…for just me and Ryan. There are far too many people reading this and not participating. What are your thoughts? Do you agree? Do you think I’m crazy? Catch up and jump in…

Ryan recently commented on a post quoting kids ministry statistics. He asks the following question:

“I would think that a big part of kids decision to follow Jesus is their parents. How would you recommend getting parents involved in taking responsibility for their kids and train parents to disciple there kids? Most parents, including myself, have never had any type of model for what it looks like to disciple my children. What can our kids ministry do to foster this in ours kids home?”

Great question! I don’t claim to have the answer… but here’s my swing.

I think this question falls in line with a previous post about how to transition one from being fed by the pastor to feeding themselves. I believe it is in this transition that a parent will acknowledge and own their responsibility to lead their child spiritually.

As parents, it’s our responsibility to set the stage for our child to enter into a relationship with Jesus. We foster an environment that allows for the Holy Spirit to step in and transform their heart.

How do we do it?

The same way we grow ourselves as followers of Jesus. We talk about Him. We share what He is doing in our lives. How He is transforming us. What He is teaching us. How He is chipping away at ‘that which is old’ in order to see ‘that which has been made new’. Deuteronomy 6:6-8 says,

“These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.”

We talk to our kids about God as we go about our lives. As we talk about what He has done in our lives our kids learn the basic character of God. As they learn the character of God then a foundation forms. When they face trials later in life they know who God is and what He has done because they saw it in their parents.

That’s the best advice I have to offer. Hope it helps.

“We’re taught to do things the right way. But if you want to discover something that other people haven’t, you need to do things the wrong way. Initiate a failure by doing something that’s very silly, unthinkable, naughty, dangerous. Watching why that fails can take you on a completely different path. It’s exciting, actually. “  A quote from Sir James Dyson in a recent interview on FastCompany.com. 

Okay… I’ve got to chew on this one a while. 

At what do I need to fail?  What will I learn?  How might it take me down a completely different path?

Two weeks leading up to Easter schedules are packed. Filled with brief encounters with kids and parents. Kids 6,7, & 8 years of age ready to be baptized.

Asking them questions.

Unpacking their view of Jesus and what He did for them on the cross.

Exploring their capacity to link their own sin from yesterday (”I was disrespectful to mom.”) with what Jesus did on the cross 2,000 years ago (”He died and took away that sin.”)

Those are cool conversations.

Two weekends in a row of watching parents baptize their own child… two weekends in a row of baptizing kids in my ministry whom I’ve watched grow in their relationship with Jesus.

Those are sweet moments.

Two weeks after Easter there’s only one thing left to do…

Laundry!

So sorry, folks. Things have been crazy busy around here.

But… not to worry. I’ve got some stuff brewin’.

This is sweet…

O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.

The promises this Psalm makes to me! I’m walking in this knowledge. I’m allowing it to be all I cling to today. Not looking toward tomorrow. Just today.

1. 2/3 of people accept Christ before the age of 18.
2. Only 1 out of 4 kids that grow up in evangelical churches will accept Christ.
3. If we want to build a bigger tent, the answer isn’t worship–it’s kids.

I love my job. Thanks for posting it, Tony!

I openly admit that I don’t always understand the bible! I love reading the historical books of the Old Testament. There are so many times I step back and laugh at the similarities between myself and the Israelites.

But then there are times when I have to say… “What were they thinking?!?”

Here’s an example:

1 Samuel 12:19 And all the people said to Samuel, ‘Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king.”

Reading Samuel’s response to this statement, I sense a hint of irritation. We all know he’s not in favor of this plan to give the Israelites a king, but he’s doing what God asks of him. Samuel responds to the people by commanding them not to turn away from the Lord but to serve the Lord with their whole heart. He doesn’t mention anything about serving Saul, their new king. He doesn’t mention anything about how Saul fits into that equation… except at the end (vs 25) where he states, “But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.”

So why didn’t the Israelites turn back then? If they were so fearful of the Lord (as in vs 19) then why didn’t they deny Saul as their king and turn back to God? Why did they continue down the path to be like the kingdoms around them while begging God’s forgiveness for doing it?

They’re begging forgiveness for stealing the cookies but won’t take their hand out of the cookie jar! Who has some insight on this?

Now, get to church!