Tuesday, November 26, 2013

What Should We Do With Santa Claus?

Christian parents and teachers are always faced with the challenging discussion at Christmas time about what to do with good ole Saint Nick. Should we promote him, or should we only focus on the real Christmas story and the Nativity? Should we tell children about Santa’s existence or not? Our culture promotes the jolly old fellow so strongly I don’t think we can ignore it, but I do believe there are some great ways that children can be taught Santa Claus as a way to celebrate the real meaning of Christmas. One great way to do this is by sharing the actual story of St. Nick (yes, he is actually a real saint!) with our children. 

The real Nicholas was a bishop in Lycia (Turkey) during the 4th century AD who was well-known for his service to the people and his generosity. He was known to secretly place coins in the shoes of people who left them out—thus he became the model for Santa Claus many years later. “Santa Claus” comes from the Dutch Sinterklaas which is actually a misinterpretation of Saint Nicholas. Nevertheless, over time his reputation and stories grew and grew as folklore was added and his works increased in the eyes of the people. After St. Nicholas was venerated as a saint, his feast day was placed on December 6th: once the celebration of St. Nick’s day became more popular in Europe and America as a day to give gifts and fill stockings left out by children with small gifts, Christmas began to merge with this day. Therefore, the story of Santa Claus and Christmas became two December holidays that were forged into one month-long celebration of generosity and joy. 

So you see? The real St. Nick actually embodies much of what our culture celebrates (the whole north pole/reindeer thing was developed in the early 1800s, but he actually was known for wearing a heavy red fur coat due to the cold weather!) but many people may see Christ’s birth and Santa as opposing forces. The truth is, we can use the story of St. Nicholas to further proclaim the real message of Christ’s birth, because St. Nicholas was a devout believer in God and gave generously in order to serve others. He provided small gifts to the poor and gave whatever he could to help people feel merry during this time of year. He is still known as someone who was full-heartedly devoted to his Christian faith; one of his most well-known acts of generosity was buying dowries for three impoverished girls so that they would not have to become prostitutes. 

I know it’s still difficult to try and explain some of these details without forcing children not to believe in Santa (I made a friend of mine cry when I was little when I told him Santa wasn’t real…). However, we simply cannot allow Jesus to be pushed away at Christmas; I know for me, my family never really talked about Santa even though he wasn’t denied, but we always read the Christmas story from Luke 2 on Christmas morning with our family before we could open any presents. Maybe we can explain that the “magic” of St. Nick actually came from his love for God and people. We should be generous because God has blessed us so richly with things we never deserved, and I know that those attributes were impressed upon me from a young age. Hopefully as adults we will be able to impress the same ideals upon our children! What to do with Santa is ultimately the individual parent’s choice, but let’s not replace Christmas with “holidays” or the manger scene with reindeer and a sleigh, for that does injustice to Jesus and to the real St. Nick! Let's all make a special effort to worship Christ's birth and salvation as the only one who could ever save us from our sins!

Friday, October 11, 2013

My Hope with Billy Graham - You can do it!

We have been stressing the importance of My Hope with Billy Graham for a few months now, and ever since we four pastors went to a training meeting back in April (I'll never forget because they fed us the best cookies I've ever had...just saying) we have felt the need and the call to participate in this amazing and powerful opportunity to see the lost come to faith in Jesus here in a few weeks. We have been praying, and our church has been listing names and inviting people already-trusting in the Holy Spirit to provide the conviction and help we need to bring salvation to friends, neighbors, and relatives in our community.Never before have we had a united, national effort to see the lost saved and discipled in Jesus Christ, so I'm excited to see what will happen and how God will transform lives across our nation through this event.
It's simple, really, all we are asking people to do is open their homes and give people an opportunity to watch a 30-minute video featuring powerful testimonies from celebrities such as Lecrae (Christian rapper), Lacey Sturm (Christian band Firefly), David Tyree (NFL), and Jim Munroe (Illusionist). These characters share their stories and how the gospel impacted them at a defining moment, and they gave their hearts to Jesus when nothing else could possibly satisfy. The focus is hope, for we live in a world grasping for some semblance of hope in the world, whether it be through entertainment, pleasure, sports, food, alcohol, success, money, or some other route. Truth is, they'll never find it there. True, lasting hope comes only in the assurance of salvation that Christ gives. Let's pull together and make a difference for Christ in our community by giving the lost an opportunity-we don't save them, we simply give them the gospel. I'm trying my best to meet and invite neighbors, will you too?

Watch, download, and order DVD's from this link

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Bible Apps for Kids!

     While there are plenty of opinions about the use/overuse of technology among children these days, I want to point out some great ways that your iPhone, iPad, or other device can be used to teach children Christian values and about the Bible while still providing that waiting-room/in-the-car/bored at the store level of entertainment and commitment. There is a lot of good that can come from such incredible technology, so let's be sure to use it to allow children to connect with God's Word and with Jesus so that their faith can be matured literally anywhere and at anytime.Below I've listed a few of the best apps that I have used myself and some educated opinions on them. If you're kids already play on your phone or iPad regularly, why not use that time to have fun while learning the Bible?

1. Children's Bible Games & Activities (Barcelona Media)
      As one of the highest rated Bible apps for kids, this game-based app engages children with Bible truths and stories through over 300 games and 60 comic-book style Bible stories. Guaranteed enjoyment for kids around 6 or 7 and up. Full version with all packs is $10 but a trial version with 15 games can be downloaded for free and then additional packs can be purchased in-app. Visit this site for a full review and information.

2. Granny's Bible Dojo
     What could be more awesome than a karate-fighting wise sage of a grandma to teach the books of the Bible? This app is designed to help anyone learn the books of the Bible and their order through a fun game setup. $1.99 in the App Store.

3. Olive Tree Bible Study
     While not designed as a kids' app, this is by far the best free Bible/Bible Study app I have ever used. Features the KJV and ESV for free with tools such as notes, bookmarks, highlighting, and more! Can be used by children and adults alike for an accessible way to always have the Bible at your fingertips. Other Bibles and resources can be purchased in-app as well.

4. Bible Time
     This is a fun, interactive, and challenging Bible app for children ages 5 and up. Involves games, puzzles, and stories to teach the Bible and basic Christian truths. Users can recreate Bible scenes using props. $2.99 in the app store - see it here

5. Children's Bible (Barcelona Media)
      There really is not another kids Bible in digital form that compares to this app. Featuring thousands of comics and pictures of Bible stories, this app allows kids to read and look through the whole Bible in a fun way. Free to try, $20 for everything including a video Bible, but it also provides cheaper options for separate parts of the Bible.See it here

Thursday, April 18, 2013

What makes VBS so special?

   Preparing for VBS is no easy task: it takes months of thinking, planning, recruiting, and preparing for a five-night, epic adventure where children will see the truth of the gospel and experience it in a fun, fast-paced, and interactive environment. Some may question the value of putting so much time, effort, and money in to such a production, but they miss the point and I believe it's easy for adults to forget what it was like to be a child. Children learn in different ways and respond better with some of their senses than others. For instance, when we have the kids at VBS follow up their Bible study with a unique craft that expresses the same principles, some children have a "light-bulb" moment and they get the point of the lesson because they are creative or hands-on responders. Other kids light up during the time of music, and some even respond well to their sense of taste, remembering that gooey green snack they had and how it related to the message about sin and salvation. Still another child responds well when the teachers use colorful posters and activity sheets because their minds hone in on visual-oriented data as opposed to only hearing a lesson.
     This is why I love Bible School so much, because it draws in children and families from all over the community, and for many kids this is one of the only chances they have throughout the year to hear the truth of the gospel and be given an opportunity to respond to that message and commit their lives to Christ. Every year we see children take that step of faith-and it's not because the message of the gospel is watered down for them, it's because their experience lit up all of their senses and the condition of their hearts and their need for a savior was painted right before their eyes! Now is the time to be praying for God to use Kingdom Chronicles this year to teach children and youth the importance of knowing what truth is, how to defend it, and how to share it with others. Out goal is to see our children "put on the whole armor of God" as they learn to be a defender of truth and a herald for the gospel message wherever they go in life. So whether your child learns by seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, or tasting, Vacation Bible School provides the opportunity for them to encounter Jesus and know in their hearts the truth of God's Word. It's sure to be a royally fun time!!

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

I Love My Bible - Kids in Worship

Now that we have a firm grasp on what it means to have an Amazing Faith, our kids are going to begin studying why the Bible is so important, and how it can transform every aspect of our lives. This is why our next series is called I Love My Bible, and we are going to dive right into God's Word and see how God's Word is like bread, light, a shield, a sword, etc. Each week focuses on a key metaphor for God's revealed word to mankind, and we'll learn how the Bible is so much more than a book we have on a shelf or an ancient text for special occasions, but rather that the Bible is living and powerful just as Hebrews 4:12 says.

This is why I want every kid to have their own Bible and to bring it with them every Sunday night! Even if they can't read the words, I want kids to know the value and significance of having God's literal Words to us in their grasp. I can still remember doing Bible Drills for the first time when I was in third grade, and it was then that I began to see how important God's Word was, not just for church, but for everyday life. When we move from reading God's Word to actually believing it, then we have reached the point where we can exclaim that the Bible is living and powerful! I Love My Bible is much deeper than a love for a good book, it's a desire and a thirst for God's Word to fulfill a child's life, to give them the courage to be a bold witness, and to understand their own need for salvation through Jesus.

Thursday, February 7, 2013

What Makes a Small Group Worth it?

The concept of small groups, community groups, life groups, or whatever kind of title you may like best is an explosive, powerful tool being used by many churches today. Oddly enough, the New Testament church in Acts is our prime example of this movement. For them, as we see in Acts 2:42-47, church was far from a gathering of hundreds of people in a large, ornate structure once a week. They were being the church every single day of the week. The Bible says that everyday they were continuing to meet in the temple courts, discussing their faith and sharing it with passers-by. It makes sense that churches are seeking alternatives to the Sunday morning routine and looking for ways where people can connect on deeper levels without the constraint of time or tradition. However, I do believe that a Sunday School class can be just as much of a small group as any other, for what matters is the mindset of those involved. Time, place, and environment shouldn't be as important as the relationships built and the growth which occurs from such a group although they can serve as important indicators of the goals and focus of the group.

Our young couples class has been working through several weeks of discussion, solely based on how churches are reaching the younger generation and what it takes to truly be an effective, Acts 2 type of group. We've discovered and worked through five distinctions that make a church and a small group appealing to the younger generation. The list is surprising, but the statistics and interviews validate these opinions given by 20-29 year old's who do not attend church. The five things are: to experience worship, a focus on service, meaningful content, discipleship, and authenticity & transparency. This is the environment that promotes unity, growth, and honest relationships built on trust and the Holy Spirit. I want the church to reach out to the younger generation, not so that they will be a part of our group, but so that they will experience the love of Christ they so desperately need. We don't have to build a new building or wear t-shirts, we simply need to model ourselves after the original church...the one that met in homes to share life and to glorify God in everything they did. I'm willing to get out of my comfort zone to reach them...are you?

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

New Year = New Perspective

A new year, for most people, means we get to do the same things over again...and thus the cycle continues, but I am pushing for a new perspective this year in Kids Ministry at Millers Creek. Instead of teaching random or simplistic biblical lessons each week, our kids are going to be diving deep into the Word and learning how to develop and take hold of their own personal faith in God. Our teaching time will be series based, and we'll work our way through some fantastic lessons and truths beginning with Amazing Faith! This series is all about what it means to have faith...we use that word an awful lot but I don't believe that children can really describe what it means to have a personal, individual faith. Sure they know some basic ideas about believing in Jesus, but we will be learning what it means to understand God's promises and then access them like Jesus did when he came to earth and served in the power of His own faith in the Father. My desire as the children's pastor is that each child understands what it means to have a personal faith in Jesus, and then I want them to be able to use that faith to walk in the power of the spirit! Amazing Faith is all about trusting God, understanding his promises, and then unlocking the powerful effects of having faith. I'm very excited to see the Lord work in the hearts and minds of our youngest ones, and hopefully that will make an impression on the hearts of parents, classmates, and friends all over the community.


Kids in Worship is a constantly growing, changing animal, and my hope and prayer is that we will continue to work toward the best possible environment for the kids to learn and grow in the Lord. I will keep processing different changes that are needed to promote better behavior, interaction, and listening as the year moves forward. I am fully confident that God will do some great things in the lives of the people at Millers Creek, and the staff will be working hard to ensure that the congregation and families are growing and seeking the Lord even harder than last year!