Odd title you might say….. everyday I think it is more and more accurate. This is a deep post for me, so if you are looking for happy-go-lucky today….skip this post. :)
Everyday I am in a war. Mostly an internal war, you know, keep my attitude correct, submitting and loving my hubby, walking in love to people I want to punch in the face, asking forgiveness for thinking about punching people in the face, keeping a balance in my home life and church life……..it’s a war. My current BIG war is over the children of the world (broad and wild war…I know.) In this post I will be quoting a lot of Ken Blount who if you don’t know was on the Gospel Bill Show back in the day, I said the prayer of salvation with Nickodemus when I was 7 or 8 years old. Needless to say that his ministry has a pretty big influence in my life.
(LOVE THEM!)
If you don’t know I am the Children’s Pastor at CPC:Conway (wooohooo) and I am also the Nursery/Pre-K Coordinator for CPC:Benton (yessssss) so at this point in my life, kids are one of my top priorities. Let me give you a little “Mandyness” background info. My childhood was VERY much involved in church. My parents were in the band and praise team, they led a small group, mom painted a huge mural in the children’s church wall ….. we were at church all the time, and … I …. loved …. it. The church was my second home, and even this day, church is still my second home, and I still love it. THANK YOU to my parents who instilled this love of God’s house in me and my brothers. That being said I want my kids to have that same absolute love for the church, and it’s a battle. “God likens kids to arrows. In order for an arrow to fly straight and true, it must be sharpened and aimed. The Jews of Jesus’ day had a saying: ‘If we do not indelibly imprint God’s Word onto the bones of our children, we are one generation from extinction.” – Ken Blount. We can't just sit by and let the world take over when it comes to training our kids. But a lot of parents do and then wonder why their kids life is completely screwed up or why they are not walking in the fullness of what God has for them. We can’t afford not to make an investment in our kids and their thought lives, because no investment at all in their spiritual lives still equals an investment.
When I started the Children’s Church in Conway and took over the Nursery Ministry in Benton, automatically I felt the war brewing. It was literally a mantle (if you will) that fell around me. Now that I was partly responsible for these kids growth and future….. I became keenly aware of the plots out there for our kids’ lives. Make no mistake, the devil is out for our kids. He doesn’t play fair and he is using every trick in the book. With the worlds population being one-third under the age of 15, the world has a greater pull on our kids than the Church – it’s our job, duty, and privilege to pull back and to win. We are standing up at CPC and refusing to let Satan win. Our CPC kids WILL grow up with the Word strong in them, and NO plot being formed for their life will come to pass. They are mighty, they will stay in church, they will stand up for what they believe in school, they will be a light to those around them and they will serve God all the days of their lives….This is our battle cry.
I am sending out a Teacher Letter this next week – encouraging them and ministering to them. We have the best teachers in the whole world, I am quite sure. They make me so proud to be leader over this team and a part of the bigger CPC team. SOOOO you are getting a sneak peak of that letter. (if you are a teacher and reading this….open the letter next week and act surprised for me…. lol)
1) See the importance of Children’s Ministry and how much Weight it holds. ----- Children must be brought to the Lord. Obviously brought by their parents, but we want the kids to know that this is a place for them, and that we love them and want to be in their world.
2) Touch them when they are Young. ---- The world has perverted all forms of touch to children. Rub their heads, give them hugs, high 5’s, low 5’s. Physical touch is SO important, the kids will attach themselves to you, be conscience of that.
3) Make CPC (or your church) FUN!!!!!! ----- Trick them into learning by having a blast at church! They will beg to come when their parents are waffling on if they are going to church or not. They will invite their friends because CPC (or your church) is so awesome! Fun, Fun, Fun, coupled with the Word – you can’t and won’t lose. If children are not having fun, they probably aren’t learning…….
4) Teach them to do Right. ---- “We are fighting for our basic belief’s … we can’t afford to water down the truth.” – Ken Blount. Remember we are saving a generation.
5) Have Peace – Teach Peace. ---- “Peace is the Presence of God on the scene.” – Ken Blount. Children need to see peace working in their lives. We need to display peace in our classrooms, we don’t know what kind of home-life these kids have, let us be a beacon of hope and peace to them.
6) The Power of God marks You. ---- This generation MUST see the power of God. Pray for their tummy aches, sick animals, relatives, friends, bad dreams …..the Power of God will show up and they will remember when you prayed for them.
YES, I agree, super deep, but this has been in my spirit for a good 2 or 3 weeks and I felt it needed to be shared. If you work in Children’s ministry yourself, be encouraged, we win the war. Don’t quit when it gets hard, let me share a secret, I’ve been at CPC for 12 years, it will get hard. Devote yourself to this ministry, don’t let it become a side note, we….are….in….a….war!!! Stay focused!!! Have I learned everything about children’s ministry (GOD LORD NO!) I am a baby when it comes to this. BUT, I care deeply for the lives of the kids, and their families, and that right there is pretty darn important. I don’t take what I do lightly and it seriously frustrated and angers me when I see people do (remember that working on my love walk thing….. yeah). We don’t have all the time in the world, let’s get focused, let’s prepared, let’s get serious, let’s get dangerous (darkwing duck fans….that was for you)…….let’s get it together and get things done.
Let’s March……
~mandy~
