It’s been a while since I posted because I have been preparing and experiencing a service opportunity within the Body of Christ, yet outside of the house where I serve on staff. It’s become so important to intentionally take on 2 service opportunities and 2 professional and spiritual growth opportunities each and every year. It keeps me balanced, encouraged, and lets me be like everybody else – a follower and a servant of Christ.

I love serving in the local church day in and day out, week in and week out. It is thrilling to be on the front lines sharing the love of Christ and the good news – no, GREAT NEWS, of God’s plan for His people. But it is also a thrill to spend time being the hands and feet of Jesus (or maybe even the tail or the ear) for folks outside your own house for a short period of time that enables someone else to see Jesus afresh.

I remember inviting our daughter, the summer between her junior and senior year in high school, to participate in a movement for Christian leaders for the sole purpose of introducing her to a group of folks on fire for the Lord outside of our own home church. We kept seeing too many youth drop off the face of the church-earth once they left youth group and saw this as a great opportunity to gather some insurance. Boy, were we right.

Going to Children’s Pastor’s Conference and Catalyst Conference annually provide intentional spiritual and professional growth. I bring back lots of good ideas and resources that help in my service to the local church.  But the time I get to spend with people whose sole purpose is to take on the role of servant, whatever that may look like, in submission to the God-ordained leaders to help others see Christ in a fresh new way; now that’s a service that feeds my soul and reminds me that we are meant to be in service in the world, not just in the church.

Plus, I shuffle around my own house with a silly grin on my face as I recall comments such as, “Does this go together?” and “Just sayin’.”

On April 1st, I jumped on a freight train and have been holding on for dear life. The church calendar brings with it many celebrations which involves the planning, the meeting, the gathering, the shopping, the emailing, and the phone calling that leads up an event or special day. Then there’s the follow up which is just as important, because folks need to know that their participation matters.  Because it does.  When you only know a handful of people, the freight train can feel like it’s headed downhill, picking up speed at every turn.

Yesterday, I felt that train headed uphill and I felt like I belonged for the first time.

Maybe it was because so many greeted me with a smile and called me by my name before and between services.

Maybe it was because someone asked me about my Mother since it was Mother’s Day.

Maybe it was because someone came up and said they would have liked to be a part of VBS, but that safety and security training was not for them. (Safe Sanctuary training)

Maybe it was because one of the young men in youth said, “Sure” when I asked for help with Children’s Church. (He was fantastic as we sat around a table of little people chit-chatting, tracing and cutting handprints for Mother’s Day cards, talking about the latest Lego movie.)

Maybe it was because longtime members chose to sit beside me at both services and offered words of affirmation after the Children’s Moment.  (Now we all know that we don’t do what we do for the words of affirmation, but when you start something new, it let’s you know you’re in the ballpark.)

Maybe it was because there were two handwritten notes left on the desk in my office.  One with a bag of sunflower seeds and words of encouragement.  Another a list of supplies that are needed.

Maybe it was because I was introduced to someone’s sweet thing.

Maybe it was because someone kind remembered that baby girl is coming into town on Fantastic Friday “Noodle Night” and mentioned trying to relieve me early so I can spend a few precious moments with her.

Maybe it was because all these and more were like a big, sloppy kiss on the cheek from the LORD whom I adore and desire to please with all my being.

Mother’s Day is supposed to be one of the top 5 attended worship services in the church year. As a Mom of children who are now adults, it’s a precious gift to have your children come to church with you. I so get the draw.

Research also tells us that Father’s Day is one of the low Sundays, along with the Sunday following Easter and Christmas. Sad, but true.

At my home church, Mother’s Day is also Confirmation Sunday. It’s resembles a “Homecoming Sunday” because of the return of mentors and the family of faith that becomes so extended in doing faithful work for the cause of Christ. They come home to celebrate the personal commitment of faith that these students claim on this day. More than 100 students made that claim and began their own intentional walk of faith with the words spoken individually, “Jesus is LORD,” at my home church yesterday and my heart was in my throat.

When a church, led even by a couple of brave and faithful adults, take on a season of intentional “sharing of faith life,” it sparks this proven claim for each child: “I am a part of something bigger than myself that would not be complete without me.” The research tells us that the driving force for people of all ages to actively participate in anything is because we want a place to belong.

When the church surrounds a group of kids with one goal in mind, their and our worlds are rocked. That goal? To equip and prepare a life to take the Creator and Savior as constant companions and His Word as filter in all decisions.

Oh, and know what it feels like, smells like, tastes like, sounds like, looks like to be surrounded by a cloud of witnesses.

Mother’s Day is for those who give physical birth AND for those who offer spiritual birth. For what the church has done for me and mine, could I do no less?

This is a GREAT idea that was birthed in the parking lot. Many new Moms have been visiting the church over the last several months. And realizing that you can’t build relationships passing through the worship doors, an hour of dessert, coffee (that’ll be a hot tea for me), and some good conversation, just might begin some new friendships.

But there’s a catch.

In order for this to work and build some new friendships, some hard habits have to be set aside for the evening. We can’t sit by someone we already know, we can’t talk with someone we already have a relationship with, we can’t share a huge slice of cake with someone we already hang out with, and we can’t talk church. Without these ground rules, a new friend can’t possibly cross the threshhold of old friendships.

I recall attending a Ladies Night Out at a large, local church alone. I heard about the event in the free church news section of the newspaper. I entered and paid my money at the table that was already covered in name tags. There was no name tag for me and they had no extras. Shrugging it off as not important I passed through a gauntlet of more than 20 women speaking one to another in groups as small as 2 and as great as 4. Too involved in their own conversations, no one noticed me. I walked into a room filled with some 20-25 round tables. Round tables are great for conversation. Walking to the stage, I discovered the first 2 rows of tables were empty of ladies, although every chair was tilted forward on the table signifying that all of the best seats in the house were “saved.” I walked aimlessly alone among all the tables until a woman made eye contact with me. She invited me to sit with her. Before dinner was served, we discovered that we had shared many of the same bible studies and she, too, was a lone visitor.

I made a new friend, and realized that just because the door is open, doesn’t mean the door is open.

Carrot cake anyone? It’s a vegetable, right?

Resurrection Sunday was beautiful in weather, in dress, and in spirit. A long day indeed that is difficult to prepare for. Note to self for next year: Way too many things going on to truly enjoy…a song just started in my head “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.”

Without judgement, I might suggest that if an egg hunt is a non-negotiable tradition, perhaps moving it to another day and time would prove to be more purposeful. Perhaps moving the egg hunt to Palm Sunday instead, or making it a community outreach event and placing it on a Palm Sunday Saturday could give it some specific purpose and more hands can be involved.

I have never engaged in an egg hunt at church and found myself feeling odd about it. I think my odd feeling came from not knowing the purpose of it.

Wise ministry professionals have taught me that before you invite the gifts and graces of God’s people to be shared in an event outside of their first ministry, their family, there must be a clear purpose. With a clear purpose, folks feel a calling to be answered and the fruit of such labors can be measured. Fruit is always measurable and all must be done to the glory of God.

Many things are good, alot of things are great, but only a few are the best to provide an appropriate movement of limited resources. When I say resources, I mean time, energy, enthusiasm, and finances. Just a thought.

On to recruiting for vacation bible school and a summer where regular servants in Children’s Ministry can be given a time of jubilee to rest and recuperate. Hoping to get some time in May to prayerfully determine what that will look like.

If Sunday is “game day” in the local church, then Easter Sunday is the “Super Bowl.” This is the day that the local church prepares to celebrate for themselves and prepares for company. When we prepare for company at the Reilly’s we vacumn, clean the bathrooms, re-pot the flowers in the front porch boxes, and basically, clean up ourselves and our space. The same has been happening all around our church home for the last couple of weeks.

We also cook yummy goodies, so the oven has been busy baking blueberry muffins for our little people that’ll be coming to children’s church. And thanks to a quick morning trip to Michael’s, we’ll be decorating sticky butterflies with beautiful tissue paper representing the many colors of God’s world.

Goodies and take-away bags have been filled with jelly beans and a take-home bookmark with information about 3 upcoming family events are ready to passed out, as well:  next Parent’s Night Out, Mom’s Night Out at Nicky’s Diner for Dessert, and the June dates for Vacation Bible School.

Laugh of the week: At Parent’s Night Out, we served our young guests a snack dinner similar to what Jesus would have had with his buddies at the last supper: flat bread, cheese, grapes, white grape juice, and saltine crackers (ok, so I didn’t go to seminary and I never professed to be a biblical historian, but it looks and sounds good). One kindergartener was overheard sharing with his friend, “No wonder Jesus was so skinny.”

Whew! It’s been a week of Holy Activity for sure. Monday had us laying out the family-friendly-hands-on-lift-it-up-hold-it-carry-it-touch-it-smell-it stations of the cross that are out all week. We’ll get to use them tonight at my first Parent’s Night Out with our students. I’m bringing my camera and hoping to have some shots of our little disciples going full out.

One of my 2011 New Year’s Resolutions is to attend some sort of educational event with a friend who makes me laugh my head off each month. Yesterday, I had several of these friends share in training for a movement that is led by a covenant – Safe Sanctuary. Having attended trainings previously, and leading training events on this very topic myself (I use a Safe Sanctuary bingo game that I would be happy to share by email), equips the church to provide an environment that is safe for everyone. We live in uncertain times and it thrills me to no end that we can do something about it inside our families of faith.

Spent lunch with a friend who is so gifted in art that we are considering her taking her ministry on the road to ours to provide something fabulous for our little people in July. Knowing that VBS will be taking the last week of June, there are some hot days in the July when a morning of fun and creativity can be a cure all for days that seem to last forever. Now to find 2 other friends with gifts that can learned by our little people.

Made some labels to attach to goodies to hand out to worshippers who come to church on Easter Sunday. The research tells us that in today’s culture, 2 out of 4 Sundays are considered as active attendance. I don’t want to agree, but sometimes, It is what it is. That said, you may have 1/2 of your congregation attending worship on any given Sunday . . . except Easter. On Easter, everyone comes and then some. I LOVE IT!

Sunday was Palm Sunday and with the Choir Cantata, I got an email on Friday asking that there be children at the early service to wave the palms. I only had a few correct emails already in the laptop, so an email was sent to those. Before we knew it we had us some children and a faithful servant offered to pick up breakfast and and we had a lovely time getting to know one another after the Children’s Moment at the early service.

Today was the begining of Holy Week and with the help of the fabulous Mrs. E we had all of the stations, along with card tables, set up and ready to go by 12:30 just as a sweet friend arrived to take me to lunch. This sweet friend and I have been colleagues for many years. It all started when she was serving where I am now, and she is now serving where I was when I first met her. You just never know how God will use the properly connected Body of Christ today and in the years to come. We laughed a lot and my friend agreed to pray for me. This was fabulous especially since she loves the church where I am now serving, she lives across the street, and she knows my heart.

Fantastic Friday/Parent’s Night Out is ready for this Good Friday with activites of preparing Jelly Bean Prayers with candy grass for the local homeless shelter, Resurrection Bingo, Easter Memory Game, and a Scavenger Hunt of items throughout the church that when all the numbers are added together equal 40 – the exact number of days in the Lenten season. I got the memory game and the initial bingo placements from http://www.ministry-to-children.com and the rest I came up with on my own. If anyone wants a copy, let me know and I’ll send it as an attachment to an email.

It’s Holy Week, but now that the stations are set and open from now through Sunday morning, it’s VBS planning time.

I watched all the dvds that came with the Pandamania can for dinner theatre tonight. Listening to the music, I almost broke into dance. I really like how they use a lot of sign language in their worship songs. I stopped by Panda Express (picked up some chow mein and mushroom chicken for dinner) and spoke with the dinner manager, so I’m hoping to get a phone call of how they can help us (me and 5 other churches) with items for this summer’s Vacation Bible School. Great timing, too, that we are all helping each other by making decorations that can be shared. I LOVE the connectional system of the United Methodist Church!

So, this week . . . Easter . . . Stations of the Cross . . . VBS . . . Fantastic Friday/Parent’s Night Out . . . Safe Sanctuary updated info and applications . . . tons of emails . . . preparing new Children’s Ministry registration forms . . . preparing applications for Children’s Ministry interns for 5th grade and higher . . . praying through the claiming of scripture and the roll out of a summer of Titus 2 Guests for Children’s Church for ages rising K5-5th grade and Sunday School (now taking suggestions for a name) and maybe a Fitness Camp style of Sunday School for June and July while our regular Sunday School teachers get a chance to take a month of Jubilee.

Lord, I am desperate for your discernment because I am just too excited to think clearly. I think I’ll get a cup of “Get some ZZZZs” tea and go to bed with a notepad beside the bed.

Glad to stop by a RaceTrac to get a caffeine-free-diet-coke-on-crushed-ice on my way into late afternoon office hours. Wednesdays are my long days with weekday preschool beginning at 8am and planning not to end the day at second home until 8:30pm.

Discovered my new precious friend on campus who graciously helped me get my thoughts together for the first Childrens’ Council AND cut Jelly Bean Prayers which is WAY below her pay grade. This experience of having someone who communicates frequently and kindly has lessened many of the typical anxieties that come with beginning something new. She could write a book, that I would help promote, of how to lovingly and prayerfully welcome someone new on church staff. Her joy and smile, laughter and kind emails, phone calls, and face-time challenge me, encourage me, and give me confidence. I would hope that every one of my friends who serve local churches had this special someone when they began. She is amazing!

It is not my intention to lead these Council meetings, but as I shared with the ladies, I have so many questions and we have a lot happening within the next 90 days (Easter, Mother’s Day, VBS, Parent’s Night Out,) that I asked for permission to lead this and the next one. They were so gracious.

We answered an ice-breaker with my Gabbit toy that asks the questions for you. We had our first laughs. We opened with a very short prayer (been praying since April 1st), devotion from Sarah Young’s Childrens edition of “Jesus Calling,” and hit the calendar.

We talked about the schedule of Sunday School & Children’s church through May and shared an idea of taking the summer to prepare something different – physical play and storytelling, as well as Titus 2 guests for Children’s Church. One of the best lists I got was of church members and their “specialties/hobbies/natural gifts/spiritual helps.” Ideas were tossed around and I was encouraged when we chose to pray and make summer’s final decisions when we meet again in May.

Special events are anything outside of Sunday morning. With special events, the goal and purpose of each event should be decided upon first. Then we can communicate, market, and measure the successs of the event most effectively. Their responses were fabulous and I was encouraged.

I asked each council member to consider being the champion of their most important event – the one that means the most to each one AND to plan a season of jubilee (taking a backseat to children’s ministry leadership for a short period of time to be a part of the church family without being “on”.) I have been in the company of wonderful women who serve themselves empty and I don’t want that for them or anyone.

The meeting ended on time, thank goodness, and we plan to gather again on a Wednesday evening in May. In the meantime, we each have a sugar packet with a name on it to be prayed for until we meet again.  I placed my sugar packet on the ledge of the steering wheel on the dashboard of my car.  Immediately it fell inside a space and I have no idea where it is!  I won’t be needing the packet to remember to pray this time…I’ll be wondering  where it is and will automatically be reminded to pray for the fabulous Mrs. V.

I didn’t get home until after 10:30pm as I praised the LORD with Mandisa all the way home.

Headed out early today to do some dashboard research which really means that I did some googling of the church zipcodes (one side of the street is one zipcode, the other side is another,) and I drove around trying to get myself lost for a couple of hours. It lets me see what’s in the neighborhood as far as nursing homes, rehab centers, children’s parks, and Starbucks go.

I found one elementary school, but was really looking for another. Discovered that it might be a good idea to add “school” to the parent’s night out information forms. I also discovered that within a few miles you can cross into 3 different counties which makes it really interesting when the only address information in the file doesn’t have a city. I knew that the church’s Jerusalem was great, but good grief!

I also discovered that I can contact PTAs directly online at some of the local elementary schools to volunteer for career day (got shaving cream, goldfish, and flannel boards, will travel) and perhaps take a day a month to provide some goodies in the teacher’s lounges (do teachers still have lounges?  … well they should.) Made a note on the calendar for August.

Also had first staff lunch and got some table time with everyone which was great. We had calendars out and got to share stories and laugh a lot. Got the run down on how Palm Sunday, Easter Sunday, 5th Sundays, Communion Sundays, and Mother’s Day roll.

The worship leader had an extra printer in his office (all churches seem to have computer equipment just sitting all over the place) and I loaded the software all by myself. It’s the first time I loaded anything onto the laptop and I must say, Mr. Bob would be very proud. It’s Monday . . . can’t wait to see what my menfolk have prepared for dinner.