Last week I posted about hooks in ministry.  Read it here to catch up.

Hooks are important in ministry b/c most people know what they want, but don’t know what they need.  I need a good hook to gain parents’ attention in order to expand their vision for their family.  The best hook in my tackle box for a young family is Child Dedications.

Child Dedications is a natural draw because:

• It’s the ’shiny’ moment where the parents showcase their child/family.
• Parents want to express their sincere intent to do what is best for their child.
• Parents are hungry for direction.

How do we know parents are hungry?

• They’ll pay $25 for the book, “What to Expect When Expecting”
• They study the origins of names searching for the perfect one
• They’ll tour the hospital BEFORE giving birth to their first-born

For the record… once you reach child #3… things change a little:

• That $25 book becomes a booster seat for the toddler
• Your kindergartner chooses the name based upon his favorite movie character.  And that’s how you have a child named Jack-Jack
• The hospital tour occurs while you’re pacing the halls in the midst of labor

But I digress.  Back to my point… Parents are willing to jump through a few hoops to participate in an event like Child Dedications.  So it should be more than just an isolated event.  Child Dedications should be a  process that lead mom and dad to embrace a God-sized vision for their family.  I’ll unpack my process for Child Dedications, but I’d like to hear your thoughts first.  No lurking. What’s the most important thing you want parents to know when they walk away from your Child Dedication event?

• came home to a natural gas leak. ONG guys is here. #
• check out todays post on http://www.jabberfrog.com. The Jonathan Cliff shares some thoughts on comparison. #kidmin #
• Are you using @MrTweet yet? Besides recommending you to relevant folks, he also helps you discover them as well! http://mrtweet.net?v=12 #
• writing, reading and generally catching up before sleep overtakes. Won’t be long. #

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Do you ever compare yourself to others? I do. I’ll go ahead and admit that I sometimes try and size up people in the first few minutes with one standard-bearing question: Are they better than me, or am I better than them? It’s all very subjective, I don’t literally wonder if I’m a better person than someone; but I do wonder if my house is bigger, if my salary is larger, if my church is more heavily attended, if my marriage is healthier, and any other way that I could possibly walk away with a win in this dangerous “compare game.”

Now that you’ve lost total respect for me as a human being, let me say that I believe when you are left to your own human devices, that you are the exact same way. Think about it, how do you feel when you come back from a mission trip where you saw children without adequate clothes and housing? You feel terrible and sad, and leave with an appreciation for NOT being where they are, doing what they are doing. And how do you feel when you leave the dinner party of some fabulously rich medical professional? You feel terrible and sad, and leave with an appreciation for all they have that I do NOT have yet. If you’re not this person, then thank God for people like you.

As I’ve matured and grown to accept my place in the world (cue the Michael W. Smith song), I’ve learned to rise above this stupid “Compare Game.” I’m grown tired of trying to measure myself against the things and people I have no control over. As I read 2 Corinthians 10:12 from The Message Bible, I’m reminded that to compare myself with others is totally missing the point.

2 Corinthians 10:12 “But in all this comparing and grading and competing, they quite miss the point.”

Here are four reasons why the “Compare Game” is a losing proposition:

1. I unfairly compare myself to others. I can’t compare my 2 year journey through Bible College with the Doctor that spent 10 years in medical school. Apples and oranges my friend.
   
2. I compare the GAINS of others and not the LOSSES. We do such a great job sometimes of covering the losses of others, and only seeing the positive. Some people have much more than me, because they’ve given up much more than me.
   
3. I tend to overlook my own personal success. I have been good at some things, but when I play the compare game I’m often leaving my own success hidden in the background.
   
4. I disapprove of my own choices. When I fail to take ownership of my own choices in life, then it become easy to be the loser when playing the compare game.

On this great journey of being myself, may the Lord help me to see myself in the light of his wonderful grace and never-ending mercy. I’m striving to only compare myself with the perfect one, Jesus. In this game I always fall short, but it has never kept me from Him.

• took a nap today. 2 hours. Wow. That felt good. #

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• #kidmin #cmMP. We launch a new series tomorrow called “Boys vs Girls”. Our main point is to prove that girls are better than boys. #

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• LC.tv peeps! I nd a neat-freak volunteer to organize some spaces in LifeKIDS! Spread the word and let me know. #
• taking the weekend of with my family. Turned off my work email on my phone. That felt good. #
• clearly need to choose more engaging movie for the trip home. The natives are restless. #

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Leadership is a common theme at LifeChurch.tv.  It’s a significant part of our staff culture.  Look at my book shelf in my office and you’ll find a plethora of books with a leadership theme.  Check out my Google Reader and it’s loaded with leadership blogs to follow.  Though there is no official leadership training in our organization, it clearly shapes me and my role within LC.  I value the leadership investment I’ve received in the past 8 years.  Yet I’m in a season where I notice a trend in my leadership.  Understanding the value of leadership, I will  tackle hard conversations head on… dig into challenging situations.  But my pastoral approach isn’t where it could be.  This an area I want to grow in this year.

So… acknowledging that what I read strongly influences how I grow, I want to focus on pastoral care materials for a season. What pastoral care books do you recommend?

• long line at Starbucks. #

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In-roads.  On-ramps.  Avenues.

I can be creative with the term.  When it comes down to it, the goal is the same.  Create an entry point to my ministry inserting the participant on a journey.  A pilgrimage toward loving the Lord their God with all their heart, mind and strength… and loving others more than they love themselves.  If I’m honest I’ll be on this pilgrimage for as long as I draw breath.

The process has been on my mind a lot lately.  Grasping a God-sized vision for families in my ministry… in my community.  What are the entry points that will attract their attention, capture their imagination, then engage them on a journey to willingly and deliberately live their lives differently?

My current hook is Child Dedications.  I’ll share some of my thoughts over a series of scattered posts.  (I’m not trapped by linear thinking )  They’ll all fall under the category titled Child Dedications, so click on the category link and you’ll be up to date.

• shoutin’ from the rooftops! Better yet, the twitter-tops. Toni Quinton says she’s cold. Known the woman for 6 yrs. She’s NEVER cold! #
• @kylemcclain says, “Just b/c a thought rolls through your mind, doesn’t mean it should go on Twitter.”. I said, “Wha?” #

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