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?
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!
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!
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Summer 2013 Big Dates and Events!
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| CentriKid Website! |
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Falling Forward
The Kids' room at MCBC is completely ready, for now, with the walls displaying their bright colors and with random furniture and decorations to make it feel more like a true kids room! Below are some pics of the nearly finished product.
Hopefully in the future there will be a few additions to optimize the space, including a TV, sound system, and some new signs which are right now in the process of being made for us. I went with the Kove as the theme, not only because it is downstairs in a musty basement...but because I wanted the kids to identify with their own area where they can play, worship, and learn about Jesus-a place where they will search for the truth and discover new treasures about the Christian life. I was reminded of the imagery of Treasure Island, the Sci-Fi channel mini-series based off of the old novel. Bandits and merchants alike sought out the coveted mound of endless gold treasures, but they couldn't reach it without a very difficult boat ride through tumultuous seas and many quarrels and disputes amongst themselves. Likewise, being a kid is all about discovery, whether it is how the world works, how our minds work, or discovering the truth of the gospel, my job is to facilitate that discovery. By providing a place of their own to which they identify, by challenging their hearts with Scripture memory and lessons geared toward finding truth, and by a fun, interactive environment, my goal is to see children discover for themselves who Jesus really is and how He can radically change their life, like finding the treasure on a lost island. For many it will be a difficult journey faced with various decisions and trials, but my prayer and hope is that the Kove and the Kids Ministry at Millers Creek will develop children and young adults who love the Lord and love His people.
~ Pastor Jared
Hopefully in the future there will be a few additions to optimize the space, including a TV, sound system, and some new signs which are right now in the process of being made for us. I went with the Kove as the theme, not only because it is downstairs in a musty basement...but because I wanted the kids to identify with their own area where they can play, worship, and learn about Jesus-a place where they will search for the truth and discover new treasures about the Christian life. I was reminded of the imagery of Treasure Island, the Sci-Fi channel mini-series based off of the old novel. Bandits and merchants alike sought out the coveted mound of endless gold treasures, but they couldn't reach it without a very difficult boat ride through tumultuous seas and many quarrels and disputes amongst themselves. Likewise, being a kid is all about discovery, whether it is how the world works, how our minds work, or discovering the truth of the gospel, my job is to facilitate that discovery. By providing a place of their own to which they identify, by challenging their hearts with Scripture memory and lessons geared toward finding truth, and by a fun, interactive environment, my goal is to see children discover for themselves who Jesus really is and how He can radically change their life, like finding the treasure on a lost island. For many it will be a difficult journey faced with various decisions and trials, but my prayer and hope is that the Kove and the Kids Ministry at Millers Creek will develop children and young adults who love the Lord and love His people.
~ Pastor Jared
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Revival: more than an event
Once again we've come to the season of church revivals, a time where congregations typically call in an outside speaker to come and bring the heat, so to speak, with the intention of stirring up revival and a renewed spirit within the people of the church. Historically, revival was never a planned event, and it happened beginning in the hearts of people through the work of the Holy Spirit. While having these events in churches is great, it requires great scrutiny, planning, and most importantly fervent prayer beforehand. This October, Millers Creek will be hosting the Life Action team, a group of 20+ individuals who are missionaries in this group for the sole purpose of stirring revival and ministry in the local church. The advantage of having this team is that they are trained, and handle all aspects of the church from preschool through adult ministry. This also removes the burden of planning and organization off of the church staff and volunteers so that they can spend more time spiritually preparing the people and themselves for the event.
The children have a special opportunity in this as well, for the Life Action team also has five children's ministers whose only role is leading and ministering to the children each night of revival. They will be setting up their own rooms and creating an exciting atmosphere for the children each session. This will be more like an intense, 4-day VBS for the kids instead of them having to sit in the main service each night; providing such an atmosphere will hopefully create a sense of spiritual renewal and excitement in the kids as well...and while I may be biased, I believe that the spiritual strength of the young ones can transform an entire church from the inside out. Therefore, in order for this revival to be successful, we all must be in prayer until then, starting now, so that the Spirit can prepare us to receive the truth we need to hear; and boy, do we need revival in Millers Creek just as badly as anywhere else in this country.
Below are some pics and info about the upcoming revival and team so that you can be familiar and be praying for them already!
The children have a special opportunity in this as well, for the Life Action team also has five children's ministers whose only role is leading and ministering to the children each night of revival. They will be setting up their own rooms and creating an exciting atmosphere for the children each session. This will be more like an intense, 4-day VBS for the kids instead of them having to sit in the main service each night; providing such an atmosphere will hopefully create a sense of spiritual renewal and excitement in the kids as well...and while I may be biased, I believe that the spiritual strength of the young ones can transform an entire church from the inside out. Therefore, in order for this revival to be successful, we all must be in prayer until then, starting now, so that the Spirit can prepare us to receive the truth we need to hear; and boy, do we need revival in Millers Creek just as badly as anywhere else in this country.
Below are some pics and info about the upcoming revival and team so that you can be familiar and be praying for them already!
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Revamping the KidMin Room
We are currently in the process of painting and reworking a kids room exclusively for use by Kids in Worship. The process will hopefully be completed by the end of September 2012 and create an awesome new environment for Kids in Worship, providing a place with which the kids can identify and enjoy as their own place of worship and learning at the church. The name will be The Kids Kove and it will feature some new technology, bright colors, and fun furniture and decorations for today's modern kids. You can also follow Beth Blair's feed as she will be posting pictures and updates as we progress:
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