Children’s and family ministry is not going to church to participate in an activity or an event or a program. Family ministry is ministering to families you see everyday. It is ministering to families through your work, through your schools, through your neighborhoods.
Check out this article about families from a large church in Birmingham, Alabama. These families sold their houses and moved to Inner City Birmingham where they are living family ministry daily. Read about it by clicking here.
Here is an interesting article on lower divorce rates tweeted by?Larry Shallenberger. The research discussed in the article found that divorce rates are lower if men help out with household jobs and chores, regardless of the woman’s employment status.
Check out the article by clicking here.
Here is a link to an article about Panera Bread starting non-profit cafes. Customers order a meal and pay whatever they can pay in a donation box. What a great idea! Why aren’t churches doing more of these kinds of cafes and services?
Some of the money placed in the donation box will be used to train at-risk youths or to feed folks lacking money?to feed themselves.What a great ministry tool. Churches should take on a ministry like this.
Check out the article here.
I found this article recently. Many supervisors and people in upper-level positions should follow this supervisor’s example and go back into a classroom for a day or even for a week to be reminded of what it is like to work hands-on in a field, any field.
Many people work their way through the educational process and earn the highest degrees they can earn, then land a ‘desk job’ in a supervisory position. They often forget what it is like to work in the classrooms. Cultures and generational characteristics change so quickly, too, that these supervisors get out of touch with the current hands-on issues. They can read books all day long, but they will never know exactly what they need to know until they spend a day in the ‘real’ world.
The idea of supervisors spending a week or a day doing the jobs of the people with whom they supervise can be applied to people in any field or position: from classroom education teachers to denominational ministry leaders. Supervisors and denominational leaders will never know how to lead their employees or the local church leaders until they spend time working in their positions on a continuous basis. It doesn’t work if they are former classroom teachers or former church leaders. Cultures and generations change too quickly. They must be continuously involved in the hands-on daily routines of the field.
So, come on, principals,?superintendents, denominational presidents, and whoever else is leading a group of people in any field. Get out there in the real world. Get out from behind the desks. Get your hands dirty.
Yesterday was Mother’s Day and mothers all over the US were honored on a special day just for them. Churches recognized mothers of all ages, mothers with the most children, mothers with the youngest child, mothers with the oldest child, etc. etc. etc.
But where did the celebration of Mother’s Day really come from? Is it one of those US holidays created by florists and greeting card stores?
Let’s think about it in Biblical terms as we did in our Bible study last night.
On one of Paul’s missionary journeys (Acts 16), he wanted to go east to Asia to share with others about Jesus. But he couldn’t go east. He had to go west. On his journey west, he met a woman named Lydia. She was a wealthy individual in town, very influential, probably the family leader and money-maker. Her husband’s name is not mentioned in the text.
Paul shared about Jesus with her and she believed then invited him to HER house. It was probably her house since she was the leader and money-maker of the family.
These thoughts about Lydia’s important stand in society makes us think about interactions with other women in the Bible. Think about Mary. Why did the angel appear to Mary first and not Joseph? After Jesus’ resurrection, he appeared first to the woman. Why not John or Peter?
Although Biblical society didn’t elevate women so much in the Bible readings, women are of high importance in the life of Jesus and his followers.
Yes, we must honor our mothers for all they do for us and the love they have for us. But let’s honor women as Paul honored Lydia and Jesus honored Mary. Happy Woman’s Day.
I’ve had the book No Problem! for years, although it is currently out of print. The book tells the Bible story (Mark 2) about the man who couldn’t walk but wanted to see Jesus. His four friends said, “No problem!” It was no problem that he couldn’t walk on his own to see Jesus. It was no problem that the house was too crowded. It was no problem for his friends to carry the man up to the roof of the house. It was no problem for them to lower the man down through a hole in the roof. It was no problem for Jesus to heal the man and tell him to get up and walk.
This book is excellent for young readers. It is a simple account of a true Biblical story with colorful illustrations to aid in understanding Jesus’ miracle.
Because this book was published years ago and is currently out of print, it made me think: ?How many more Bible stories are written in children’s storybook form? How many of those stories are current and up-to-date for today’s children?
That idea sparks my creative mind. I began working on a children’s storybook about Noah and the flood, based on our recent small group study. From there, I began thinking about a children’s storybook on Jesus feeding the 5,000. What do you think?
I also have an illustrated children’s book coming soon to help young children transition from preschool classes at church to children’s worship. Watch this blog for more information on the release of this book.
