Yippee! It’s the end of the school year! For many parents and children, it’s time to breathe a sigh of relief. Time to prepare to enjoy shorts, swimsuits, and sand. For the children’s minister, though, summer means a busier schedule. Playgrounds and popsicles, VBS, and the dreaded volunteer recruiting for the fall. So, here’s a…
If you’re anything like me, keeping the momentum going in the weeks after Lent is an annual challenge. After all, Lent is one of my favorite seasons to plan for in the church calendar. Yes, Ash Wednesday always comes too quickly and each year I find myself scrambling in January to pull everything together. But…
Who have you seen today? Who have you thought about, talked to, connected with? Who have you passed as you walked, shopped, or went about your day? We ask because we’re wondering. . . who in your life needs the gifts this season brings? Who needs an experience with the gifts this season brings? An experience. ….
Major events… every youth ministry, every children’s ministry, every church has them. Some ministries have one or two, and some ministries are built on almost nothing but them. And these ministries pour their resources into these major events – money, staff hours, volunteer hours, creative juices, facility usage, you name it. And from time to…
It’s May and Spring has sprung! Flowers are pushing up through the earth, the snow has melted, and school is out soon. So, we’re all thinking about planning for the fall, right? Of course not! Many of us in ministry are doing good to keep up with the now; we’ve barely crossed the t’s and…
It was Lent and there was me, talking to our new worship leader, asking him about what we’re going to do to “step it up a notch” this year for Easter. And, as soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted them. Why?Because a belief in Jesus’ resurrection impacts every single moment of every…
Introduction True story. It was the day before Easter, March 30, 1961, and Peter’s 5th birthday had been the day before. It seemed he was on a roll, even though he was in a new community that year. His dad was a minister, and the family had moved to town the summer before. It was…
Have you ever noticed how Paul begins more than half a dozen of his letters? Paul states who he is, because of Christ Paul states who the recipient is, because of Christ Paul gives thanks for the recipient (because of Christ) And then? Paul goes on with his main message. Try something: replace Paul’s name…