Monthly Archive for July, 2007

Losing the Wonder of the Cross

Published
by
Evan Doyle
on July 30, 2007
in Leadership and Random
. 3 Comments

Each year, our youth group goes to Fort Bluff Camp in Dayton, Tennesee (http://www.fbc-naca.org). They always have amazing preaching, but this week through a long series of events, Daniel Hollenbeck, soccer coach at Trinity Baptist College who happened to be at the camp that week, ended up preaching one morning. He preached a sermon entitled “The Familiarity of the Cross”.

The entire point of the sermon hit me hard: We (Christians) have become so familiar with the cross that it no longer holds any of the power and awe that it did the first time we experienced it. It doesn’t affect us, we can just move right past us. Even films like The Passion of the Christ, which was so graphic and moving, affects us for a day or two then we move on with life. We have allowed “The Old Rugged Cross” to become just that- Old and Rugged in our hearts. It’s just another thing to us.
Continue reading ‘Losing the Wonder of the Cross’

The Power of a Smile

Published
by
Ryan Frank
on July 27, 2007
in Communicating, Encouragement and Leadership
. 0 Comments

norman_cousins.jpgA famous guy once acquired a disease that the doctors thought was incurable. Many of his friends and family wrote him off as dead since they were told by the medical specialists that no one had come up with a cure for this particular disease.

How would you respond to finding out that you were soon to die? Instead of falling into depression, anger, or bitterness, the man decided to pray and treat himself with laughter. He remembered the verse of scripture that says, “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.’ (Proverbs 17:22).

This man decided to make it his business to laugh his troubles away. He hung around people who were joyful and positive. Whenever he got around people who were bitter, critical, and resentful, he would politely excuse himself and leave. Even though he was too weak to work, he spent his time reading stories of happy, triumphant, and jubilant individuals who had turned their personal tragedies into triumphs. He also rented movies that made him laugh.

“I made the joyous discovery that ten minutes of genuine belly laughter had an anesthetic effect and would give me at least two hours of pain-free sleep,” he reported. “When the pain-killing effect of the laughter wore off, we would switch on the motion picture projector again and not infrequently, it would lead to another pain-free interval.”

After six months of an intensive effort to set his mind on the happy aspects of life, the doctors began to notice a miraculous cure in his body. The man’s name? Norman Cousins. Norman taught medical school at the University of California, training doctors on the benefits of laughter in medicine. He died in 1990, living much longer than his doctors ever predicted.

So what’s this have to do with children’s ministry leadership? Let’s all remember that we communicate more than just words to one another. We communicate with our lives, our smiles, our actions, and even our presence. This weekend remember the power of a smile. Children need your love and joyful spirit. Remember, God said to “Rejoice always, in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (I Thes. 5:16-18).

Practice makes perfect….

Published
by
Jim Wideman
on July 24, 2007
in Communicating, Conflict, Culture, Encouragement, Families and Leadership
. 1 Comment

I attended a seninar the other day and was asked by the instructor to write my name on a piece of paper. Then she told me to change hands and make my signiture idenical with the oposite hand I write with all the time. (No one in the class was able to do thi by the way.) Then she made a wonderful point. She said “How hard would you work to master this task if I told you I’d give you a million dollars if you could do this?” Everyone saw her point. We work on things that we value and desire? What skills do you need to develop in your ministry. What changes do you need to make in yourself to be more effective. You might say “give me $1,000,000.00 and I’ll change it.” Being obedient to Christ, doing whatever we do unto him, and serving children and families are things that you can’t put a price on because they are priceless. So, what do you need to work on?

Why do we do things the way we do?

Published
by
Evan Doyle
on July 21, 2007
in Random
. 3 Comments

The other night I was doing my daily quiet time and I came across the following verses in 1 Corinthians 11.  Read them first, then my questions.

1 Cor.  11:4-5, 14-15 (ESV):
“Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head–it is the same as if her head were shaven…Does not nature teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory?  For her hair is given to her for a covering.”

I read this and it bothered me.  Why do we say that we have to obey the principles of one verse, yet ignore the principle of the next?  Why must men remove their hats in church, yet women aren’t required to wear them?  Why do we accept long hair on guys as “fashion”, yet we gasp at a woman with short hair?  I threw this question at my mom the other day, typically my source of great spiritual knowledge, and her response was something like, “Uh, um, well, uh…”  So she suggested throwing it at the blog community.  Why do we do this?  What reasoning is there behind it?

Here’s a couple of verses that I think are relevant:
Gal. 6:12-16 (ESV) [Paul is talking about those who are legalistic about circumcision]:
“It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.  For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh.  But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.”

James 2:8-11 (ESV) [The sin of partiality, as described by James]:
“If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.”

Let me know what you think in the comments.

When your ministry machine malfunctions.

Published
by
Ryan Frank
on July 17, 2007
in Conflict, Encouragement and Leadership
. 1 Comment

A small factory had to cease operations when a vital piece of machinery broke down. The firm’s own mechanics couldn’t get a thing working again so an outside expert was called in. He looked the situation over for a couple of minutes and then took a hammer and tapped the machine in a certain spot and it started running beautifully. When he submitted a bill for $100.00 the plant owner figuratively hit the ceiling and demanded an itemized bill, which subsequently was forthcoming as follows: $1.00 for hitting machine; $99.00 for knowing where to hit.

Have you learned that God uses His Word to “hit” us where we need fixing? Is something not working right this week in your life? Is the ministry machine that you are trying to manage malfunctioning? Spend some time in God’s Word and let him get things fixed.

Children’s Worker’s Wedding

Published
by
Jim Wideman
on July 7, 2007
in Blog Updates, Encouragement, Leadership, Random and Volunteers
. 2 Comments

Today I attended a wedding of two of my old children’s workers that I recruited to work with kids at the church I served in Montgomery, Alabama. The crazy thing was I recruited these two to help more than 20 years ago and they are still serving the kids of this church. It was as much a children’s workers reunion as it was a wedding. The best man was my puppet director, one of the groomsmen was my costume co-ordinator he is now a children’s pastor, there were 2 others past children’s pastors beside me at the wedding both had been volunteers for me and then ended up on staff. It was an awesome time. His sister who interned with me who is now a Pastor’s wife did some children’s worker pay back. At her wedding the brother showed up at the reception in a chicken costume today she showed up in a Dog costume wearing a wedding dress. The cool thing is every where I looked I saw people who helped me minister to kids and 21 years later Kids still matter.

It’s so cool to be able to see the long term fruit of children’s ministry. What we do not only touches people today but for years to come. It was so neat to hear from kids I had in children’s church and meet their spouces and kids and see them serving God and living large for Jesus. Sometime it’s hard to think about the difference putting a love for kids makes in people over the long haul. It works Children’s Pastors and what we do matters for eternity!

100 words every kid should know.

Published
by
Ryan Frank
on July 6, 2007
in Culture, Leadership and Random
. 3 Comments

100 WordsToday I was creating a new PowerPoint game for Sunday and needed some difficult words to work with. I came across the book 100 Words Every High School Graduate Should Know. It was created by the people who bring you the American Heritage Dictionary. The cool part is that they went ahead and gave you the 100 words (on their website). You have to buy the book to find out what they mean. But if you are anything like me, you’ve learned how to define words in Google.

As a high school graduate I was kind of disturbed to realize that I couldn’t get my hands around the whole list. I have a master’s degree and was stumped by a good number of words. I am going to give you the list so you can check it out and see how you do. Be sure to read my closing paragraph at the bottom of the list to see what on earth this has to do with children’s ministry.

abjure
abrogate
abstemious
acumen
antebellum
auspicious
belie
bellicose
bowdlerize Continue reading ‘100 words every kid should know.’

Exceeding the expectations of those you serve…

Published
by
Jim Wideman
on July 6, 2007
in Encouragement, Leadership and Volunteers
. 3 Comments

I’m visiting my family in Alabama and going to attend a wedding this weekend. I was getting a little wooly so I went to a local barber shop for a little trim. I went in for a hair cut but got a wonderful experience. It’s part of a nation chain called Sport Clips. They know who they are going after (men & boys). You don’t need an appointment. It’s all about sports! They offer tons of service for not much price. First I got a hair cut quick, then I got a massaging shampoo. (I never understood why they shampoo you before the cut, after the cut gets rid of the hair.) Then they put a hot towel on my face then styled my hair and then massaged my neck & shoulders. When it came time to pay they told me I got a $5.00 discount for being a first timer. I left not only looking good but was thinking we in the church could learn from this chain:
1. Know who you’re trying to reach and focus on what they like.
2. Serve them more than expected
3. Have them in and out and wanting more
4. Make a connection for follow up
5. Make it fun for all who walk in the door
When a church, ministry, or business exceeds the expectations of those they serve they tell others! (Like I’m doing in this post.) This is truly the best way to advertize. Only you can serve others in a way that get them telling these folks are great! Remember this….”you gain those you serve!”

What’s your sweet spot?

Published
by
Ryan Frank
on July 3, 2007
in Leadership
. 3 Comments

I received an email from my friend Todd Hampson at Timbuktoons a few days ago. What he said made me stop and think. I want to pass it on to you:

“This summer as you break from the normal routine and (hopefully) take some time off to be refreshed, be sure to spend time praying thru your ministry and focus.

Whether you work for a children’s ministry department or whether you ARE the children’s ministry department - prayerfully consider what your “sweet spot” is.

Every tennis racquet has a ’sweet spot.’ It’s THE best area to make contact with the ball and generates more velocity than any other area on the racquet.

God created us with our own unique sweet spots! Leading ministry and business experts say you should spend 80% of your time and energy in your ’sweet spot’ or area(s) of giftedness.

If your ministry or employment has you spending most of your time in areas that are not your ’sweet spot,’ I encourage you to develop a plan to change that or you will likely burn out and become frustrated and your ministry will suffer as a result.”

Think different.

Published
by
Evan Doyle
on July 2, 2007
in Culture, Encouragement and Leadership
. 4 Comments

Lately I’ve been reading the book Purple Cow by Seth Godin (buy the book on Amazon.com).  Ryan Frank is letting me borrow it now that he’s done reading it.  In case you missed his book review on it earlier, it’s all about being remarkable.

Several years back, Apple (maker of the iPhone!  Evan is accepting donations to purchase his own.  ;)) ran an ad campaign called Think Different. The ad follows:

The ad is all about just being crazy enough to change things.  Now, normally, reading a business marketing book followed by a heavy dose of Bible reading may not be considered normal, but that’s what I did last night.  I was reading 1 Corinthians 3:18-23 for my nightly devotions.  Here’s what that passage says (ESV):

Continue reading ‘Think different.’