At Children’s Pastors’ Conference I bought a book from Gospel Light called “Teacher”. It’s the story of Dr. Henrietta Mears, the founder of Gospel Light. What an amazing story. I read the book in one day - it’s a quick read and very inspirational. Henrietta Mears was a classy lady who wore thick glasses and a hat but had a burning passion in her heart for the Christian Education of young people. God used her deeply in the beginning ministry of Billy Graham. He wrote about her, “I doubt if any other woman outside my wife and mother has had such a marked influence on my life. She is certainly one of the greatest Christians I have ever known.”
If I loaned you my copy of the book, you would see it underlined on almost every page. One of Henrietta’s quotes that spoke the loudest to me was this, “There is no magic in small plans. When I consider my ministry, I think of the world. Anything less than that would not be worthy of Christ nor His will for my life.”
There is no magic in small plans. I am convinced that God wants us to think big and plan big. Consider your ministry. Is your focus on the week-to-week routine, on the people problems and headaches, or on the big picture? Those lumps of coal in your classroom are really diamonds in the rough. Those young people that march in and out of your church each weekend can be a marching army in the work of God. That lesson you are preparing for this Sunday might be the one that ignites a flame in the heart of the next Billy Graham or Henrietta Mears. Don’t get suckered into thinking small - remember that there is no magic in small plans.
Ryan, Nevan, Evan, and Jim,
Keep me on the list. It will be exciting indeed to see where the next 30 years of Children’s Ministry will take us. Thanks for putting this together.
I needed to read that today. This past Sunday was a rough one and sometimes being the “encourager” gets hard, I needed this little light of encouragment myself. Thanks for this blog site, I will check again…
I had a child in my children’s ministry that the teachers trembled when he entered the room. W’s mood would change in a split second. W has a high operating form of autism and his mood swings were hard to deal with week to week. But after praying for him, the Lord allowed me to see beyond the behavior and into W’s heart - what a beautiful sight!!!!! Seeing his heart helped me deal with his behavior. His mother said I was the only one besides her that could deal with W. One day his mother and I was talking about the gifts I saw in each of my children in the church and I told her that W was “my prophet.” She looked at me like I was crazy. About a month later, W’s teacher told his mother that W said he was going to be a preacher! When things get tough, pray and ask God to allow you to see the kids the way he does - from the inside out. It will transform you and how you deal with the frustrations that come with working with children.
What a great reminder Gail. That’s an awesome story. Wouldn’t life and ministry be so much easier (and rewarding) if we would attempt to see things through His eyes? Thanks for sharing this.
One of my staff, Stephen Posey blogged about this the other day to his workers by saying…
“Our promotion weekend is coming in 2 weeks! Imagine if we had a party after class that day. Just for your class. Each promoted student from that class got to talk to you at least for one sentimental moment. And they all said something like….
“I’ll always remember…”
How would they finish that statement?
For some it will be a story you told. Some will remember how you taught them to pray. Some will remember a verse of scripture. Some will just remember that you always made them feel important. Some will remember getting to help as an altar counselor.
Now, the thing is… in 3 weeks, we get a whole new crop of kids. Start with the end in mind. How do you want these students to finish that sentence when they are promoted? “I’ll always remember…”
For me I now am on staff with young adults that I had in children’s church. What we do is bigger than we think!
Faith the size of a mustard seed moves mountains…Those small day to day obediences produce great rewards…Thank you for the reminder, I need it at least weekly.