If you lead a children's ministry or pastor a church I would encourage you to consider this approach to the children's ministry. The following is a sample document, outlining focus areas for such a ministry.
Our Mission
The children’s ministry exists to cultivate Christ-centered parenting.
Our Process: The Three R’s
We reach out to families, raise up parents and reinforce teachings so that our children will believe, grow and lead.
The Parents’ Role
In Deuteronomy 11:18-21 Moses instructs God’s people on what to do with the godly teachings he taught them. He clearly assigns parents with the godly instruction of their children, not the religious leaders of the day.
“Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the LORD swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.” Deuteronomy 11:18-21
It is for this reason we believe the time parents spend with their children is the primary place for discipleship. As an integral part of the discipleship formula, parents are a cornerstone of the children’s ministry.
The Church’s Role
Reach Out! (Reaching Out to Families)
We seek to connect with families in our community by reaching out a hand of friendship. We desire to remove any hindrances from accomplishing this goal and are committed to making as many community connections as possible.
Raise Up! (Raising Up Christ-Centered Parents)
We desire to equip parents as they seek to accomplish instruction and incorporate God in their family’s daily life. We are committed to providing various parent enrichment opportunities, focused on godly parenting skills and resources parents may use from home with their children. Finally, we desire to develop support networks for parents as they navigate the challenges of raising Christ-centered children.
Reinforce! (Reinforcing Godly Teachings)
When the children meet for church gatherings we seek to reinforce parental instruction in hopes of accomplishing our shared goal of developing children who will Believe, Grow, and Lead. In addition, we desire to make a positive contribution to the children’s spiritual development by providing opportunities that their parents cannot provide at home. These opportunities include corporate worship, peer group interaction and ministry service through the local church.
8.30.2007
Raising Christ-Centered Children, One Parent at a Time
Background
Before I experienced a call to ministry I was an elementary teacher for many years. My first ministry position was as Children's Minister, which is where I experienced my ministry call. Recently, I have been giving a lot of thought to what type of DNA I would want to instill in a new type of church start. This train of thinking has led me to think about what new DNA I would seek to develop in the Children's Ministry. This blog entry is an attempt to record where my thoughts have led me.
A "Radical" Idea
The following may be a “radical” view for a children’s ministry but after studying scripture and reviewing how most churches structure their children’s ministry I became increasingly concerned by what I observed. Scripture clearly assigns parents with the primary responsibility of biblical instruction for their children (Deut. 11:18-21) and yet if you were to look at what most churches focus their children’s ministry energies doing very little is done for the parent. Instead, the majority of the effort focuses on providing the children with a comprehensive program that they want to attend. Sadly, the result has been that many parents rely on the church to fill the parental role of Biblical instruction and little instruction occurs from home. By receiving this parental handoff the church is subverting scripture.
The New DNA
If I had the opportunity to start a children’s ministry from scratch the DNA I would seek to infuse from day one would be one that placed ownership on the parents as the primary Biblical instructor. Everything we did would seek to undergird the parents’ efforts. We would be careful to consistently and frequently communicate to parents that we exist to support their efforts. Therefore, we would provide curriculum and instruction for parents to use from home on a weekly basis and then review and reinforce that instruction when the children came together for church gatherings. We would also offer various parent enrichment activities in hopes of strengthening them as Biblical instructors, during formal instruction and informal, everyday moments. We would want parents to view the time they spend with their children to be the primary place for discipleship. The parents would see their efforts to be an integral part of the discipleship formula, a cornerstone of the children’s ministry.
In addition, the church would assist the parents by offering opportunities for the child that the parent is unable to provide such as corporate worship, peer group interaction, and ministry service through the local church. While Biblical instruction would be part of “church time,” we would be careful to not make it our primary focus. Instead, we would take advantage of the unique opportunity that comes from gathering with other children and create activities that exclusively take advantage of this.
Three questions would guide us:
1. What are we doing to increase Biblical parenting among our parents?
2. What can we do that does not replicate what is occurring at home, but instead reinforces it?
3. What can we offer children during church gatherings that the parents are unable to provide from home?
Before I experienced a call to ministry I was an elementary teacher for many years. My first ministry position was as Children's Minister, which is where I experienced my ministry call. Recently, I have been giving a lot of thought to what type of DNA I would want to instill in a new type of church start. This train of thinking has led me to think about what new DNA I would seek to develop in the Children's Ministry. This blog entry is an attempt to record where my thoughts have led me.
A "Radical" Idea
The following may be a “radical” view for a children’s ministry but after studying scripture and reviewing how most churches structure their children’s ministry I became increasingly concerned by what I observed. Scripture clearly assigns parents with the primary responsibility of biblical instruction for their children (Deut. 11:18-21) and yet if you were to look at what most churches focus their children’s ministry energies doing very little is done for the parent. Instead, the majority of the effort focuses on providing the children with a comprehensive program that they want to attend. Sadly, the result has been that many parents rely on the church to fill the parental role of Biblical instruction and little instruction occurs from home. By receiving this parental handoff the church is subverting scripture.
The New DNA
If I had the opportunity to start a children’s ministry from scratch the DNA I would seek to infuse from day one would be one that placed ownership on the parents as the primary Biblical instructor. Everything we did would seek to undergird the parents’ efforts. We would be careful to consistently and frequently communicate to parents that we exist to support their efforts. Therefore, we would provide curriculum and instruction for parents to use from home on a weekly basis and then review and reinforce that instruction when the children came together for church gatherings. We would also offer various parent enrichment activities in hopes of strengthening them as Biblical instructors, during formal instruction and informal, everyday moments. We would want parents to view the time they spend with their children to be the primary place for discipleship. The parents would see their efforts to be an integral part of the discipleship formula, a cornerstone of the children’s ministry.
In addition, the church would assist the parents by offering opportunities for the child that the parent is unable to provide such as corporate worship, peer group interaction, and ministry service through the local church. While Biblical instruction would be part of “church time,” we would be careful to not make it our primary focus. Instead, we would take advantage of the unique opportunity that comes from gathering with other children and create activities that exclusively take advantage of this.
Three questions would guide us:
1. What are we doing to increase Biblical parenting among our parents?
2. What can we do that does not replicate what is occurring at home, but instead reinforces it?
3. What can we offer children during church gatherings that the parents are unable to provide from home?
8.16.2007
GodTube Website is Awesome!
There is a new version of YouTube on the Internet. It's called GodTube. It is quite interesting and something to explore. My favorites so far are four Christian/Christ Follower Parodies based on the PC/Mac commercials. Check them out!
Here's the first one to whet your appetite!
Here's the first one to whet your appetite!
8.13.2007
Way to go John Ortberg!
As a woman in ministry, struggling to live beyond the nay-sayers that discourage women from becoming advanced leaders, I was encouraged and excited to hear John Ortberg's words at the Willow Creek Leadership Summit last week. During his address, John used Esther for his main scripture text and made a point to recognize what an awesome leader Esther was. But he didn't stop there! He went on to passionately encourage women who feel called into leadership to go out and boldly lead.
Hearing someone I respect and consider an influential Christian leader uplift women, called to ministry beyond children's or women's ministry (the accepted norm), was extremely encouraging to me. If you were not at the summit, I encourage you to watch the Ortberg video clip which includes his passionate support of women as leaders in the church.
John Ortberg Video Clip
Hearing someone I respect and consider an influential Christian leader uplift women, called to ministry beyond children's or women's ministry (the accepted norm), was extremely encouraging to me. If you were not at the summit, I encourage you to watch the Ortberg video clip which includes his passionate support of women as leaders in the church.
John Ortberg Video Clip
8.11.2007
Leadership Summit: Day Two
Day two was an exhausting day for me. When I got home I had the rare experience of longing for and desiring complete silence. Even the sound of the TV in the background was bothersome. This is extremely rare for me. I always have sound in the background while I work and think, whether it's the TV or music. When I was in college I found that I could obtain a higher level of concentration when I had some noise in the background and have kept with this pattern throughout life.
But last night I couldn't. Last night it had to be silent.
My poor husband was completely confused by my behavior and found it hard to understand. He wanted to talk to me about the conference and hear about the various speakers. He wanted to tell me about his day and have me ask clarifying questions. He wanted to comment to me about what he was watching on TV. And I could have nothing to do with any of it. It got to the point where I just had to apologize for my attitude, excuse myself from the room, and go to bed.
Finally, with sleep came the silence I was so desperately longing for.
Today I have been reflecting on why I needed complete silence. I've always been able to process multiple things at the same time. In fact, often I thrive on such multi-tasking. So, what was different about yesterday? Sure there was a lot of content to absorb, but how is that different from a day of class during my intensives at seminary?
And then it hit me. What made yesterday different was it wasn't only the amount of content that was shared, it was the degree to which God was pruning me. And it was that combination that pushed me over the edge, to a place where only silence could repair.
Yesterday was not only about head knowledge, it was about heart repair and formation.
I'm sure some of you who attended the Summit are asking yourself right now, "What conference was she at? Not the Leadership Summit I attended." And to be quite honest I can't explain it by content alone. When I look back on my notes for the day I find nothing out of the ordinary. And yet, something happened. Something that I can't even clearly articulate at this moment. Something that I continue to wrestle with in my mind and heart. Something that still feels foreign to me and yet is now a part of me.
Even as I try and describe it now I get a lump in my throat and a nervous tummy feeling, deep in my gut.
Honestly, I have no idea what the outcome of all of this will be. The only thing I can say without a doubt is that I have stumbled into a defining moment in my life, one that even now I don't fully understand nor do I have the ability to fully comprehend. I sense I have been brought to a fork in the road.
Which road I choose to go down, God has left to me.
There is an easy road that my human self, my mind is telling me to take. But there is also a hard road, that my heart is urging and begging me to go down. For the easy road, I have the skills and feel equipped to handle what will come my way. For the hard road, I feel completely unskilled and inadequate for the task. The easy road is assured to be filled with others who will walk with me. But for the hard road it is unknown at this point if anyone would be willing to or feel called to partner with me. The easy road is filled with knowns. The hard road is filled with unknowns.
My gut says that both roads would be OK to go down but that one lacks the same level of potential as the other one possesses. My heart says that God longs for me to choose the hard road but would understand if I chose the easy one. My instinct says the correct choice is the hard road. It is the road that God can grow me the most, change me the most, reveal himself more fully on and yet something continues to stop me.
And so, my soul cries out... "Why can't my mind let go... why can't I take the first step... why can't I let it all go and fully surrender to it?"
8.09.2007
Leadership Summit: Day One
Today was the first day of the Leadership Summit sponsored by the Willow Creek Association (WCA).
What a great day! Every time I see Bill Hybels speak I am more and more humbled by his genuine authenticity and his intense passion for leaders. Bill truly loves pastors and desires to help strengthen them any way possible. The quality of the faculty the WCA brings to address the participants and the care in which they plan out every detail of the conference truly communicates the level of their passion for building up leaders. For me, it is always an experience that challenges and grows me. This year is no exception.
The following are some comments made by the speakers today that have stuck with me and I continue to reflect on...
“People don't have to always have their way, just their way to be considered." Bill Hybels
"Would you be willing to die for the vision God has placed in your heart?" Bill Hybels
"What you ARE is God's gift to YOU, what you DO is YOUR gift to God." Quoted by Carly Fiorina
"It needs to be a vision more compelling then what they are afraid of." Carly Fiorina
"As a result of my firing, I have been given the gift of freedom. Freedom to do things I would not have done otherwise." Carly Fiorina
"For a student failing in one class and excelling in another, you solve the 'F' through the 'A's'." Markus Buckingham
As an example of putting your strengths to work, Markus went on to explain that you identify the strengths in the child that is helping to produce the A and help her harness those strengths to leverage a better grade in the other class.
"And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight in the bud became greater than the risk to blossom." Quoted by Markus Buckingham, missed the reference
Concluding Thoughts
Today was a day of conviction... conviction that I must completely own the vision God has placed on my heart. Only when I completely surrender myself to it and am willing to sacrifice everything, no matter what the cost, will I be made into the vessel God desires to use.
My numerous hindrances, such as personal fears of failure or the prejudices others may have of me as a woman in ministry, have become heavy burdens preventing me from moving forward. When I hold onto these things I remove God from the equation and it is no longer about Him, but instead about me. I must lay my hindrances before the Lord and let go of them in order to free myself to move forward and restore God's desires as my central focus.
Finally, instead of focusing on my weaknesses and what I am lacking to be able to accomplish this vision, I need to clearly identify my strengths and work through them as I seek to accomplish this vision. My strengths are gifts God has given me in order to accomplish what it is He desires me to do.
Today was a day of asking for forgiveness for allowing myself to get in the way of God's vision. It was also a day of surrendering to His will, for my life and this vision. None of this ever was about me... it has always been about Him, as it should be.
What a great day! Every time I see Bill Hybels speak I am more and more humbled by his genuine authenticity and his intense passion for leaders. Bill truly loves pastors and desires to help strengthen them any way possible. The quality of the faculty the WCA brings to address the participants and the care in which they plan out every detail of the conference truly communicates the level of their passion for building up leaders. For me, it is always an experience that challenges and grows me. This year is no exception.
The following are some comments made by the speakers today that have stuck with me and I continue to reflect on...
“People don't have to always have their way, just their way to be considered." Bill Hybels
"Would you be willing to die for the vision God has placed in your heart?" Bill Hybels
"What you ARE is God's gift to YOU, what you DO is YOUR gift to God." Quoted by Carly Fiorina
"It needs to be a vision more compelling then what they are afraid of." Carly Fiorina
"As a result of my firing, I have been given the gift of freedom. Freedom to do things I would not have done otherwise." Carly Fiorina
"For a student failing in one class and excelling in another, you solve the 'F' through the 'A's'." Markus Buckingham
As an example of putting your strengths to work, Markus went on to explain that you identify the strengths in the child that is helping to produce the A and help her harness those strengths to leverage a better grade in the other class.
"And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight in the bud became greater than the risk to blossom." Quoted by Markus Buckingham, missed the reference
Concluding Thoughts
Today was a day of conviction... conviction that I must completely own the vision God has placed on my heart. Only when I completely surrender myself to it and am willing to sacrifice everything, no matter what the cost, will I be made into the vessel God desires to use.
My numerous hindrances, such as personal fears of failure or the prejudices others may have of me as a woman in ministry, have become heavy burdens preventing me from moving forward. When I hold onto these things I remove God from the equation and it is no longer about Him, but instead about me. I must lay my hindrances before the Lord and let go of them in order to free myself to move forward and restore God's desires as my central focus.
Finally, instead of focusing on my weaknesses and what I am lacking to be able to accomplish this vision, I need to clearly identify my strengths and work through them as I seek to accomplish this vision. My strengths are gifts God has given me in order to accomplish what it is He desires me to do.
Today was a day of asking for forgiveness for allowing myself to get in the way of God's vision. It was also a day of surrendering to His will, for my life and this vision. None of this ever was about me... it has always been about Him, as it should be.
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