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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Flexibility is the new superpower.” – Carey Nieuwhof

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

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

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

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

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

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

You were made for this!

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

As soon as we knew we would be home-bound, especially on Sundays, we prayed of ways in which we could remain connected in a healthy way. Kate Morris, the children’s pastor serving Acworth United Methodist Church began a Sunday school drive-thru on the first weekend. After some quick collaboration, we started the Tuesday Family Faith Kit Drive-thru.

We gathered every bag we had in the supply closets and prepared 50 bags for the next seven weeks. 15 of the 50 bags were for multiple children in a family meaning there were 3-5 of everything in each bag.

We gathered everything we had on hand of extras and typical kid’s items including bubbles, stickers, candy, snacks, all the St. Patrick’s Day items I’d purchased ahead of time for the Sunday that didn’t happen, sidewalk chalk, pompoms, etc. We also added pre-purchased items for Lent events ready to be staged. We didn’t spend any additional monies except the palm branches. We gathered what we had on hand and prepared to share, separating everything into seven weeks of bags with a printed devotion. If you’d like a copy of the first three week’s of devotions, contact me by email at dedereilly@comcast.net. 

Posting on social media, we invited families to drive thru the breezeway of our children’s entrance (that way if they didn’t come to us regularly on Sundays, they will know where to enter when we are permitted to return to Sunday gathering) between 11am-12noon each Tuesday. We make a big deal of greeting each vehicle, wearing gloves we set the kit on the empty front passenger seat, maybe take a photo, and then ask if we can pray with them with our hands lifted toward the heavens. We pray and we invite them back the next week.

6 o’clock Bible readings
We invited parents to record their child(ren) reading a favorite Bible story/verse from their Bible in their favorite place at home, under 2 minutes and send it to me on Facebook messenger. I’ve scheduled a Bible reader/memory verse for each night at 6pm on our closed Facebook page. Hannah Harwood, the Children’s Pastor at Sam Jones United Methodist Church in Cartersville, Georgia began this early on as morning digital devotionals. 

Handwritten postcards
Pre-purchased postcards with forever stamps were ready for VBS. Instead, we’ve handwritten notes to every family and every servant-leader to “Say your prayers and wash your hands, until we can be together again! – Ms. DeDe & McEachern Kids”

Other Connections
• Prepared schedule of texts and phone calls to check in.
• Providing copies of Family Faith Kit devotions are being added to the lunches and dinners provided by our partner elementary and middle school through the missions team.
• Weekly email to email list (may not be on social media) on Saturday how to celebrate Family Church with a reminder of our online service info and Family Faith Kit drive through.
• Hallelujah Project: Use what you have (sidewalk chalk, paper, paint, crayons, string, scraps of wood, etc.) to create a “Hallelujah” banner/sign/message for Easter Sunday. Tag the church on Instagram or Facebook using #athomehallelujah. Another great idea from Christine Hides, Director of Christian Education at Kenilworth Union Church, Kenilworth, Illinois.

There are lots of things which can be done, but let me remind you to pace yourself and remember your why.

McEachern Kids exists to partner with families to grow in their faith in Jesus together by experience, resource, and encouragement. We can’t be part of the noise, especially during the week when families are navigating schoolwork, working from home, feeding the family, laundry, pets, and new schedules. We are all about relationship building in the family to grow in a personal relationship with Jesus, worship the Lord together, belong to something and someone, serve one another in the family and others outside the family, and tell their story.

“Then the Lord said to him, ‘What is that in your hand?'” Exodus 4:2

Overwhelmed with information? Overwhelmed with learning new things? Overwhelmed with taking care of your own family while reaching out to your church families? Overwhelmed teachers, students, parents, grandparents, WalMart grocery lists? We are only one week in on an unprecedented deep dive into the creativity pool to maintain connection with our church families as we also work to keep our own families safe, secure, taught, busy, occupied, calm, fearless, awake, and off the television or electronics 24/7. How are you doing? Oh, and it’s raining!

Pace yourself.

Every day last week from dawn until late in the evening, I felt my phone was connected to me like an IV drip. Gathering information takes time. Learning new platforms takes time. Reaching out by phone to every single amazing volunteer and a ton of students takes time. Purging closets for what can be bagged and tagged to share in a Family Faith Kit drive-thru for every Tuesday for 8 weeks takes time. There is a difference between digital marketing and social media. There is a difference between online announcements and online engagement. Social media and online engagement take time.

Pace yourself.

Others will make suggestions of what you should do. Others will compare you to the church down the street with a technical staff, IT ninjas, and a collaborative team. You will feel there aren’t enough hours in the day. You will wish you could do everything and anything. We’re all living with new routines, new structures (or no structures), new schedules (or no schedules). Ministry with children and families is so much more than Sunday morning services….it’s daily….it’s nightly…it’s during the remarkable moments and milestones of life. Birthdays, weddings, and sudden-though-celebratory home-comings-to-Jesus keep happening.

Pace yourself.

What was I reminded of in last week’s many webinars and phone calls?

• Remember your WHY.
• Ministry is still about relationships.
• Children’s ministry is still about partnering with parents and servant-leaders so THEY are the spiritual rock stars in their kid’s eyes and hearts.
• How are you asking, “How are you doing?” “How can I pray for you?”
  
  Pace yourself.
  
  Make a schedule of what is realistic for you with some easy wins. Try something new, but not everything. Keep it simple. Keep it real for you and your families. I will make it a point of not adding to the noise for my families. My heart’s desire has always been for my parents to take the primary role of spiritually leading their kids. My role is to resource them, giving them easy wins. You don’t want to be on the other side of this and need a vacation. This could be short. This could be a while. Be fair to yourself. Keep healthy boundaries and don’t get sucked into your own unrealistic expectations for yourself. YOU and YOUR FAMILY are your first ministry. 
  
  Pace yourself.
  
  “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12

We have many churches with dedicated champions for ministry with children, yet not at a place where a paid staff member is feasible. These devoted folks need some tangible ways to reach out, so here is a quick list of things to give a start:

https://vanessamyers.org/family-prayer-list/?fbclid=IwAR1HMHP054Goz6uyUgl7v5t7ZCxAn1HUviJO92tA0sE-6us4zJ510RhbqfU

https://vanessamyers.org/12-month-family-scripture-challenge/ I use this one to help me prepare a monthly Bible-reading challenge for families in my ministry. March is filled with scriptures that tell us some of what we can learn about forgiveness. Find the scripture, read the scripture, talk about what you read.

http://www.vibrantfaithathome.org/

www.faithkidz.com

BibleAppForKids and https://bibleappforkids.com/parents/videos

https://radio.keysforkids.org/

What am I doing?

• Family Faith Kits – We will be preparing family faith kits available for drive thru pick up each Tuesday morning 11am-12noon at our church’s children’s entrance. Yesterday was the first day with a lesson on Daniel and St. Patrick of Ireland. It’ll be our new normal until we get back to normal. Short and sweet we shared on paper…
  St. Patrick, like Daniel, was taken from his home to live with people who did not believe in the one true God. Like Daniel, St. Patrick spent his life sharing God’s love with all the people he met. St. Patrick used the clovers which filled every field to share aspects of God: 
  1 Corinthians 13:13 – Faith, Hope, and Love
  Matthew 28:19 – Father God, His Son Jesus, and the helper Holy Spirit.
  Micah 6:8 – Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with your God.
  Read these scriptures in your Bible, and then look for items around your house that can connect you to God like St. Patrick used the clover. Sometimes a clover is called a shamrock.

This idea came from Kate Morris of Acworth UMC: she offered the first drive-thru Sunday school kit last Sunday for families to pick up on Sunday morning during the Sunday school hour. She’s already hit all the Dollar Tree stores in the area for Bible story sticker books and is prepared for enough Sunday school drive-thrus through April. 
We prepared Family Faith kits for the next eight Tuesdays with items we already had on hand including supplies for Holy Week and Easter Sunday previously ordered and received. A trip for sidewalk chalk and bubbles, my trunk is loaded and I’ll be writing devotions with the items we had on hand like small packs of M&Ms, Sun chips, cheerleader pompoms, Easter eggs with plastic Jesus inside, silly putty prayers, dice, etc.

Ordered a ukulele – My daughter and her family live in Oregon where you can be cited for gathering in groups of 25 or more. She’s been following a quarantined guy who lives alone in China on Instagram who has shared what he’s been up to on instastories: convict exercises (exercises for inmates in solitary confinement), turn on the TV only after the sun goes down, writing letters to EVERYBODY, and he decided to learn something new…a musical instrument. I’ve played clarinet from elementary school onward, but though I can’t sing a lick, at least I’d feel cool playing an instrument I can use in ministry. It should be here by the weekend. Maybe.

Spending No Money – Outside of groceries, I decided to not make any purchases personally or to be re-imbursed by the church. Not even VBS. We will use what we have and dive into the deep end of the creativity pool.

Daily challenges on our Facebook page & emails – Not all of my families, including grand parents, are on Facebook, so I’ve got to reach out to them in ways of counting it all joy.

Grandparenting With A Purpose – Discovering that the average age of a first-time grandparent in the USA is 47, this was already the year for research so to put some things on the calendar for the next school year. I’ve got a stack of books and articles I’ve collected and now I’ll redeem the time with a focus on this untapped area of ministry.

Family Worship – Find your best seat in the living room, on the back porch, or around the kitchen table together.
Everyone gets to bring something to hold. If our hands are busy, our minds are calmer.
Say a prayer.
Let your little choose a song to sing and everyone joins in. (ex: Jesus Loves Me, God Is So Good, etc.)
Read Psalm 103 and chat about all the things we can be thankful for. Take it slow, line by line, for as long as you can.
Write or draw a note of thanksgiving to set on the table before you as an offering of thanksgiving.
Make a prayer list…everyone adds a name.
Say a ‘repeat after me prayer’ as a hand touches each name.
Say the Lord’s Prayer together.
Let it be noisy, let it be chaotic, let it be memorable.

Tea With Mrs. DeDe – Working out the kinks, but am preparing short, energetic, joyful, Bible study videos for kids and families. Will probably begin next week. 

If you ever wanted to edit and relaunch what your ministry with children could look like, now’s the time. What are you thinking about?

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

Though the world is traversing unknown territory with the coronavirus protocols, we will continue to move forward addressing the eight virtues of rapidly growing churches. I’m praying for you all and our families we serve as we count it all joy on this new adventure with grace and creativity.

Matt Miofsky, founding and lead pastor of The Gathering, a multisite United Methodist congregation in St. Louis, Missouri,  together with Jason byassee, Butler Chair in Homiletic and Biblical Interpretation at Vancouver School of Theology, wrote Eight Virtues of Rapidly Growing Churches.

Matt came to North Georgia to lead a day of education and awesome colleagues made sure I got the materials since I was unable to attend. I have discovered in my deep dive into the book and through discussions with other kidmin professionals we are all in a state of living the life of a ‘church planter.’ Knowing where the local church sits in today’s culture, the authors remind us, “We are all church planters now.” There are some commonalities of the culture and vision of today’s successful church planters. What does that look like for those who serve in ministry with children and families especially if we are not part of a new church plant? Find my thoughts about Virtues #1 through #4 here. 

Virtue #5 – Rapidly Growing Churches Elevate the Practice of Giving
“People want to give to something that is exciting, making an impact, and visibly connected to changing lives.” (p 55) Don’t we all want to make a difference with our resources? YES! So tell the stories and take the time to celebrate how God is present in our generosity. He gave (John 3:16), so we give. He is a generous giver, so we provide environments and invitational moments for generosity. Giving is an expression of generosity, but not the only one. Little people do not have jobs, but they have much. Just last week our CLUB345 decorated 250 cupcakes to give to a recovery center and ate not nary a one. Generosity is a holy habit and growing churches ‘invite people to participate from the beginning.’ If you start something new, we will begin with a opportunities for acts of generosity, not a regular practice of only receiving ‘free’ or practicing consumerism. We must fight the entitlement culture. Let kids serve. Let kids do for others. Let kids know that to be like Jesus is not to receive as an individual, but live with a heart for others in response to our generous God. ‘God hard-wired us to give, and when we operate in a manner that is consistent with our creation, good things happen in our life. We would never ask someone NOT to do something that we believe makes them happier, healthier, and better able to follow Jesus.’ (p 60-61) Teach at a young age that all we have belongs to the Lord and by returning to Him a percentage, we live a life of trust and obedience. How are you teaching the holy habit of generosity as a thread in all you do?

Virtue #6 – Rapidly Growing Churches Work in Teams
Most of this chapter speaks to the trustworthy ‘number twos’ who come alongside the number-ones. Number twos are those who sit in the second chair of an organization. It may not look like the second chair on the org chart, but it’s the second chair that REALLY makes the church go ’round because of their influence. “Whether you are a youth pastor over thirty kids, a Sunday school teacher with a class of ten, or a pastor of a church of 150-there is power in having a number two.” (p 78) The gifts of a number two include loyalty to God and the organization without being a yes person; loyalty to the congregation’s mission as a noticer with an intuition tuned to individual needs; loyalty to the visionary leadership with ‘nuts-and-bolts know how’ within that body of believers; and is accessible. “Methodism at its best is a tradition that encourages Christians to ‘watch over one another in love.’” (p 76) Who’s your next Timothy or your next Mary in your area of influence? These number twos will not just do the work, but they lead the work, and will take the ministry to the next level with great humility, joy, and love. Jesus never sent out disciples one at a time, but rather two, or three, or 70. My colleague at Asbury UMC in Lafayette, Louisiana coached us to always surround ourselves with people who would die for you and know where all the bodies are buried. You laugh, but you know what she’s talking about. Not just taskmasters, but those who get the big picture and arrive early, stay late, take out the trash because it has to be done. Humility abounds and enjoys the company of other Jesus guys and gals. Is your leadership so trustworthy that number twos can find you, can trust you with confidential info, can grow with you, and you notice each one with great love, compassion, and interest? We are family and we share life, we share laughter, and we share the load. We are brothers and sisters in Christ and we treat one another accordingly. We are better together! Who is on your team?

See you here next week with kidmin thoughts on the final two virtues. Which of the virtues mentioned so far are the easiest to implement? The most difficult?

“Methodists are people of the revival tent and the warm heart that John Wesley spoke of and inspired in others.” 8 Virtues of Rapidly Growing Churches, pg 73

Matt Miofsky, founding and lead pastor of The Gathering, a multisite United Methodist congregation in St. Louis, Missouri, came to North Georgia recently to present an education opportunity for church leaders. Dear colleagues made sure I heard about what he taught and made sure I had the material. I’ve been drinking from the fire-hose every since.

If an organization is healthy, it’s growing. Matt Miofsky co-authored the book Eight Virtues of Rapidly Growing Churches with Jason Byassee. Jason Byassee is the Butler Chair in Homiletics and Biblical Interpretation at Vancouver School of Theology.  He previously served as senior pastor of Boone United Methodist Church, a 1500-member congregation in Boone, NC. The accounts shared in the book give insight to some commonalities of the culture and vision of today’s successful church planters. Knowing where the local church sits in today’s culture, the authors remind us, “We are all church planters now.” Find my thoughts on the first two virtues as it relates to children’s ministry here.

Virtue #3 – Rapidly Growing Churches love the local

“Christianity is a local story.” (p 39) Not everyone is born in the area where they are in ministry, but it helps. There are plenty of anecdotes in this chapter where the successful church planter is ‘from these parts.’ They know people, places, history, and have immediate connections. But if not, we can get our ‘extrovert’ on and dive deeply into the community with a maniacal work ethic. Do that dashboard research and make quick, deep, personal connections with people at lunches, coffees, in businesses, schools, governmental meetings, table life. We meet and we meet and we meet and we meet…in the community. I have served the Lord in multiple capacities of professional ministry in four local churches in the Atlanta-Marietta district. I know what families live with, live on, live for, and have lived through in this area of North Georgia. I raised my family here.  I know the local politics and local politicians. I know the systems, the traffic patterns, and deep-dive into the lives of those I serve alongside. Love the local community where God invites you and learn the history of how they came to be. Someone wants to meet, do it. Someone wants to chat on the phone, do it. “We have to love those places (where we’re called to serve), or spend our time and energy learning to do so.” (p 38) 

Virtue #4 – Rapidly Growing Churches exist to reach the next person

“What good is a revivalist sect if you’re not reviving anybody?” (p 44) Evangelism is introducing people to Jesus: talking about Him, sharing testimonies of His presence and faithfulness, and telling His stories as family stories followed up with, “Do you know my Jesus?” Our entire faith is based on an historical fact. It’s not intuitive, so we must tell the story of Jesus. We tell the accounts of Jesus then and Jesus now, then invite people to make Him Lord of their lives. In children’s ministry, we must talk Jesus every time, every week, every day. When we share the gospel of Jesus, we share what we know to be good news, indeed. “Jesus is the sort of good news you can’t keep unless you give it away.” (p 52) Evangelism should permeate all we do with energy, joy, hope, and compassion. Invite kids to believe in Jesus. Invite kids to follow Jesus. Invite kids to become more like Jesus in their world, their school, their family, on their ball or dance team. When we model this invitation to know Jesus with a ‘come to’ rather than a ‘join us’, we are looking for new friends to share life with. Are we building Jesus’ tribe?

We are halfway there. More to come next week.

“Churches naturally drift toward what they like and what has worked for them in the past. Like throwing a leaf in a river, the natural movement is downstream. Thinking of new people takes constant and relentless effort – it is like walking upstream.” (p 51)

Matt Miofsky, founding and lead pastor of The Gathering, a multisite United Methodist congregation in St. Louis, Missouri, came to North Georgia last week to present an education opportunity for church leaders. I was unable to go, but dear friends called me immediately afterwards to chat about what they heard and one gifted me with the books discussed. As a student of church culture and a satisfied customer of the local church, I began reading Eight Virtues of Rapidly Growing Churches as soon as I got home because, in the words of the author, “We are all church planters now.” (p xviii)

In elementary science class we learned how healthy things grow, but not all growth is healthy. Same goes for the local church. The anecdotes shared by the authors are not intended as a blueprint for church growth, but hearing the stories of successful church planters of today these common virtues can’t be denied nor ignored. As Methodists, we are known as a revivalist movement. We are accustomed to breaking barriers, engaging in holy habits, disagreeing in love, gathering in community, and serving the marginalized. With all that in mind, the testimonies of the various United Methodist planters quoted in the book speak loud and clear for today. I’ll cover two here and two each week as it relates to children’s ministry.

Can I put out the challenge that if it’s good for children, it’s good for everybody? Just sayin’.

Virtue #1 – Rapidly Growing Churches believe in miracles and act accordingly

God is indeed working miracles in our midst. We have no idea what the children will do with their love for Jesus, but I know of the miracles that it has taken for some of their parents to be here.  “Acting as if the Spirit is moving changes everything.” (p 3). Praying fervently, specifically, and boldly can get us moving in the right direction. I am one of those miracles. I know the stories of some of my parents and they are those miracles. I need to remind them they are and call how they are claiming their kid’s lives for Jesus as a priority and call it the miracle it is.  “Rapidly growing churches have figured out how to not only take risks but also deal with failure in a way that does not thwart future bold decisions.” (pg 11) My home church where I received excellent ministry training from amazing clergy and lay folk was never afraid of taking risks. We’d try something, set the goals, debrief afterward with a clear look at what worked, wipe off the table what didn’t, and share how to edit to move forward. It wasn’t personal, but it had to be fruitful. We did ministry in love and with only one fear: the fear we would disappoint the Holy Spirit which led us to do ministry in the first place.

Virtue #2 – Rapidly Growing Churches integrate new people quickly

Deep in our Methodist DNA is an order, a method, to organize discipleship with Christian education alongside service. We must be great at assimilation, helping a guest to know the path for growing as a deeply committed follower of Jesus. We do this in relationships in small groups, around tables not rows, and in community. People need an organized plan. Children need an organized discipleship plan. Children go through multiple developmental stages from 0-5^th grade. We can’t depend on them ‘catching’ their faith.  We need a plan for developmentally appropriate faith formation experiences in Christian education and the systems in place to move everyone through their next steps. We are in partnership with parents and grandparents. When a child is baptized, we vow to ‘so order our lives in the example of Christ….’  We are not event planners, but rather disciple-makers and we can provide families with the next steps to ‘so order their families’ to love their kids to Jesus. “The question in Methodism is not ‘When were you saved?;’ it’s ‘How are you growing in grace just now?”  (p 20) “Assimilating people as disciples has to be our primary focus.” (p 22) The local church can do many things, but our marching orders are to ‘make disciples of Jesus Christ.’

More to come next week!

“Rapidly growing churches are like ducks. They look placid on the water. But underneath they’re paddling like crazy!” (p 17)