I'm entering a YMX's friend - Patti Gibbon's contest for a free registration to a Children's Ministry conference. Prize is awarded by random selection BUT the entry requirement is blogging about my favorite moment or why I am in children's ministry. Others in Children's ministry are welcome to enter as well -- I'll let you. :)

I have to admit when I started out in professional ministry my goal was not children's ministry - it was ministry with teens and youth. To some point I still have that passion but my ministry goals have certainly involved in the past 7.5 years. I currently coordinate ministries for infants on up through young adults and it of course involves working with all ages. 

My favorite part of children's ministry is two fold with one goal in mind. I love it when parents are a strong part of their child's faith journey. I also love it when a child is mentored/encouraged in their faith and life by a variety of adults. In the end parents and other adults combined a child is given an awesome foundation on which their faith in Jesus can grow and stay strong. I love encouraging and inspiring adults - parents, grandparents, aunties,uncles and those who are childless - to mentor and build up the faith of children. 

My favorite moments have been:

- Asking a quite older woman to help out with treats for VBS and challenging her to go the extra length by involving children in the 'snack making' process. She was originally reluctant but she loved it in the end and their were 10 more children who looked up to her as an adult who cared about them.

- The grad student who teaches Sunday school when she is able for preschoolers - jumping in with both feet and having incredible energy to share and get the point across that Jesus loves them. I saw her use their favorite playtoy - the magnet in the class that can potentially draw them away from a lesson - and incorporate it. Creatively showing them she understands what they are interested in and holding their attention for 10 full minutes!

- The 'middle age' men in the church who care enough about the faith of children that they will hang out with even the most difficult children to discipline to share the love of Jesus with them. They really don't have to do this, their children are old enough now that 'someone else' can do it.

- The mothers who bring their children to church - even though the husbands may stay home and sleep. They get the kiddos out of bed, fed - even if it is in the car or at church, may or may not brush their children's hair, and they make this faith thing a priority in their lives. Even if the kids don't seem to care now, they will definitely remember the model of their mothers' lives. I pray for the dad's to become models as well.

This is what inspires me and keeps me going... keeps me encouraging and inspiring others to build up faith in our children and youth.

Peace, ~Leena

Christian Internet Radio Station for children and families. I don't have sound at work so I'll save it here to check out at home. 

Common Good Radio

http://www.live365.com/stations/pastorrobin

I  just came across this resource for parents: http://www.familytimes.org/ . Ideas to encourage faith building in the home. I'm so tired at the moment I can't wade through it all, but wanted to save it here to check out later. 

~Leena

I mentioned in my last blogging that I was praying for a little 3 year old boy, Ben, who was dying of cancer. Today he passed away. I only know him through emails through the church headquarters and the blog that his parents keep. He is the son of a seattle area Presbyterian youth pastor. 

God be with this family, I know you are, but please make it very apparent to them that you are with them today and always. Ben- your pain is no more, you are with your Lord, peace be with you.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/towne

~Leena

I haven't posted in a long while. Mostly I've been figuring out balancing my new ministry position at LCPC and balancing being a wife and mommy and trying to make those two items priority over ministry. Oh, and I discovered Facebook and Twitter. (LeenerBeener on twitter if you tweet too).

There have been two major thoughts running through my mind lately in faith formation and aiding others in their faith, and keeping mine:

* How to talk with others, about faith, when they are dying of cancer at age 30,40, 5o or any age or how to justify (which i don't think you can) that a 3yr old child is being eaten away by a horrible cancer (and the child of a youth minister to boot).

Recently a member of our congregation, just 52 I think (younger than my parents) died from cancer. I only barely met him, Doug was on a committee with him and there are a lot of others I have relationships via ministry who had a neat connection with him. When it is older folks (i have lost a few grandparents this way) who have cancer it doesn't affect me the same as a middle age or younger person. I don't understand how it can get people out of the blue.. it is just damn scary what it does to people, their friends, and family. I hear or read everyone else asking why, God, why and I see people saying "God will provide! God will heal!". That is what we want to believe, and many times that isn't the case. So I have trouble telling someone have hope - so I don't. But I do say I will pray for peace for the person and their family because I believe God will provide that in one way or another. I believe that it is sin that causes the cancer - not the sin of the particular individual or their family, but overall sin in general. I think God can certainly heal a person in a moment if God wanted to ... and does if it isn't time for a person to leave the earthly life. Sometimes death brings people closer to God - like the death of Jesus on the cross (and his rising again to conquer sin and death). We know that in following Jesus, after death, is life and no more pain, no more sorrow. Perhaps not the pearly gates.. but we are back in relationship with our creator. I'm rambling. Sometimes I wonder if I would think differently if I or my husband, or my daughters were inflicted with cancer. I can only pray that I will remain strong or grow stronger in my faith should that ever be the case.

(Rest in peace Steve, God give peace to Gena. God give baby Ben peace and his parents as they grieve and treasure the memories they are still creating.. help them to be there for Ben's baby brother.)

 

* How to talk with my 4 year old child about other religions and their beliefs - in a way that is holding true to the faith of her parents and not demeaning of her friends and some family members who hold different religious beliefs. 

Lil' miss Ellie has a buddy named Grace who is Jewish. Ellie & Grace are constantly talking religion at pre-school (a full time montessori childcare). I think it is great that she has a friend with different cultural/religious traditions. and perhaps they'll be able to remain buddies as they part from their school and go on to Elementary schools. So with this holiday season they have had a lot of chats about what they believe and don't believe. Ellie tells Grace she celebrate's Jesus' birthday at Christmas and gets presents from Santa Claus. Grace says she celebrates Hannukah, not Christmas, doesn't believe in Jesus and doesn't believe in Santa Claus. We've been talking about what Christians believe and what Jews believe and what is different. (Christians believe that Jesus is God and the messiah, Jews believe there was a Jesus, but he's not the Messiah or God.) I've been trying to figure out how much to explain to a four year old, how much does she need to know now, how much can her little mind handle? Somethings I've told her we need to ask auntie L. about because she is Jewish and understands the traditions a lot better than I do. I really hope auntie L. doesn't take offense to the fact that I'm suggesting this to Ellie, and I also hope she knows that we are not at all making, or even intending to make, people of other cultures and faiths to look bad or evil or any such thing. 

The other day she told me that maybe I'm wrong about Santa Claus because Grace doesn't believe in Santa and Grace says her step-mom knows everything. Ok, so I really could care less about her believe in Santa. What i was waiting to hear next was - maybe you're wrong about Jesus too. But she didn't say it and she still sang happy birthday to Jesus and continues to sing away in a manger, pray to God at night and asks me to sing Jesus Love Me as she goes to sleep. 

A few weeks ago we were in the grocery store getting some groceries for a youth ministry event and we were talking about how I was going to teach the big kids at church about Jesus. She said very loudly, "You know everything about God, mommy, don't you. That's why you work at a church." I said, "I don't know everything, but I like to learn and I like to teach kids about what I learn because it is important for all of us". 

I have to remember that it is o.k. to not be 'everything' to your child all the time. I do want to instill a strong faith in Jesus in my little girls. But, like God does with all of us, I need to let them figure it out for themselves, giving them the best guidance I can and having confidence that God will do the work through me and others, it is not one bit of my own accord.

Blagh. Blagh. Blagh... that's what on my mind. What are your thoughts??

Christmas peace to you!

~Leena

I just came across a website that encourages not only children's participation in worship, but also elderly folks who are hard of hearing, have difficulty seeing, and/or are challenged in their mobility. How refreshing as I am an advocate for so many parents and the children who say worship is boring and not for them... and then there are the older folks who aren't excited about more modern technology or opportunities being used to include the children. I hope to learn more about this.

It really hit me a few weeks ago how the pendulum can so easily swing from one side one day to the other side the next day. Our congregation is trying very hard to be child/youth/family/young adult friendly to reach out and include the younger generations. We started 40 Days of Community bible studies.This is a six week small group study dependent on a 20 minute DVD learning segment AND group community and inreach mission projects.

One of the groups started dissolving because there were people hard of hearing who couldn't hear the DVD and it couldn't go much louder in their setting, the blind person felt alienated because they couldn't see the others and weren't sure how they might contribute to a community/inreach mission project with the other. The leader of the group is somewhat hard of hearing and uses a walker and can't do much lifting etc (but she is a great visionary and teacher). It is difficult for her to figure out where to go with her group.

So many older people get so frustrated, give easily, and complain because - as it was described to me - it seems your world and opportunities get smaller as one gets older. So I've been praying to learn ways to inspire the older members in our church to find ways to be involved because everyone has an important role - whether they can see it or not. And I've been praying for awareness for all of us who tend to sit and focus on one end of a spectrum when it comes to worship and education.

To be truly intergenerational, child-freindly, accomodating to all doesn't mean do everything at the children's level but consider all abilities/dis-abilities and build ministry opportunities around that.

Another group of folks I pray for insight when it comes to ministry is those who are developmentally slower and their caregivers. We have a few these persons/famlies in our church and I'm praying for ways to involve them in more than coming to worship (if they want that).

Peace.

~Leena

I 'borrowed' this from a ministry blog but think they borrowed in from a ministry e-newsletter who likely borrowed it from someone else. :)


Ministry vs Job

Some people have a JOB in the church; others involve themselves in a MINISTRY.What's the difference?

If you are doing it just because no one else will, it's a JOB.
If you are doing it to serve the Lord, it's a MINISTRY.

If you quit because somebody criticized you, it was a JOB.
If you keep on serving, it's a MINISTRY.

If you'll do it only as long as it does not interfere with your other activities, it's a JOB.
If you are committed to staying with it even when it means letting go of other things, it's a MINISTRY.

If you quit because no one praised you or thanked you, it was a JOB.
If you stay with it even though nobody recognizes your efforts, it is a MINISTRY.

It's hard to get excited about a JOB.
It's almost impossible not to be excited about a MINISTRY.

If our concern is success, it's a JOB.
If our concern is faithfulness, it's a MINISTRY.


An average church is filled with people doing JOBs.
A great and growing church is filled with people involved in MINISTRY.


Where do we fit in? What about us?

If God calls you to a MINISTRY, don't treat it like a JOB.If you have a JOB, give it up and find a MINISTRY.

God does not want us feeling stuck with a JOB, but excited and faithful to Him in a MINISTRY.

I'm not feeling like this right now, but I've definitely been in this place more than once and have known the reasons were not my fault. But it is hard to just keep chugging along sometimes. It does seem to me that the church I'm working with now has been feeling like a failure lately and they need some of this kind of hope... that is my prayer for LCPC.

blessed by failure
Sitting in the church parking lot, I glance at my time on my cell phone . . . again. The rental van is gassed up, tickets ...