Kids Ministry

I had a great conversation with Michael, a pastor from Minnesota about some of the unique challenges and opportunities we face in our context. I was sharing with him the ways in which some of the youngsters from the neighborhood can be disrupting, disrespectful, and unruly, but simultaneously our conviction that they belong in the church and that we have the joy and the duty to help them discover their unique destiny and purpose in the Kingdom. He provided some insightful comments about the way in which we can partner with God in the lives of neighborhood kids:


"Just to get you started, we always talk about how our children are NOT the church of the future, they are the church today. That mostly throughout the scriptures God works with and calls us when we are very young. About how God want to fill them with the Holy Spirit and teach them how to deeply rely on and relate to him right now in their lives. They don't get a "Happy Meal Toy" version of God, but he is offering all of himself to our kids—and we want to make sure they get everything God is offering. About how what goes on with our kids is WAY more important than what goes on with the adults if you think for a moments about the long-term health of our church and families. I could rant on this topic for quite a while… You try it, as it's lots of fun!"

This has got me thinking about the way in which I personally relate to neighborhood kids, and the way in which the church as a whole does. I believe I have unintentionally set aside my own responsibility to them in two ways.

First, its not my calling, or my passion; I have seen youth ministry and Sunday School as something that I am not responsible for because my primary purpose and ministry is to adults. Second, because I only have limited time to spend with the kids (before or after service, or bumping into them on the street) I have felt like I don't have the ability to make much of an impact on them.

In conversing with Michael I have felt the Holy Spirit challenging me to change my perspective. First, it may indeed be true that I am called to other areas of focus, but that does not mean that I cannot still be intentional and influential with the young men and women in our neighborhood. Second, it may indeed be true that I don't always have opportunities for deep engagement with the kids, but that does not mean that I cannot be intentional and influential with the short interactions that I do have with them.

A Spirit-Imbued Character

We usually desire to have God rescue us from trials, in spite of the fact that we know God often uses those trials to further our character. Francis Chan says, "we care about our comfort a lot more than we care about our character." He goes on, "most times I don't think about my character, I just wanna be happy, I want all my problems to go away."

A Glorious Night

Just 20 minutes ago everyone finally left our house...

It was a glorious evening. Our house was full of people, and full of the Spirit. We had lots of first time guests.

India and her two kids came with Jamie. She hasn't been to church in years, and she teared up while we sang, and again when she told me afterwards that she could feel the weight lifting off her shoulders when she walked into our house.

Eddie came with Alan. He is a believer, but he just recently lost his father. We were able to pray for him, and hopefully, offer him some encouragement and brotherhood.

John and Bob came with Martin. John passed out on the couch, sleeping off his beer while we sang and prayed. Bob seemed encouraged to be there, we were blessed to have him. And Martin received a word from God, prayer, and hope.

The house was full of kids playing. We celebrated Faith's 4th birthday upstairs at the Kauffman's, the food was amazing! The kids had cake and then beat the tar out of a pinata. Then we came downstairs to sing songs to Jesus with Paul and Jeff banging the drums. During worship Jamie, India and her kids came in. We prayed, and Janine shared an image God had given her, for herself, and for others, of an open space that represented her heart, surrounded by pillars. The pillars represented things that kept God out of our hearts, the enemies lies that we believe, disobedience and rebellion, confusion, but God wanted to knock the pillars down! Martin responded to the word, and we prayed for Martin and Janine. Then Eddie came in and shared. We prayed for him too...

It is nights like these (surrounded by friends, and welcoming newcomers, to a community where Jesus is the center) that make me so grateful to God for sending us to this City. I wouldn't trade this away for anything.

A Common Mind

"...the covenant community is not a mere human institution following an agenda but a fellowship of disciples together seeking to know, listen to, worship, love, and serve their Lord. In particular, the community we see in Acts, the Epistles, and the writings of the second century was constantly concerned to invoke, celebrate and be deeply sensitive to the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit. Repeatedly, this involved fresh searchings of Scripture (for the earliest Christians, the Old Testament; for the next generation, the apostolic traditions as well) and serious prayer and fasting, waiting for a common mind to emerge."

NT Wright

No, not by might, nor even power...

(Francis Chan on the Out of Ur blog: if you didn't read it from the sidebar link, make sure you click on the title link!)

His Mystical Body

“When Christ was here on earth, He was limited to performing His ministry in one place and at one time. He was one man, walking beside one sea in one little corner of the earth. He healed whomever He touched, but His touch was necessarily limited by time and space. Now, does it make sense that the Father would send His Son for this limited ministry? I don’t think that is tenable. He made provision to carry on the work through the Holy Spirit: we are to complete His mission. We are His multiplied hands, His feet, His voice and compassionate heart. Imperfect and partial to be sure, but His healing body just the same. And it is through the Holy Spirit (Christ’s love which is everywhere at once) that we receive the power to carry on the work of the apostles. It is a challenging and sobering thought: when we receive the Holy Spirit into our lives, we receive the same urgent and life-giving force that led our Master.”

Frank Laubach

Theology 101

Don't Major on the Minors!

I can't tell you how much mileage I have gotten out of this simple, unobtrusive little maxim.

It plays out (and plays well) in so many different settings, and topics... this past Sunday we talked about the role of the Holy Spirit in the Church.

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We fail to recognize the majors and the minors of the work of the Spirit, whenever we mistake powerful signs and wonders, awe inspiring revelation, or charismatic experience as the goal. These are not the ends, but rather the means of the Holy Spirit's work.

We stated the four purposes the Spirit is working to accomplish (or rather the primary purpose that has three main components) as first and foremost to glorify and reveal Jesus as the Visible Image of an Invisible God, true Sovereign Lord of Creation and All Within it, and the Reconciliation of Lost Children to a Heartbroken Father.

The primary method by which the Spirit accomplishes this task is through the Church. This then means that the Spirit is also working towards transformation of individual Christian women and men into the likeness of Christ. Making you and I look like His Son. The Spirit is at work within us to make us holy because this both glorifies and reveals Jesus. The Spirit also is the source of unity in the Body. If the Spirit has joined me to Christ, and the same Spirit has joined you to Christ as well, then we are now joined to each other. The Spirit is at work creating the mystical community amongst all believers because this both glorifies and reveals Jesus. Finally, the Spirit is at work in the Church in mission. The proclamation of the Kingdom in both word and deed is the reason for the existence of the Church, and this is the Spirit's work within us; compelling us, equipping us, guiding us, and empowering us to usher in the Kingdom in all the earth. The Spirit is at work within us to proclaim and perform the Kingdom because, this too, both glorifies and reveals Jesus.

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So a focus on the majors (instead of the minors) allows us to see that the Spirit indeed does perform signs and wonders, anoint individuals for powerful ministry, as well as provide individuals with euphoric experience, yet these are not His focus, but merely some of the ways He works to accomplish His primary aim; (1) glorifying and revealing Jesus through (2) making individual Christians christ-like in character by uniting them to Jesus, (3) uniting individual Christians to each other as they are joined to Jesus, and (4) preparing, empowering and organizing the Church to accomplish God's redemptive purpose on the earth.

The Holy Spirit and You...

Regardless of what you think of Marc Driscoll, this was good stuff...