Kid's Church Altar Times

We started our series in Kid's Church yesterday on Thanksgiving. We talked about being thankful before God did something. Told the story in Daniel 2. We talked about how we control our decisions but God controls our situations. I told them we can trust God in all situations because he is in control. We need to thank God because he is always going to do us right. Then, I asked the kids if they had something they were praying for like a unsaved family member or friend. I had them respond for prayer to give thanks for things they believed God was going to do. We had 20-25 kids respond. They came filing out of the bleachers and I told the rest of the kids if they had friends down they could come pray for them too. We had about 40 kids in the altar praying for the next 20 minutes. There is something special seeing kids praying for other kids. I know in many situations, "Altar" time is lost because of time or small groups or many other reasons. Altar times are important to the spiritual growth of kids and the church in general. 

Salvation, healing, baptism in the Holy Spirit, forgiveness, and any number of other supernatural things can happen in an altar setting. I see it happen at camp every year. I see it in our kids church all the time. Altar times teach kids three major things though. 

1. It is okay to pray for someone. 

I try and specifically tell kids that worship time is between them and God. So often, kids will start hanging or hugging on each other during worship songs. We tell them all the time that isn't the time for that. That time is designed for them to sing to God themselves corporately. If we don't create altar times for kids then they never understand the importance of laying hands on someone as they pray for somebody. 

2. It creates a community.

It is impossible to get mad at someone when you have to turn around and pray for them. We want to create communities inside our church. Altar times where kids pray for kids can create that. Many times, kids will let barriers down to pray for others. Kid's that may have thought no one cares about them will completely change their minds when someone prays for them. 

3. It teaches intercession. 

It is important to create times where kids are not rushed through a prayer. Times to cry. Times to wait on the Lord. Create times to sit in the Lord's presence. Way to often our prayers for meals and even in service for offering or service opening become robotic. Intercession becomes lost on kids in this instant gratification society. 

Many times pastors are bad about saying something is important to them but never take valuable time to put toward it. I believe kids innately understand this. My own kids understand they are important because I take time for them. The kids in our kids church will pick up on that too. We must find times to allow the altar time for kids or it will be lost on this generation and that would be a shame. 

The Thing That Struck Me Most This Weekend

This weekend had so much going on I really had a hard time writing about it. Friday night, we had a great "Festifall".  We moved everything outside. It was a great, the best attended Halloween event since I have been at 1st. Saturday, I competed in my first Crossfit Competition, the Power Output Challenge. It was so much stinking fun. I need to work on rope climbs but I did come in 6th in one of the events. It is so much fun to be apart of that community. Sunday, we had a great group of kids and Kid's Church ran smooth. Ate lunch with some friends that were here visiting from out of town. Then, Sunday afternoon I attended the funeral of one of our former staff members. That funeral struck me most today as I contemplated my weekend. 

Pastor Cecil was our visitation pastor when I moved to SanAntonio. Since he has been sick the last few weeks I have thought of the different times we spoke. I always really appreciated his wisdom in staff meetings. I knew when I spoke in Bible Study if he complimented me it really meant something. I won't ever forget teaching in Adult Bible Study and him looking at Opal during my closing prayer and telling her to turn her phone off because it rang. 

I was struck yesterday though not by my memories, they are very special to me. I was struck by the heritage his family presented at the funeral. His granddaughter spoke of ministry and his sons spoke of his relationship with Christ. If anyone ever says generations are not effected by the witness of parents and grandparents they are truly mistaken. I knew Pastor Cecil lived it. His kids and grandkids knew that too. They knew when they needed prayer they could call him because he had a direct line to God. They understood when he spoke, he understood the will of God.

I pray my kids know that of me. I pray my children know the moment struggles come they can come to me for prayer. I pray that my family sees me as a light. I hope that when I am older I can look at the generations of my family and they see me as a real follower of Christ. I think that's the important legacy for anyone. Thanks Pastor Cecil for being such an example even after you reached your goal, heaven.