Helping Kids Succeed

Kids are pretty stinkin’ amazing.  It blows my mind what they are capable of.  In fact, if you asked me what the biggest mistake I have made in children’s ministry is, I would tell you it is underestimating kids potential.  Whether it is memorizing scripture, raising money for missions, serving in ministry or whatever else, I don’t think kids are pressed to their full potential.  Too often they are simply minimized and marginalized.

That being said I also realize that kids also need help, and lots of it.  They need people speaking into their lives.  People coaching them.  People teaching them.  People mentoring them.  Sometimes, like the kid in the video below, they need someone to give them a little help…

If you can’t see the video click here.

Again, sometimes kids need that extra push, the extra encouragement to do their homework, or read their Bible.  They need involved moms and dads, and children’s pastors who care about them.  They need Sunday School teachers, and Royal Ranger commanders.  They need people who will help them reach their full potential and to figure out their problems.

The trouble is most people don’t take the time to speak into children’s lives.  Maybe it is because they don’t feel like they are good with kids, or maybe it is because they think they are too old to relate to kids.  Whatever the reason, it’s wrong.  The reality is kids need introverted non-wild people speaking into their lives just as much as they need the super kid friendly people.  They need more than just their friends and their parents generation speaking into their lives, they need to hear about the experiences of people from every age in the church.

In Deuteronomy 6 Moses states, “Hear O Israel, The Lord Our God The Lord is One….These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.  Impress them on your children.”  Did you notice how this passage starts?  Moses begins by saying “Hear or Israel.”  Yes, this would have included parents, but it would have included everyone else in the community as well.  Raising a kid, although primarily the parents responsibility, was designed to be community event. But, again, too often often it doesn’t happen.  The trouble is most people in the church don’t take the time to speak into children’s lives.

What about you, when was the last time you spoke into a child’s life?  When was the last time you gave a kid a little help and guidance?

Why I Love Royal Rangers and Girls Ministries

A few Sunday nights ago we had a special awards ceremony for our Royal Rangers and Girls ministries.  Literally hundreds of awards were handed out that night, and we even took a little extra time to honor a few girls and boys in the main service who had earned some special awards.

Julia

There are lots of things I love about Rangers and Girls Ministries, but one thing I love the most is the mentoring that takes place in these ministries.  Studies show that kids who have multiple voices speaking into their lives are much more likely to have their faith stick with them than kids who do not.  Seems like common sense, but having a mentor, someone that they can trust and talk to beyond their parents, is not something that very many kids have.  If you’re looking for a good role model for your child I would recommend coming out on Sunday nights.  Built into Rangers and Girls Ministries is a small group environment where each kid has multiple leaders working with them and speaking into their lives.

Rangers

Another reason I love Rangers and Girl’s Ministries is that they both give kids a great footing in life.  Each ministry teaches leadership and relational skills, both allow kids to make great friends who will be a positive influence in their life, and both give kids tremendous opportunities to grow in their faith by keeping them accountable to reading the Bible, praying, memorizing scripture, and more.

Again, if your child isn’t involved in Rangers or Girls Ministries let me encourage you to bring them out this Sunday night @ 6:30 pm.  The fun all begins down in room 031, which is the KidZone room downstairs.

Christmas Eve

This past weekend we had 2,218 people come out to see The Gospel According to Scrooge at Calvary.  That shatters last years attendance high of 1,514.  We actually had so many people attend on Saturday and Sunday nights that we had to turn people away, as we simply didn’t have enough seats.   Top top it all off we had 25 people accept Christ as this year’s performances.  And the holiday season is just warming up.

christmas time

This Sunday you do not want to miss church.  We have a special Christmas performance by our worship team and a few others.  Then on December 24th we will be having our candlelight communion service at 6:00.  This Christmas Eve service is one of the highlights on our church calendar every year.  The service starts at 6:00 PM, but I would recommend arriving early to get a good seat.

To check out everything that is going on around the church checkout the website at www.lynnfield-ccc.org.