I get quite a few emails from people wondering what I’m doing in Kid’s Church right now. I love that question. I guess the reason I love it is because I am always asking people the same question. This morning I wrapped up a four-week series called, “The Fruit of Failure”. It was a really good series that taught kids about Adam and Eve and the consequences of sin.

Next Sunday I will start a new four-week series called, “The Stars of Christmas”. This is a new series from Willow Creek that is very good! We didn’t learn about it quick enough to make it available on KidzMatter.com, but you can go to the Willow Creek website and snatch it up. I was very impressed with the media elements and I think the kids are really going to like it.

So, what are you doing in kid’s church this December?

Several years ago Dr. Elmer Towns (known as Mr. Sunday School) spoke for me at an event at my church. He encouraged us to do prayer walks. The idea behind prayer walking is that a teacher walks around his/her classroom and prays for each student before they arrive.

This week I was digging through some old stuff and found my notes from this talk. This morning I came to the church and did a prayer walk. I walked in every Sunday School classroom and children’s church room and asked God to bless each teacher and child that would fill the chairs tomorrow at church. I walked in the nursery and thanked God for each nursery worker and each precious baby in our church. As I walked the halls I prayed for the parents. I even braved the cold and walked on our church buses praying over every seat.

I need to do this more often – I have a lot of growing to do too. It was a rich prayer experience for me. Maybe you can get to church a few minutes early tomorrow and do the same.

It’s Monday morning. Beth and I got Luci on the bus to preschool and now I’m sitting in my office at the church thinking about what a great weekend it was and what lies ahead for this week. We had wonderful services in the morning, we had nearly a record number of kids in church, we had a new family in my Sunday School class, and a great Sunday night service. My pastor has been sick this week but mustered up the energy to speak in church four times yesterday. Last night he preached on the importance of appreciating each other. It really spoke to my heart.

He shared three things we should appreciate in people. Let me share them with you:

1) Appreciate people’s loyalty (Phil. 1:1-3). How many people have stuck with you through the thick and the thin? When’s the last time you told them that they were loved and appreciated?

2) Appreciate people’s differences (Col. 3:10-15). It’s easy to be critical of people who don’t do things the way you do, who don’t think the way you think, and who rub you the wrong way. Differences are beautiful. Stop and think what the world would be like if everyone was just like you. Why not appreciate those who are different than you?

3) Appreciate people’s efforts (1 Thes. 1:2-3). Here’s the important thing to remember: appreciate the efforts regardless of the results.

Everyone wants to be appreciated. Dale Carnegie said, “You have it easily in your power to increase the sum total of this world’s happiness now. How? By giving a few words of sincere appreciation to someone who is lonely or discouraged. Perhaps you will forget tomorrow the kind words you say today, but the recipient may cherish them over a lifetime.”

Today I did something that I didn’t enjoy and was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in the ministry. I preached the funeral of a child that never had the opportunity to be born. It was the first time I’ve preached the funeral of baby. Jett Bryon was due to be born in 3 short months. Obviously, the family was devastated.

As I shared some hope and promises from the Bible, I was reminded about how much God loves kids. God would not have to take babies immediately to heaven when they die. After all, they are the seed of the fallen race – humanity. But praise God, He loves kids so much that if they die before reaching that “age of accountability” He takes them right to heaven. (If you’d like a copy of my notes for your future file, click here).

Isn’t it great to know that every weekend we minister to a group of people that God holds in such high regard? God loves kids. What you do is the most important work in the world. Never forget it.

Saturday I presented a KidzMatter seminar in Tampa Florida. I met 2 ladies from LifePoint Church. They told me that they read about doing a Pickle Sunday in K! Magazine and gave it a try. Here’s what Renee had to say:

Pickles, Pickles Everywhere! In a recent issue of K! Magazine Keith Coast dared us to have a Pickle Day. Well, I can never take a dare lying down so the next week our church ordered three 5 gallon buckets of pickles. As soon as they entered the building the whole staff could not get their minds off of Pickles. To promote Pickle Day we made small post cards that had been sitting in an old pickle jar so that when the kids received them they actually smelled like pickles. The post card simply had the date of Pickle Day and explained that every kid who came that day would get a pickle and if they brought friends they would receive an extra pickle for every friend they brought. It also exclaimed, “Why a pickle, Come and find out!” We used the pickle to tell the plan of salvation. Here is what that looked like:
Continue reading ‘Pickle Sunday success story’

If you found out that your church couldn’t (or wouldn’t) pay you for doing what you do, would you do it anyway? Would there be a noticeable difference in the quality of the ministry?

Today I received an email from a man named Homer. Homer rode the church bus to my children’s church when he was a kid. I haven’t seen Homer in years. He wrote to thank me and the church for all we have done for him and his family. Part of this email said: “I want to thank you and brother Rod for changing my life, for not only leading me to Christ but also showing me what it means to believe in Christ. Believe it or not I learned allot from watching the both of you and that to me means everything…”

I grinned ear to ear when I read his email. I also found a tear forming in my eye. Never forget the difference you are making as you teach kids every Sunday. Only in eternity will you know the difference you have made.

“For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” Hebrews 6:10

We know you’re addicted to the Way We See It.  (Right?)  Now, you can even get it in an iPhone compatible version.  Just go to i.thewayweseeitblog.com to check it out.  Now, I must mention, this is still an early beta.  For those of you not privy to technobabble, that means it’s still in early testing.  It won’t crash your iPhone or anything (we hope), but it’s not quite as pretty yet as we’d like it to be.  It’s so new, not everyone may be able to get it on their iPhone for a day or so.  Check it out!

P.S.  This pairs quite nicely with the KidzMatter iPhone wallpaper.  You can find that here.

 I went gold today.  No, I didn’t take first in the Olympics.  I went into my local Starbucks  and talked to our store manager, Jennifer.  After I gave her my $25, she hooked me up  with my Starbucks Gold membership card.  Now, I get a 10% discount on every  purchase, get a free birthday beverage, get to enjoy special discount days, and more.  Now I’m part of the elite membership community.  This made me think of something.

 Why don’t we try the same thing in our children’s ministries?  Why don’t we reward the  kids who are our most faithful?  Why don’t we have a “gold” program?  Now, obviously,  we can’t give our kids a 10% discount on coffee makers, but you could tell your kids  that if they come every weekend they’ll save $50 off their camp registration.  You could  meet them at school for lunch.  

Kids today want to feel special.  They want to feel loved.  We have to give them a reason to keep coming back, especially kids who come without their parents.  Balance is important here too.  Don’t play favorites, but make sure that you acknowledge those kids that are always faithful, and really want to be there.

So how do you make the kids in your ministry feel special?  How do you let them know you appreciate their faithfulness?  How do you balance this without playing favorites?  Let us know in the comments.

Jim Wideman and I are team-teaching a pre-conference workshop at CPC (Nashville) called “Leadership that Lasts”. This is an all-day session and we’d sure like to see you there. The workshop is January 5, 2009 from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.

Here’s a description of the workshop: The difference between “leadership that lasts” and just “leadership” is the difference between a long-term band and a one-hit wonder. A one-hit wonder is a band that only made one big hit. The success was never repeated and today people wonder, “Where did they go?” In this power-packed seminar, learn how to bag one-hit wonder leadership and develop leadership that lasts for the long haul.

Learn more and get signed up at www.incm.org. We hope to see you there.