Moving on Up to Middle School is a faith milestone for fifth graders and their parents. A Faith Milestone is an intentional teaching and practice of various holy habits for a growing, robust faith in Jesus. This faith milestone marks the ‘first’ in the life a family moving from children’s ministry to student/youth ministry at our local church as we ‘… consider how we may spur one another on toward 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)
Schedule: On a Wednesday night youth group time 6:15-7:45pm * Welcome w/combination lock activity (Students attempt to open the combination lock with NO help from their parents. No help. No words. Nothing. Just smile.) * Details about promotion timing (We promote on the Sunday following the start of the new school year.) * Rite of the faithful = a rising 6th grader who faithfully attends may rise up to youth group only on summer Wednesday nights prior to the fall promotion. Sunday am and other times they remain in children’s ministry throughout the summer. * Join in the Youth Ministry opening games and dinner. The student enjoys dinner with middle school students. * At youth Class Meeting time, we move into another space to enjoy the testimony of a youth group parent with middle school students, and this one also had a high school school student, to have a realistic and truthful chat about delaying social media by one who is faithfully living it out. * We finish in prayer over the student and family.
Take away: Combination lock received at the beginning of the event. At some point in the evening, the students pass the lock to a parent who effortlessly opens it. A gentle reminder that a student’s parent is their first ‘go to’ for all things and assured they will know more than their friends do.
Several affirming resources to delay social media can be found here, and here.
How do you transition families from children’s ministry to youth/student ministry in your local church?
“You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.” Hebrews 10:36
Prayer is one of the five core values of the local church I serve. We seek to incorporate the holy habit of taking all things to the Lord Jesus in everything we do. The before-meeting prayer and the after-meeting prayers are natural expectations, but what does it look like to make prayer a priority which guides our actions?
Visual Prayer Prompters – At a special event or meeting a takeaway can serve as a visual prompt to pray specifically about something. When we started our church, office hours were held at the local Panera. Small sheep were shared to visually prompt meeting attendants to pray for our church to ‘stay following the Good Shepherd’ wherever that might lead. Listen for His voice over our own. Show us the way to live out Psalm 23. At the Cinco De Mayo Senior Date Night with the Youth, maracas were given to visually remind our senior saints to pray for our youth, especially the ones in attendance sharing their table.
Monthly Prayer Calendar – At the Family Ministry Training last month we passed around a blank calendar for May. Each person in attendance wrote his/her name on a day. When everyone in the room had written their name, any empty spaces were filled in by those in attendance: pastors, tech team, etc. At the end of the meeting, everyone took a picture to use for intercessory prayer each day of the next month. This idea and bunch of others came from Kidmin Leadership Gathering. Thanks, Vanessa Myers! If KLG comes anywhere near you, it’s worth the drive.
Prayer Team – Each Wednesday evening at 6pm, a faithful small group of folks gather to pray aloud in a popup style. Chatting may take five minutes to accommodate new folks and late comers, then heads bow and the prayers begin. There is a core group who were part of a prayer summit which took place in late February 2022, several were praying even prior to that. Their devotion to this prayer time is inspiring. They have guarded and girded this movement of the Holy Spirit. This summer, I’ve invited them to share this prayer time with our youth during youth group. Can’t wait!
Faith Milestones – A specific milestone teaching of prayer happens each year for our 1st & 2nd graders. Multiple ways and tools to pray are taught and practiced with a big person who loves the little person. A paper bag of goodies to take home to practice and use is the grand takeaway along with a certificate. Details can be found here.
Church-wide Prayer Partners – At the Ladies Christmas Mug Exchange, ladies were invited to partner with another to pray for themselves and this new church movement. Almost 70 women and men have been praying and serving together since January. This Prayer Partner season finishes at the end of June. Weekly prayer prompts are emailed by a beautiful lay person to help us with specific prayer language as we pray for our church. Details can be found here.
The gift of prayer is a powerful tool. I’ve seen the miracles, the relationships healed, the physical healings, and the courageous boldness that can only come from faithful prayer. In the words of Rev. Dr. Carolyn Moore, speaking at the North Georgia Global Methodist Church Annual Conference last week, “We’re walking miracles!”
“What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to Him?” Deuteronomy 4:7
Hallelujah Night is a special worship event hosted by our daughter’s church about every other month. We’ve had the opportunity to attend several of these nights and have been impressed by many aspects that I’d like to share.
Following a sermon series on the Psalms of Praise, the church’s worship team started Hallelujah Nights, which begin with a family meal followed by a worship service on a Sunday evening. During this informal service, individuals of all ages, including children, youth, and adults, are encouraged to express their praise to the Lord in various creative ways.
For instance, our 10-year-old granddaughter recently sang a duet of “I Raise A Hallelujah” with her sweet friend. The worship team invites anyone with a creative expression of praise and glory to the Lord to ‘audition’ a couple of weeks beforehand. The audition is mostly about the worship team coaching those auditioning about using microphones, music stands, timing, stage presence, and coordinating musical ‘support’. Those microphones can be pretty heavy for a little girl. The worship team sets the order of worship with those who have auditioned and makes all the accommodations necessary for an evening of family worship.
“I Raise A Hallelujah” is a lengthy song, so adjustments were made to shorten it effectively, including timing adjustments and fading. The worship team takes care of that. Other presentations during Hallelujah Night have included poetry readings, singing in multiple languages, instrumental performances, and personal testimonies, creating a diverse and heartfelt worship experience.
This worship team actively fosters opportunities for others, particularly children and youth, to engage in worship. Hallelujah Night serves as a platform for multigenerational teaching and helps identify and nurture talents within the church for future special services.
As my husband and I arrived in the parking lot for Hallelujah Night, we encountered another grandparent who had traveled from another state to attend the event with her family. These nights bring together folks from near and far to celebrate God’s praise and receive His word.
My granddaughter’s experience of praising the Lord on stage with her friend for the very first time with a music tract will not be forgotten. It’ll be a core memory; a sticky faith memory. She introduced themselves not by their names, but rather, “We decided to sing this song because I wanted to praise the Lord with my friend.” With words on the music stand and on the monitor the worship team uses along the back wall of their sanctuary, she and her friend belted out their love for the Lord with confidence, yet as nervous as you’d expect.
Watching her joyful and confident worship of the Lord reminded me of my own first solo experience singing “The Old Rugged Cross” during the offering, accompanied by a pianist, at ten years old. No microphone.
I love everything about Hallelujah Night! I am particularly thankful for her church and the dedicated team that intentionally equips God’s people, offering help, coaching, guidance, teaching, and joyfully facilitating numerous opportunities for worshipping our great God.
Thinking back on it, no one I’ve seen praise the Lord at Hallelujah Night has shared their name. Only His. This underscores the essence of true worship—placing the spotlight entirely on Him.
“I’m gonna sing, in the middle of the storm, louder and louder, you’re gonna hear my praises roar.” I Raise A Hallelujah, Bethel Music
Each June and July, I’ve always offered a summer jubilee to our regular, weekend, and weekday servant volunteers in the areas I’m responsible for. Moving from a Director of Children’s Ministry to Family Ministry this is new for some of the leaders I serve alongside. As I share this with my own folks in my local church, I thought it’d be helpful to put on paper to share the purpose.
Jubilee = a season of emancipation, celebration, and restoration. The KJV often uses the word SABBATH for the NIV’s use of JUBILEE.
Why it’s important for our team?
(1) Everyone needs a Sabbath season.
Taking a break, like a Sabbath, is important for mental and physical well-being. It’s a time to remember that God is good and we are His. God set the Sabbath in the Ten Commandments to remind His people that they were no longer slaves. In Leviticus 25, God tells His people even the land should have a Sabbath.
(2) A summer jubilee invites our regular, fully-committed leaders to connect with an adult Sunday small group, make new friends-in-the-Lord, and offer good testimony to serving in the areas of the local church they love.
Some may even push back saying, “I don’t have a small group.” This encourages them to give a small group a chance. There’s no better way to attract new volunteers for working with kids and youth in ministry than having others who are already passionate about it sitting at the table next to you. For my family it was the season permitting us to serve together as a family or be that family that lingers in June & July at the end of the service to welcome new families instead of rushing off to serve.
One of our core values is Community-Based Discipleship. We are committed to watching over one another in love. We are transformed through accountable small group discipleship (shaped by historic Methodist Class Meetings) and offer groups for all ages and stages of life; church-wide spiritual formation formed in community not isolation. As a disciple-maker and staff member, I am called to set the table for this.
(3) Invites new servant leaders to test the waters in ministry with littles and bigs. With a slower schedule I’m able to spend time in communication and community with new volunteers sharing vision, humor, processes, and systems so they serve for a short season with great intentionality in ministry with families. Many people have ideas about what it’s like to work in ministry with kids, but do they really know how WE do it? My new leaders are always surprised by our approach.
Authentic pushback:
“I already don’t have enough volunteers.” – Our current leaders are way better recruiters for future team volunteers than any social media post or bulletin announcement I could ever come up with. Do I trust the Lord to provide or not? Summer also lends itself to trying some alternative, creative programming requiring less manpower to pull off.
“I don’t have a small group to go to.” – If I’ve done my due diligence to know the culture of the various small groups offered, I can make a suggestion for a month or two to best fit where my team members can be encouraged, challenged, and delighted with new friends-in-the-Lord. A heads-up to the small group leader benefits everyone.
“I don’t want to take time off. You need me.” – We need our servant leaders whole, rested, and very excited to start the new season with fresh eyes. Sometimes just offering the opportunity take a jubilee should let folks know they are cared for and loved. If your leader doesn’t take a month or two off from serving regularly in the summer, make their continued service a relaxed delight by loving on them with time, acts of service, gifts, with all the love languages and work appreciation tools.
When I took a trip to the Holy Lands I better understood God’s use of the jubilee season. I saw how even the land taking a jubilee made it more productive and useful to God’s people. I saw a head of lettuce as big as the torso of the man carrying it. I want that kind of fruitfulness for our team members and the ministry.
“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
Preschoolers are the most enthusiastic people on the planet and learn best through active play. There’s some great research about the stages of brain development and faith formation. You can read more about that here.
If helping families teach their kids about faith is super important for your church, it’s good to start when kids are young. One great way to do this is by building relationships with preschool families early on.
We recently threw a dinosaur-themed party for families with preschoolers. We got help from a local art teacher who loves Jesus and loves kids, and we were invited by a family with preschoolers to ‘come on over.’
This was the plan: Sunday afternoon, 5-6pm, outdoors only.
Invites included any and all families with a preschooler; the whole family.
Decorations Jumbo dinosaurs placed around as hide & seek by the host family’s child(ren).
Dinosaur stops * Dinosaur Dig – Kiddy Pool (DeDe) on the ground with potting soil digging tools & plastic dinosaurs and dinosaurs; sticks, leaves from the yard, trees * Dinosaur Pool – Kiddy Pool on the ground with water to wash hands and dinosaurs * Dinosaur soup (on small table) – Dinosaur oatmeal with hot water * Paper plate dinosaur craft; dinosaur masks, dinosaur stick puppet w/Mrs. Glover (longest table) * Dinosaur Snack mix with red cups, scoop – Dino bones – white yogurt pretzels; TRex claws – Bugles; Dino eggs – yogurt covered raisins or Dino poop – plain raisins
Schedule 5:05pm Welcome, Stated boundaries (fences), Introduced the host family, What does the Bible say about dinosaurs? Dinosaurs would have been created by God on the sixth day of creation. Genesis 1:24 says, “And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.” Introduce the host family; Mrs. Glover; Macland Community Church family 5:15-5:35pm Dinosaur stops 5:10-5:35 5:40pm Take home bags for each family Dinosaur Hide & Seek (children collect all dinosaurs they see/find; then when all have been returned, they each choose one to keep) while I chat with the parents and grandparents about what’s in their take-home dinosaur kit. Saturday Night at the Dinosaur Stomp read aloud Dance Party – Saturday Night at the Dinosaur Stomp Bluetooth speaker & songs from Spotify Dino Song list Closing prayer & thank you
Some things we got to, some things we didn’t, because, well, they’re preschoolers. The preschool parents and grandparents now know one another and shared an hour making some new friends-in-the-Lord with others in the same stage of life. And I got some sweet pictures.
Matt Markins, President and CEO of AWANA, wrote “The single most catalytic factor to influence the formation of lasting faith in children is relationships – the currency of the Kingdom of Heaven. (The Faith of Our Children: 8 Timely Research Insights For Discipling The Next Generation, p. 28)
We offer Faith Milestones for littles with their bigs-who-love-him/her to make for a sticky faith memory with some accountability as a platform to teach the holy habits of growing a robust and resilient faith in Jesus. Faith Milestones are key elements of the discipleship pathway we’ve developed for families with children from infants through youth. Connecting in community is a holy habit to start early when parents/grandparents make new-friends-in-the-Lord easily.
This event, along with a Preschool Family Truck event in the fall (preschoolers love trucks, too) is a Faith Milestone for our preschoolers with the goal of (1) beginning and/or strengthening connections among our Preschool Families offsite (‘cuz community is in our name), (2) talking about our good and great God with others, and (3) start building trust by introducing preschool families to the leaders who will be discipling their children in the years to come.
“Child discipleship is a process designed to form lasting faith by helping kids BELONG to God and His Kingdom, BELIEVE in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and to BECOME like Jesus and walk in His ways through the power of the Holy Spirit.” The Faith of Our Children: 8 Timely Research Insights For Discipling The Next Generation, p. 14
On Easter Sunday our new church plant enjoyed the typical lilies, Up From The Grave He Arose, and beautiful weather. We also enjoyed the atypical: a baptism of a 14-year-old who came to know the Lord by picking up a children’s Bible, an outdoor Walk Thru Easter Story with the children (we’ve got 15 acres and we’re using every inch of it), and one service in English, one service in Spanish, and another service in Swahili all happening at the same time on campus.
Community is in our name!
For the Children’s Moment I read from 1 Corinthians 15, “Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel…that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures and that He appeared to Cephas (Peter), and then to the Twelve (His closest buddies). After that, He appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living (they are telling the world ‘cuz they were there)….” The Christian faith is based on an historical fact. This really happened!
I followed it up with, “Knowing Jesus appeared to more than 500, an historical fact, what if we left more than 500 little Jesuses wherever we are going to be over the next 50 days?” We do not serve a little Jesus, but as Christians we should be leaving a little Jesus everywhere we go.”
I challenged the littles and bigs to take a few to leave at school, at restaurants, at the ball field, at the gymnastics gym, at the scout hut, etc. Wherever they were, I asked if they would be up for leaving a little Jesus everywhere they went? They were enthusiastically up for the challenge.
Using more than 500 mini Jesuses, our Ambassadors (4th & 5th grade leadership team) were at the exit to ‘share a little Jesus’ with everyone who wanted one, or a handful, at the end of the service.
With folks traveling for Spring Break the following week, these little guys were left all over the place. Social media has been filled with pictures of food servers, grandchildren, neighbor’s mailboxes, frisbee golf locations, laundromats, grocery stores, and the Rocky Mountains. Setting it up in a public space we’re given the opportunity to share the many miracles on Macland that have happened by God’s grace and leading. We’ve got stories and this little guy can get the conversations started.
Some have set him up at home or the office. Sometimes we all need a visual reminder to prompt us to pray, “You are with me and I am so grateful, Lord!”.
Some ‘brothers and sisters’ have started conversations and shared these little Jesuses leaving the Holy Spirit to follow to do the work of bringing the lost to Him by starting conversations.
We’ll be leaving a little Jesus everywhere we go. The 525 went so fast, I’ve ordered another 200.
John Wesley claimed the world as his parish. True to our Wesleyan roots, community is in our name.
“He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Thessalonians 2:14
This week is hard. The memories come fast. The tears come even faster.
Eight years ago, on March 31st, we found my mother-in-law ‘asleep’ at the table where we shared many a salad, scrambled eggs, and the stories about her amazing grandchildren. Her birthday was the day before on March 30th. This woman knew me before I knew myself. We grew up together.
On an April 1st my Daddy was escorted to his Heavenly home before my very eyes. The best and worst of day for this Daddy’s girl. From 1am-3am I sat in the presence of our sweet Jesus as He took two entire hours to gather the spirit of this larger-than-life man 20 years ago. I have his laugh and his booming voice. He told me first about Jesus. His head was always full of ideas and nothing seemed impossible. I like to think that my voice and Jesus’ voice overlapped as Dad moved from here to there.
My father-in-law’s birthday is April 3rd. It’s also #1 Son’s spiritual birthday, accepting Jesus as his Savior at 5 years old. Frank went to his Heavenly home on April 4, 1994, the day after Ben decided to follow Jesus.
This week is hard. The memories come fast. The tears come even faster.
Yet the Lord can redeem a season of loss.
Mr. Yummy, our first grandchild, turns 12 on April 6th. Amazon delivered to Oregon a rebounding soccer ball, the board game Sorry, and a box of foam swords when he turned 7. A box of crazy socks for his Crocs and an Amazon gift card will make this year’s birthday basket with a trip to the Atlanta History Museum.
#1 Son and our most amazing Daughter-in-Love & Law will celebrate their 8th wedding anniversary on April 23rd, the same wedding date as my in-laws.
Miss Precious, second grandchild, delivered by her super-hero Dad on the side of a south Florida highway during rush hour traffic, turns 10 on April 24th. I was surrounded by 70 of my best-girl-friends-in-Lord that evening as she made international news. We also mailed our Son-in-Love & Law a cape the very next day. Miss Precious is getting her ears pierced this year and she’s waited forever.
As I dust the frames of our family pictures on the wall this week, the memories come fast. The tears come even faster.
A dear friend gave to me a copy of Rockstar Grandparent written by Chrys Howard for my birthday a while back. Chrys Howard is Korie Robertson’s mom of Duck Dynasty fame. They live in Louisiana. She shares, “Your life is like a one-million-piece puzzle. The good – no, great – news about this stage of life is that your corners are probably pretty secure. You’ve raised your family, worked forever, and established yourself in your church and community. Gone are the days of wondering what you’ll be when you grow up or how you’ll handle the death of a loved one or the loss of a job or the betrayal of a friend. Chances are you’ve experienced similar scenarios in life and conquered them. But there are still a few pieces missing from your puzzle.”
Lord, I pray that the few pieces still missing from our puzzles will be filled with stories retold, new celebrations to experience, and that we are smack dab in the middle of Your will and Your purposes for our lives. May our legacy be Christ-centered, lived out in the local church and in our homes, in joyful obedience to Your Word. And may we welcome the tears and memories as a direct result of the depth of our love for one another.
“We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 1:3
Holy Week is when we remember, recall, and replay the events of Jesus’ last week on earth before His resurrection. This miracle is the basis for our Christian faith. We need these annual reminders because we are forgetful people. Well, I am.
We’ve prepared for months various faith formation experiences for the families we serve, but what about us and our family?
Gentle reminder: You are a child of God, not His employee.
The biggest Easter happened more than 2,000 years ago, so let go of some of the pressure of this weekend. Instead, read or listen to….
Matthew 26-28 written by a tax collector dedicated to names and numbers.
Mark 14-16 written first and closest in time to the actual, historical event.
Luke 22-24 written by Dr. Luke to his friend Theophilus after carefully investigating everything from the beginning.
John 13-21 written by the apostle to fill in the blanks of the other three gospels, and as the only apostle eyewitness at the cross. This same apostle who also took care of Jesus’ mother and no doubt heard story after story, account after account of Jesus’ life
We can participate in something at another church as a participant this week and not as ‘the one with keys.’ Every Christian Church has things going on. Check websites and social media. Join in without feeling guilty or disloyal. Be an encouragement to a smaller church with your attendance. Walk in a different door; walk into the awkward; meet a new friend-in-the-Lord.
I like to think that Jesus didn’t take off the Monday after Easter. He was busy for the next 50 days. There was a sense of urgency. I attend CPC in January, but learning in April is like getting a B-12 shot to build my endurance for the intense and program-heavy summer months. These are on my calendar: * She Leads Church is a free, online 2-day event of women serving in faith-based organizations presenting resources in TEDtalk like online teachings April 11-12, 2024. Online works if you can’t adjust your schedule to in-person. Register for free here. * KidMin Leadership Gathering is a 1-day Atlanta-area in-person event dedicated to digital discipleship, family discipleship, and personal discipleship led by three dedicated women of faith in the trenches of local church discipleship happening on Friday, April 19, 9am-3pm. Vanessa Myers, Brittany Nelson, and Joy Canupp will pour into you and your team. I took away so many ideas and resources when I attended last year’s KLG that I want everyone to go through it. Filled with content and hands-on practical ideas to love families to Jesus of all ages and stages is what this team does best and I’m here for it all day, every day. I’m hosting this in-person event because, like church, gathering in community is the best, most impactful of all teaching because the relationship piece is necessary to grow as a disciple-maker. Register today here.
As children of God, we’re worth it. Will you join me in making this Holy Week meaningful for you, too?
“After He said this, He showed them His hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.” John 20:20
We’ve been in our new worship spaces for two weeks, and I’ve already found my favorite spot to sit. Most people do. It’s been my experience that wherever you sit the first time in a worship space, that’s usually where you end up sitting again. It’s not long before it becomes ‘your’ seat. But, let’s get back to the point.
To be honest, I don’t really sit much during the worship service. I stand. I greet, I smile, I hover. I’ll write notes to the kid next to me on the paper covering the table. I might even play a game of hangman with one of the older kids, using the name of our church or something the pastor just said.
That’s what happens at the tables set aside for littles on the side of our worship space.
Some churches call it a prayground. A prayground is a special area within a worship space where children of all ages and stages can participate in the service in developmentally appropriate ways. The tables are set to keep them engaged and involved in what’s happening around them. This kid-friendly space is an accommodation no different than a hearing aid or wheelchair ramp to include all ages of our church family.
We’ve set up four tables, two tables placed together to make two squares. The tables are covered in brown paper. An artistic kid’s champion paints a welcome message on the center of each set of tables each week. On top of the tables are buckets of clipboards, washable markers, and alphabots available each week. Depending on the service message or sermon series, there may be other special items added along the way.
But these tables are not just for kids. They’re for everyone.
Children learn best through repetition and ritual. They also understand and remember things better when they have something to do with their hands. If their hands are busy, their minds are calm…and learning.
This space rolls out the red carpet of welcome to new parents (1) unlikely to drop off their most precious with strangers-now-but-may-be-family-later, (2) unlikely to leave their little in a room with others who may be sick, (3) uncertain about safety and security protocols, or (4) just want to stay with their kids and enjoy sharing worship together. This has been a culture shift for quite some time now.
With colorful chairs discovered when we closed on the property, the kid’s tables catch the attention of littles and bigs as they enter. There are plenty of chairs for the bigs of a family to sit nearby or alongside, guiding children to stand, sit, pray, and participate in the service together.
Children find plenty to see, hear, touch, and sometimes taste, all that is involved in the worship of our Great God. They pick up the language of worship, the customs of gathering as Christians, and fully join in to encourage one another, just as the Bible teaches in Hebrews 10:24-25 to ‘spur one another on toward 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.’
In addition to the prayground aka kid’s tables, we also have a nursery for preschoolers and younger littles with activities specifically tailored to their age group, all focused on Jesus. We’re trying out different curriculums to align with what the older kids are learning, based on our denomination’s doctrine, a biblical worldview, and including apologetics.
How do you welcome littles with bigs into your family worship?
So grateful were we to be welcomed by the local Funeral Home chapel for the last 16 weeks. We knew it was temporary yet had no idea for how long. Their hospitality was generous and loving. Youth met in the room where they could eat with tables and chairs, adult classes merged to fit in available spaces, children met on the floor and still used modpodge, sharpies, paint, and wet glue without a slip. The only expectation was that the Spirit of the Lord was in the place and among His people.
He certainly was!
Just this week we gathered to worship our Great God on a 15-acre campus with a new sign out front.
Within the last nine days papers have been signed, walls have been painted, ceiling tiles have been replaced, squirrel’s nests discovered, and even with backordered chairs and tables, we gathered to worship our Great God.
Pipe and drape defined space, youth had their regular donuts, the coffee was hot, holy communion was served, the tech team were heroes, children were painting rocks for the Holy Week Walk with Jesus Tour, and the nursery was full. The sun was shining, and the parking lot was in overflow. Laity formed teams of security, maintenance, custodial, landscaping, with project managers and an ever-growing punch list.
A huge, beautiful flower arrangement was gifted by the folks from the church across the street who shared they had been driving around the campus praying for us for weeks leading up to the closing. A dear kidmin friend delivered Amazon blessings of paint, scissors, glue sticks, pipe cleaners, beads, googly eyes and other craft supplies for little people to creatively respond to the Good News of Jesus.
The humble generosity of God’s people has been overwhelming.
Some of the stories….
On the first Sunday four women chose to humbly receive littles in the nursery as their worship.
Youth wrote their names on a banner with their new name as their worship.
Young adults served all over campus as their worship.
Bushes and lawn-care for nine days was their worship.
Crosses on walls were tended and painted as worship.
A grandma searched the consignments, cleaned, and boxed potato heads, Lincoln logs, Lego bricks, and Duplo blocks for littles starting from a sacred scratch as worship.
Boxes were built for monitors, new light bulbs were hung, windows were framed, light fixtures were cleaned as worship.
Prayer partners were vacuuming, dusting, dumping, laughing, loading, unloading, greeting, shopping, disinfecting, draping, setting, sitting, painting, wiping, praying as worship.
Senior saints had chairs in classrooms while camp chairs were brought in by other adult small groups as worship.
Dozens of donuts and Poptarts (thanks for popping in on our first Sunday) were donated by a kind couple as worship.
Littles built a fort of sticks and pine straw in the woods on campus during the afternoon new member class as their worship because there are fifteen acres to explore.
Smooth swings and a picnic table were home for families on a playground to linger after services as worship.
Multiple multigenerational families are traveling over an hour for this, their worship.
A prayground space of tables for elementary (and youth) with markers, Alphabots, and connecting straws is a sacred space in the worship center for children to move and remain engaged in worship.
Six wagons of children’s and nursery supplies were moved from one building to another then returned as worship.
The Good News of a humble sacrifice of praise was shared through word, song, and actions including the blowing of a shofar was worship.
We have scheduled our first church potluck next week. Kingdom work of tablelife and prayer throughout the campus. The youth are exploring this week with dozens of mini-Jesus figurines to be found just about everywhere on Wednesday night. New ministries and other-than-Sunday-or-Wednesday programming have graciously agreed to wait until April to ‘come in the house’ to get our legs under us for rhythms and scheduling.
In full transparency the spiritual warfare is thick. Of course it is. It’s to be expected when bold, new things are started.
Thank you, Lord, for a great sense of humor. Thank you, Lord, for the joy that comes every morning. Thank you, Lord, for growing my perseverance muscles. Thank you, Lord, for the example of Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Esther, and Jesus’ brother James. Oh, brother James!
I put on the armor of James Chapter 1 every day. I sing “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart” when I answer the phone. There’s a 6-foot cardboard cutout of Jesus in the corner of my office to make me smile alongside pictures of my family of bigs and littles who call to laugh and remind me that the Lord is good, and His mercies endure forever.
And the strong disciples who share and lead this journey are the best of God’s people faithful in prayer, skill, talent, preparation, and encouragement. I’d go to the fiery furnace with them any day, every day, all day.
Thank you, Lord!
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.” James 1:17-18
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