Our Blog

FEBRUARY 2017 KID'S HAPPENINGS

Hello Church Family,

I’m currently knee deep in Upward season and AWANA, as well as preparing for our upcoming Easter Eggstravaganza and Vacation Bible School! Let’s just say I catch myself thinking of the tasks at hand rather than having relational conversations with kids and parents. Don’t’ get me wrong, it’s a good thing to have my mind focused on the details of the ministry. But in return it’s a bad thing to be caught up in the busyness of discussing plans and watching the clock and calendar. All the while, “life” is happening around me and I’m missing out on seeing God’s blessings and hurting myself and others by not experiencing the joy of those moments.

I recently came across an article by Karl Bastin, who is a veteran children’s pastor and founder of kidology.org. His article helped me to understand that “We can’t help growing older, but we can help growing up.” In his article he writes:

“Kids live in the moment; adults are always going somewhere. Adults seem to always be in a hurry, discussing and planning for the future. Kids watch the world around them while adults watch the clock. Kids don’t worry about the future. Now is what’s important. It’s why homework and practicing is so challenging for them. To connect with kids, we need to compromise by helping them prepare and joining them in the moment. Do you notice cool bugs? Can you spot a picture in the clouds? Can you stop and just enjoy
something without concern about what’s next? When you live in the moment, you make powerful connections with kids because they see most adults as just leading, directing, and giving instructions. When you stop and enjoy something in the moment, as trivial as it may be, you stand out as an adult who can relate to a kid's world. Growing up, not old. There are so many things we can learn from kids, and these things are key to ministering to them. While growing up, adults tend to leave behind many traits of children that they’d be wise to embrace. We can’t help growing older, but we can help growing up.  Keeping a childlike heart and approach to life is not only healthy, it’s also the secret to effective relational ministry.” 

I pray these words spoke to you in a way to encourage you to find your inner child and live in the moment. Never forgetting that God is in control, not us. Relax, breathe, and enjoy every moment. 

Pastor's Points January 2017

Dear Church Family,

As we enter a new year my main prayer for us is that we can get “Back to Basics.”  By that, I mean to focus on the main thing that we have been called to as followers of Jesus.  Of course, I am speaking of the call to make disciples.

Jesus gave us this task right before He left this earth (Matthew 28:18-20) and it is a task that is still not completed.  So many things push in on us in life and if we are not careful we find ourselves doing a lot of things other than the main thing we have been called to.  I know as your pastor that God is calling us to rededicate ourselves to the task of making disciples.

Each of us must invest in ourselves and grow in our own personal walks with the Lord, but that is not the only dynamic of making disciples.  We are called to invest in the life of others.  We need to do life together as the body of Christ, as a church family!!  We all need to be invested in and we need to invest in others as well.  In my message on January 1^st, I laid out an overview of the importance of this process.  We considered the earthly ministry of Jesus, as well as instruction that the Apostle Paul gave to his young son in the faith, Timothy.  Those truths are the foundation of where we are going as a church in discipleship.  I would encourage you to go online and listen to that message if you were not in worship on January 1^st.

Over the next several Sundays I am going to be speaking on this topic as we consider the importance of making disciples; getting “Back to Basics.” Four words will be used over the next weeks for us to really consider how we are going to make more followers of Jesus.  Behold, Belong, Become, and Beyond.  Make sure to be in worship as we consider what I am calling “The Disciples Declaration.”  As followers of Jesus we need to declare: I am going to Behold, I am going to Belong, I am going to Become, and I am going Beyond.

2016 has come and gone with all its joys, challenges, blessings, and hardships.  It is now 2017 and we must look forward to what God has for us to do for His glory!!  I believe with my whole heart He would have us to get “Back to Basics” and make disciples who will in turn make disciples and take the gospel around the world all for His
glory!!!  Let’s get to it!!!

I love you and I love being your pastor!