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While watching the Winter Olympics, I saw an interview with Tom Brokaw of NBC News. He talked about the teamwork between the USA and Canada at the most devastating time of the 21st Century: the September 11, 2001 terrorist air attacks on the US.

After the airplanes crashed into the World Trade Center towers in New York City, the US airspace was closed — completely. What were those planes already in flight coming across the ocean supposed to do? They were told to land immediately. Many of those planes took a right turn to Canadian airspace and landed in Gander, Newfoundland. About 175 planes landed safely at Gander airport with no problems, lined up one behind the other.

Gander was a small town of only about 10,000 residents and 2 traffic lights. They were not prepared for this massive amount of guests at the last minute. These passengers did not know why they had been detoured to Gander. Most of them were only told there was an emergency. They did not know the extent of the attacks on the US. The hardest part of the adventure was getting passengers off the planes and processed for the security of all. Once they were all processed, then they were able to watch television and see the devastation in NYC and Washington, D.C. Not unlike those directly affected, they were shocked.

Many were wondering about family and friends. One couple’s son was a NY firefighter and about 3 days before they knew if he was working on September 11. A loving Gander woman asked this couple to stay at her house where they might be more comfortable, but the young man’s mother would not leave the Legion Hall for fear of missing that long-awaited phone call. The Gander woman respected that decision and stayed close to the couple all week, comforting them as best she could.

The residents of Gander opened their homes to the airline passengers. The store owners provided free clothes since the passengers were not allowed access to their checked baggage. Pharmacies filled prescriptions for free. Gander opened schools, churches, and Legion halls. They provided cots for sleeping and meals to eat on each day of their stay. The school bus company was on strike but they suspended that strike in order to provide transportation for each passenger.

After 4 days, travelers were finally able to continue on their journeys home to the US. Each one tried to leave money with the kind folks of Gander but no one would accept any payment. To show thanks, one lady decided to start a scholarship fund on behalf of the students of Gander so they can attend college.

Gander, Newfoundland and the September 11 attacks

This was a fascinating story to hear about the cooperation and teamwork between two neighboring countries. The hospitality of Gander is a great example of being Jesus to others. We can learn from this story.

May we show hospitality to others each day — not only in a time of crisis. It is the little things that count the most.

Tags: Ministry by Brenna Phillips
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It is often a big step up for children to move from preschool classes to children’s worship sessions at church. Some of these young children have been attending preschool classes for 3, 4, and 5 years. They are accustomed to smaller rooms with many toys and games. Most of the other children in the class were about their same age and same size. By the time they are 5 years old, they are the big kids in preschool.

When these children hit the school-age years, usually kindergarten or first grade, many of them are promoted to the children’s ministry department where they attend a large group children’s worship session. They are once again the little kids. There are no toys. The rooms are larger. The chairs are larger. The friends are larger. Sometimes these surroundings can be intimidating at first sight to young children.

Not all churches structure their children’s worship sessions in the same way, but many of them do include multiple age ranges of children together in one large group, at least for a portion of the session.

I have a children’s book coming soon designed as a teaching tool to help preschoolers enter children’s worship smoothly and less intimidated. Every preschool ministry, children’s ministry, church library, and family with children this age needs to read this book and help with the transition.

Savannah Goes to Children’s Worship — Stay tuned and get your copy of the book soon!

Words written by Brenna Phillips, Smyrna, Delaware; Illustrations by Buddy Earnest, Gainesville, Georgia

Tags: Ministry by Brenna Phillips
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The Millennial generation (born after 1980) is described as always being connected. They have their cell phones in their pockets at all times. They take their phones to bed with them, either in the bed or next to the bed, at easy reach for those frequent calls and texts and messages.

Read this article. Below is a quote from the article on the generation comparisons.

Twelve percent of “Gen Xers,” born between 1965-1980, cite technology as being a distinguishing trait of their generation, with Baby Boomers (born between 1946-1964) listing “work ethic,” and members of “the Silent Generation,” (born between 1928-1945) naming the Depression and World War II as significant traits of their generation.

Tags: Educational, Ministry by Brenna Phillips
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Parents of some students in my early childhood class complain and some even move on to other schools because, as they say, “we don’t focus enough on writing the letters of the alphabet.” They want their 3-4 year old child to be writing letters before they are ready. Many students at that young age have difficulty holding crayons and pencils. They need more time to exercise their fingers and work the fine motor muscles in their hands. It is difficult to explain that concept to parents who want their children to be more advanced than they are.

There is more to early childhood education than reading and writing. Many students need to work more on social skills and the academic skills will come in time as they mature in all areas of early education.

Oh, yeah…There is one more R that is ultimately important as well but many parents dismiss it as “fun” time and has little significance to early education. Read about it here.

Check out this article on How Teachers can impart social skills.

Tags: Educational by Brenna Phillips
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Here is this month’s Think Tank question:  “How do you understand God’s calling to children’s ministry in your own life? How would you counsel a young person who is exploring children’s ministry as a vocation? What do you make of Kids Pastors who move on to other positions in the church such as executive or senior pastor?”

Here is my response:

My calling to children’s ministry was simple and difficult at the same time. That statement sounds contradictory, doesn’t it?

I graduated from college with a BS degree in elementary education, but during my college assignments, I came to understand that I wasn’t positive classroom teaching was the exact career path in which God was leading me. I loved working with young children and I wanted to combine my work in the classroom with my work in the church.

After college I enrolled in seminary to explore the possibilities of children’s ministry. Through my course work, conversations with mentors, and continued church experience, I discovered that God was calling me to children’s ministry work.

But there are many ways of doing children’s ministry work. A person doesn’t have to be a full-time children’s minister doing that type of work as her primary position in order to be a children’s minister. In fact, many churches do not even have a full-time children’s minister on staff. Churches use part-time staff and volunteers to lead this ministry.

Throughout my years in children’s ministry, I have come to agree with churches that employ part-time or volunteer people. I have served as paid and as volunteer and have learned more about how to minister and invest in others while serving as a volunteer. For my paid position, I work in the same world along side people with whom I strive to lead the church to minister. Working in the church building everyday didn’t allow me the freedom and ability to see what “regular” people are doing and what they need.

I answered God’s call to be a children’s minister on the volunteer level because of our church size and because I wanted to combine my call to teaching with my call to children’s ministry. I have learned more about children’s ministry through this combination calling and have been better able to minister to the “real” world of children and families.

My advice to a young person considering children’s ministry as a vocation is to seek God’s will and find out what she does best. There is a definite need for children’s ministers — full-time, part-time, and volunteers. This young person must decide where she can make the best investment and where her skills can best help her in making that investment. The answers to those questions are sometimes best discovered after working in the field a few years.

Sometimes children’s ministers or youth ministers make the move “up” to senior pastor or other pastoral staff positions. Often those moves, too, are determined after experience in the field and determining the better fit. I don’t agree that people should use the children’s minister position as a stepping-stone up to the senior pastor position, but I do agree that sometimes people refine their calling after experience in the ministry. It is similar to a person working with children who later discovers that she is better suited for youth. Sometimes the size of the church determines a person’s ministry choice. He may work as children’s minister in a small church and later receive a call from a larger church to be senior pastor. That idea should not be his reason for accepting the children’s minister position though.

Each person called to ministry must discover his/her interests and skills and the best fit to make the best investment for furthering God’s Kingdom.

Click Here for responses from other children’s ministers and leaders.

Tags: Ministry by Brenna Phillips
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Many people are asked this question. Many responses are: “No, I’m not very creative.” Actually that answer is not exactly true. Creativity comes in many forms. According to a recent article by NAEYC, “Creative people are those who can imagine.” In this article, the teacher asked a class of preschoolers to show her crooked shapes. She saw children moving and bending in all sorts of directions and shapes. There was no one correct answer. All moves were crooked shapes. Creative children may not be academically gifted. If adults insist on correct answers each time, then children will find it difficult to express their own individual creative spirits.

For the complete article click here.

Tags: Educational, Ministry by Brenna Phillips
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Another children’s minister pointed me to this article about teens. I work with several young college-age girls who constantly text, even at work. I think our supervisors have almost given up on enforcing the no cell phone policy. It has turned into more of a limited cell phone policy since everyone has a phone in her pocket.

According to this article, teens and children are online and texting almost every waking moment.

Tags: Educational, Ministry by Brenna Phillips
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The church could do this (read this article). With many families struggling with acceptable ways to discipline their children, preschool/children’s ministries could organize a coaching team to help these families answer parenting questions. Often families with parenting struggles are not regularly involved in a church or small group or Bible study group so they haven’t established a network of peer families for help and friendship. Churches could establish an organization in which they offer coaching services to families who seek assistance. The church must advertise outside of its own walls though; go out in the community, counseling centers, schools, early childhood centers.

Tags: Ministry by Brenna Phillips
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It’s Mardi Gras Day! “Laissez les bons temps rouler — Let the good times roll.”

Come on, get into the New Orleans spirit, watch New Orleans parades live, wear your purple green and gold, eat King Cake, and listen to this favorite song…

Jambalaya

Tags: Personal by Brenna Phillips
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For my Valentine: The Wedding Song

Who’s your valentine? Watch this Hallmark Valentine’s Day commercial. Your valentine is the one you want to sit next to, play with, get in trouble with, share life with… Click the link and then click the commercial titled “Avocado.”

Here is my Valentine: David Phillips

Tags: Personal by Brenna Phillips
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