Mr. & Mrs. Joy are saints of their local church. They are starting their 4th year as the lay persons leading Adult Christian Education in their local church. The email they sent said they were interested in speaking with someone to help them with intergenerational ministry. The email was sent to me and I was thrilled to have my first consultation of the New Year.

The first goal was to define what they understood as ‘intergenerational ministry.’ Through a couple of stories, they were looking for ways to attract millennials and Gen Zs to their church so they’d come to church on Sunday. What we finished with was something way greater than we ever imagined.

This we know: Folks in their 30s could possibly work every day of the week including Sundays. They may work on shifts where they work every other Sunday. Think Law enforcement and retail. They may also work before sunrise and until late in the night. Think the medical field and automotive market. They are desperate for community, but they may not have the margin nor the energy to go looking for new community, so they settle for community in environments where they need only bring a snack and a lawn chair OR the community they’ve curated at their fingertips on social media.

This we know: The average age of a first time grandparent is 47.  What if we offered a place, a space, content, hope, tools to help them navigate in a Christian manner all the relationships involved to share their faith with their grandchildren? Especially if some are looking back with regret that they themselves didn’t put enough of a priority on intentional faith development of their now adult kids. Add in the challenges of in-laws, school, their own aging parents, and still working.

Let’s start a space like a closed Facebook group with curated scripture (Psalm 78 & Deuteronomy 6), some encouraging grandkid memes, Christian Grandparenting blogposts, a place where questions can be asked and where we can walk alongside one another several times each week at the grandparent’s leisure based on their schedule? Then offer a couple of times each year a way to gather in-person for encouragement, a little dessert, some show & tell and some resources? The local church can be that PLACE they go AS they go.

Those of us further down the age line know what’s coming. It won’t be long before the remarkable moments of life begin to occur like more weddings, more babies, separation, divorce, a diagnosis, a chronic illness, a betrayal, and the loss of those who have been their towers of strength in death. What will they do then? We know those moments are not just moments. Those moments are tipping points, turning points, and places where people move from placing Christian relationships from the margin to the main body. It’s a gift to offer sprinkles and multiple, regular, various touchpoints where they ARE RIGHT NOW because we all know it’s coming.

1 Peter 3:15, “Be ready to share the hope that we have.”

Let’s begin the pouring out and the pouring in to new relationships now where they are, rather than expecting these young adults to come to us? Let’s make it easier to start and build relationships OVER TIME by sending texts each week with scripture, postcards with where to find us on social media so as they find us in their social media feeds and in their notifications? Let’s move social media from a bulletin board of announcements to a little regular help along their way today.

Can we greet them when they do arrive on campus, because they will, at a remarkable moment, with a, “Man, I was thinking of you this week?” rather than hassling them with a, “Man, where you been?”

What can we do to take up regular space in their margin?

Let’s offer a Bible reading Facebook group rather than only weekly, in-person Bible study? Think of the differences between a football game in-person and that same football game from home. Both experiences are investments of time and brain margin and worthy of doing well and with excellence, yet the audiences are very different. Let’s reach their children (and grandchildren) in developmentally appropriate ways in-person, mail, drive-in, drive-thru where their parents or grandparents are the heroes, the guides. They don’t have time to curate the best developmentally appropriate content on their own, so let’s make that happen in simple, short, subscription-box ways where everything is provided.

Mr. & Mrs. Joy are fired up for the new possibilities. Their plan? To recruit several of their fellow disciples, saints of their local church, to do the pouring in to some of the relationships they already know of. Rather than a program of ‘y’all come’, they will gather an army for ‘hey, I’m here to walk alongside you wherever you are.’ Its training up those already there to be ambassadors for Jesus and not just ambassadors for their local church, with what’s in their hands, to the glory of God, with the good news of Jesus, sharing their own personal stories of God’s faithfulness.

This is great work of the local church.

An ambassador, according to the apostle Paul, is a representative, an agent, not just a spokesperson, but an example, a delegate, a deputy, and envoy, a mediator as found in 2 Corinthians 5:20 “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.”

Let’s be willing to be sent out as an envoy for Jesus, an ambassador….with the message of Jesus! The Jesus who is the son of God, the Jesus who was there at creation, the Jesus who came from heaven to earth to forgive us of our sins, because of God’s great love for you and me and the world. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, He is with us where we go.

“With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all.” Acts 4:33

Listen: In The Trenches podcast

Got the small group of kids who are ready for more? Faithful to Sunday school attendance, but talk about more? Those who take on more than the bare minimums and their families are all-in…would even venture to say some of their parents might even have keys to the building? That’s why we started the Ambassadors.

My bucket of responsibility is Kindergarten through 5th grade. Preparing beautiful postcard invitations from vistaprint.com, invitations were sent to all fifth graders on the rolls. Since I observed leadership skills in some fourth graders in Sunday school, specific invites went to them, as well. Still trying to get familiar with the rhythm of my new community regarding the best day and times to offer faith formation opportunities, this was my first Wednesday evening event.

This was the plan:

Supplies – Cheese/Pepperoni pizza, plates, napkins, cups, water, Ambassador fill-in-the-blank worksheet
Scripture 2 Corinthians 5:20 “We are Christ’s ambassadors.”

5-5:30pm Pizza & Chat Dinner (some parents have quite a commute, so we allowed for traffic time)
Visual Faith Project images: Choose an image that represents a part of your life (a representative) and discussed during Pizza & Chat

5:30-6:30pm Welcome, Prayer, Game
What is an Ambassador?
Tour of the Children’s Ministry space
Fill-in-the-blank worksheet
Respond on large post it note

Ambassador – one of the best positions to meet new people and have fun; grow our communication skills (helps you get your ideas heard); leadership) … ambassador…representative…an example…aka a person chosen or appointed to act or speak for another

Tour and walk through the Sunday Morning Setup – carts, check-in kiosks, water, cups, snack

A – Arrive 30 minutes early to assignments (plenty of time to be ready)
M – Mature/Can be trusted (dependable, punctual, enthusiastic without craziness, positive attitude/no complaining)
B – Bible readers (we pour out what we take in; are you reading your Bible regularly and attending weekly Sunday school?)
A – Assist those in our area in a spirit of hospitality (kindness to a stranger) (Hi!, hand outs at end of services)
S – Smile (let’s others know you want to be here; makes the best impression on guests and those having a hard time)
S – Set up on Sundays, Tour of the Nativities, Christmas Eve readers and lit candle processionals
A – Assist in the K5 & 1st grade Sunday school classrooms and special events as needed
D – Dress appropriately for the event (flip flops; awards ceremony/representatives; brush your teeth, gum chewing; sneakers; clean)
O – Open the doors…of conversation, of encouragement, and the real doors, too.
R – Respond quickly with kindness; be aware of your surroundings and others

Game – Knee Tag

Roles for Fall Ambassadors 1. Partner with kid guests (weekly)
2. Tour of the Nativities (tour guide on Dec 17th)
3. Greet & serve on Christmas Eve (Christmas Eve)
4. Set up on Sunday mornings (weekly rotation)
5. Assist in K5 & 1st grade Sunday school (as needed)

Dismiss

The students were asked to consider if they wished to take on such responsibilities at the end of the orientation. If so, they were invited to write their names on the large post-it-note on the wall. They were eager and asked good questions. “Do we have to smile the whole time? My mouth might start to hurt.” (Man! I love these kids!)

The first Sunday following the Ambassador Orientation, many of the Sunday morning tasks were taken on by the Ambassadors without my even knowing it until I saw certain things already taken care of throughout the morning. I’ve received a few phone calls about the next orientation for students who were unable to attend the first orientation. Looks like we’ll schedule another Ambassador Orientation in the winter. Leadership opportunities are part of what every student should be able to experience in their home/local church. Jesus believes in them and I want them to know that their church family believes in them, too.

“We at Christ’s ambassadors.” 2 Corinthians 5:20

“First steps are scary. They stretch us and push us out of our comfort zone. But even though they may be uncomfortable, first steps are essential to moving forward into God’s best for our lives.” – from Connect by Nelson Searcy with Jennifer Dykes Henson

Summer 2020 we were shooting from the hip when it came to family ministry programming. While everyone was trying to figure out what in the world was going to happen next, we were throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what would stick so that our families did not grow accustomed to doing life without us. Not even focused on content, we were focused on connection. Not even focused on the delivery, we were focused on a reliable and consistent weekly celebration of Jesus, no matter what, which was developmentally appropriate for littles and worth leaving air-conditioning for adults. With all the safety protocols and boundaries given, we rolled out a weekly drive-in service for littles with bigs in the vehicle. Families are the ultimate small group, so we gave them tools and practice to lead their littles in the holy habits of prayer, Bible reading, sacred conversation, and play. It was crazy fun, memory sticky, and fruitful in growing our reach to our community with multiple new families now part of our church family. Insert the confetti cannons!

When it came time to plan for Summer 2021 we chose to continue riding the wave of fruitful connection and revisit the weekly drive-ins. We had time to plan and make deeper connections into the other ministries of the church. 

Updates, edits, and ‘jacking it up’ looks like this:

Visual elements to resemble a VBS-look and feel
* Car lot vinyl balloons lining the parking lot ‘stage’ (it’s a sidewalk) and “Welcome” feather flags in blue and red lining the main road, all assembled by a small group of retired engineers. Lightweight enough so that the 4th & 5th grade Ambassadors could safely set up.
* Wild blue air dancer found in the consignment sale closet.
* Winshape-Camp-welcome for extreme hospitality with hula hoops, pool noodles, people, noise, and signs.
* Tshirts and McEachern Kids aprons for everyone serving.

Bold Follow-up
Registration forms are on paper asking for family name, how many in the vehicle, and an email address. We roll around a huge trash can/basketball net for kids to wad up their forms and toss them in before they depart which is another opportunity for personal interaction. If we get the form, we get the email. If we get the email, we get an invite to communicate. We will communicate the next morning by asking questions and trying to make a new friend. The Walk to Emmaus teaches ‘make a friend, be a friend, introduce a friend to Christ.’ Especially in this season of post-covid, people are looking for new friends so I’m looking to make new friends. Friends share life and know their kids by name. We’ll chat almost weekly because that’s what new friends do.

Entire summer theme: We Are Family
Yep, think Sister Sledge which is our ‘everyone assume your positions, we’re starting’ song. Each week we’ll honor and recognize a member of the family with a ministry connection taking place within the next two weeks for a ‘check us out’ opportunity.

First week we honored the girls and women in our families. The Bible story was Baby Moses who had his mama Jochebed who trusted the Lord, his sister Miriam who was brave, and the Pharaoh’s daughter who showed compassion. We chalked the parking lot with the names of the amazing girls and women in our families. We also scheduled a Paint & Praise Party to take place the following Tuesday evening for any little person who brings a big person with them. Not a drop off, but rather a true ‘let’s paint and praise the Lord together’ event for all ages. 

The second week drive-in we will honor our senior saints so we invited our senior saints choir (who would’ve been singing at nursing homes, but can’t) to lead our music. Just heard from them they’ll be at the drive-ins all summer long…because they want to sing and they want to be together. Because we’ve already set the song list with YouTube videos with motions, those have been shared with all the members of our Joyful Singers.

It poured down rain during our first service. Our team still showed up and showed off in hospitality, dance, and story from the covered Gaga Ball pit and in the rain. Families still came. The second service was dry and we played games with beach balls and laundry baskets because families working together can accomplish anything. Families still came.  More than fifty in attendance…in the rain!

With the goals of connection and reliable celebration, we practice being a family of faith. We laugh. And we dance!

What are your goals for the summer?

“He said to the crowd: ‘When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does.'” Luke 12:54

Recruiting and family engagement has taken on a whole new level of relationship-building. Or has it? Motivated by a spirit of compassion, love, ‘we are still in this together’, and a respect of how each person will live out their call to love the Lord their God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, AND love their neighbors as themselves, we proposed a Chill & Chat About McEachern Kids (MK).

Promotional Vocabulary: Children learn best to love Jesus by spending time with people who love Jesus. That’s you! McEachern Kids Dream Team’s training with Tropical Cafe’ smoothies will be on Wednesday, July 22 5:30pm-7pm.
Bring your camp chair and we’ll gather at the McEachern Kids entrance to CHILL & CHAT about the many different opportunities to serve Jesus on the McEachern Kids leadership team and have some fun.
This is for you if you’re all in, if you want to get more connected, and even if you’re just curious and unsure of making the commitment to serve when we open our doors to in-person gathering in The Treehouse.
For more information, contact dreilly@mceachernumc.org.
RSVP at…

We ordered Sunrise smoothies from the local Tropical Smoothie and with camp chair in-hand, we set up outside with appropriate social distancing. Everyone got a smoothie, a pen, a copy of the calendar hot off the presses, and an index card. The index card was to write notes to me of thoughts, ideas, concerns, dreams for MK. Earlier in the day I’d sent a text to everyone in my phone asking a set of 3+3 questions: What 3 things do you LOVE about MK? What 3 things do you WISH for MK? Our new senior pastor had asked these same questions of the staff as part of his on-boarding. My phone blew up all day with responses. Those who couldn’t respond by text and those who popped in out of mere curiosity were able to follow up with emails to the 3+3 later or write them on the index card and leave the cards in a basket for me to review after the meeting.

I’d asked two servant leaders to take notes and one to take pictures.

We chatted about small groups and tossed ideas onto the table for returning to in-person children’s programming beginning on Labor Day Sunday. We chatted about looking into the next 2.5 years. We chatted about Faith Milestones, Parenting with a Purpose classes, why we chose how we did Drive-in and Drive-thru, Christmas Eve children’s services, what CLUB345 and GLEE Club could look like. I shared stories of why we would start Grandparenting with a Purpose classes and what Camp Chair Meetings to come in September and October will look like. This team is the first to hear about Camp Chair Meetings so I needed to be clear and begin stirring much energy as they are the connectors to spread the word much better than a social media campaign could ever do. We took a tour of the Children’s Ministry spaces inside the building for the first-timers and first-lookers explaining the staging chaos for Drive-in services with the Ambassadors present telling their stories of the spaces and taking pics. “This is my favorite supply closet. This is where Ms. DeDe stores the snacks and especially the Rice Krispie Treats!,” shared by the fabulous Miss Olivia who started as an Ambassador and is now an MK intern. 

Then the ask: Would you prayerfully consider serving on the McEachern Kids servant leader team next year?

Let’s get this party started!

“Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started!” Matthew 23:32

Everyone in my community is affected and having to make major decisions about what school will look like this fall. The 2020 Pandemic has instilled more angst in more ways than many of my families have ever had to endure. We need prayer. The very morning of our scheduled service, the local school board decided to go 100% virtual and our community was reeling. I can’t even imagine the conversations our kids overheard that day. 

Superhero Prayer Service – For all those who wear a cape for kids and education. 
Thursday, June 16 8:30pm-9pm (immediately following the 8pm drive-in service)

Say: This is what I know about you. (me)
1. You want to make the best decision for you, your kids, your family. Yes?
2. The decisions you are being asked to make are not those you expected, yet here we are. Yes?
3. You are asking, “What is the wisest decision I can make for this season?” It’s just a season. Does that help? It’s just a season.

Say: This is what I know about prayer. (me)
1. Prayer is a gift given to us by our Creator to speak directly to our Creator.
2. “Where two or three come together in my name (in the name of Jesus), there am I with them.” Matthew 18:20
3. God answers prayer: Yes, No, Not now.
4. “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” James 1:5 (Jesus’ brother)

How do we know it is God’s will? (me)
1. Is this congruent with God’s character as revealed in the scriptures? (Whatever my decision, will it harm my relationship with God or my kids?)
2. Have I received reconfirmation? Am I clearly understanding my choices?
3. Have I received sound counsel? Am I listening to others who share my values and am I confident they are people who practice holy habits, not the church of social media/church of the loudest in the room/church of comparison/church of the unwise/church of the angry? If you are in God’s word, He will speak to you there. This communication is what sets our great God apart from any other god….He speaks to us!

Breathing (offered by a middle schooler/aged-up Ambassador)
Say: Take a long, deep breath and exhale it slowly while saying the name “Jesus” silently. Close your eyes. Let yourself take ten natural, easy breaths.
“Deep breathing increases the supply of oxygen to your brain and stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes a state of calmness. Breathing techniques help you feel connected to your body—it brings your awareness away from the worries in your head and quiets your mind.” From the American Institute of Stress

Repeat after me prayers (offered by different parents, public school teachers, home-school parents)
Each reader reads slowly in sections/sentences so others can repeat the prayers or has time to prayerfully process.

Confidence Prayer: Father, I need wisdom that only your Spirit can give me. Help me to not lean solely on my own opinions, thoughts, or dreams — or what my society, culture, and circle have to say. I need godly — not earthly — wisdom, Lord. Please supply me in knowledge and truth as I battle these tough decisions and uncertainty. Father, open my eyes to the barriers holding me back from spiritual progress and help me to walk confidently as I discern the next steps I need to take. Amen.

Humility Prayer: Heavenly Father, I admit that in my sinfulness and brokenness, too often I desire my will above yours. Lord, forgive me for my selfishness and unbelief as I react to this unclear season of life. Jesus, as you yourself desired not your own will but the Father’s will (Matthew 26:39; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42), so let me echo this prayer in boldness and humility. Equip me to truly believe that you are good, you are sovereign, and are a Father who desires only the best blessings for me — but that what you see as a blessing may not be mirrored in how I perceive it. Lord, by praying “your will be done,” I surrender in trust and obedience. Amen

Wisdom Prayer: Father God, your word says that if anyone lacks wisdom, they should ask, and you will give them generously. I am about to make a huge decision in my life, but I don’t know how to go about it, Father God. I come to you today to ask you for wisdom. Lead me in the way that I should go that I may be able to bring glory to your holy name. In the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

Overcoming Fear and Anxiety Prayer: Dear Lord, my heart is full of anxiety. I don’t know how to go about school this year. The decision I make is going to affect my family and friends. I am scared of failing my loved ones. But your word says that you have not given us a spirit of fear but of power, love, and sound mind. Let your word come alive in me. Let me be filled with love and power so that I can make this decision boldly, then follow it with joy, and not second guess. Let me be content in whatever decision I make and express it with great joy with my kids and family. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Your Will, Not Mine Prayer: Loving Father, only you know my end from the beginning. Nothing I do or say catches you by surprise. You know what is in my heart, good or bad. Everyone around me is choosing to do things their way, and it is very tempting for me to do so too. But Father God, I want your will to be done in my life. If it is not your will for me to take this path, then Father, give me divine strength to accept and to follow your lead. May every decision I make be pleasing to you. In Jesus’ name, I believe and pray. Amen.

Peace of Mind Prayer: Lord Jesus, I am in despair. Everyone is looking at me to make the final decision. My heart is full of fear. But we walk by faith and not sight that is why today I am asking you to remove every doubt that is in my heart and replace it with peace. I refuse to let my heart be troubled or afraid. I know that you are with me till the end of time. Today I choose to walk in the same peace that Jesus has. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Gracious God, I am exhausted! Sometimes I feel like I’m failing every time I turn around.  I feel like I don’t have enough time. Money is tight. I am worried about people I love. So many things are out of my control. This is so hard. God, remind me that my feelings are normal. Remind me that by your grace there is a way through this pandemic. Help me to do one thing at a time. Help me to let go of perfection. Give me curiosity. Give me trusted colleagues and friends. Give me strength, give me patience, give me hope, to plan for the year ahead. (adapted from Sheltered at Home: Family Prayers for Living and Loving, by Christine Hides)

Silence
Say: The word SILENT has the same letters as LISTEN. God speaks to us in His Word, in the counsel of His godly servants, AND in the silence.
Tell story of how God wakes us in the middle of the night because it’s quiet.
Say: Prayer is a conversation. We’ve done the talking, let’s take some time to listen.
Set the timer for 3 minutes to sit in silence after a few deep breaths.

Closing:

GOD HAS CHOSEN YOU FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS!
Write Jesus’ name in your hand. Rub it into your heart. 
Say: I don’t know how people are navigating this entire season without Jesus. We love you too much to let you drive off this lot and back to your home without telling you the good news of Jesus. (INVITATION TO MAKE JESUS LORD OF YOUR LIFE. Families pray together.)

Pray…“God, there are so many voices flooding my senses. Like the boy Samuel, help me hear YOUR voice calling out to me. Help me to discern the right course to take. Then let me walk into that decision like an adventurer with contentment because eyes are watching me and hearts are trusting me.”
(Write Jesus’ name in your hand. Rub it into your heart.)

Song prayer/Repeat after me (Thank you, Mark Burrows)
Do not be afraid….do not be afraid.
God is with you….God is with you.
Everywhere you go….everywhere you go.
God is there….God is there.
(repeat)

Take aways: Equal packets and slap bracelets as visual prayer prompters (logistically this didn’t work out since folks were driving onto the lot throughout the last drive-in service).
There is no one equal to God to lead you.
There is no one equal to pray to Him on behalf of your family.
There is no one equal to pray for your kids, your vocation, your friends, your kid’s friends than YOU.
Ask the Lord to let you be content in your decision and in offering contentment in the decisions made by other families making decisions for themselves. Be their prayer champion and be ready to honor the decisions they’ve made for their family. Pray for your friends. Then walk into your decision with great joy and a sense of adventure. You were made for such as time as this. You’ve got this. Trust yourself. It’s just a season. And we’re here with and for you. You are a superhero!

“Now, my God, may your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.” 2 Chronicles 6:40

Not wanting our families to grow accustomed to doing life without one another, we find Thursday night drive-in church the sacred space to nurture those and new relationships. Guidelines were provided by our denominational leaders. We’re a few weeks in and plan to offer these weekly memorable experiences throughout June, July, and August. This is drive-in church for kids with adults in the vehicle, not drive-in church for adults with kids in the vehicle. Each week finds us in edit-to-excellence mode and this is what we’re learning:

Keep the service short
Keep the services at twenty minutes. Families arrive up to ten minutes early to get settled. Families are lingering after the services especially if the weather is fantastic. One of the goals of the services is to offer space and time for re-connection, yet we need to make way for the next wave of service families and remain deeply hospitable. Stick with the most important holy habits to share in this season with most of the activity taking place in the vehicle: game, prayer, Bible reading, and music. Twenty minutes is the limit.

Intentional visual memories
Children recall memories in visual form accentuated by how they feel. Use a lot of beach balls, make big foam board pizza and walk it around. Bubble machines and balloons in clusters. Music with masked dancers and use the church’s choir robes, decorate you with the theme or a tutu or a chef’s jacket. Bring out a huge measuring tape to stay mindful of six-feet-apart in a humorous way. Name tags are good for inside the building, but what does a greater visual look like to recognize who the leaders are? We had black aprons made with our logo embroidered largely on the chest so it can be seen from far away. We’ll use these when we return to inside-the-building children’s programming as well for visual hospitality moments since we won’t be able to high-five, hug, or be physical. We’ve also ordered some handheld signs to use to transition from the parking lot to inside the building. Already looking down the road at what can we bridge from outside the building to inside the building when we can return to inside programming.

Introduce yourself
Whoever is speaking, introduce yourself. Not everyone will know who you are. Say your name and speak of your family as who is connected to you. It’ll build connection between you and the families in your audience. Add a story of what your family did the last week that relates to the service theme: cooking theme/your family’s favorite pizza, then turn it around to a discussion prompt for each vehicle. We have a young man as our one of our emcees who grew up in our church as a kid. When he introduces himself, he speaks of his family and how his family members share the love of Jesus in the world and in our church: His Dad leads an adult Sunday School, his sister served in the Asian mission field, his Mom is a super servant on our Children’s Ministry Dream Team. I overheard a conversation between several older elementary students share, “We could do this one day when we grow up!” (Insert hand on heart here!)

Incorporate elements of what our kids did inside the building
Our students presented the Apostle’s Creed and the Gloria Patri in American Sign Language in our traditional service pre-Covid. We lead one or the other each week just before the Bible reading. Our Ambassadors who are serving on the parking lot team get to be the visual leaders of this. They do this best! We introduce this with a shout of three times of “Christians, what do you believe?” or “Followers of Jesus, what do you believe?” These amazing Ambassadors hold a sign which reads, “Flash your lights if this is your first time!” Since their families are the traffic team, we position these ambassadors nearest the first time vehicles for the kids in those cars to want to learn the signs to these elements that may not be familiar. Kids want to do what other, older kids are doing. 

Leverage what you know kids like
Knowing kids like to get things, kids like to pop balloons, and kids don’t like waiting to do something but will wait since it builds excitement. Investing in a Ryobi Inflater/Deflater, we blow up balloons most weeks with a rolled up piece of paper with the scripture location. Each kid gets a balloon and a registration form when they drive on the lot, but can’t pop the balloon until later in the service. Needing to capture contact information, each kid gets a take-away from each service AFTER they fly a paper airplane made from the registration form (they fold and fly it from their vehicle) into a kiddie pool. Take-aways include bags of popcorn (we say when we toss them into the car window, “Thanks for popping in!”), star bubble rods, cold Smart Water and Gatorade for our VIPs (Very Important People: Dads & GrandDads & Uncles & Spiritual Dads) for the Thursday before Father’s Day), helium balloons to be tied onto mailboxes of church shut-ins and saints as they leave to ‘spread the joy’ after the Psalm 100 service.)

We are learning something new each week. Stay tuned!

“I am carrying on a great project and I cannot go down.” Nehemiah 6:3

Christian educators are everywhere and it thrills me to spend time face-to-face and across the table with folks from other parts of the country. I was invited to Minnesota to share ideas to get some creative conversations to take place. Totally in my element and among friends, I walked through our discipleship plan for K5-5th graders of Meat, Milestones, Mountaintop, and Marvelous Moments. Each of these four Ms are laced with Bible reading, generosity, and serving elements. Why? Because of all the spiritual disciplines we practice as followers of Jesus, research tells us that these are the three that cause us to make strides in spiritual maturity. (Ken Willard, “STRIDE”) I want to be about making strides and moving beyond baby steps in building the faith of little people. Oh we include other spiritual disciplines in our teachings, but these three take priority in our filter for what makes a true partnership with families.

Partnering with families means we only offer what is excellent, not filling up the calendar, offering low-hanging fruit and easy wins for parents in the eyes of their kids, and Jesus in everything we do.

Meat elements – That which happens on Sundays. It’s our bread and butter. It’s what we’re known for. Sunday school, Childrens’ Church, CLUB345, Ambassadors, Parenting with a Purpose, and I’m currently working on Grandparenting with a Purpose. The average age of a new grandparent in the USA is 47 years old. This is a whole area and season of ministry that I’m deep-diving into right now.

Milestones – Those intentional teaching moments that are developmentally appropriate for specific ages/grades which are foundational to building a relationship with Jesus in the local church and at home. Holy Communion (Bread and Juice), Prayer (I Can Pray), Church language (I Love My Church), Wonderfully Made (faith and sexuality education), Moving On Up to Middle School, transitioning from nursery to children’s ministry.

Mountaintop – These are those full-on-sharing-the-gospel-experiences like VBS, retreats, and Ambassadors.

Marvelous Moments – These are the one-offs, the once-a-year or once-every-two-years specials which are invitational for next steps in discipleship including shared events like Faith Field Trips, Winter Ball Invitational, Splish Splash, Messy Church, Bible Ninja Warrior, etc.

Each local church has a culture and sustains a community, so how do you choose what might be a successful marvelous moment? (1) Dashboard research, and (2) lots of personal conversations.

Dashboard research requires a drive around the community at different hours of the day to find out what businesses are plentiful, what are the traffic patterns, how far will people drive to remain in the community, and find out what other ministries are already available by checking out online the closest churches to your church.

Engage in personal conversations asking questions of the connector folks in your church, but also the locals: grocery story clerk, the deli clerk, the coffee shop barista, the UPS store, the dry cleaners, librarian. Ask questions about what evening nothing is happening (when), when do the school buses run (start time), when do your kids have to go to bed on a school night (end time), what tv shows do you like (themes), where do you go out to eat (favorite foods), where do they go to church (tell me about your church), extracurricular activities (over scheduling is not partnering with parents, but rather burdening families), where does the local school need volunteers (outside service), and the possibility of fee-based ministry outside of Sundays and Wednesdays (recreation, fine arts, music, tutoring, relationship-building).

With the knowledge that people are always interested in new things and meeting new people, shoot some bullets before you shoot cannonballs. (Jim Collins from “Good to Great”) Try something based on your dashboard research AND your personal conversations with a specific goal in mind and JUST DO IT! Give yourself lots of grace and an understanding that you are in it for the long haul. Gather a partner or two to share in the labor because as we labor and serve together, there’s a lot of laughter. And we all need more laughter in ministry.

I woke on presentation day in Minnesota with the temperature of -11 degrees. Yeah…11 degrees below zero! But inside the home of my hostess and the church where I met these amazing Christian Educators, was the warmth of the Holy Spirit on fire for sharing Jesus with little people. Thank you Minnesota CEF for the lovely invite and your amazing hospitality.

“Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still; teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.” Proverbs 9:9

A Children’s Ministry colleague working on her masters in ministry contacted me last week inviting me to answer several questions for her Family Ministry class. I was honored. She was patient to give me a couple of days so I thought I’d share my responses here:

1. How do you/your church support families today?
• We use a closed Facebook group to offer daily interaction for encouragement, resource, and information such as #mondaymantra (related to christian life) #tuesdaytruth (scripture) #wednesdaywisdom (Godly parenting) #thursdaythoughts (family blog about challenges & Sunday school lesson from previous week) #familyfriday (positive message/practical ideas of spending time together as a family to start the weekend) #saturdaysmiles (encouragement to gather together for church) #welovesundays (list of what’s happening all day and when at church).
• Parenting With A Purpose initiative – 1.5 hour dessert events for parents or parents & kids with the goal of providing practical tools as well as building tribes among our families to travel through life
* Sharing Your Faith With Your Family – practical ideas to live out Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (I facilitate) with book takeaway
* Parenting Technology & Cell Phone Safety – invited outside facilitator with book takeaway ‘Screens and Teens’ by Kathy Koch, PhD
* Parenting Relationships & Friendships – invite pastoral and counseling staff to facilitate practical communication tools and actions for critical and crucial conversations within the family using Holy Listening Stones, Counseling Center-led conversational role-play, and book takeaway Power of a Praying Parent by Stormie Omartian
• Faith Milestones for students and parents
*Kindergarten I Can Go To Sunday school on Sunday 7/28
*K5 & 1st Grade Bread & Juice Class 5:45-6:30pm on Wednesday 11/6
*1st & 2nd Grades I Can Pray on Wednesday 5:45-6:30pm on Wednesday 2/12
*2nd & 3rd Grades I Love My Church 5:45-6:30pm on Wednesday 3/18
*4th-5th Grades Camp Glisson Fall Retreat 9/6-8
*Ambassadors 5:45-6:30pm on Wednesday 10/9
*5th Grade Rock Solid Retreat 1/25-26, 2020
*5th & 6th Grades Wonderfully Made 2/27-29, 2020
• Weekly devotion emailed to all families involved in our Recreation Ministry. When kids tell the ‘Bible point of the week’ to the concession stand, kids receive a small treat or discount on concessions like popcorn or beverages

2. Families are busier than ever these days and find less time to come to church? Are you able to bring church outside the walls of the physical building?
• Closed Facebook Groups lets us reach out to families online daily (notes above) for Kids and Recreation Ministries
• Lead chapel assemblies to local home school co-ops.
• Backpack blessings of food for weekends with local Elementary School and Middle School with printed material through out Missions Team.
• Tutoring ministries with local Elementary School and Middle School.
• Postcards and note writing each week
• Ministry of presence to show up at their game, play, performance, concert, goes to the movies, activities in the community, etc.

3. What is the most successful thing or program that you have done in family ministry? Faith Field Trips and annual Promotion Sundays

4. Have you tried anything that was not successful? Oh yeah…movie nights. I’ve learned that if families can do things at home, they typically don’t want to go through the trouble of coming to church to do it.

5. Any insights or advice?
• Ask a lot of questions before trying things of the connectors in your church and those who are just as involved in the community as they are at church. Many years ago, I offered an Angel Breakfast on the first Saturday in Advent promoting it for two months ahead of time among our families and no one thought to tell me the local elementary school was doing the same thing on the same day at the same time. Ugh!
• Have lots of side conversations with parents all the time at events, meals (never plan to eat…work the room!), even Christmas Caroling: When do your kids have to get up in the morning to get on the bus? What time do your kids have to go to bed during the school year? What do y’all do in the summer? When do you have nothing going on in your calendar? How far do you live from the church? What do your family traditions looks like for Christmas? Easter? Thanksgiving? Mother’s Day? Father’s Day?
• Write 5 notes each week: 3 kids, 2 volunteers…and make 3 phone calls each week: 2 volunteers, 1 family or 2 families & 1 volunteer to check in and see how they’re doing in life. Build relationships and share life.

This was a good exercise to get my thoughts together on paper, and do some evaluating. What would your answers look like?

“Without a good question, a good answer has no place to go.” Clayton Christensen

Faith Field Trips are an intentionally memorable faith-formation experience, developmentally appropriate for students who have completed kindergarten-3rd grade and 3rd grade-5th grade off-campus and during the summer. We typically share this experience with other churches and take kids outside where Jesus likely spent most of his youngest years.

There are many local opportunities for faith-formation experiences when we can engage in multiple conversations about God our Creator, Jesus our best friend and Savior, and the Holy Spirit our comforter, helper, and reminder. Details about our first summer of experiences can be found here. Faith Field Trips are typically $20 per student unless the time goes beyond 3pm, when it becomes $25 per student.  Scholarships are always available. Students brown-bag their own lunches and a stop at QuickTrip for vanilla ice cream cones on the way back is a must. K5-3rd graders go on Wednesdays, 3rd-5th graders go on Tuesdays.

Some of the results of our first year of Faith Field Trips are new and deeper friendships between students who only see one another at church; are offered as follow-up activities following VBS which are varied and many and soon after VBS; and connecting with families on a smaller, more-intimate level with special memories and Bible training.

These are the trips planned this summer for 3rd-5th graders…

• Hiking at East Palisades after preparing and delivering lunches for MUST Ministry summer lunch program. Bible story: Jesus walked along the Sea of Galilee as He told others about the Kingdom of God.
• Mystery Art Bus – weaving carpets, attending new Aladdin movie (because it is beautiful and filled with colors and fabrics). Bible story: Paul, Priscilla & Aquila were tent-makers who grew in their friendship and service to the Lord even when it was tough to do so.
• Lake Winnie Amusement & Water Park. Think classic amusement park from the 1950s. Not very busy, small footprint of space, covered picnic tables for breaks and lunch.
• Red Top Mountain Paddle Boarding – Murph Surf rentals and training. Bible story: Jesus walked on water.
• Lagrange Bible Antiquities Center – there’s a bunch of stuff here relating to the Bible.
• Ambassadors Leadership Day at Mrs. DeDe’s. Bible study and more at my home with plenty of chaperones and fun things to do in the neighborhood. This year’s theme: Spiritual Gifts & The Avengers.

Faith Field Trips planned this summer for completed K5-3rd graders…

• Search & Rescue Dog training & farm in White, Georgia – Jesus wants us to be found.
• Seven Springs Water Park – Jesus was there when the sun and water were created.
• Red Top Mountain putt-putt golf and sand-castle making – parables.

One of my favorite parts of our Faith Field Trips is the opportunity to collaborate with other children’s ministry champions and spend time with parent chaperones. We laugh, we plan, we calendar, and we get to know each other on a more personal level. We share life and fabulous memories. AND when I ask my students to invite their friends, they get to meet and spend time with mine. Faith Field Trips are all about relationship-building making them win-wins for students, for chaperones, and for our local churches.

“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my father I have made known to you.” John 15:15

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