and provided by our youth ministry. The shepherds jump into the story from around a campfire.
• Each family will receive their own copy of the devotional while supplies last beginning at Campfire Christmas. We were able to order the devotional in bulk and received a family event guide from Vanessa at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfRPIbL1NmQHitp3tnerSttKd5fWr-PpARZ99IXngZ-TYO2zw/viewform 
• 100+ small sheep will be placed all over campus for littles and bigs to be delighted, play with, and move around. We’ll pick them all up in January. We are sheep (dependent on God) AND we are shepherds (sharing first the good news of Jesus’ birth and God’s salvation with others).
• Children’s moments will open with sheep jokes and shepherd hooks sharing the wonders of a song (I Wonder As I Wander), wonder of a good shepherd, wonder of Psalm 23 (my rod and my staff…tools for the journey), and wonder of remaining with the flock. 
• Our church has several wonderful mission opportunities during Advent yet few are kid-friendly-sticky, so we will collect gently-used suitcases and duffle bags for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) and foster children as we ‘unpack Christmas’ for others. We’ll include a children’s devotional and/or Bible inside. Several church members are actively involved in this amazing program and are taking the point to store and get them where they need to go to do the most good.
• Sheep cut-outs for prayer prompters; sheep games.
• Inviting families to reach one chapter of the gospel of Luke (24 chapters) each day beginning December 1st, finishing on Christmas Eve.

Christmas is a wonder for littles AND bigs. So many fabulous characters. So many amazing places. So many fantastic relationships. So much love from a Heavenly Father who offers His own Son to be the only way to be made right with Himself, a holy God. 

Thank you, Lord, for the Advent season! Thank you, Vanessa, for a fresh way to celebrate!

“Holy God, thank You for the Good News of Jesus’ birth. Give me the boldness to share about who Jesus is with others, just like the shepherds did. Amen.” Wondering to Bethlehem, pg 91

“How do we get it all in?”, “I don’t have time, I’m too busy.”  I hear the immense priority given to regularly scheduled, repeated, programming of life. Building margin to travel, to meet, be coached, and network is absolutely necessary to build our endurance muscles for ministry over the long haul. This is the system which works for me. Is there flexibility? Oh yes! This is just where I start to set a sustainable pace.

Mondays Are For Communicating – Working from the home office lets me begin the day crazy early with less interruptions. I build the Sunday powerpoints, email the Sunday Saints of what’s upcoming, write notes/postcards to mail, take a walk to settle the bear of overwhelming confusion, place the orders/build the online shopping cart, schedule the social media posts, write the newsletters, work the calendar.

Tuesdays Are For Meeting – In-person meetings grow relationships. Relationships trump tasks. I rise crazy early to weekly blog post and prepare to travel for staff meetings, coffee/tea meetings, deliver books/dinner/lunch/breakfast to families, and collaboratively plan in the hallways and offices of campus and beyond. Network lunch each month, too. Lots of tablelife on Tuesdays.

Wednesdays Are For Learning – This is when I’ll schedule zoom calls for book discussions, travel to trainings, read books and articles, dive into the scriptures, scour the search engines, watch youtube videos, and learn. I love learning and scheduling a learning day (or morning) means I actually set aside time for reading and study. Well-Versed Kids is on Wednesday nights so learning continues. This season we are learning what God has to say about WORK.

Thursdays Are For Staging – Whatever it’s going to take to set the stage and set the tables for Sunday gets done on Thursdays. I walk through spaces, pray through spaces, put away, set up, clean up, and prepare for arrival and dismissal experiences alongside the content prep for shared faith formation experiences so that littles and their bigs continue to love Jesus with their whole hearts for their whole lives.

Fridays Are For Sabbath – The day I do what reminds me that God is good and I am His. 

Saturdays Are For Family – This is the only day Mr. Bob and I have off together so I guard the daylights out of it. It’s fall now so it’s college football starting with The Home Depot’s GameDay. There’s usually a grocery pickup or supply gathering between games. About 4pm I start gathering my mind and heart and stacking the car for what’s planned for Sunday. Mr. Bob says something changes in me around 4pm then off to bed early because Sunday is game day. 

Sundays Are For Celebrating – Celebrating together as a church family so that we can ‘spur one another on’ (Hebrews 10:24-25) for another week to live out the holy habits of discipleship in community. Around tables and in hallways, arriving early and staying late. This season has afternoons filled with Stick Around Sundays, Scout Badge Clinics, events like Fall Gatherings and Campfire Christmas.

How do you set up your week for sustainability and perseverance?

“He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 1:8

As a visual learner who leads concrete thinkers, I believe it’s helpful to have some benchmarks for growing in Christian maturity. A benchmark is a standard or point of reference against which things may be compared or assessed. This sanctification and growing process must have some evidential criteria beyond a checklist, though a checklist is helpful to know along our journey if we’ve taken more exits off the highway or spent too much time at the rest stop or haven’t left the front yard at all as a growing faithful Christian.

One of my favorite resources to share with families is the Discipleship Begins at Home Blueprint: Discipleship For Life. This resource begins at the beginning of a child’s life providing developmentally appropriate holy habits and practices caregivers can use to lead littles to Jesus. There is also a Discipleship Begins at Home Blueprint: 5 Year Plan which offers an outline to begin the process with middle/high school and adults.

I learned about this resource we have printed, spiral-bound, and offer on our Family Resource Wall at an online Women In Apologetics conference. The Discipleship Begins at Home Conference was a two-day conference aiming to help parents, caregivers, churches, and teachers create a plan of biblical discipleship and growth for the children in their care. 

I consider it one of the greatest discoveries I’ve ever come across. Rev. Jeremy Bannister co-authors this e-document with his team through The Next Generation Ministries. He highlights six specific holy habits to teach, learn, and practice over a disciple’s life: Bible reading, Prayer, Fellowship, Outreach & Service, Discipleship, Giving. Rev. Bannister further explains these benchmarks like this:

Christian Maturity Benchmarks
1. Have read through the Bible at least one time.
2. Love God – attendance at church on Sunday mornings
    Love God’s people – participate in small group life
    Love Serving God – serving alongside the Body of Christ in church and outside the church
3. Practice the six primary holy habits of Bible Reading, Prayer, Fellowship, Outreach & Service, Discipleship, Giving (the Blueprints offer developmentally appropriate practices from infants through adults for each holy habit)
4. Have a desire to see someone else replicate these benchmarks

I can live with this. I can ask where my servant leaders are in this. I can see the fruit of this. I can set the table for these teachings with littles and with bigs. These are benchmarks I can throw some energy into and so can everyone else who serves in local church leadership. These benchmarks we can see, measure, and engage in conversations about.

If I needed a brain surgeon, I’d want to know that he/she’d read through the books, participated in the best practices led by those experienced (apprenticeship), and engaged in continuing education to be my brain surgeon. When I drive on the highway, it is not unreasonable to expect the professional semi truck driver to have read the books, participated in training (discipleship), attended all the classes (Sunday am), and taken care of their rig according to the owner’s manual. When a member or staff of a church is invited to take on a leadership role it is reasonable to ask if they’d read the whole book, are they giving of their financial resources, participating in small group life, and have a desire to invite others to join the journey.

Where would you want to throw some energy into? Question #1 – Have you read through the Bible at least once?

“…but few things are needed-or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:42

Muhammad Ali was the greatest boxer of all time and one I followed through media and culture especially in the late nineties. “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. The hands can’t hit what the eyes can’t see,” was a phrase he often repeated to describe his style in the ring.

As Christian believers, there are parts of the Bible which make us feel warm and fuzzy like butterfly kisses. These passages are the wonderful parts of following Jesus, like…

• For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not harm you; plans to give you a hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
• God is love. 1 John 4:8b
• Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6
• And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32
• If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. 1 John 1:9
• So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. Galatians 6:10

There are also parts of the Bible that challenge us and cause us to go, “Woah! That stings!” The passages which remind us that Christian believers have chosen a standard of living and these passages teach us to ‘spur one another on to Godly love and good deeds,’ like …

• Everyone should be slow to speak, quick to listen, slow to become angry. James 1:19
• Be dressed and ready for service. Luke 12:35
• Do everything without arguing or complaining. Philippians 2:14
• Children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right. Ephesians 6:1
• And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25
• My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. James 2:1

I led a Children’s Moment a few weeks ago with a child holding a butterfly pillow sitting on one side of me, kissing my shoulder each time I read a butterfly kiss scripture. On the other side of me sat a child WAY too eager to sting my other shoulder with a bee puppet each time I read a stinger. The congregation laughed as the point was made.

As Christian followers of Christ Jesus we are to follow the whole counsel of the scriptures. If we only pick and choose to live among the butterfly kisses, we’ll never have the liturgy and proper equipping of God’s word for when life gets hard through loss and disappointment, relationships and school become confusing, nor when the littles we lead find following Jesus difficult and require courage.

Last Sunday we taught the Bible account of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. The Children’s curriculum make the point that when we stand up for Jesus, we’ll be rescued. That is not reality. Instead, we taught, “What causes three 30+ year old men to stand and not bow down to an idol when the consequence is surely a fiery, painful death?” After being taken as slaves, made eunuchs, and lived more than half their lives in Babylon, they followed the God of their childhood. Doing the math, these men were raised from babies until they were 10 years old during the reign of King Josiah. (2 Kings 22 & 23). This math makes my kidmin heart soar!

Teaching children the whole counsel of the scriptures, butterfly kisses AND bee stings, matters now and in the future. 

Still not sure? Spend some time in the Old Testament book of Daniel. It’s not warm and fuzzy. Rather it’s hot and intense, made for teaching and rebuking. Let’s train them to be strong and mighty through the whole counsel of God’s word.

“But even if He does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” Daniel 3:18