When I heard last winter Vanessa Myers was writing an Advent devotional for kids with questions kids (and adults) wonder about the Christmas account, I was thrilled. Wondering To Bethlehem: A Wonder-filled Advent Devotional For Kids provides inspiration and knowledge beyond my wildest imagination. Vanessa’s devotional books for kids are written for middle to upper elementary to read for themselves or younger if directed and read by a big person: Bible Food Truck and Breakfast With Jesus. Her knowledge and understanding of how kids learn, what makes a learning sticky, Bible study, and using a child’s imagination makes this devotional my go-to this Advent season. Her kid’s devotionals offer so much more than just a great developmentally appropriate read.

Vanessa’s knowledge of the Bible offers nuggets of wisdom and ‘did you know?’ notes throughout especially on the “Wonders To Unpack” pages which follow each Advent reading. For instance: “The angels praised God at the beginning of Creation (see Job 38:4-7). And now, the angels praised God at the beginning of a new creation: the birth of God’s son.” (pg. 85)

Each reading includes a daily invite for kids to write, “Things I wonder about in this story…” entitled Wondering Notes as well as a half-page space for drawing a picture of the story. The special add-on to make this devotional especially interactive is the QR code in the front for a download of twenty-six 2-inch round stickers for cutting out (how I’ll use them) or printing on round stickers for each daily reading PLUS two additional readings for Christmas Day and Epiphany.

This is a beautiful gift for the grands and the kids, AND I’m using this 125-page advent devotional as the inspiration for how our children’s ministry will celebrate Advent this year. Here are a few of our ideas…..

• Campfire Christmas is our kickoff event with worship led by a special musical guest, shepherd stations for creativity and storytelling (luggage tags, sticker nativity ornaments, sheep mini fidgets, waterbottle stickers, bookmarks, sheep masks) an interactive re-telling of the nativity story for anyone who wants to participate, sheep games, roasting marshmallows, finishing well with dinner served and provided by our youth ministry. The shepherds jump into the story from around a campfire.
• Each family will receive their own copy of the devotional while supplies last beginning at Campfire Christmas. We were able to order the devotional in bulk and received a family event guide from Vanessa at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfRPIbL1NmQHitp3tnerSttKd5fWr-PpARZ99IXngZ-TYO2zw/viewform 
• 100+ small sheep will be placed all over campus for littles and bigs to be delighted, play with, and move around. We’ll pick them all up in January. We are sheep (dependent on God) AND we are shepherds (sharing first the good news of Jesus’ birth and God’s salvation with others).
• Children’s moments will open with sheep jokes and shepherd hooks sharing the wonders of a song (I Wonder As I Wander), wonder of a good shepherd, wonder of Psalm 23 (my rod and my staff…tools for the journey), and wonder of remaining with the flock. 
• Our church has several wonderful mission opportunities during Advent yet few are kid-friendly-sticky, so we will collect gently-used suitcases and duffle bags for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) and foster children as we ‘unpack Christmas’ for others. We’ll include a children’s devotional and/or Bible inside. Several church members are actively involved in this amazing program and are taking the point to store and get them where they need to go to do the most good.
• Sheep cut-outs for prayer prompters; sheep games.
• Inviting families to reach one chapter of the gospel of Luke (24 chapters) each day beginning December 1st, finishing on Christmas Eve.

Christmas is a wonder for littles AND bigs. So many fabulous characters. So many amazing places. So many fantastic relationships. So much love from a Heavenly Father who offers His own Son to be the only way to be made right with Himself, a holy God. 

Thank you, Lord, for the Advent season! Thank you, Vanessa, for a fresh way to celebrate!

“Holy God, thank You for the Good News of Jesus’ birth. Give me the boldness to share about who Jesus is with others, just like the shepherds did. Amen.” Wondering to Bethlehem, pg 91

“How do we get it all in?”, “I don’t have time, I’m too busy.”  I hear the immense priority given to regularly scheduled, repeated, programming of life. Building margin to travel, to meet, be coached, and network is absolutely necessary to build our endurance muscles for ministry over the long haul. This is the system which works for me. Is there flexibility? Oh yes! This is just where I start to set a sustainable pace.

Mondays Are For Communicating – Working from the home office lets me begin the day crazy early with less interruptions. I build the Sunday powerpoints, email the Sunday Saints of what’s upcoming, write notes/postcards to mail, take a walk to settle the bear of overwhelming confusion, place the orders/build the online shopping cart, schedule the social media posts, write the newsletters, work the calendar.

Tuesdays Are For Meeting – In-person meetings grow relationships. Relationships trump tasks. I rise crazy early to weekly blog post and prepare to travel for staff meetings, coffee/tea meetings, deliver books/dinner/lunch/breakfast to families, and collaboratively plan in the hallways and offices of campus and beyond. Network lunch each month, too. Lots of tablelife on Tuesdays.

Wednesdays Are For Learning – This is when I’ll schedule zoom calls for book discussions, travel to trainings, read books and articles, dive into the scriptures, scour the search engines, watch youtube videos, and learn. I love learning and scheduling a learning day (or morning) means I actually set aside time for reading and study. Well-Versed Kids is on Wednesday nights so learning continues. This season we are learning what God has to say about WORK.

Thursdays Are For Staging – Whatever it’s going to take to set the stage and set the tables for Sunday gets done on Thursdays. I walk through spaces, pray through spaces, put away, set up, clean up, and prepare for arrival and dismissal experiences alongside the content prep for shared faith formation experiences so that littles and their bigs continue to love Jesus with their whole hearts for their whole lives.

Fridays Are For Sabbath – The day I do what reminds me that God is good and I am His. 

Saturdays Are For Family – This is the only day Mr. Bob and I have off together so I guard the daylights out of it. It’s fall now so it’s college football starting with The Home Depot’s GameDay. There’s usually a grocery pickup or supply gathering between games. About 4pm I start gathering my mind and heart and stacking the car for what’s planned for Sunday. Mr. Bob says something changes in me around 4pm then off to bed early because Sunday is game day. 

Sundays Are For Celebrating – Celebrating together as a church family so that we can ‘spur one another on’ (Hebrews 10:24-25) for another week to live out the holy habits of discipleship in community. Around tables and in hallways, arriving early and staying late. This season has afternoons filled with Stick Around Sundays, Scout Badge Clinics, events like Fall Gatherings and Campfire Christmas.

How do you set up your week for sustainability and perseverance?

“He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 1:8

As a visual learner who leads concrete thinkers, I believe it’s helpful to have some benchmarks for growing in Christian maturity. A benchmark is a standard or point of reference against which things may be compared or assessed. This sanctification and growing process must have some evidential criteria beyond a checklist, though a checklist is helpful to know along our journey if we’ve taken more exits off the highway or spent too much time at the rest stop or haven’t left the front yard at all as a growing faithful Christian.

One of my favorite resources to share with families is the Discipleship Begins at Home Blueprint: Discipleship For Life. This resource begins at the beginning of a child’s life providing developmentally appropriate holy habits and practices caregivers can use to lead littles to Jesus. There is also a Discipleship Begins at Home Blueprint: 5 Year Plan which offers an outline to begin the process with middle/high school and adults.

I learned about this resource we have printed, spiral-bound, and offer on our Family Resource Wall at an online Women In Apologetics conference. The Discipleship Begins at Home Conference was a two-day conference aiming to help parents, caregivers, churches, and teachers create a plan of biblical discipleship and growth for the children in their care. 

I consider it one of the greatest discoveries I’ve ever come across. Rev. Jeremy Bannister co-authors this e-document with his team through The Next Generation Ministries. He highlights six specific holy habits to teach, learn, and practice over a disciple’s life: Bible reading, Prayer, Fellowship, Outreach & Service, Discipleship, Giving. Rev. Bannister further explains these benchmarks like this:

Christian Maturity Benchmarks
1. Have read through the Bible at least one time.
2. Love God – attendance at church on Sunday mornings
    Love God’s people – participate in small group life
    Love Serving God – serving alongside the Body of Christ in church and outside the church
3. Practice the six primary holy habits of Bible Reading, Prayer, Fellowship, Outreach & Service, Discipleship, Giving (the Blueprints offer developmentally appropriate practices from infants through adults for each holy habit)
4. Have a desire to see someone else replicate these benchmarks

I can live with this. I can ask where my servant leaders are in this. I can see the fruit of this. I can set the table for these teachings with littles and with bigs. These are benchmarks I can throw some energy into and so can everyone else who serves in local church leadership. These benchmarks we can see, measure, and engage in conversations about.

If I needed a brain surgeon, I’d want to know that he/she’d read through the books, participated in the best practices led by those experienced (apprenticeship), and engaged in continuing education to be my brain surgeon. When I drive on the highway, it is not unreasonable to expect the professional semi truck driver to have read the books, participated in training (discipleship), attended all the classes (Sunday am), and taken care of their rig according to the owner’s manual. When a member or staff of a church is invited to take on a leadership role it is reasonable to ask if they’d read the whole book, are they giving of their financial resources, participating in small group life, and have a desire to invite others to join the journey.

Where would you want to throw some energy into? Question #1 – Have you read through the Bible at least once?

“…but few things are needed-or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:42

Muhammad Ali was the greatest boxer of all time and one I followed through media and culture especially in the late nineties. “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. The hands can’t hit what the eyes can’t see,” was a phrase he often repeated to describe his style in the ring.

As Christian believers, there are parts of the Bible which make us feel warm and fuzzy like butterfly kisses. These passages are the wonderful parts of following Jesus, like…

• For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not harm you; plans to give you a hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
• God is love. 1 John 4:8b
• Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6
• And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32
• If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. 1 John 1:9
• So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. Galatians 6:10

There are also parts of the Bible that challenge us and cause us to go, “Woah! That stings!” The passages which remind us that Christian believers have chosen a standard of living and these passages teach us to ‘spur one another on to Godly love and good deeds,’ like …

• Everyone should be slow to speak, quick to listen, slow to become angry. James 1:19
• Be dressed and ready for service. Luke 12:35
• Do everything without arguing or complaining. Philippians 2:14
• Children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right. Ephesians 6:1
• And let us consider how to spur one another on to 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
• My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. James 2:1

I led a Children’s Moment a few weeks ago with a child holding a butterfly pillow sitting on one side of me, kissing my shoulder each time I read a butterfly kiss scripture. On the other side of me sat a child WAY too eager to sting my other shoulder with a bee puppet each time I read a stinger. The congregation laughed as the point was made.

As Christian followers of Christ Jesus we are to follow the whole counsel of the scriptures. If we only pick and choose to live among the butterfly kisses, we’ll never have the liturgy and proper equipping of God’s word for when life gets hard through loss and disappointment, relationships and school become confusing, nor when the littles we lead find following Jesus difficult and require courage.

Last Sunday we taught the Bible account of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. The Children’s curriculum make the point that when we stand up for Jesus, we’ll be rescued. That is not reality. Instead, we taught, “What causes three 30+ year old men to stand and not bow down to an idol when the consequence is surely a fiery, painful death?” After being taken as slaves, made eunuchs, and lived more than half their lives in Babylon, they followed the God of their childhood. Doing the math, these men were raised from babies until they were 10 years old during the reign of King Josiah. (2 Kings 22 & 23). This math makes my kidmin heart soar!

Teaching children the whole counsel of the scriptures, butterfly kisses AND bee stings, matters now and in the future. 

Still not sure? Spend some time in the Old Testament book of Daniel. It’s not warm and fuzzy. Rather it’s hot and intense, made for teaching and rebuking. Let’s train them to be strong and mighty through the whole counsel of God’s word.

“But even if He does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” Daniel 3:18

Fall is my favorite season and October has five Sundays this year. This ‘celebrates just about everything’ gal is ready to set some spaces and places for our multi-generational church family to gather with hands, feet, smiles, casserole dishes, stories, so that our littles see their bigs share life together.

I saw this idea of sticking around after church on purpose on a social media post of my home church. I was inspired to make it fit our context and spaces available especially during this season of trusting the Lord in big-church business.

After getting the okay to move forward at last week’s staff meeting, collaborating with other ministry areas started, a fabulous graphic was designed, and a children’s moment with kids and sticks offered the first invitation on the last Sunday in September.

October Sunday #1 – Pie & Punch @ the Pit (I and kids like alliteration)
Costco has those huge fall pies out; our senior pastor’s wife offered to make the non-red punch; and we’re serving at the Gaga Ball Pit which will be put away within the next couple of weeks until next Easter. Supplies: paper products; pies; punch

October Sunday #2 – Churchwide Potluck @ Higher Ground (a request by small group leaders)
One of our amazing Sunday school classes set the signup and will do the physical setting up that morning at a location on our campus that has a garage door opening inviting kids to play outdoor games while having lunch. My favorite restaurant is a church potluck! Supplies: paper products

October Sunday #3 – Lemonade on the Lawn (a request by our Senior Pastor)
The Youth Ministry has a lemon press though CountryTime Lemonade will be free flowing. Cucumber lemonade will be what I bring. Supplies: cups & lemonade & paper towels

October Sunday #4 – Missions & Mountain Top Boys Home (bringing past missions passions to present)
We’ll ask for donations of deodorant and toothpaste for the residents of this amazing ministry which has been part of our church’s history for years. Folks will be invited to write a letter/note to a Mountain Top resident and/or one of our young adults who have been registered to receive Jesus Loves You Boxes this fall. The mailbox on wheels made by one our gifted McEachern Saints will be front and center to receive these notes of encouragement and hope. Supplies: note paper, envelopes, stamps, collection bins

October Sunday #5 – Table & Chair set up for that afternoon’s Fall Gathering (getting stuff done together)
The Fall Gathering 4-6pm is an all-hands-on-deck event and many hands will make for light work to set up the back parking lot for the Fall Gathering with food trucks, trunk-or-treat, cake walk, games, and more. 

Why? Community-building where littles and bigs see their church family learning, serving, in holy play, and sharing life together.
Who? Everyone.
What? Stick Around Sunday after the last service in a simple, yet intentional way to build our relationships with one another.
What will be the win? Sticky faith-formation memories for littles where everyone can play, everyone can serve, everyone can learn, and everyone can share life with great joy….and Mrs. McCoy’s homemade fudge.

“I will perpetuate your memory through all generations; therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever.” Psalm 45:17

Last week I shared an AirBnB and four days with three amazing kidmin champions at the KidzMatter Conference in Murphreesboro, Tennessee. Yes, we met lots of people. Yes, we learned lots of things (which you will hear more about in the weeks to come as I plan for next year). Yes, we worshiped, prayed, and ate. What else?

Let me introduce you to….

Vanessa Myers – Vanessa is a full-time children’s ministry director serving the folks of Dahlonega, Georgia. She designs simple Bible resources to equip children’s leaders, parents, grandparents, and local churches to love God’s word through Family Faith Builders. Her beautiful resources are developmentally appropriate for preschool through upper elementary. They can be used at home or at church. She’s a graduate of Duke Divinity School and chooses to point littles and bigs to God’s word so they love the Lord with their whole heart for their whole lives. She’s also written two kid’s devotionals I use for large group, small groups, and children’s moments: Bible Food Truck and Breakfast With Jesus. In mid-October another kid’s devotional will be available just in time for Advent: Wondering to Bethlehem. It’s still a devotional for ages 5-11, but this time, kids dive a little deeper into the birth story by using their wonder and imagination. They’ll put themselves into the story at that time in history and use their 5 senses to wonder what was going on around the characters in each devotion. There’s a passport!

Hannah Harwood – Hannah is a full-time family ministry director serving the folks of Dalton, Georgia. She just started at her new church with the goal of equipping leaders to reach all kinds of families. I met Hannah years ago when she served as the campus ministry intern at Reinhardt University and I’ve watched her grow her kidmin skills and her faith as she’s served several churches from part-time to full-time. She’s a professional in every sense of the word and continues to prioritize her networking relationships, prayer, and her family to sustain her in all areas of ministry. 

Christen Clark – I was introduced to Christen at Children’s Pastors Conference last January by the fabulous Brittany Nelson of Deeper Kidmin, a Teachers-Pay-Teachers resource website for leaders in faith formation. Christen is the creator and host of Collide Kids Podcast. Christen has led children’s worship at some of the largest churches in North Georgia. Right away I invited her to come to our last two Family Vacation Bible School events last June as a children’s worship consultant. Why invest in a consultant? Because we needed fresh eyes on what we were doing to jack it up and be the most effective. What did we learn? That our folks really stepped up to do their best for our littles and bigs when a consultant was on deck; that we can easily gather families to worship together much more often with the resources (people, places, passions, provisions) we already have on hand; that a different voice can speak truth and permission into service lives before, during, and after an event. Money very well spent as an investment into the future of our local church.

These relationships began because networking is a priority for sustaining an effective life in ministry. “Networking is a lot like nutrition and fitness: we know what to do, the hard part is making it a top priority.” — Herminia Ibarra

Does your blah-blah need a rah-rah? Natalie Runion’s book, Raised To Stay, speaks about finding our Pauls. The Pauls are sainted cheerleaders sharing life AND content. We need these Pauls, ‘but the deal is, we have to keep going and run that ball full court.’ (p139) 

When someone believes in you, let them. Sit with the wise. Build in the margin for growing in relationships with others in the trenches of ministry with children and families always with a teachable spirit. Make some introductions. Be available to make a new friend-in-the-Lord. 

Who is in your networking group? Who is sharpening you? Who are you sharpening?

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17

Time to Update is the book to let ministry leaders and communicators know they’ve already started and how to move forward to share the greatest story ever told to a world of littles and bigs who need it. Thank you Brittany Nelson for putting together a guidebook of small steps and giant leaps for digital discipleship in Time to Update: 7 Areas to Integrate Digital Discipleship into Your Children’s Ministry Strategy. I’ve been waiting for a resource like this for years and she’s put it in one place. Thank you, Brittany!

Discipleship is the process of making disciples of Jesus. Discipleship is THE JOB we have in the local church. Digital Discipleship is the process of making disciples through digital methods. We are not talking about live-streaming children’s church or watching a video on a screen to create or share content. Rather, “a digital approach to children’s ministry involves intentionally using technology to enhance and improve various areas within the ministry, from administrative tasks no one ever sees to communication with families to teaching Bible lessons on Sunday mornings.” (pg 3)

The goal of making disciples has not changed, yet our learners have. Digital is what our littles and bigs know; digital makes for faster information sharing; dependence on technology is not going away; digital is how our little disciples are now wired to learn. There was a time when a radio was enough. Television came around and having only the sound on was not gonna cut it now that visual images were involved. The same thing goes for the families we are trying to reach with the gospel. This is where our congregation lives. Why would we not want to go where the people are?

Just because YOU may not be on social media, our families are. A lot! Digital information is at our fingertips. The greatest search engine for the littles we serve is no longer Google, but YouTube. Our families are locating, shopping, driving, ordering, alarming, posting, scrolling, friending, and communicating with the digital devices in their hands. So how do we start leveraging digital resources to make disciples beyond placing Amazon orders?

Brittany clearly lays out chapters dedicated to policies and procedures; evaluating your church’s website (or at least your ministry page); partnering and communicating with parents/caregivers; recruiting, training, and retaining volunteer leaders; how to grow healthy relationships through social media; even using technology to aid in your administration tasks. Each chapter ends with several Action Steps and a ton of bonus tools and ideas.

The title reads ‘children’s ministry strategy’, but this book really is an all-skate. If you are in ministry with and for people for Christ, this resource is a guide for you. Weekday Preschool, Recreation Ministry, Youth Ministry, Family Ministry, Women’s/Men’s Ministry, Christian Education, Hospitality, etc.

There is so much to capture in this book that I’ve decided to lead an online book discussion in October. We’ll read 2-3 chapters each week and chat on Wednesday mornings 9-10:30am. Want to join in? Sign up at https://forms.gle/4ZMw8C41kgHL7qVx9 

“He said to them, ‘Go into ALL the world and preach the gospel to all creation.'” Mark 16:15 (emphasis mine)

Generational Discipleship is best shared in partnership with families at church AND at home. How do we get resources in the hands of family leads (grandparents, parents, caregivers, teachers, coaches, etc.) for various age levels with various time schedules? One size does not fit all and one resource doesn’t help all.

The Family Resource Wall is the place where we can generously offer resources for families as they go. (Deuteronomy 6:7) The Family Resource Wall is located just outside the Children’s Welcome Center at the bottom of the stairs at the Children’s entrance to the building. It was built by the Junior Trustees (3rd-5th grade Power Tools Class) from wooden pallet remnants. 

We choose what goes on the wall by what’s in our hand. (Exodus 4:2)
* Leftover books shared at Parenting With A Purpose classes
* Extra books I pick up from children’s ministry trainings/conferences
* A senior pastor’s library of books he didn’t take when he retired
* Pictures of Jesus with kids of varied ages

Only one copy goes in a basket at a time and we refill as resources are taken.

Three resources are constant:

1. A Children’s Bible or Adult Bible – A preschooler’s Bible is written at a 7th grade reading level, so we look for colorful images in a child’s Bible or a red-letter edition (if it’s red, Jesus said…) Even used, a Bible is a true gift.
2. Are My Kids on Track: The 12 Emotional, Social and Spiritual Milestones Your Child Needs to Reach by Sissy Goff, David Thomas, and Melissa Travathan – This trio of experts operate the Daystar Counseling Center in Nashville, TN. Their Christian resources are plentiful for kids and families and super practical. They also offer incredible teaching in their Instagram stories and podcasts. Jesus is our savior and parents can do this!
3. Discipleship Begins at Home Blueprint – This developmentally-appropriate blueprint leads families on a discipleship pathway for families with infants through young adults. If the task of the local church is to equip the saints for Godly works, parents and caregivers are the greatest disciple-makers ever. This apologetics resource (defense of the faith in Christianity) is provided by The Next Generation Ministry which exists to equip parents to help them disciple their children into mature, robust believers in Christ. Beyond the Bible, this resource was a free resource offered at the Discipleship Begins at Home online conference sponsored by Women in Apologetics. 

How are you resourcing your families to point their kids to Jesus ‘as they go’? What would go on your wall?

“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” Hebrews 13:15-16

Last Friday night we offered a Prayer Warrior Bootcamp for women from high school through adult. A small group of ladies, including four guests, gathered to learn to pray together, overcome the fear of praying out loud, and practice a plan for praying with intentionality and boldness.

Cyndee Ownbey is the creator of the Women’s Ministry Toolbox online community and the founder of Women’s Ministry Toolbox (www.womensministrytoolbox.com). She has a slew of resources to support and lead women in ministry. With almost 8,900 members, it’s a safe place for sharing resources and encouragement for women serving women around the world in the local church and beyond. I purchased both the leader and participant workbook to copy and didn’t change a thing. 

Our goal was to offer training for a holy habit to be practiced in Christian community AND leverage as an onramp to the Bible studies and small groups beginning two weeks later. 

Promo info: How’s your prayer life? You don’t have to settle for an okay prayer life or be filled with fear and dread when it comes to prayer. Ephesians 3:12 tells us we can approach our great God with boldness and confidence! Come learn how.
Ladies of all ages and stages are invited to the Prayer Warrior Bootcamp on Friday, August 25, 2023, 6-10pm in Oaks Hall.
Adult tickets are $25 per person and includes dinner.
Student tickets for high school through 25 year old adult ladies are $5.
Sponsored by McEachern Women’s Ministry.

We ordered Chicken Salad Chick for dinner delivery, invited ladies to wear camo or workout clothes with a pop of pink color; offered all the teas and cucumber lemonade (my favorite summer beverage).

Three different ladies were the ‘personal trainers’ to lead the different sections adding a chatty response of sharpie painting prayer rocks just before the closing. Chatty response = our hands are busy with a creative response to what we’ve learned while we chat and grow in relationship with one another. 

Our event design team will gather soon to offer another holy habit teaching workshop, but first we are rolling out Bible studies and small groups and we couldn’t be more excited.

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12

Each Women’s Bible study and Women’s Ministry small group (Women’s Ministry is my lane, too) was invited to participate in a service activity before their last group meeting last Spring. One service opportunity was to bring new/gently-used outdoor play items to fill laundry baskets to be dropped at local green spaces and neighborhood playgrounds the first time the weather forecast shows three great days in a row.

A sign on the laundry basket read, “FREE TO PLAY WITH & KEEP: We hope you are enjoying this beautiful day the Lord has made from your friends and neighbors at McEachern Memorial United Methodist Church!” 

Part of being a good neighbor is unwrapping everything so that every item is ready to play and there is little to no trash/debris. Items included sidewalk chalk, bubbles, balls, bats, hula hoops, play animals/dinosaurs/ people, and more.

GOALS:
1. Be a good and generous neighbor to delight littles and their bigs where they play. No bait and switch, just being a good and generous neighbor.
2. Give small groups an opportunity to serve and practice generosity alongside one another.

We’ve been waiting for those three great weather days since May and the Lord provided them here in the Atlanta area last week in the middle of August. 

Three of us made deliveries last week. The timing was perfect because the website is updated with all the upcoming fall small groups as well as the youth and children’s calendars of events for the school year. I’m getting videos and pictures of delighted kids playing with plastic bugs and jumping rope shared almost daily from the community Facebook pages from our own church folks who live in the communities.

How are you being a good and generous neighbor to the littles where they live?

“A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” Proverbs 11:25