14 Ways to "Blow" Your Children's Ministry - Label People

When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, He said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.  38 This is the greatest and most important command.  39 The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:37-39 HCSB) Of course we all want to believe this is what we do; love our neighbors as ourselves. But do we really? If we do not, then we are absolutely, "blowing" our Children's Ministries.

In the article I've been "tweeking" from an article about marriage to one about Children's Ministry, the author said if we call our spouse names, we are "blowing" our marriage. He is right. The same is true in Children's Ministry. If we call names . . . or "label" people, we are "blowing" our Children's Ministry. So, how and when might you "label" people? Consider the following . . . 

14 Ways to "Blow" Your Children's Ministry . . . Be Lazy

As we look at another way to "blow" our Children's Ministries today, lets think for a minute about how being lazy will damage, or "blow", our Children's Ministry.

In the article on marriage, the author said to stop "yelling". He said this wasn't the type of yelling which is angry or abusive, but the yelling when you "yell" from one room to another, because you are too lazy to get up and go get or find out something for yourself. So, how are we "lazy" in our Children's Ministry? Consider these ways . . .

Help Wanted!

For a few months now I've been working on a new writing project; it's title is, "The DNA of a Praying Grandparent". In this book I will be sharing the "Prayer Histories" of people in the Bible who prayed, people through time who prayed and people from today who prayed and talk about how to develop a life of prayer, live as a person who prays and reproduce this life of prayer in the children and grandchildren who come behind us.

I would love to be able to include the true, "Prayer Histories" of real people and how God answered their prayers - or the prayers of their grandparents. If you have a "Prayer History" of your own or your family's - or know someone who does - and would be willing to share it, please email me - lyndagcj@gmail.com

I shared about how God answered my grandparent's prayer a few weeks ago - you will find it at this link taken from a book about my grandparents, Clarence and Faye Fullmer, written by my sister (Clarence & Faye - copyright 2016 by Loretta Baughan). 

14 Ways to "Blow" Your Children's Ministry - Stop Doing the Little Things

As we continue to think about things we do - or do not do - which result in us "blowing" our ministry, this one is a big thing . . . even though it is about the little things.

In the post about ways to "blow" a marriage, the writer said when he stopped cooking for his wife he was blowing his marriage. In marriage, little things can easily become big things. 

This is absolutely true in Children's Ministry, too. When we stop doing the little things it is definitely a way to "blow" our Children's Ministry. So, to keep your focus on the "little things", consider the following . . . 

14 Ways to "Blow" Your Children's Ministry - Be Negative

As we continue to look at ways "we can keep from 'blowing' our Children's Ministry" today let's think about, "Being Negative".

14 Ways to "Blow" Your Children's Ministry . . . Stop Making Your Ministry "Attractive"

As I said the other day, there are ways we can keep from "blowing" our Children's Ministry, so today let's think about, "Stop Making Your Ministry 'Attractive'".

14 Ways to "Blow" Your Children's Ministry . . . Lose Focus on the Personal "Touch"

Last year my daughter-in-law posted an article on her fb entitled; "16 Ways I Blew My Marriage". It gave married couples a lot to think about in regards to keeping their marriage strong. 

As I read through and thought about it, it occurred to me, some of these might apply to how we can keep from "blowing" our Children's Ministry, so I adapted the article and came up with 14 Ways to "Blow" Your Children's Ministry, which I shared with you or two weeks. I'm going to share them with you again for the next 14 days, because I think it is helpful to remind ourselves of these 14 things . . . starting today with, "Lose Focus on the Personal 'Touch'".

Love is More Important than Anything Else

There are many things to love about church, but one which we do not love is church politics, which often show up in the way we treat each other. 

Today I want to spend a little time in Colossians 3:10-17 and see what God's Word tells us to do . . . if we do these things, church politics will not be a problem in our children's ministries.

God's Grace Requires Us to Show Grace

I read something from UpWords with Max Lucado. He said, "So, how often do you sin, hmm… in an hour?  For the sake of discussion, let’s say ten times an hour.  Ten sins an hour, times sixteen waking hours, times 365 days a year, times the average life span of 74 years.  I’m rounding the total off to 4,300,000 sins per person!  How do you plan to pay God for your 4.3 million sin increments?  You’re swimming in an ocean of debt. But God pardons the zillion sins of selfish humanity.  He forgives sixty million sin-filled days.  He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where He always wanted us to be.  And He did it by the grace of Jesus Christ."

If we are Christians, then we have been the recipients of God's incredible grace, pardon and forgiveness. Do we freely offer this grace, pardon and forgiveness we have received to those who hurt, offend, upset or wound us? Are our lives marked by grace - not only receiving it, but in generously giving it to others? Consider the following -

A Danger to Beware Of . . .

I'm all for striving for excellence in ministry. We want our children's and family ministries to be excellent, but as we strive for this "excellence" there is something we have to beware of. Something which can cause great damage. This "something" is our own ego.

Have you ever heard a church leader say they do not want someone else to do something in the ministry unless they can prove they can do it as well - or better - than they can? This is ego talking. It certainly is not the Spirit of God talking. This kind of "ego" often leads to "hogging" ministry to yourself or micro-managing and both of these things lead to discouragement and pain among those who God sent to serve in your ministry.

Happy 4th of July!

I hope you have a wonderful 4th of July filled with children, grandchildren, cookouts and a reflection on the freedom we enjoy in this country and through Christ! 

This is from the Legacy Coalition facebook page and I thought I'd share it with you today! Feel free to share it with the people you know!www.LegacyGrandparentingSummit.com

One More Thought about Church Politics

I've been writing about church politics, how to spot it and how to eliminate it. We've looked at Colossians 3 to see how God's Word tells us to "stop it" and gives us the remedy for it, "love is more important than anything else." Today I want to take one more look at Colossians 3 and a challenge to us to see how church politics harms children.

Stop and think about it. When we have a situation in our churches where "politics" influences what we do, this has an impact on the children. Consider the following -

Stop It!

So, yesterday I wrote about church politics and the damage it causes in churches and to people; today I want to write about how to identify church politics. Look at Colossians 3:8. 9, " 8 But now you must stop doing such things. You must quit being angry, hateful, and evil. You must no longer say insulting or cruel things about others. 9 And stop lying to each other. You have given up your old way of life with its habits."