Monday, April 23, 2007
Church Marketing Sucks is an interesting website with a provocative name. I rarely find anything there that pertains specifically to kids ministry, but today I ran across this article about using mascots in Children's Ministry programs. The comments that follow are as interesting as the article!
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Barna, Parenting, and the Church
Barna's previous book, "Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions" really puffed me up as a kids ministry person. He made a strong case for the importance of reaching children for Christ before they reach the age of 13. He said that children's ministry was the most important ministry in the church. Wow, did that make me feel validated in my work!
I've just finished his new book "Revolutionary Parenting." This new book deflated me pretty quickly! He maintains the importance of reaching kids before age 13, but he says that it is parents that will do it - not the church. He says that parents need to stop relying on the church to do all the spiritual training of kids. He says that the church needs to focus on adults - nurturing and equipping them so that they can build into their kids spiritually.
What's a kids ministry person to do with this? I read on, looking for the answer.
1. Barna says that parents who raise spiritual champions view the church as an invaluable partner, but not the end-all-and-be-all, in nurturing the faith of their children.
2. Families who raise spiritual champions look to the church for emotional support in difficult times, relationships with others who share their values, and spiritual nurture and challenge.
3. These parents expect the church to reinforce what they are teaching and modeling at home. "Amplification of biblical principles and lifestyle choices - coming from both home and church - becomes a powerful one-two punch in the parents' assault on the world's alternatives."
4. Churches are valued because of their ability to to connect kids with friends who are more likely to have biblical values and parents who are committed to their faith.
5. Churches are valued for the worship and service opportunities they provide.
What a great book! It challenged me to think more about defining and communicating the roles of kids ministry programs and of parents. It is encouraging me to find effective ways to inform families of the learning experiences that are happening at church. It has helped me to see the vital connection between the church's adult ministries and kids ministries. And it has sharpened my focus on the priority of relationships, community, fellowship experiences and worship experiences.
I've just finished his new book "Revolutionary Parenting." This new book deflated me pretty quickly! He maintains the importance of reaching kids before age 13, but he says that it is parents that will do it - not the church. He says that parents need to stop relying on the church to do all the spiritual training of kids. He says that the church needs to focus on adults - nurturing and equipping them so that they can build into their kids spiritually.
What's a kids ministry person to do with this? I read on, looking for the answer.
1. Barna says that parents who raise spiritual champions view the church as an invaluable partner, but not the end-all-and-be-all, in nurturing the faith of their children.
2. Families who raise spiritual champions look to the church for emotional support in difficult times, relationships with others who share their values, and spiritual nurture and challenge.
3. These parents expect the church to reinforce what they are teaching and modeling at home. "Amplification of biblical principles and lifestyle choices - coming from both home and church - becomes a powerful one-two punch in the parents' assault on the world's alternatives."
4. Churches are valued because of their ability to to connect kids with friends who are more likely to have biblical values and parents who are committed to their faith.
5. Churches are valued for the worship and service opportunities they provide.
What a great book! It challenged me to think more about defining and communicating the roles of kids ministry programs and of parents. It is encouraging me to find effective ways to inform families of the learning experiences that are happening at church. It has helped me to see the vital connection between the church's adult ministries and kids ministries. And it has sharpened my focus on the priority of relationships, community, fellowship experiences and worship experiences.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Do numbers matter?
Here's a youth ministry guy with an interesting take on using numbers as a measure of our ministry success. I like what he has to say. We don't hear this side of the story often enough!
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Barna's new book
Yesterday I got Barna's new book Revolutionary Parenting. Only through the introduction and the first chapter, I'm compelled to read on. I remember some of this stuff from his earlier book on raising spiritual champions, but this is a good review! Some things that jumped out at me...
1. Because of the importance of childhood in faith development, children's ministry is "the single most influencial ministry a church engages in."
2. "Churches alone do not and cannot have much influence on children. In fact, the greatest influence a church may have in affecting children is by impacting the parents."
3. "I have become convinced that the spiritual war ocurring in individual lives is pretty much won or lost by the age 13."
I think I am going to be challenged by this book in my own parenting as well in my ministry to kids. Again the question is raised: How do we work together with families to see that kids grow up to be spiritual champions? I hope he has some good ideas!
Friday, April 13, 2007
The reluctant storyteller
I found it a thrill to talk through the story of Christ's death and resurrection with my kids last week. It shocked me to learn that not all parents feel that way.
The day before Easter I had breakfast with some old friends. One said, "On Friday we drove past a big church near our house. There were about 60 kids and families marching outside with a big wooden cross. My five and a half year old asked what they were doing. I thought 'oh no; here we go.' So I had to get into the whole story about how they nailed Jesus to the cross." She rolled her eyes and said it with disdain, as if she was sorry that her little girl had to be burdened with the knowledge of this story.
This was such a great reminder to me that the kids in our church aren't necessarily getting a biblical foundation in their homes. This raises the stakes for me as I program for kids. I realized that I tend to err on the side of assuming that they've heard it all before.
It also showed me that we need to continue looking for ways to provide families with tools to help them talk about spiritual things with their kids. This year we sent an Easter basket home with each child on Palm Sunday. The basket was filled with a modified Resurrection Egg set and had an accompanying daily devotional for the family. In our house it worked really well. And I heard great comments from other families as well.
As we go through the rest of the year, what kinds of things can we do to help kids continue their learning and their thinking about spiritual things when they are in their homes? What resources can we give parents so that it is fun, accessible and non-threatening to have positive spiritual influence on their kids?
The day before Easter I had breakfast with some old friends. One said, "On Friday we drove past a big church near our house. There were about 60 kids and families marching outside with a big wooden cross. My five and a half year old asked what they were doing. I thought 'oh no; here we go.' So I had to get into the whole story about how they nailed Jesus to the cross." She rolled her eyes and said it with disdain, as if she was sorry that her little girl had to be burdened with the knowledge of this story.
This was such a great reminder to me that the kids in our church aren't necessarily getting a biblical foundation in their homes. This raises the stakes for me as I program for kids. I realized that I tend to err on the side of assuming that they've heard it all before.
It also showed me that we need to continue looking for ways to provide families with tools to help them talk about spiritual things with their kids. This year we sent an Easter basket home with each child on Palm Sunday. The basket was filled with a modified Resurrection Egg set and had an accompanying daily devotional for the family. In our house it worked really well. And I heard great comments from other families as well.
As we go through the rest of the year, what kinds of things can we do to help kids continue their learning and their thinking about spiritual things when they are in their homes? What resources can we give parents so that it is fun, accessible and non-threatening to have positive spiritual influence on their kids?
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Ripples of Faithfulness
Bob and Shirley are a retired couple who bring several kids to church each week. When the kids can't make it to church, Shirley still comes by the kids area to pick up papers and verse cards for them. She always has an encouraging word for me!
It started about ten years ago with Leah, the daughter of Shirley's former student who she had kept in touch with. Then quite a few years later Leah's two little sisters began attending. Soon after that a pair of cousins joined them. Most recently we met cousins of the cousins, from the other side of the family. We're talking three different families and eight kids!
We've had some sweet moments with their bunch. We've given the kids Bibles. We've been there when they've chosen to accept Christ. We've provided discipleship materials for Shirley to use with the kids. We've been honored to minister to the kids in some special ways - praying with them about their sick dog, delivering precious lost Heelies to their home!
I don't know where their parents are spiritually. We don't see much of them. In fact when Bob and Shirley go south for the winter, we don't see the kids either. But something changed this year. This year we're beginning to see some more ripple effects of Bob and Shirley's faithfulness.
This winter, one of the moms decided that she would get the kids to our club program on Wednesdays. She picks up the kids from their Catholic religious education class, then brings them to our church for Kids Club. She's there every week for drop off and pick up, so I've been able to get to know her a bit.
It all started with the faithfulness of one couple. A couple who isn't even biologically related to any of them! I can't wait to see how God uses the actions of Bob and Shirley to create further ripple effects in the lives of these kids and their families.
It started about ten years ago with Leah, the daughter of Shirley's former student who she had kept in touch with. Then quite a few years later Leah's two little sisters began attending. Soon after that a pair of cousins joined them. Most recently we met cousins of the cousins, from the other side of the family. We're talking three different families and eight kids!
We've had some sweet moments with their bunch. We've given the kids Bibles. We've been there when they've chosen to accept Christ. We've provided discipleship materials for Shirley to use with the kids. We've been honored to minister to the kids in some special ways - praying with them about their sick dog, delivering precious lost Heelies to their home!
I don't know where their parents are spiritually. We don't see much of them. In fact when Bob and Shirley go south for the winter, we don't see the kids either. But something changed this year. This year we're beginning to see some more ripple effects of Bob and Shirley's faithfulness.
This winter, one of the moms decided that she would get the kids to our club program on Wednesdays. She picks up the kids from their Catholic religious education class, then brings them to our church for Kids Club. She's there every week for drop off and pick up, so I've been able to get to know her a bit.
It all started with the faithfulness of one couple. A couple who isn't even biologically related to any of them! I can't wait to see how God uses the actions of Bob and Shirley to create further ripple effects in the lives of these kids and their families.
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