July is the month that requires both an over abundance of physical and mental energy.

Physically, we’re still deep in summer programming:
Driveway Parties
Movie Nights
Ladies Paint Parties
Woodlands Freestyle Day Camp
National Ice Cream Day
Lunches and tea with new ministry leaders
And lots of calendaring for what’s ahead!

Mentally, we’re switching gears to the new school year—setting school-year calendars for littles, middles, and talls, creating graphics, launching registrations, making online room reservations, ordering supplies, and preparing to train our amazing leaders who jump headfirst into ministry with families of all ages and stages.

Held right after worship (Pastor Judy is not easy to follow!), we tossed the net wide to gather anyone who serves in nursery, kids, youth, young adult, men’s, women’s, and senior adult ministries for a training lunch. Our goal? Cover the essentials clearly, joyfully, and in under an hour to train our returning team and new team members!

Each table was set with clappers, megaphones, and pom-poms to help our leaders “make some noise.” Blue bags and pens with the church logo and the 2025-2026 Kids & Youth School Year Calendars were ready for everyone to take home.

On an index card each leader shared and left on the table:

• Their name and email
• Ministry area (one or more)
• Two church besties
• A prayer request
  These cards help us stay connected and serve as our attendance record.

The Training Focus: The MACLAND Acrostic

We used the letters of our church’s name to hit the majors:

M = Ministry Safe
Ministry Safe is how we set the stage to keep ministry safe. The Global Methodist Church provides free, excellent online training resources for GMC local churches. New leaders will get links this week for background checks and online training. It’s how we beat the devil!

A = Arrival Time
Plan to arrive 20–30 minutes before your service time. Like band leaders say, “If you’re on time, you’re late.” Early arrival gives margin to prepare and pray for a smooth, grace-filled start.

C = Community
It’s in our name! We asked who had participated in the multiple community outreaches this summer—and every single person stood! The room exploded with cheers. This fall, we continue inviting and serving the community with the Tailgate Party, Macland Community Round Up, Friendsgiving, the Christmas Parade, and our Live Nativity. Everyone is invited to prayerfully consider how they can support each through Family Ministry.

L = Learning
Tables shared how they’ve grown in Christ this summer. Then we asked: How will you grow this fall? Consider joining a Life Group, Emmaus Walk, Face to Face Encounter, Chrysalis Flight, or using HomePoint and Family Resource Center tools. I was super grateful they attended this learning opportunity.

A = Assist the Church
From sharing on social media to emptying trash cans, we all serve together, especially as a lay-led church. Everyone has a part in caring for our church spaces and promoting the joy we share here.

N = New Opportunities
So much is starting this fall!
Kids Praise Team & Youth Praise Team (Wednesday nights)
Young Adults studying The Psalms (Thursday evenings)
Young Adult Quarterly Lunch & Learns
Confirmation for 7th & 8th graders
MacSenior’s Legacy Hymn Worship (Last Sundays of each month, 4–5 PM)

D = Departure Times Matter
Guests may not arrive early, but they often linger. Be available, be helpful, and let your presence reflect Jesus. And personally? Linger with Him. Make time for your own personal worship this fall. Don’t quit. Stay the course. Adjust as needed—but stay the course.

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We’re in a month of transition and transformation.
Promotion Sunday is just around the corner! Bags are packed, scripture is written on mirrors and windows in dry-erase markers, rooms are getting decluttered, and databases updated as kids move up a grade. During the worship service, students and those serving them, both on campus and off-campus, will be commissioned as missionaries by the Missions Team to the areas where they’ll be in community this school year. On mission where God is sending them in community.

So keep the iced coffee and sweet tea coming — and let’s use every day of July for His glory!

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9

The discipleship of our Senior Saints is led by some amazing people. Some who have incredibly floppy Bibles from decades of use and some who have the gift of time to dedicate to serving. Senior Saints are an integral part of Family Ministry.

Because one of our core values is to be intentionally multigenerational, we lean into opportunities where generations learn from one another, grow together, and joyfully share in the life of the church. Here’s what that looks like in real life:

First Thursday Potluck (11am–1pm):
Each month, a team of servant leaders sets the theme and tables for a warm and welcoming potluck on campus. There is incredible food, plenty of sweet and unsweet tea, and a message of encouragement or information. The fellowship is rich, the laughter is real, and everyone leaves full.

Legacy Hymn Worship Service (last Sunday of the month, 4–5pm):
The Legacy Hymn Worship Service is a time to gather and sing the timeless hymns of our faith, accompanied by piano and led by a song leader using My Redeemer’s Praise (Seedbed). A message about the history and meaning of the hymns adds depth to the worship. We share the event with the community via roadside banners which read “Last Sunday of the month” set up and taken down by our youth—another simple act of intergenerational service.

Game Day (3rd Thursday, every other month):
From dominoes to card games, Game Day brings out the fun and friendly competition. This summer, a domino tournament welcomed middle schoolers into the mix, sparking conversations, laughter, and a whole lot of joyful connection. Sharing play across generations builds relationships in the most delightful ways. Even new senior saints attended because they knew middle schoolers would be there.

More multigenerational moments with our senior saints include…

• Face to Face (Walk to Emmaus for 60+):
  We’re honored to host this powerful spiritual retreat for those over 60 this fall. Our Senior Saints support and participate in ways that nurture their faith and uplift others.
• Senior Date Night with the Youth:
  A cherished highlight of our year! Seniors and youth gather to share a meal, swap stories of faith, play games, and build friendships. Themed evenings like Cinco de Mayo and Italian Night—with baked ziti, easy sign-ups, and Etsy game bundles—make these gatherings a favorite of the year.
• Christmas Hospitality:
  Our Senior Saints baked over 80 dozen cookies last year to welcome neighbors to the Live Nativity. They served cider and cocoa with warm smiles, creating sacred, accessible space for all. We intentionally hold this event on level ground so everyone, including those with mobility needs, can fully participate.
• Serving Widows with Love:
  This summer, middle and high school young men met bi-weekly to engage in ‘tough talk’ led by some incredible Titus 2 men and provided yard work and landscaping support for widows in our congregation who otherwise could not take care of it on their own. And if those ladies had a pond or lake? Yes, there was some fishing going on afterwards.

“In not knowing the existential and institutional reasons for church, we have deprived ourselves of an invaluable opportunity to taste and see that the Lord is not only true, but also good and beautiful. Second only to God’s gift of Himself, there simply is no greater blessing in this age, for us as our neighbors, than the body of Christ.” Brad Edwards, The Reason for Church, pg 207

I love our senior saints and the opportunities they leverage for their own faith formation alongside those of us watching how they model loving and serving the Lord with their whole hearts for, indeed, their whole lives. We have Annas in the breezeway. We have Simeons guiding folks to seats. We have Rose, Robin, Donnie, Mary June, Randy, Phil, Carolyn, Mala, David, Billy, Janice, Chris, Kristi, Allen, Emil, Janet, Morris, Barry, and Bob who pour into the littles, middles, and talls. And when I get to witness our senior saints fully engage in the other areas of the Christian community inside and outside the walls of the local church building, this Jesus gal wants to toss confetti all over the place.

“You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.” Titus 2:1-5

Not because the author was trying to stir up frustration, but because they held up a mirror to something you love—and the reflection was hard to see.

That’s how I felt reading the first half of The Reason for Church: Why the Body of Christ Still Matters in an Age of Anxiety, Division, and Radical Individualism (April 2025). Every chapter peeled back the cultural layers that have crept into how we see church—and it made me mad.

A ministry bestie who serves on staff at another church told me their staff was reading it together, so I grabbed a copy, too. We’ve had some great conversations over holy guacamole and queso over previous books. This one will be emotional.

The book begins with this idea: individuality has metastasized into individualism—a deep commitment to self-definition. And now, just like our playlists and social feeds, we expect the local church to be curated and customized to fit me.

Whatever that even means.

The author pulls no punches—starting with the Tower of Babel and moving through the seeker-sensitive movement, the rise of the “sacred self” (my own intuition is my north star and will guide me to what is best for me), and the consumer mindset that’s shaped much of American Christianity. We’ve discipled people to think of church as a spiritual vending machine aka a spiritual non-profit. And yet, we wonder why our discipleship feels shallow and anemic—when we’ve trained ourselves to sip from the well of living water instead of sink deep into the life of the Church.

Here’s what’s worse: in a world where “I feel, therefore it’s true” is a guiding belief, correction and instruction feels like harm. If you make me feel bad about myself or speak God’s truth in love to me, I’ll just cut you out of my life. When a teen calls family devotions “religious trauma,” or every boundary gets labeled “hurt,” we need to ask: are God’s people still open to conviction? Repentance? Growth? Instruction? Sanctification? Healing? Or is the church merely a service-provider?

Yes, real wounds exist. So does spiritual immaturity. Both can show up in the same room.

And counterfeit communities—especially online or on the field—offer quick belonging while slowly unmaking disciples. Algorithms feed our outrage. “Community” gets confused with comment sections. Practices and coaches take priority on the family calendar and finances. It’s all noise, and it’s numbing. It’s lonely, and it’s exhausting.

So yes, I got angry at what we’ve let shape her, the Bride of Christ.

But I kept reading—and the second half of the book makes me want to shout from the back row and toss glory confetti all over the place.

The church is still God’s idea to save the world. A greenhouse for exiles. A place where we learn to ask for help, live in covenant, and drink deeply of Christ’s love together—not in isolation. It’s where we’ll encounter hospitable and kind people of all generations who choose to accept you based on what Christ says about you without judgment of your past experiences. (Ephesians 1:6)

The author offers: If we want resurrection life, we must devote ourselves to the Bride of Christ as fully as He did—to the point of death. (Philippians 2:8) And we can’t claim to carry our cross if we won’t carry each other in sacrifice, through inconvenience, setting aside personal desires, expectations, and preferences.

I’ve got 50 pages left—and a lot more to process. The best part? This is a book which speaks so positively about the church and cheers on God’s plan to redeem the world through her. I love the church and Brad Edwards does an exceptional job of speaking well of her, The Bride of Christ. So very well of her!

Part two is coming. And probably more queso.

“They (all, together) devoted themselves (fully, together) to the apostles’ teaching (receive instruction), the fellowship (spiritual greenhouse), to the breaking of bread (Jesus), and the prayers (actively depending on Him), (Acts 2:42). Whatever metaphor we use, the early church was absolutely not a spiritual buffet from which individual believers picked dis-integrated ingredients. “Awe” is not on the other side of a balanced spiritual diet. That’s individualism talking. Instead, what Luke is describing is individuals called out from every tribe, tongue, and nation to become part of God’s “great nation” (Genesis 12). p. 143

Rev. Jared Lathem may be a newly ordained pastor, but he’s no stranger to church life. Son of the faithful Rev. Dr. Warren Lathem and Jane Baird Lathem, a saint, Jared brings a legacy of ministry into his own calling. So when I saw he had written The Sermon Killing Your Family: When Silence Becomes The Loudest Message, a book about reclaiming spiritual leadership in the home—for parents, grandparents, leaders, and everyday families—I didn’t hesitate. I ordered my first three copies on the spot.

I couldn’t put it down.

For those of us in the kidmin trenches who have spent years waving the banner of family discipleship—cheering for parents to lead at home, in car lines, at ball fields, and around dinner tables—this book is fuel to our fire. Jared doesn’t just talk about it; he lives it. He offers a simple, practical, Spirit-led invitation to turn the dining room table and the bunk bed into sacred spaces for revival.

And he does it with bold clarity:

This is the tragedy of the modern Christian family: fathers who were called to be priests but settled for being providers, and mothers who were called to be intercessors but settled for being schedulers. p. 47

In Chapter 11: Family Altars and Kitchen Table Revivals, Jared paints the hopeful picture of beginning and returning to a time of gathering at the family altar. It’s around the family altar, dining room-living room-beside the bunk bed-on the back porch, when fathers learn to be family priests and mothers learn to be prayer warriors.

Jared lays out simple, uncomplicated elements of the family altar to regularly practice together, starting where you are. He lists the common obstacles, the fruit of faithful altars and the generational impact because “it shapes how children view God, how they approach problems, how they make decisions, how they relate to others.” p. 131

And just when you think the book couldn’t offer more – there it is in the back: a 30-Day Family Devotional Guide: Building A Foundation for Family Faith designed for families who are new to this whole thing of family altar time. Each has scripture and a developmentally appropriate chat question for children, teens, and adults. It’s worth the price of the book.

If you’re ready to play the long game….

If you’re tired of feeling like you’re losing your kids to schedules, screens, and sidelines…

If you’re longing to see revival start right at home… Get this book.

Gather your people.

Light a candle.

Open the Bible.

And get ready to reclaim your family altar.

“The game is not over, but the clock is ticking.” p. 121

A dear Jesus-guy recently asked if I had ever been called to seminary. My honest response? “Nope. The Lord never called me to seminary—but He absolutely called me to be a professional Christian educator.” And with that call came a promise: that my training would come through the people, books, and spaces He would provide. And He’s been so faithful!

One of the greatest gifts in this journey has been my recent experience with RenewaNation’s Family Ministry Academy—and friends, it couldn’t have come at a better time. As our church was stepping into a new season of intentionally focusing on Family Ministry, the Academy became a tailor-made answer to prayer.

The structure was simple and powerful:
* One live webinar a month with amazing guest speakers (real-life leaders, not just big names)
* A thoughtful reading assignment I still use regularly
* Peer-reviewed assignments that brought fresh ideas from others walking the same road
* A Facebook group full of encouragement, wisdom, and practical resources

Month by month, topic by topic—from babies to grandparenting, from marriage to ministry models—it was all relevant, biblical, and so very usable. My books are dog-eared. My team is resourced. My vision is clearer. I walked away with a shared language, a deeper understanding of family discipleship, and a toolkit to equip our church and families of all ages and stages.

I’m still reflecting on what I’ve learned. Every piece of it—every speaker, every conversation, every assignment—helped me stay focused on what really matters. I finally feel like I have navigational beacons to keep our Family Ministry grounded in truth and aimed at real-life transformation.

And now – BIG NEWS – the next cohort starts in October, and I want you to know about it because….
1. Scholarships are available, thanks to a generous donor so that the cost is only $250 per person which is a $1250 savings!
2. The Family Ministry Academy is now accredited through the University of Northwestern – St. Paul.
3. If you are considering pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree, the Family Ministry Academy counts toward it – plus you get 20% off tuition at Northwestern.

Whether you’re new to Family Ministry or ready to take it deeper, this is an incredible investment in you, your calling, and your church. I’ll be framing my certificate and hanging it proudly—it represents months of growth, joy, and real equipping. I’ve been in the trenches for a hot bunch of decades and the Family Ministry Academy was the clarifying answer to ‘what’s next’ for me and the local church I serve.

If you’re even a little bit curious, reach out to the fabulous Beth Blair at bblair@renewanation.org and tell her I sent you. I get no greater benefit than the joy of sharing something that truly made a difference in me.

Let’s keep growing – together!

“Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance.” Proverbs 1:5