Reforming a children's ministry

I have found that the two most common problems in children's ministries are being disorganized and lacking volunteers. Both of which require change to fix the problem.

However, reorganizing a ministry can bring immediate resistance from even the most committed people. For a variety of reasons the current systems that are in place, unorganized as they may be, have become holy. Changing these systems are immediately seen as damage to a ministry instead of improvement. Accepting this change requires people to get back to the basics of why they are doing the ministry. This in itself is what brings acceptance to change and an adoption of the new system. As difficult as this may be, the results are always the same, people will agree and appreciate it once it is in place and the system is running smooth. Smoother than they ever thought was possible. The disagreement that was once creating tension has now become something that brings a smile.

Not only does reorganizing make the ministry smooth and more enjoyable for volunteers, it makes it possible for more to join. Possible? Yes, possible. The reason being, that the old system requires everyone to do the same thing the same way. The current volunteers are usually devoted to the ministry but ignorant of how they disinclude others to join. Not everyone is gifted in the same way and many are not even mature enough to even think of being that devoted or confident in discipling children. In order to bring volunteers you have to provide a way for people to start. If it's "all or nothin" you will get nothin. When you welcome people to get involved and do not overwhelm them with responsibility, you begin to plant seeds that over time (not overnight) will produce more volunteers.

When the ministry is organized and the volunteers flourish, the ministry will explode. Most of all God will make more disciples.

Giving what you have been forgiven

Yesterday I was dumbfounded as a man told me he was going to donate $15,000 for us to paint a kids mural in the entire children's wing. I was shocked when he told me and had trouble even believing he was serious. His wife gave me a few nods to assure me that he was not kidding. As we talked about all of the details in using these funds he began to share his testimony of how God has provided for him.

The story that he shared was simply about a man who had nothing (not just money) and believed that God had given him everything. Humorously and yet coming from deep down in his heart he told me that when he became a christian he knew he couldn't do all those big things that a Christian was supposed to do, so he decided to start with a little one. That little thing was tithing. What was amazing is the fact that he wasn't even able to pay his bills and he started giving to the Lord.

Reading the story of the prostitute in Luke 7:36-50 I see a great similarity to what he shared with me. Jesus said in verse 47 "Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven-for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little." Jesus told the pharisee (Simon) that she washed his feet with her tears and yet he didn't even give him water to wash his feet. He also said that the woman would not even stop kissing his feet and yet Simon did not even give greet him with a kiss. Jesus essentially told the pharisee that he had given him nothing of this sort because he did not even begin to think that he even needed forgiveness but this woman gave him all that she had because Jesus was willing to forgive all of her sins.

This man I was talking to knew that God had forgiven him more than he could have ever imagined, because of this he continues to this day giving more than he could have ever imagined.
I look at my life and how little I am willing give. I may say to myself that I give little because I have received little. The problem is that I am looking at how much money I am receiving and not at how much I have been forgiven. Looking at it from this perspective I should be willing to give a lot because I am a wealthy man.

The importance of resisting prayer

Every time I am alone with God early in the morning I am encouraged, strengthened, and guided. Short as it may be sometimes I always finish saying to myself "I have got to do this every day." And yet no matter how much I try to convince myself when I finish, it is always a challenge to continue the next day. The will to rely on myself never does lose it's strength. Only by God's power and His grace can I overcome this foolish desire. It surprises me that I have prayed so much these last few weeks and have seen obvious answers to my prayers, only to find myself resist pray the next morning. It really does seem illogical. How can a simple act of obedience that brings rewards, become something that I would resist. I would assume the obvious, if this is something that helps me I would think that I would be "tempted" to do it all the time. Unfortunately this battle will never end, reading the Word and praying will always be a challenge. Perhaps this is God's intention. Perhaps this is part of what makes it what it is. Spending time alone with God is not an easy thing, it is not something that is convenient or something we crave (like a large butterfinger blizzard). Resisting our will to rely on ourself is what makes it genuine. Overcoming the temptation to get out of bed early in the morning is

Resisting our will to rely on ourself is what makes it genuine. Overcoming the temptation to get out of bed early in the morning is evidence that He is our Lord. If spending time alone with God was convenient and a never ending craving, I would predict that my prayers would become selfish. Choosing to say no to myself and yes to the Lord is a basic essential to making time alone with God so special. When I get out my bed I am saying to the Lord "You are more important than me." This is what God is looking for.