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Confessions of a Children’s Director

25 Oct 2009 by Helen

I am not perfect.  I am human.  I get frustrated, make mistakes, say things without thinking, think about saying things I’m smart enough not to let come out of my mouth.  I can get in moods where I even get on my own nerves.  So there you have it….yes, I am in desperate need of a Savior…glad I have one!  Thank you Jesus!

In my frustrated, grumpy mood, I decided I would look up some curriculum stuff and upon googling, I came across this blog that was written over a year old but spoke volumes to where I was at the moment.  Sometimes you can have incredible leaders, like my amazing senior pastor speak things to you that you just don’t get but when someone else says it in just the right way you get it.  You have the “light bulb”  moment that is followed by “oh, that is what he has been trying to say”! 

So are you curious as it what my light bulb moment was tonight?  Here is part of it….

  • Things are caught, not taught (Craig in reference to the importance of leaders who model faith to the kids)
  • Buy curriculum, you can’t buy leadership (Craig in reference to CP’s who love spending time writing their own curriculum at the expense of developing leaders)
  • Work on your Children’s Ministry, not in your Children’s Ministry! Stop subbing! You’re robbing when you do this.
  • Build depth to your volunteer teams. Develop your second string.

    • Check out the entire blog here.  I love my job.  I have never been happier in my life but the truth is I get  I’m still human! I don’t get it right all the time and tonight I was reminded that I still have a lot to learn.   I love the volunteers that serve in Kid’s ROCK, I love the kids in Kid’s ROCK, and most importantly I love the God that this is all about!

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    What works for us – Family Devotions

    21 Sep 2009 by Helen

    I have always heard stories about families who do devotions every morning before they leave to go to school or families that did devotions every night before they went to bed.  I have always longed to be one of those families, but figuring out how to make it happen has always been a challenge.

    Let me be real – we are NOT morning people!  No one in my family (except maybe Courtney who is in overdrive ALL the time) likes to communicate when they wake up.  Honestly, we have found the less we communicate first thing in the morning, the nicer we can be to each other the rest of the day.

    So if not in the morning, what about at night?  Yet another problem arises.   Our nightly schedule  includes football, dance and youth group.  This means we get home LATE! During football season there is not a week night  that we walk through our doors before 8:30 pm.  When we get home kids need showers, homework that needs to be finished and well, bed!  By this point the kids are exhausted and need to be in bed.

    So this year, we tried something new.  It still lacks the full affect since we are missing a major member of our family, the daddy, but for now it works.  We have family devotions in the car on the way to school.  By the time we get in the car we have all been up at least an hour, had breakfast and are ready for our 30 minute ride to school.

    How does this work?  One of the kids reads the scripture, we discuss it, and then we pray for our day.  Its not always a long indepth conversation – remember we aren’t morning people, but they hear the word every morning before they leave me for the day.  It’s not a very traditional way to do family devotions, but I realized a long time ago we are not the Cleavers and the truth is we don’t have to be.  I, and my family,  have to live by God’s standards and that alone.  Sometimes it’s not about creating more time, it’s about using the time you have wisely.

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    Category: Family  Tags:  3 Comments

    Kid’s ROCK Volunteers ROCK!

    30 Aug 2009 by Helen

    I am so overwhelmed with emotion I can’t decide whether to cry  or jump for joy…so I’ve done both.  We went double today and what a day!  I can’t tell you how excited I was…there was just an expectancy and energy in the atmosphere that was almost uncontainable.  I felt like a kid on Christmas morning.  Not only was exciting…it went amazing!  The Kid’s ROCK volunteers stepped up to the plate and hit it out of the ballpark.  Let me give you a few snippets of what I have heard.

    • We served a total of 111 kids today not including the 3o extra kids from first service that stayed for second service.  This is about a 22% growth from our average of 89 kids on a Sunday.
    • We started 2 new classes in Kid’s ROCK and Pastor Matthew started 1 new class for ReMix kids.  These classes were designed to serve volunteer kids so they would not have to sit in the same service twice.  We had the privilege of pouring into 30 kids for not one service but two!  How incredible.
    • My daughter Courtney would not stop talking about the ReROCK class (class for volunteer kids) on the way home.  She even kept making her sister take her ear buds out to hear about what she had learned.  Rodney and Tammy Orr did an amazing job with them today!
    • I had to go make copies of materials for our ROCK Star class because we had so many children we ran out.  We had 23 kids total in that class.  We average around 14.
    • Our nursery workers blew it up today!  They started a new system which gives parents feedback on what was going on with their babies during the service!  Parents loved it!
    • Had a parent say ” I kept waiting for my number to go up on the screen but it never did!”  What incredible nursery workers!  Do you have any idea what that means to a parent who has such a desire to enter into a service and never can because they always have to go get their child.  This was their first experience at ROCK Church and they were amazed!
    • All I heard all day was how nice and friendly the Kid’s ROCK volunteers were…way to show the heart of Jesus!

    I know there are so many other stories I am forgetting to tell in my exhaustion but I had to say THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU A MILLON TIMES OVER FOR EVERY Kid’s ROCK volunteer who took it to a whole nuther level!  I LOVE YOU!  Really I can’t say it enough…You Guys Are AMAZING!

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    Category: Ministry, Volunteer  Tags: , ,  2 Comments

    Going Double

    28 Aug 2009 by Helen

    Guess what?  In less than 48 hours we will have done it.  That’s right, by this time in 2 days we will have survived a monumental day in our churches history.  In about 38 hours we will start the 1st of 2 services on Sunday.  Why is this so exciting?  Why not

    1. since I started this job I feel like all I have done is prepare to go to 2 services.  It has been an exciting and sometimes a little overwhelming task for the first few months of a new job.  Though at times it has seemed difficult, I have had amazing volunteers step up, grab the vision and run with it!  I am so excited I can hardly stand it.
    2.  Double services means no children’s volunteer will ever have to miss another service.  The teacher’s that serve our children will no longer have to depend on a cd to grasp the vision and feel burnt out after as they diligently serve their  month in Kid’s ROCK with no opportunity to participate in coorporate worship.  Now they get poured into so that they are full and ready to pour into our children every week.
    3. Double services have will have a tremendous impact on our children.  Teachers will now serve every week, giving opportunity to build more consistent deep relationships with children.  There are also 2 new classes opening up for Kid’s ROCK.  Planet ROCK will be for preschool children age 2-5 and ReROCK will be for children ages 6-9.  This is for children of volunteers, since they will be attending both services.  The children will go to their regular class during 1st service and then will be taken to the Planet ROCK and ReROCK for 2nd service.  The kids will have a blast and parents can serve and attend without worrying about whether their kids are tired or bored.  (Trust me, they won’t be bored!)  Parents – get ready….your kids are gonna start begging you to volunteer so they can go to their second service.
    4. It’s just the beginning.  Somewhere along the week, it hit me!  This is just the begining.  When we reflect Monday morning about how Sunday went and we all take a deep sigh of relief.  It will only be a brief sigh because getting through Sunday doesn’t mean we have arrived, it means we have just started a new era in our church.  I once heard someone say (wish I could remember who but) God won’t send us the harvest if we aren’t ready.  Going double means we have already created room to grow 100%  easy!  Look out ROCK Church….here we go!

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    Category: Featured post, God, Volunteer  Tags: , ,  2 Comments

    Book Review 1 – Children’s Ministry in the 21st Century

    17 Aug 2009 by Helen

    OK – I did it.  I finished the book ahead of schedule.  Of course, it helped I had already read all but the last few chapters.  Anyway, I have to say this book pushed me to think about what we do in church, not just in children’s ministry but in church.

    A lot of what I read was information our senior pastor has been encouraging us in for a while – stop doing church like it’s always been done; nothing in life is being done the way it has always been done!  This book challenges you to not only look at what is taking place in the “church world” but what is taking place in the “real world”.  If we can’t relate to people why are they going to think our God can relate to them.

    It’s time to think outside the box of the 4 walls of our church and see the bigger picture of life and how it relates to children that come through our doors on Sunday morning.  This is a great read for anyone in children’s ministry whether you have been serving for 2 months or 20 years.

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    The Final Word

    16 Aug 2009 by Helen

    Two scriptures that I hold on to when I don’t know what else to hold on to…

    Romans 11:29 -  God’s gifts and God’s call are under full warranty—never canceled, never rescinded. (Message Bible)

    Jeremiah 29:11 – I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. (Message Bible)

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    Taking on a New Challenge

    15 Aug 2009 by Helen

    A few days ago I attended ONE with my senior pastor, Bryan McGee, and our youth pastor, Matthew Ray.  We had a great time, learned a lot, and just enjoyed being with each other.  I am so blessed to be working with people who aren’t just co-workers.  They are my family and I love them dearly. 

    Pastor Bryan let me ride in the front on the way home.  He said it was so he could study, but seeing how he didn’t study at all on the way home, I think it was because he really didn’t want me to get car sick again! 

    Anyway, on the way back we had some very deep discussions and some well…not so sure what kind of discussions.  One of our deep discussions was a conversation that challenged me about what I’m doing to grow.  I HATE to read.  It has always been a struggle for me and even though I have gotten better, it is still no where near where it should be. 

    I never want to be satisfied with where I am.  I never want to stop learning, but if that is the case I have to pursue learning…So I figured if I put it out here for the world to see, I’d have to be accountable to actually follow up on what I am doing.

    Here is what I have been reading….

     

     

    Still working on this one.  Good info so far.

     

    Finished about 2 months ago – great book

    Finished last week – great book

    Bought this several months ago.  Started it, but got sidetracked and never finished it. Will have to go back and start all over now.

    So here is my plan.  My goal is a book every 2 weeks.  I am going to make a commitment to read a book in each of the following areas

    1.  Ministry  – books that will help me grow in what I do as a Children’s Director
    2. Parenting/Children – books that will help me be a better parent and that will help me help other parents grow in our ability to raise Godly children
    3. Enjoyment – books that will challenge me on a personal level that has nothing to do with me as a Children’s Director or me as a parent, but has everything to do with ME and who I am to God!

    This list may change since I’ve never done this before, but this is where I will start.  You can come back next week and I will post a review on the book Children’s Ministry in the 21st Century. 

    If you have recommendations feel free to leave me a comment.

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    When things aren’t easy…

    14 Aug 2009 by Helen

    This has been quit a week.  Here are some things I have been reminded of in the midst of all that has happened in the last 7 days.

    • Satan is real and really doesn’t like us.
    • God is real and really, really loves us.
    • I have an incredible, yet imperfect family
    • I have an incredibly perfect and gracious God
    • God’s plans for me are bigger than my current abilities
    • My God is bigger than my inabilities
    • People will fail, God NEVER does
    • Difficult situations reveal our true character
    • Difficult situations provide opportunities for God to show off.

    God never promised life would be easy.  We are imperfect people bought with the blood of a perfect savior.  I have walked out of this week stronger, more determined, and focused on what this life is all about.  It has nothing to do with my failures, other’s failures, or even our successes.  It has everything to do with the reality that we live in a fallen world in need of a Savior and I know how to introduce them to Him.

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    Category: Family, God, Ministry  Tags: , ,  One Comment

    Mary or Martha?

    06 Aug 2009 by Helen

    When I saw this picture I immediately knew what it was even though it was blurry and unfocused.  What about you?  It is a picture of Christmas Lights! 

    How many times does this become the picture of our relationship with God and our purpose in whatever we are doing?  I know what it is, but it has become blurred by the stuff.  So many times I find myself caught in the business of details and forget, if even for a moment, the reason I do what I do. 

    Last night as I sat on my bed just before the lights were out, I diligently planned for today, next week and the days and hours left before we go to two services.  As I was sitting there, stressing out about it all, I was reminded of something.  It is easy for me to become Martha and hard for me to remember to be Mary.

    It is easy for me to see the details and all the things that need to get done.  I am certainly willing to get in there and do it – take care of all the things that need to take place so that everything can get done.  What doesn’t come as easy for me is just sitting – being still and knowing that He is God. 

    Last night as I sat there, stressed and overwhelmed, God reminded me it’s not about the stuff…it’s still about Him.  Sometimes I have to remind myself the importance of sitting at the feet of Jesus and just enjoying his presence.  The “stuff” will still be there when I finish! 

    It is so easy to become of focused on something that is just a piece of the big picture and not even realize your concentrated focus has caused you to lose focus on the big picture.

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    Weekend Recap

    02 Aug 2009 by Helen
    • Slept til 8:00 two days in a row
    • Worked in the flower garden
    • Had 12 adults at small group and 8 kids
    • Slept 3 hours Saturday night
    • Finished the book Leadership Essentials for children’s ministry by Craig Jutila
    • Read two more chapters in Children’s Ministry in the 21st century by Craig Jutila, Jim Wideman & Pat Verbal
    • Read another chapter in The Up The Middle Church by Matt Keller
    • Talk to a couple of people about volunteering in Kid’s ROCK
    • Learned a lot about myself
    • Reminded of how this is not about me and my ability but all about God and His willingness to use me.
    • Excited tomorrow is Monday and I get to go to work!

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