This darling, little book picked up from the Cokesbury display at North Georgia’s Annual Conference is an in-your-face challenge for God’s people to respond to children in the church and in the community based on John Wesley’s instructions to Methodist preachers found in the “Large Minutes.” Rev. Dr. Christopher Miles Ritter came to learn early in his ministry career that Wesley believed in ministry to children. So much so that I didn’t have the right to call myself a Methodist preacher if I didn’t spend time with children. My copy is so marked up, starred, underlined, pages turned down, and used it looks like it’s been in my library for 20 years.

Rev. Dr. Chris Ritter is an ordained elder/clergy in the Illinois Great Rivers Conference of the United Methodist Church where he has served as the Directing Pastor of Geneseo First United Methodist Church since 2009. Dr. Ritter considers the following seven things to be the bare minimum in ministry with children:

1. Teach them intentionally – A Christian education should have no other end but to teach them to think, and judge, and act according to Christ. Stop the excuses! Don’t buy into the idea that once your kids have aged up or aged out, so have you.

2. Know them personally – Hagrid took Harry Potter to Hogwarts, Obi-Wan introduced Luke to the ways of the Force. Gandalf called Frodo into the Fellowship of the Ring, Morpheus helped Neo take off his blinders. Batman had Alfred. Daniel had Mr. Miyagi. Bill and Ted had Rufus. Mutants were recruited by Professor Xavier to become X-Men. Could it be that Hollywood makes billions of dollars telling these and similar stories over again because they have tapped into a deep spiritual longing within all of us? Side note: Who is your Obi-Wan? Who is your Daniel?

3. Pray for them intensely – One way to pray with them is simply to bless them in Jesus’ name.  It was said that Wesley always had a smile and a kind word for children, and would place his hands on their heads offering a heavenly benediction. Let’s go beyond praying for their safety and traveling mercies. Join me in prayers and fasting a meal a week for them to hear God’s voice, have a hunger for God’s word, and a fearless witness to fulfil the adventure He has for each of them.

4.  Mentor families meaningfully – Not only is the home the primary unit of spiritual formation, but it is also the place where we tend to either use or lose our Christianity. Let’s have some honest conversations of living out our family’s spiritual priorities in a regular and faithful way. We have time for what is important. How our kids will view their calendars (and Sundays) as adults is how they see us view each day (including Sundays) when they were kids.

5.  Challenge ourselves continually – Pastor Ritter offers the challenge to expand the definition of ‘our kids.’ Poor children are not that difficult to reach…they have time on their hands. Poor kids are never too busy to go to church. What does fishing for kids look like in your community? He goes on to write about the first Sunday Charity School in 1780, and by 1821, roughly a quarter of the kids in England, 1.25 million, were in a Sunday school paving the way for universal education for kids. You many not have the means to bus a load of kids to church, but your kids have friends. Following Jesus is not comfortable, convenient, nor cheap, yet the payoff is huge! Thinking about it is not the same as doing something about it.

6. Shape our ministries appropriately – Children need an advocate, an adult who is seeking their good. Sometimes this involves defending them, sometimes providing for them, and sometimes simply expecting the best from them. Kids insist on changing and growing up, kinda how God wired them/us. The gospel message doesn’t change, but the delivery better. Ministry is all about relationships, yet relationships are cultivated differently than they were even five years ago. Are we engaged in on-going learning to be better at leading kids and their families? A friend confided that she knew it was time to retire when she no longer wanted to learn anything new. What is your plan for learning and growing your ministry with children more deeply and effectively?

7. Care for them practically – Pastor Ritter opens the chapter, “You don’t know the story of Methodism until you know the story of a place called Kingswood.” He then goes on to tell this amazing story of the children of coal-miners considered a little better than beasts.

There is so much goodness in these mere 80 pages I want to offer two books to give away. Comment below how you are meeting one of the seven in your context as an encouragement to your fellow kidmin champions because we are better together. Two different recipients will be mailed a copy in August. You may not have time for a 600 page treatise on Wesley, but this little book will remind you why you’ve been called where you’ve been called.

“Take care of the rising generation.” ~ John Wesley

It’s kind of a hobby I have to listen to podcasts and read books/articles about Main Street marketing (business to consumer) through social media. That’s what we do…market and promote our ministries to and on Main Street USA. We can argue all day that ‘ministry isn’t business’, but there are many best practices in business that can benefit ministry. From 2005 to 2016, the percentage of Americans on at least one social media platform has climbed from 5 percent to 69 percent. Who doesn’t want a piece of that? (Pew Research Center, January 2016)

One easy way to market your ministry is collecting email addresses because email is still king. Do you have a system in place to get and use email addresses? When folks register for events or the basketball program or apply to be volunteers, include a line for email addresses. As tedious as it is, I use the first couple of weeks following VBS and the start of basketball season to update and input email addresses into an excel worksheet started when I first arrived at WC six years ago. Just the email addresses. Larger churches can use Constant Contact, Mail Chimp or other online tools, but for a small to mid-size church, excel still rocks.

At least once every other month I will send an email to that huge email list inviting them to an upcoming event. People expect to get emails once they’ve joined us for something. If someone wants off the email list, they’ll let me know and I oblige quickly. Many are reading emails on their phones, so the email should be short, sweet, and to the point.

This is the email that went out this week:
Let us help you get your student ready for a great school year with Grow Day Camp at Wesley Chapel, Monday-Friday July 24-28 (9-5:30 Mon-Thur; 9-12:30 Fri). For only $135 for the entire week your rising 1st through rising 6th grader can enjoy camp, small groups, archery, and still sleep in their own beds! Register today at http://www.ngumc.org/grow … then plan to join us for the Blessing of the Backpacks at 11am service on Sunday, July 30th! ~ DeDe Reilly, Wesley Chapel UMC, 4495 Sandy Plains Rd, Marietta, 770-993-4919

The next most-often used vehicle for marketing your ministry is Facebook. Most of the Mamas are on Facebook, so it’s a great way to communicate with families. Posting at least once a day is easy and helps your posts appear regularly in their timeline. Schedule it! Most of my families are on Facebook first thing in the morning, so my window of posting needs to be before 8am.

The following content stats about Facebook I found very helpful to me:

• 50% of the posts/content should be information/announcements – get an image and rock out the basics of who, when, where, how to get more info and a registration link. We have found that if we use an ‘outside’ registration link in the Atlanta metro area like Eventbrite, we get more of the community and not just our own church folk.
• 40% should be ‘shared content’ – what do you find interesting that supports what you are trying to do and ‘share’ it. Since what we do in ministry with children is faith formation, I subscribe to several blogs offering parents easy wins to champion for their kids with a faith  bent. The blogs I shared this last month included TodaysMama.com, iMom.com, AllProDad.com, Kidzmatter.com, ChurchLeaders.com, Parent Cue. A sentence or two why you think it’s important to share that content let’s folk know why you chose it and sometimes initiates followup conversation.
• 10% should be personality content which gives information about who we are, who you are. This is when we share content about who we are as a denomination, where the nearest voting precinct is to the church, the local community fireworks schedule, last day of school info.

THEN, ask the church staff to ‘LIKE’ everything you put out there and to engage in commenting to help with the algorithms of frequency. Ask your families to ‘SHARE’ upcoming events on their Facebook pages.

Our youth (the best children’s ministry volunteers on the planet!) use Instagram so the experts say to be sure the image there is close up, clear, a little off-center. Colors of the images that are brown, green, and blue cause the eye to linger longer. Steer clear of red and orange images. Think ‘nature’, not ‘fire.’

There are even gender preferences. Guys linger on images with straight edges, lines, and corners. Chicks on the other hand linger on images with curves, drapery, and the impression of movement. I’ll just let that sit there for a bit…

You can post all day on Facebook. It helps the algorithms. Post only once a day on Instagram and let it reflect the story of who you are since it’s more personal. Your peeps will recognize it’s you and won’t just scroll through. My personal story on Instagram has to do with tea and daily reading through the bible. I use WordSwag and Text over Image apps on my phone to market on Instagram which will let me share straight to Facebook and Twitter as well.

I use Twitter when I watch TV to find out if everyone else is thinking the same thing I am, or not. Crazy, I know! And I use Twitter when I’m at a conference, learning event, or to quote folks when I hear good stuff on podcasts.

The best all-in info ebook that is free and can guide you through a strategy and a plan can be found here.

What’s your plan for marketing your ministry next week?

Churches that don’t take social media seriously will soon lose any opportunity to engage emerging generations with the gospel. – from the Definitive Guide To Social Media in the Church (ChurchLeaders.com)

WC is located at the northernmost tip of one county with two other counties touching the corners within just a few miles. Because the suburbs of north Atlanta are filled with elementary schools, WC is surrounded by several elementary schools.

For six years, I have tried to get in at the closest one. I’ve walked in to meet the principals face to face and offered tutoring help.  Nothing. I joined the PTA for several years to get a calendar of events so not to schedule anything in conflict for my families. Nothing. Not even after multiple phone calls and emails. The only foot in the door we’ve gotten is they call to use our parking lot for fall and spring events if their parking lot is insufficient. I’ll take it.

Then I noticed several of the students in our program wearing “Rise Up” tshirts. I asked a third grader, “What’s Rise Up?” He began to share with me that it’s like VBS at his school where they talk and learn about Jesus. I did some research and found out he was right. Then I saw a few of my student’s parents pics on Facebook as a team of volunteers for Rise Up.

I jumped online to read everything I could about Rise Up 4 Christ and found myself immediately clicking on the get involved tab and filled out the application. After completing the background check and child safety protocols, I got an email from a lovely woman who loves Jesus and loves kids who was thrilled someone like me would apply. Huh…someone like me? We set up a meeting.

We met face-to-face last week along with her husband at the RISE UP offices. These folks have a great open door to gather students once a month for a little more than an hour speaking of Jesus and how He loves them…at the elementary school…a mile behind WC. The system is already in place and that ‘get involved’ tab invited me to play. They’ve only had this elementary’s chapter for a little over two years. There are multiple chapters all over the Atlanta and even one in Florida.

Right now it looks like I’ll be involved to champion the fifth graders to lead small groups and in worship with sign language and wait for it….dance moves! There are several times a year when this group of fifth grade leaders will gather for fellowship and training. Since I don’t live in the community, the largest space I can offer is WC. The first leadership meeting is in August and I can’t wait!

Rev. Junius Dotson is the top executive of Discipleship Ministries who began the ‘See All The People’ initiative for the United Methodist Church this summer. “ʽSee All the People’ is not a program,” said the Rev. Junius Dotson. “It really is an attempt to spur and ignite and inspire the spirit and movement of disciple-making across our denomination.” The first goal is to not focus on fixing churches, but rather be laser-focused for intentionally building disciples. The second goal of the initiative is to boost engagement with those outside the church. “It’s not about waiting for people to come to us,” Dotson said. “It’s about planting seeds, building relationships and knowing that once that happens, that really is the beginning of the disciple-making process … We can’t disciple people we’re not in relationship with.”

Everyone reading this is someone like me: loves the Lord, desires to build His kingdom, shares with others that God made them and Jesus loves them, and knows it takes relationship to make disciples. What’s something already happening in your community where you can get involved to ‘see all the people’?

“In the church there is no ‘them.’ There is only ‘us.'” ~ Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson serving the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church

There is something really special about being invited to join the launch team for books written and published by friends and colleagues. When it’s a children’s book (my favorite people)…from the bible (my favorite book)….about chicks in the bible (my bucket list for tea times when I enter the pearly gates)….well, I just put on the tea pot and pull out my favorite cup and saucer, ready to enjoy a treat.

Glenys Nellist, an English gal engaged in fabulous ministry in Michigan, is a grandmother, a mom to four young men, and Coordinator of Children’s Ministry for the West Michigan Conference of the United Methodist Church. Oh, and she writes poetry for little people wired for story and rhyme. Because of her deep passion for bringing the Bible to life for little people, I have copies of all her books on my shelf, on my bedside, and in my grandkids’ box of books. I have given multiple copies of her books as gifts to mamas who seek to be the spiritual champions for their littles because each one is filled with biblical truth, lovely rhyming text, and some have delightful lift-the-flaps with love letters from God, our Creator. The beautiful illustrations by Rachel Clowes from her Love Letter series have a gravity all their own and are utterly gorgeous. My daughter and I just gave copies of her Snuggle Times Prayers and Snuggle Times Psalms to my daughter-in-law who is expecting her first little one next month.

Glenys has added to her series of “Love Letters From God” a new book “Love Letters From God: Bible Stories For A Girl’s Heart.” As Glenys writes each girl’s story in kid-friendly language, she uses adjectives that could describe children of all ages and all stages: the first girl, the brave girl, the thirsty girl, and the generous girl. She includes a few you’d expect: Hannah, Esther, and Martha. I was thrilled she also included Eve (one who makes mistakes), Naaman’s servant girl (what’s a little girl’s book without the story of a little girl), and Rahab (one of the bravest women in the book.)

From Rahab: The Brave Girl from Joshua 2, “Rahab wanted to know a God like that. If he could take care of his people in such a wonderful way, maybe he would take care of her, too. Rahab was ready for a new start. She had made some bad choices. Was it too late for her to change, or could this God save her?” The lift-the-flap love letter  addressed to “Dear _____” reads at the end, “How amazing that Jesus would come from Rahab’s own family! But that’s what happens when you are brave and choose to follow me. I will take care of you in the most wonderful and amazing ways. Your caring friend, God.”

I’ve been thinking of a princess tea with my girls for next spring. This book will be part of the planning. This book will be part of my storytelling in Vacation Bible School this year since we’re covering Rahab and the Resurrection of Jesus. This book won’t stay on my shelf long. I probably ought to go ahead and order a box of copies. Love Letters From God: Bible Stories For A Girl’s Heart is a precious gift indeed.

“You are in my hand.” – Jeremiah 18:6 as noted from the pages 18-19 of “Love Letters From God: Bible Stories For A Girl’s Heart”

In the United Methodist Church, there is an annual business meeting which takes place each summer. This is no regular business meeting. We are reminded that the UMC is a global movement of the Holy Spirit where cultures gather for teaching, reporting, fellowship, and dreaming. And Oh, the worship!

We celebrate the joys of outreach. We learn of the necessity of extension ministries, who they are, what they do. We hear the debates of how the denomination will face hunger, homelessness, and health issues in our own backyard and beyond. And Oh, the worship!

We ordain those called to be clergy as local pastors, deacons, and elders at the beginning of their professional lives. We celebrate the memory of those who have gone on to Glory at their ending. We debate resolutions and vote on amendments that will direct our denomination morally, socially, and financially. We hear multiple two-minute speeches from those retiring from the itineracy, but never the ministry. And Oh, the worship!

We hug the necks of those who are part of our stories: colleagues and ministry partners from whom we have moved, and those who have moved from us. We have table-life conversations over meals and in the hallways about staff needs, positions open, and personal crises where we are invited to pray for one another. We share ideas for campaigns, books, and themes. We chat by connecting on Twitter, Facebook, and post pics on Instagram. And Oh, the worship!

This year we began a new tradition of gathering to honor those engaged in ministry with children at a “Heroes Eat Dessert First” reception hosted by the KidMin heroes of Athens First UMC and the North Georgia Children’s Ministry Connection. A time of connection, fellowship, and dessert with those who are KidMin interns, those in the trenches today, and even those who retired ‘a while back’, but as we all know, never stop sharing their gifts and graces with the children and families at the local church they now call ‘home’.

One of these heroes believes so much in the power of this connection, she drove her church’s bus and provided transportation for Children’s Ministry Network groups from two districts, interns, and even the children’s caregivers provided for the Annual Conference so to join in the Heroes reception. Back at midnight, she got up early the next morning for her last day at Hero Day Camp she is providing her local church. She is a true crusader for little people, but also her colleagues and those just starting out in ministry with children.

This is the business of our church. For every clergy person, there is to be a lay person as a delegate. Many districts have open spots for laity called ‘at-large delegates’ that are never filled. I am an at-large delegate for my district. We need you. Future dates of North Georgia’s Annual Conference are June 10-14, 2018 and June 9-14, 2019. I encourage the KidMin heroes of North Georgia to call their district office (here’s the link to find out which one), and offer to be an at-large delegate next year. There is much we can do together, to know the resources available to the local church, and join in the conversation of the business of North Georgia.

Don’t plan your VBS or a summer camp that week! Instead, prayerfully consider being an at-large delegate at next year’s annual conference. Read more about the logistics here. Then, contact me. I’ve got some ideas of how we can share in this journey together because we are better together!

2 Timothy 2:15 Common English Bible (CEB)
Make an effort to present yourself to God as a tried-and-true worker, who doesn’t need to be ashamed but is one who interprets the message of truth correctly.

Last weekend was baby weekend: A dessert shower for our Daughter-in-Law on Friday evening, a diaper shower for #1 Son with his colleagues and rec soccer team on Saturday evening, and the hospital tour on Sunday. When I texted him on Monday asking how the weekend went, his quick reply was, “Tour was awesome. I’m overwhelmed. Don’t know what I’m doing. LOL” Welcome, my child, to the world of parenting.

Anyone can have a child, but parenting a son is so much more than passing out blue bubble-gum cigars. Do they still do that sort of thing? He has no idea how holding your beating heart in your very hands will rock his world. He has no idea how his plans will change, how his dreams will be bigger, and how he’s been a perfect parent until he becomes one. We all started out with “I don’t know what I’m doing.” This I do know: he’s a good man, a generous husband, and devoted to his family. So these are a few of the things I hope #1 Son will do with his #1 Son:

• Teach him to cook.
• Teach him to respect all women because every women is someone’s sister or daughter.
• Teach him to respect authority. We are a country and community of laws.
• Teach him to be brave by initiating acts of kindness and generosity when given the chance to be the hands and feet of Jesus.
• Let him see you read your Bible for he will practice what you practice, not just do what you say.
• Let him learn American History so he will hear the stories of the bold sacrifices made to appreciate and acknowledge the symbols of American freedoms.
• Let him play with his cousins a lot. Cousins are our first friends and our friends for life.
• Teach him how to write and read in cursive so he can read the powerful words of history, documents of old, and sign his name. My grandfather was unable to read and write so he ‘made his mark’ when he endorsed his paycheck and completed the documents to purchase his home. He wanted badly to be able to sign his name, yet never learned. A man needs to be able to sign his name and not just print it.
• Teach him to use power tools and be creative with his hands. There is something about a man who can step back and see and hold in his hands the fruit of his labors and creativity of his mind.
• Let him play outside, play with bugs, get muddy, and sweat from play and hard work.
• Show him how to pray…and not just at church.
• Show him how to work as an apprentice. He’s watching you in all you do, all you say, and all you share.
• Model manly prayers, generosity and tithing, and to never stop learning.
• Introduce him to other amazing men and women of faith and strength.
• Tell him family stories.
• Teach him how to love his Mama by how you love yours. That kiss on the cheek at every greeting and the hug upon every departure means more than you will ever know…but, his lovely mama will.

Some of my greatest gifts from the LORD are the amazing adults who used to engage with playdoh, duct tape, and yell, “Watch me, Mama!” from the diving board at the neighborhood pool. Oh, I’m watching, alright. Watching them become fabulous parents is a big, sloppy kiss on my cheek from the One who made them.

“The father of a righteous child has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him. May your father and mother rejoice; may she who gave you birth be joyful!” Proverbs 23:24-25

The Experiential Leadership Institute (ELI) is a multi-week, immersive leadership development experience. Highly trained coaches guide rising 11-12th graders to discover their God-given strengths, reflect on what it means to function as a Christian community, and practice servant leadership while making a difference as day camp counselors. These amazing ELI students serve as the on-site teams to bring the power of camp ministry to local churches through Grow Day Camp in North Georgia. ELI students are well trained in camp, flexible with developmentally appropriate programming for children, and play focused on faith formation. But what happens when these exceptionally training students age out of the program? There are only a limited number of site coordinator positions available to continue. This is what motivated multiple conversations, some while waiting in a lunch line. Some of the best conversations come from lingering at the end of a food line with key folks.

The Atlanta-Marietta District of the North Georgia United Methodist Conference is beyond excited to launch the pilot KidMin Intern Program for college students to explore a calling to ministry with children in the local church. We count it an honor to walk beside students exploring their gifts and talents in their discernment process to follow God’s leading on their lives. As Children’s Ministry leader-servants we are passionate about sharing the gospel with kids and their families.

Nature of the Intern Program
KidMin Interns will work in pairs with three unique local churches to plan and implement ministry programs during the months of June and July. Free housing will be provided as well as a stipend paid.

KidMin Interns began serving on Thursday, June 1 and will conclude July 31. KidMin Interns will be assigned and serve alongside three experienced KidMin Mentors who desire feedback, fresh ideas, insights and to share their passion for ministry. KidMin Interns and KidMin Mentors will meet all together weekly on Sunday afternoons for lunch, fun, prayer, worship, training and planning for the next week. KidMin Interns will rotate through the local churches to provide support and leadership for Vacation Bible School, Summer Camps, Sunday school, family events, children’s church, mission projects, small group Bible study and a few surprise events.

The KidMin Interns will have a weekly opportunity to serve in worship services and to engage in district connections. Interns will explore vocations in ministry and service through field trips and dialogue with lay and ordained leadership of various partnering non-profit organizations, businesses, and United Methodist institutions. They’ll gather with other Children’s Ministry heroes of North Georgia at Annual Conference in June.

The summer will be busy. This summer will be a blast. This summer will fly by. And most importantly, the summer will be a great time of spiritual growth for three KidMin mentors and two KidMin Interns as they learn, serve, and fall more in love with Jesus and the local church!

Purpose of the Program
To provide church ministry experiences through which young adults can explore how God might be calling them, develop gifts for ministry, serve the needs of the mentor local churches, and grow in faith in Jesus Christ.

Two fabulous ELI alumni began last Thursday on a trip with fifth graders from two of the mentor churches to Lake Winnie for a day of play, games (which the interns directed), and training for the fifth graders who will be serving in servant-leadership positions this summer for the first time.

We have downloaded the She Reads Truth app and will be using the SOAP method to journal together. We will be using the 1 & 2 Timothy lesson since we are focused on mentoring relationships. At the end of each day, the interns will record three things they noticed which we will discuss each Sunday as a small group and/or with the mentors each will work alongside each day. A calendar schedule lets everyone know where the interns will be each day in June and July and provides a fair coverage and time with each mentor local church.

Since I enjoyed C’s company in worship last Sunday, recording the times each transition took place in the worship service (one of the many ‘numbers’ I collect each week), Sunday school using Visual Faith Project images, and VBS training after services, I asked her what she noticed:
– She noticed how our church serves communion differently than her home church. This made for great conversation about local church traditions.
– She noticed my super volunteer, Ms. Diana and asked if she was involved in everything I did. I enthusiastically said, “Yes!” Although Ms. Diana serves the church in other ways, she is dedicated to making sure the littles know Jesus. She is a fabulous partner in ministry! I thought it interesting C could tell by attending one Sunday who was ‘all in’ for ministry with little people.
– She noticed at Lake Winnie that two of my girls were game for trying new things. We call it a ‘spirit of yes.’ Although I had never really spoken about it at the church, I share with others that my local church does indeed have a ‘spirit of yes.’ We try new things. We talk about new experiences. We engage in the wonder of a growing faith. We love Jesus and we love to say, “Yes!” How precious to me for Christina to pick up on that especially as these two girls are aging out of children’s ministry at the end of the summer. If I talk about it more, I’ll just be a puddle of tears.

Most of the blogs this summer will be about our KidMin intern experiences. It is a dream come true to mentor these young women and they to mentor us. Though my small-to-mid-size-church could not afford an intern on our own, our connectional body has made it possible for three small-to-mid-size-churches with completely different DNAs to practice and especially learn from two wonderfully trained students. Living out Titus 2…with glitter and water games!

“Teach the older women…to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love , to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy, to be kind, so that no one will malign the word of God.” Titus 2:3-5

The first Sunday following the last day of school is technically the first Sunday of summer. With students living in two counties, my church kids have only 65 days to do all they want to do, or all they don’t want to do before the first day of the next school year.

So with my big silver bucket, the Children’s Moment invites the students to think about their summer bucket list. A bucket list is a written list of things to accomplish before the end of a season. One of my WCKids shared she wants to have a lemonade stand. Another shared she wants to go to Disney World even though her Mom says, ‘It’s not happening.”

I am a list-maker by DNA. There is something therapeutic about a list where everything is marked off. So these are the items I shared with the children at the first Children’s Moment of the summer, partly for the accountability of it:

• See Despicable Me 3 and Wonder at the movies. If you haven’t had a chance to read Wonder, you are missing out. Be sure to get the one with the extra chapter “Julian”.
• Watch the sunrise.
• Go to the pool. I don’t know why this is so hard for me, but my summer is so filled with non-pool things, I can hardly get there. This year with the grands living close by and after two great weeks of swim lesson boot camp, going to the pool is a ‘got-to-do.’
• Be at VBS….in a tutu….on Tuesday. Yep, gonna make each day something special and we will have Tutu Tuesday at VBS.
• Do something kind for someone in secret….don’t tell anyone…just do it…at least once a week.
• Read my bible everyday. I read my bible everyday, but more than just in the morning. Reading the Proverbs chapter that corresponds with the day of the month. I even downloaded the app “She Reads Truth” and starting the 1 & 2 Timothy reading plan with the KidMin Intern Team.
• Learn something new.

What’s on your summer bucket list?

“Those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness.” Proverbs 14:22b

Wesley Chapel Academy is a series of classes presented on a Friday evening 6-7:30pm which teach life skills to students in 1st through 5th grade. The first three classes offered teaching and practice for housekeeping basics, cooking basics, and sewing basics. The fourth class of life skills focused around using power tools. It was shared with me by a counselor many years ago that if a person learns to use power tools, they are less likely to be taken advantage off. I wanted this for the girls and boys in my world.

Two amazingly gifted tool-men in our congregation answered the invite through bulletin and newsletter to join in the fun and planning. My son-in-law broke apart wooden pallets and removed all the metal giving the project a rustic feel and a great starting product. We set up outside in the shade to help with cleanup.

Supplies: circular saw, drill, screws, saw horses, clamps, hammers, aprons, carpenter pencils, screw drivers, D-hook hangers, nails, sandpaper, safety glasses and goggles, ear plugs, measuring tape

After introductions and much talk about safety, students were taught to use a measuring tape to mark off the line to cut. As they waited and listened to the ‘circular saw talk’, each student sanded their wood piece to take care of rough edges and keep their hands busy. If hands are busy, minds are calm. Using clamps and proper hand placement, each student cut their own piece of wood with the circular saw.

Sanding continued as we took a water and story break. I shared how Jesus was a carpenter, and his earthly father was a carpenter from Matthew 13:55 and Mark 6:3: an apprentice is one who has a teachable spirit to learn tasks to honor the Lord. Jesus was Joseph’s apprentice. We are apprentices of Jesus.

Back outside, students discovered the difference between a nail and a screw as each student measured where to connect the cut pieces of wood and install a hanger on the back of each project.

After the group photo, students were able to keep the tool apron, a carpenter’s pencil, measuring tape, two screwdrivers, and received a certificate.

Wesley Chapel Academy is an outreach ministry of WCKids. Completing this first season of four academy classes, 56% of attendance were students who we did not know beforehand. Four of the nine adult tutors were members of our congregation, but WCA was their first experience serving at the church. With an average class of 12 students, we used $200 for all four classes. The most expensive class was the cooking basics at $125. Advertising and registration through Eventbrite brought in 12.5% of our attendance, which proved effective marketing outside our own typical social media.

Thank you notes are going out in the mail this week for all our tutors and youth helpers. Fifth graders who will be aging up have already asked to be youth helpers for next spring. Each class proved to be greater than I ever imagined. Not sure yet what we will teach next season, but this is an outreach program that is here to stay.  Oh, the possibilities!

“Then Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood.” Exodus 15:25

We decided several years ago while evaluating our worship experience that we would be a local church which worships as a family. We plan nothing else and no other programming takes place during the two worship experiences. This way our kids can see their parents sing, give, pray, learn to engage and participate in the worship experiences of our faith tradition. This meant we would bring back the order of worship in the front of our hymnal which puts the sermon in the middle, add more visual elements through art, video, and space, and offer more music/liturgy with repetition. This was fine as our Ministry Insights reported we had no little-littles, and most of our kids were 2nd-5th graders.

Today there are more families moving into the area with little-littles. To offer a Sunday morning worship experience where the littles (and mamas) aren’t experiencing separation anxiety, when their little is too heavy to ‘wear’ anymore, and guest parents wish to get to know the congregation better through worship, we started talking.

We talked at Worship committee. We talked with our current mamas of littles. We talked with trustees. We talked with grandparents who wanted to worship with their adult children and grandchildren. We talked with the Lord in prayer.

The name “prayground” comes from Rev. Catherine Renken, pastor of Kirkwood Presbyterian Church in Kennesaw, GA who brainstormed with others when the prayground at Grace in Apple Valley, MN was being built. The name has caught on.

Though different churches have put it into practice in different ways, a prayground is a place in the front of the sanctuary where young children can experience worship through age-appropriate worship materials and tools that will help keep them engaged in worship. (Traci Smith)

We put together a packet of colored photos of what praygrounds looked like in other churches. We talked in every small group gathering. Even with the small group of ladies who prepare the Sanctuary and fold bulletins each Thursday afternoon. I wore it like a sandwich board and made it a topic of every single conversation at every table. We posted on social media every blog post or article we could find that would keep it at the forefront of our family’s minds and hearts.

A grandparent proposed preparing a prayground at the Administrative Council. Lots of discussion took place. A motion was made and approved unanimously for us to give it a try and re-evaluate come September. There are several intentional preschool entry events happening this summer so trying it out now would be a great next step to invite our community to worship as a family. Though the Ad Council meeting closed in prayer in the meeting room, everyone gathered for more conversation at the proposed space to get a ‘picture’ of what it might look like before heading home. The Staff-Parish Relations Committee Chairperson took the point of public champion and spoke about it at every service fielding all the questions for three weeks.

Promoted in person, bulletin and newsletter announcements, social media posts, and a sermon series on attitudes including the attitudes of gratitude and compassion kept the conversations going. Our pastor and trustees removed the pews, grandparents steam cleaned the floor space, rugs were ordered from Amazon, the senior pastor painted the wall, a trustee performed a safety inventory and made adjustments, other grandparents provided board books, foam blocks, receiving blankets, a bouncy seat, and a few small machine-washable stuffed animals.

We opened on the best day possible: Mother’s Day. The prayground space was used in both services, by two families, three generations each. A daughter-in-law led the first family when 20 minutes in, her preschooler was stacking foam blocks with his suited-up grandfather. A grandmother led the second family to the prayground when 20 minutes in, a toddler was engaged with his daddy in the front row and his grandfather in the pew behind. He bolted at one point and the youth corralled him before he ran up the steps of the chancel area. No one missed a beat. This endeavor was and is so worth the tension. We are worshiping as a family of faith. Prayers and praises for the champions who waved the banner!

“Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Mark 10:14