Parenting With A Purpose classes offer tribe-building among our families with shared values and intentionality. The 90-minute classes include a parenting hot-topic, some dessert, discussion time, and no judgment. We started in 2018 with Sharing Your Faith With Your Family. As our families are navigating COVID-world, there is an even greater need to equip parents to be disciple-making-disciples. 

• Promotion Information: Parents, grandparents, and caregivers of children are invited to a discussion of practical ideas to navigate holy habits at home as we lead our children to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength AND love our neighbors as ourselves on Tuesday, 6-7:30pm. Dessert will be served.
  
• Take Away: Power of a Praying Parent by Stormie Omartian
• A McEachern saint’s famous homemade fudge. (Thank you, Rebecca McCoy!)
  
  Primary Resources:
• Resilient: Child Disciples and The Fearless Future of the Church by Valerie Bell
• Faith for Exiles: 5 Ways for a new Generation to Follow Jesus in Digital Babylon by David Kinnaman and Mark Matlock (Barna Group)
• Settle For Nothing Less: Engaging Kids in a Lifetime of Faith by Jana Magruder (Lifeway)
• Stride: Creating A Discipleship Pathway for Life by Mike Schreiner and Ken Willard
• Biblical exiles who ‘won’ at following God (Joseph, Jeremiah, Nehemiah, Ezra, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, Daniel, Esther, Peter, John)
• Plenty of personal stories

The goal of the evening was to give research and personal testimonies to the resilient disciples who continued to remain in Christian community and a growing relationship with Jesus through the remarkable moments of life at all stages and in all ages. There is more than enough information about children who left the faith or left the church once they aged into their teens or twenties. I wanted to share the remarkable stories of those who remained faithful to grow in their relationships with God and in Christian community. These exiles are the resilient disciples who lived, are living, in the tension of culture and have continued to love Jesus and His people through it all.

A person is described as resilient who is able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions. A resilient disciple is a follower of Jesus who remains active in Christian community and Christian service when culture and geography would encourage them otherwise. The biblical prophets write throughout the scriptures of the remnant of God’s people who sought to live faithfully loving God for the rest of their lives no matter what their circumstances. We tell the stories of these brave few with wonder and admiration. There is not a Christian parent or grandparent who doesn’t want that for their own children, but what does it take for us to grow those muscles in our kids? What really matters, over time?

Major info to share:

Three practices of soul training which equip disciples to make the greatest strides in their faith in Jesus:
– Bible Reading
– Generosity
– Service

The #1, by far, best predictor of spiritual health for young adults is regularly reading the Bible as a child.

Screens disciple.

That which dictates our schedules, finances, and conversations is a family liturgy. The local church can provide the resources to equip families so that whatever they do, they can do all of life to the glory of God.

What does a resilient disciple look like?
(1) Meaningful relationship with Jesus: through community and holy habits they find JOY in Jesus. Bible Reading & Prayer
(2) Cultural discernment: they participate in a robust learning community where they can think and talk of the scriptures.
Share testimony and stories of God’s faithfulness
(3) Meaningful intergenerational relationships with Jesus-loving people: the best way for kids to learn to love Jesus is to spend time with people who love Jesus.
Active in community
(4) Vocational Disciples: a theology of work, activity, leisure, time, learning/education
Calling to honor and please the Lord
(5) Countercultural Mission: a resolve to live differently than culture though a full-on participant in culture as the light of Christ.

In this season where children are part of the Body of Christ, though not together or included in many local churches, they are indeed exiles. This research is a perfect starting point to determine priorities in the local church’s partnership with parents/grandparents to disciple their disciples. Lord, let me be found faithful to equip my families to have a robust, vibrant, joyful faith that will fuel how they nurture their children into resilient disciples: to love Jesus their whole lives for the rest of their lives.

“We want to welcome you to the resilient church of 2050…the church that has been loving Jesus for all of their lives.” Valerie Bell, from Resilient: Child Discipleship and the Fearless Future of the Church, pg 205

This season of intense yet innovative faith formation looks nothing like the job description I was given when I was originally hired. What about you? Each of us brings something more to the table once we get our sea legs under us after the first year. When we dock our fishing boat at a new harbor we are given that original job description, then we typically don’t see it again. Understanding church culture, I got into the habit of updating my job description, even if only for myself, each year in January.

In that update, I assign percentages of how much time it takes weekly to accomplish each task with many bullet points assigned “seasonal”. Each year we learn new skills, adjustments take place in organizational charts, new services or buildings or leadership are added to the mix. All affect how we live out our roles and the realistic time it takes. I’ve heard of churches making a person’s job description a one-liner, but it’s not been my experience. My one-liner might read, “to create safe, irresistible and transformational experiences for children to love the Lord their God with all their hearts, souls, minds, and strength, and love their neighbors as themselves for their whole lives.”

We are naive to think that local churches aren’t going to be making changes in the weeks and months to come. Changes in leadership, budgets, space, updates to organizational charts, processes, systems, security, safety, school schedules, all have a part to play in the rhythm of church world. Rather than waiting with anxious breath and fear taking up space in your head, take an hour this week to take a fresh look and edit your job description.

No one knows what you do, but you. Make it a matter of prayer and release your leadership from knowing all that you do or how long it takes to do it. They already have in their heads what you do and it’s not even close. In all fairness, we don’t know what all they do either, and that’s okay. Don’t get caught in the comparison trap or the weeds of disappointment.

I spent time with a dear Kidmin champion recently who lost her admin and her part-time hours were cut in half. There is no animosity. She gets it. Her only instruction for what she should focus on moving forward was, “Just pick something and do it really well.” Well, part of her original job description included Safe Sanctuary compliance for the entire church, all-church special events, as well as all family ministry education in addition to typical children’s ministry tasks. Just since March she’s added online weekly children’s moments which include script writing for others involved, weekly recording and editing film, coordinating weekly practices for online church, parking lot kids events, an online family ministry presence, personal visits and various connections to her volunteer team and her students. How does she just pick something?

Re-writing her job description of what she is doing before the cuts can help her partner with her leadership to choose and communicate priorities #1, #2, and #3 moving forward. It’ll give her and them a starting point to move forward to organizational health. They already have in their heads what #1 is. What if her #1 is their #52 or wasn’t even on their radar? Remember, the goal is organizational health. Her personal goal is ensure ‘surely goodness and mercy shall follow her all the days of her life,’ and wholeness. 

What are you doing and how long does it takes to do it? A fresh look at your job description will help. One way it’ll help is to see how far you’ve come, what you’ve learned, and the amazing way in which you have pivoted to continue sharing Jesus in fresh, new ways. Insert the well-earned confetti cannon here!

Where you are in September 2020 is way different than where you were in September 2019, and it’ll look differently in September 2021. Fix a cup of something warm and tasty and take an hour this week to update your job description, even if just for yourself. Editing your job description now will help you and your leadership prioritize when and if any adjustments need to be made in the future. 

You Just Gotta Know: Struggles and challenges look differently today. I’m standing in the gap for you. Perhaps you are facing your Esther moment, your Daniel moment. That moment when you feel a push to bravely speak up, wave the banner for your families with a louder voice, even fight for spaces and places to love your kids to Jesus. I’m standing in the gap in prayer and support for you. This blog post is the result of someone reaching out. I fully believe God wants to hang your picture in the gallery of faith between Hebrews 11 and 12. Can I help? Need a Mordecai or a Shadrach or Meshach to your Abednego? Let’s share the journey, the struggle, and the celebrations. You are in the World’s Toughest Race!  I’m on your team! Let’s give ’em something to talk about! If you can get to me, let’s do tea on my back porch. Who’s in? Reach out to dedereilly@comcast.net. 

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:3-6

Distance learning has swept the world. The abrupt pivot away from in-person was required of teachers, preachers, therapists, doctors, counselors, and everyone else who serves the public en masse last March. Teachers being the creative folks they are began turning to Bitmoji Classrooms to offer community and connections to their students.

With the uncertainty of what the new school year would bring, many professional educators continued to jump on the Bitmoji Classroom bandwagon. It has became a game-changer for therapists, specialists, leaders, bloggers, educators, and especially many of us in ministry with children.

A Bitmoji Classroom is essentially a secure landing page which can hold all other elements you wish to teach as well as some next steps. Embedding and attaching links into the images built into the virtual classroom, students and families can take the learning as far as they wish with carefully and specifically curated content. Saving it as a downloaded pdf lets you share an uneditable page and the fun begins.

With a Gmail account the virtual classroom is built on a Google slide (or powerpoint slide) with transparent images curated from online image searches or your computer. Links can be inserted from YouTube, Google notes, Google docs, and more, all on one landing page/slide. You set the security and sharing capabilities for each virtual classroom/slide. Because it’s Google, the last change made stays and offers an updated link to share. If you have a Gmail account, you automatically have a YouTube account and can build a library of private videos to give your virtual classroom a personal touch directly from your church/organization. My hair is a mess in the first one I uploaded, so I can only go up from there!

The possibilities are endless, but we’ve begun to look at it for curating and preparing content as a starter page for all types of Christian education. We’ve set up a classroom for Sunday school (pictured above, but without links due to copyrighted material in the videos, but you get the idea,) a Hometown Family Mission Adventure for October to partner with the church-wide Stewardship campaign, and Advent.

Your teacher friends are already all over this and can offer a private tutoring lesson. An amazing servant leader discovered the possibilities and shared it with me. I tossed it out on Facebook asking if anyone knew about the bitmoji classroom and would be willing to chat. A fabulous girlfriend-in-the-Lord who is an elementary school target teacher tutored me virtually through a couple of hours. Our amazing IT Lead updated my church laptop with a recording camera and microphone. In less than a week, the online Treehouse was ready to start for Sunday school. I can gather participation metrics by the number of clicks onto the YouTube personal message.

Listening to a Church Communications webinar mid-summer reminded me that doing anything is better than doing nothing. A weekly email or social media post with links for content was fine, but I wanted more interaction and kid-friendly engagement. Want to learn more? These are the two tutorials that helped me the most. There is also a robust educators Facebook group which offers even more. We’re just getting started! 
Building a Bitmoji Classroom Tutorial
Hello Teacher Lady: How to Create a Bitmoji Classroom 

“You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.” Psalm 86:5

Mr. Bob and I have just finished watching Amazon Prime’s World’s Toughest Race. 66 teams of five, four team members and an assistant, navigating over 500 kilometers/350 miles with nothing more than a map, a compass, and each other. Where the Ironman is an individual race, this is a team endeavor all the way. There are multiple checkpoints in the Eco-Challenge where they all engage in hiking, running, biking, swimming, paddle-boarding, repelling, rowing, sailing, rafting, climbing, and more all to be completed in eleven days hosted by Bear Grylls.

The co-ed teams are made up of various extreme sports athletes of various ages and stages in life. There is an 18 year old racing with his dad, a dad racing with his two daughters, men who have shared life in sports for more than 25 years, twin sisters, and even a dad with early onset Alzheimer’s racing with his son and two friends who is an icon in the Eco-Challenge community. The assistant team member provides clean clothes, racing equipment like mountain bikes, hot food, and all the cheering encouragement they have in them at each checkpoint to support the racing team members. Broken bones, concussions, cuts, boats falling apart in the dark, hypothermia, jungle rot, infections of every kind are treated by medical volunteers all along the way. If and when they cross the finish line the assistant team member is there to meet them and they cross over together. It takes planning, preparation, and sometimes sheer grit to finish the race. Their reward? A medal and I’m sure there’s a t-shirt in there somewhere. 

We in ministry with children and families are on the world’s toughest race. We are called to provide, secure, implement, and follow up the sharing of Jesus in multiple modalities, in multiple developmentally appropriate ways, in an unknown land, with nothing more than a map (Bible), a compass (prayer), and each other. Where many in the local church are just now trying to get their ministries off the ground after being on the sofa for almost six months, we’ve been at it like extreme athletes. We grieved for what was lost in April, we pivoted to build new servant-leader teams in May, we have the scars of repelling into summer on the sharp rocks in June, the weariness of rowing in rhythm in July, the hypothermia of frigid and frozen leadership in August, yet we continue to do what we didn’t even know we couldn’t do heading into fall.

Phone conversations with my peers this week included “I don’t want to be part of something that is dead,” “They called me and told me I share too many ideas in the staff zoom meeting, so I need to pull it back,” and “I feel I’m in a Whack-A-Mole game and all of my fellow staff members have a quarter.”

Hear me clearly….YOU were created for such a time as this! YOU were a Jesus-follower before you were a staff member, so you have permission to share the love of Jesus in whatever way possible on a personal level. Release any expectation you have for the people you are waiting to hear from. Really! Sing the song, “Let it go! Let it go!” Take a day and both grieve and celebrate the ministry you led before. Write it down. Look at the pictures. Then get up and go big by thinking small.

How do you go big by thinking small? Like the teams on The World’s Toughest race, there will be times to row, to climb, to swim, to hike, to bike, to eat, to rest, to keep going at multiple checkpoints in a new way. Keep moving. Only those who will speak life and live out innovation and creativity with a can-do, positive attitude and who are moving can speak into your life. Oh the eye-witness stories we have read and studied of that short season when Jesus led his closest disciples. He taught them, rebuked them, loved them, lived life with them, and died for them. We’ve been reading and studying those stories for two thousand years and people have come to a saving knowledge of Jesus because of them.

Jesus healed one at a time. Jesus taught most effectively in small groups. He walked. He slept. He ate. He laughed. He prayed. He took time alone, then because of His compassion, He lingered with the lonely, the wandering, and the lost.

For those in large churches…. think old school and lots of really small groups. Jesus’ smallest group was three: Two Sons of Thunder and the one who said, “Lord, if it’s you, call me out on the water.” A small group and in a small amount of time, they rocked the world for Jesus! No bells and whistles (technology). They used what was in their hands like fishing, stories of fiery furnaces, eye-witness testimony, a boy’s lunch, dreams and visions as they met along the way (parks, driveways, parking lots, text messages, phone calls, postcards, notes, and chalked neighborhoods.)

1. What’s in your hand? (Exodus 4:2)
2. Who’s on your team? (Matthew 18:20)

Sonja Wieck, a multi-Ironman competitor, heard about “the race that eats Ironman for breakfast.” She took it as a personal challenge. I won’t tell you what happened, but something she said stopped me in my tracks, “I was made to do hard things.” 

Because YOU love the Lord YOUR God with all YOUR heart, soul, mind, and strength and love YOUR neighbor as yourself….. go into all the world and make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. YOUR world. It’s not going to be easy, but you were called for such a time as this and you can do hard things especially among the remnant of the exiles.

The World’s Toughest Race is not easy and we run our race for so much more than a medal and a t-shirt. Just think of the stories of God’s faithfulness you will have doing hard things! Let’s give ’em something to talk about for years to come! Because WE WERE CREATED TO DO HARD THINGS. I’m on your team and I’m cheering you on! And I’ve just placed an order for new t-shirts.

“My zeal wears me out.” Psalm 119:139a

This week’s guest blogger is Hannah Harwood, Director of Children’s Ministries serving the families of Sam Jones United Methodist Church in Cartersville, Georgia, a suburb of the Greater Atlanta area.

I had the incredible blessing of being able to participate in an online Bible Study this summer on the book of Acts. I felt as if it had a lot of relevant lessons to teach us as the Church is navigating through COVID 19. One of the areas that stood out to me was the amount of traveling that Paul and the early church did to make disciples and share the good news of Jesus. What if I applied that same concept to Children’s Ministry? What if instead of the children traveling to me, I traveled to them?

During the month of August, we invited our families to host a Popsicles and Praise Pop-in. First, we set it up in our church’s registration program to invite families to host the Popsicles & Praise Pop-ins. We asked our host families to sign up for a morning or afternoon session on the date of their choice. We provided several different date opportunities. Each session consisted of praise music, a specialized lesson, and fun activities right in their own front yard. Social distancing was incorporated into the fun.

With our current curriculum we use for kid’s worship, we offered a lesson with supplies in individual brown bags which included a clipboard, construction paper, coloring sheet, set of four crayons, leftover VBS bracelets, and a special light since the lesson was about Abraham. We also provided poster board, post-it notes, hula hoops, a pool noodle, a fun umbrella, and popsicles. The umbrella provided shade so the musical guest who traveled with me didn’t have to stand in the sun.

Each parent/host was responsible for obtaining signed permission forms and the kids brought a towel to sit on. The host family provided the front yard and invited friends from the neighborhood. We noticed how several families had chosen a couple of friends, cousins, and neighbors they felt comfortable being around to socialize during COVID-19, so the host family would invite them to the Popsicles & Praise Pop-in. We did ask that numbers would not exceed 10 children per location to ensure social distancing during the lesson. The host family let us know the exact number a couple days before the event.

I arrived at the host families’ house about thirty minutes early to meet with the family and setup each area. Every student got their own hula hoop and bag of supplies. My Senior Pastor was one of my volunteers and brought his guitar to open up the service with music. With a lesson on Abraham, of course we had to play “Father Abraham”.

We started with a couple of songs and followed it with our lesson. After the lesson, we passed out yummy popsicles. The entire program lasted between 30-40 minutes. The parents enjoyed the time of fellowship and the kids loved getting to see everyone. 

Hannah Harwood is a wife, mom, and loves her coffee. Hannah can be contacted by emailing hharwood@samjonesumc.org.

“Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, ‘Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.'” Acts 15:36

Connection is happening in a whole host of new ways in 2020. Where we would typically pour ourselves out into a Sunday, we now get to pour ourselves out into families in a more personal way with the words of the Lord. I’m no Bible scholar by any stretch of the imagination, but I am a satisfied customer of the scriptures.

I earned my degree from Louisiana State University (Geaux Tigers!) in Political Science with a minor in Greek and Roman History because of the power of words to move people to action: spoken and written. Words spoken into and over my life as a child, by the people in my family and world over time, have been re-written by the scriptures. They have brought me courage as a girl, strength as a single woman and student, encouragement as a wife, guidance as a mom, endurance as a leader cut by stained glass, and armor as I grew from a girl of the church into a woman of faith called by God to teach. I even have a ring of index cards filled with the scriptures which have molded and carved me into who I am today. The best part? I added a new card just this week because the scriptures continue to whittle. 

This ring of scriptures written by my own hand have walked with me for more than thirty years. My handwriting has changed a bit. My journey has been nothing what I imagined, but this is evidence of my walk with Him and His walk with me through all the seasons so far. When our daughter spent 4.5 months in Senegal, Africa between college and nursing school in the mission field, she carried this ring of scriptures with her. When I have endured spiritual warfare in various heavenly places, I now know what it looks like, smells like, sounds like, and acts like to armor-up for the long-haul. There is great power in these scriptures. There is power in His word.

Pointing the families I serve to the Jesus of the scriptures has been my goal especially over the last several months. I reach out on Sunday mornings with scriptures to everyone in my phone whom I love by text. I reached out on the first day of school by text with scriptures and prayers. I reply on social media with these scriptures. I run to them when I’m lost. I hold them close when I need to be reminded that I’m beloved and called for such a time as this.

Pastor Matt Crane taught in a sermon recently about five growth stages of the Christian life:

• Babies – aka the born again Christian who needs milk (1 Peter 2:2; Hebrews 5:12) What is the milk babies need? Belief in Jesus (faith) & Love.
• Little Children – Growing in a lifestyle of daily discipleship of Bible reading, prayer, generosity, and other holy habits over time. (John 13:33)
• Young Men/Women – Zealous newbies in ministry who are strong warriors, energetic, engaging in a life of spiritual adventure. They may not get it right and there are some things that, according to Pastor Crane, might burn down. But what they lack in wisdom they more than make up for in zeal, spontaneity, risk-taking and a fresh fire to share the gospel. (1 John 2:13) They ask with eager anticipation, “What does God want me to do?” and are willing to just do it.
• Fathers/Mothers – Established in the ministry progressing in their study of the Word beyond youthful impulsivity with their priorities changing from “What does God want me to do?” to “Lord, do with me what You will.” (1 John 2:13) Disciples making disciples living out Titus 2. Reminds me of Paul with Timothy, Anna & Elizabeth with Mary, Naomi with Ruth.
• Old Men/Women (the aged) – Have reached the end of their life having lived a pattern of faithful discipleship for the good of the Body of Christ, beyond knowledge, with great intentionality to tell the stories of God’s faithfulness. (Titus 2:2-5; Deuteronomy 4:9)

These are just a few of the questions I’m asking myself as we begin to move into this next and new season of ministry: As I serve our families, am I investing in their lives with scripture and a legacy in mind? If you are a young man/woman in the faith, how can I help fan your fire in the Word? If you are a father/mother, who am I investing in to point to the Word? If I am in the season of the aged, how am I telling the stories of God’s faithfulness? Can I lead an online Bible study to invest in a small group? What are the scriptures which have changed the trajectory of your spiritual life? How do I pivot from providing programming to children to walking alongside my families on a more personal level…a discipleship level to the remnant…in exile?

“Truly, my soul waiteth upon God: from Him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.” Psalm 62:1-2

Camp Meetings are part of the heritage of the Methodist movement. Think a church family reunion with all the food, the messages of hope, the music, and a revival of the Spirit. Camp CHAIR meetings will be our next step to share life together for September and October. With the time change in November, it’ll be too dark to meet outdoors which will offer a natural ending.

We will leverage the time and space of Thursday Drive-in Church for families to engage in small groups where children are fully integrated members of the inter-generational small group. For 30-minutes, 6-6:30pm, three families will meet in camp chairs in various locations to engage in an ice-breaker, a discussion question, and then break off into even smaller groups for prayer, all as an extension of the previous Sunday’s sermon message. the pilot groups will take place in the shaded back parking lot on campus. After a closing benediction, everyone will return to their homes to be challenged the next day by email with an action step that extends the small group experience even further into the weekend to move from the seat to the street.

Modality integration will look like this:
– Sermon delivered on Sunday in-person/online.
– Post sermon on podcast or closed Facebook page for Camp Chair Meetings to be viewed/reviewed on-demand on Monday/Tuesday.Post/email ice breaker or thought question on Thursday.
– Meet in camp chairs as a small group with opening prayer, ice breaker, discussion question, break up into prayer cells within the small group of women, men, and children (children will be led by the oldest who we will train and train up), dismiss with benediction/refrain.
– Follow-up action steps by email/posted on Friday to live out the discussion/message through the weekend.

Goals: Build connections between families (however the family unit looks as 10 or 1) and invite children to be fully integrated members of the inter-generational small group.

Joel Comiskey’s Children in Cell Ministry: Discipling the Future Generation Now speaks of intergenerational small groups as a group of three to fifteen people who meet weekly outside the church building for the purpose of evangelism, community, and spiritual growth with the goal of making disciples who make disciples that results in multiplication. (pg 51) The first step deals with a sermon/message (HEAD). The second step focuses on Bible application, prayer, games (HEART). Third step takes it from the seat to the street in Christian service in living it out and telling the story/testimony (HANDS & FEET).

We have eight families who have attended the drive-in church services on a regular basis who are not in our database. The stories are incredible of how they found out about what we were doing and became part of the parking lot sanctuary. This may be the vehicle to leverage Thursdays since that time is already part of their family routine to take the next step to building relationships with others in the church family. If folks connect in one way then into another, with others, that’s success.

“On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.” Acts 14:27

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let’s get this party started!

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

Three weeks into quarantine and I was ready to talk to other local church champions asking new questions about the look of the local church in the weeks, months, maybe years to come. So I signed up for the Resilient Church Academy. Knowing I would have better conversations as it relates to the local church I serve, I invited and paid for one of my Super Champions to take the same class with me. Together we would be immersed in one class and could process together from the content provided as it related to our context of ministry with children in our local church. #bettertogether

Though I felt I had no time to add one more thing, taking the class made my brain stop spiraling and instead, remain focused on a task at hand: learn something new about how to become something new and prepare for a new, massive culture shift. This would go beyond the bazillion webinars, podcasts, Zoom calls, and Facebook Live events I found myself swimming in. All good stuff, but I was “on” from 5am until my cell phone died the second time each day before I felt I could call it a day. There was no entire day for Sabbath, no rest in my brain, no stopping of the treading water of the conversations of every day about every day. I wanted to talk beyond today, beyond lamenting or grieving what we felt lost, and beyond how I was going to get groceries by the end of the week. My families were trying to work from home and school from home and event plan from home and get groceries by the end of the week, too.

I took the Innovation Academy Track of The Resilient Church Academy for six weeks and it was perfect for the unknown we were headed into.

Almost everything in continuing education is on demand now and carving out time to do this two hours each week was exactly what I needed, and my congregation needed me to do, in this liminal, in-between time. As we participated in this class, we developed the McEachern Kids Drive-in services for the summer and gathered a team of creative types to rally alongside to be the leaders, connectors, master ideators, in their giftedness, to navigate today and even over the next two years. 

Why two years? According to numerous conversations with folks immersed in history, it took society 2.5 years to move into some sort of regularity following the Spanish Flu pandemic of 100 years ago in the US. I think that’s a perfect time-frame to spread out faith formation in innovative and multiple next-steps. That time-frame gives us time to offer tools to lead our current church families into their next steps AND provide multiple points of entry with their own next steps for families just now looking for a church home and tools for pointing their kids to Jesus. Sharing life with the families here now AND reach the families outside looking for a place…er, a people, to build their new tribe. Stay tuned!

A new season of Resilient Church Academy begins on August 3. 

If you’re tired of what-do-we-do thoughts swirling in your head or need a tribe of innovators to help you think more clearly, Resilient Church Academy is for you.

If you are looking for a way to jump-start new thought processes or need to hear other voices to help you with vocabulary of forward movement and hang out with brave people, Resilient Church Academy is for you.

If you are ready to stop waiting for other people to tell you what to do and instead, see what’s in your hands (or closets) to fulfill God’s call on your life precisely WHERE God has called you to serve, Resilient Church Academy is a good place to start.

The best way to become a brave, hungry, creative pioneer is to spend time with other brave, hungry, creative pioneers. 

“David told his son Solomon, ‘Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished’.” 1 Chronicles 28:20

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Closing:

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

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

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

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

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