Do They Get It?

I spent the last couple of weeks at Family and Kid's Camp. Had a blast. God moved in the lives of so many kids this week. It was great. It is always so cool to see how God can move in so many unique ways at camp. That is a different blog than this one today. It will probably be next week actually. A couple from our church came and served with us at camp this week. They were wanting to come because their daughter was going to have her first camp experience. Their daughter has "special needs". She is great. I love this kid. She walks into kid's church like any other kid. She sings the songs and does the motions. She listens more attentively than almost any kid I have in Kid's Church. I was excited she was going to get to experience camp with us. 

Last night, as our kids were praying in the altar, her mom came up to me and asked if I could explain to her daughter about Jesus. She didn't think as much as she had heard about Jesus and spiritual things that she gets it. I called the little girl over and asked her some questions, mostly got "yeah" answers. It was sweet. I never got a real long answer from her. She never really gave me a long answer to any open ended questions you ask kids to see if they get it. (What did Jesus do? Who is Jesus? How do you get to Heaven? etc.) I prayed with her when I was done talking. Her Mom sat there as I was talking to her just listening intently. 

The Mom and I sat and talked for a few minutes after I prayed with her daughter. Her concern, "Does my daughter get it? Does she truly understand all this stuff?" I know this kid, I have seen her worship. She listens to me speak every Sunday. Does she truly get all the concepts of faith? I don't know, but do any of us really ever truly get it. I know so many Biblical concepts that I still shake my head and want to ask Jesus about when we get to Heaven. 

I do know that Romans 10: 17 says, "Faith comes from hearing the message. And the message that is heard is the word of Christ." I know she hears but does she understand? I believe on her level she does. I know that we all have different capacities for learning. I believe our faith and our understanding should coincide with that. In her case she may not cognitively get every abstract topic that goes along with spiritual understanding but if I ask her, "Do you love Jesus?" Her answer is, "Yes".  

All this for me to say this, I never thought about parents with special needs kids wondering, does my kid get it. I never considered the questions of some of these parents who look at their sweet children and wonder will they get it enough to spend eternity in Heaven. I can imagine them being concerned about physical well being and educational ability. It just hit me like a ton of bricks though as I heard this Mom concerned for the spiritual understanding of her kid. Let me put it like this, if you are telling them about Jesus, reading God's word to them, and taking them to church to hear God loves them, then yes they get it. They get it in their own special way. God loves them just as much and probably more then any other kids out there. To all parent's of special needs kids, pick your chin up God loves you and your child and wants you to know that he loves them too. 

Sports Camp Ponderings

This week we tried our Mega Sports Camp off campus. It was a great week. Here at the church we are very limited on what we can do just because we don't have big fields. I found a park with fields for soccer and football. It has black tops for basketball. We put the cheerleaders in a clearing and brought mats for them (on the days it didn't rain) and had the preschoolers at picnic tables. It was a great event. The Texas heat was pretty good to us (a couple of the kids may not agree with that). The kids that came all seemed to have fun. It just makes me think. 

As a young Pastor, I was always trying to do stuff that got people on campus. I did and still do a fall festival. I do Easter egg hunts. I have done VBS and other events at church like concerts and such. The thing I was wondering was do people know what those things are?

I noticed as I tagged people in pictures and saw pictures on Facebook from the week that people asked what is VBS? I had people that came up from the neighborhood and ask what we were doing? We invited them to join us. I was very proud of members from our team that talked to people in the neighborhood. Do people in the Post Christian Era still know what we are doing as a church? 

Do they see the church as a refuge for hurting or just another building? I think we have to create events like the one we did this week where we are seen by people who don't know what we are doing. We go on mission trips and we go to other areas many times to help out, but the church is becoming a building that people see and not a place that people can come find peace. I think in the day we are in we have to create opportunities to represent the church outside of our church to reach the lost, even kids. It is sad but we are quickly coming to an age when kids won't know what Sunday School is or many of the church standards that were commonplace in our vocabularies. We have to do things outside to draw people inside. 

I don't like being told what to do...

My son Cooper was mowing the yard the other day.  This Summer it is exclusively his gig. I have let him help with sections in the past but mowing has been officially added to his list of chores. Bill or I will go out and watch him or check for some missed spots as he is mowing, but I am trying to let him learn how take care of the yard. The first week he was mowing, I watched him just go all over the yard making more turns than and curves than a trip going up the side of a mountain in Colorado. I looked at him and said, "Son, you have to mow straight or you are going to miss some sections". He quickly respond with, "Dad, I am not the kind of guy to go in a straight line".  I didn't know if I should laugh or if I should whip his behind. I just shook my head, chuckled, and told him he was gonna have to go back and fix his spots he misses because he doesn't go in a straight line. I think there is part of that in all of us though. We like to change who we are or go against the flow just because we don't want to be told what to do. 

The Washington Redskins may lose millions of dollars just because they won't change their name. (Thanks to the US Patent office revoking some of their patent.) Daniel Snyder, the Redskins owner, from what I can tell won't change mainly because he just doesn't want to be told what to do. He wants to make a point. He doesn't want to go in the straight line like everyone else. He is gonna have to pay some for that but he seems to think it is worth it. 

Honestly, I think Cooper comes by his dislike of going in straight lines honestly. I don't really like being told what to do. You just have to understand their are always consequences to not going with the flow. You have to work harder for one. It may cost you something. In Coop's case he had to go back over some spots he missed. In the Redskins case, I am already printing out Redskins Suck T-Shirts and don't have to worry about paying for the right to print them. (Just Kidding but I know someone has already started that)

The good thing about not going with the flow or doing it your way, you may end up finding a new better way to do something. You may make a stand for something whether it be good or bad. We do have to understand God has place spiritual authority over us to keep us going the right direction but we have to understand who that is and when that is applicable. David understood that Saul was in authority over him as king so he spared his life but you can't say that he did everything Saul asked him to do. He was more interested in what God had called him to do. 

As a parent, we need to understand the fine line between our kids being human and rebelling them trying to understand how things are supposed to be done. None of us really like being told what to do. Sometimes, we have to let them learn that straight lines are better. 

Communicate...Don't Strike Out!

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 

James 1: 19-20

I was coaching my son’s baseball team when I looked at a child (not my son) right before he went to bat and said, “Don’t swing right away because the pitcher hasn’t thrown a strike this entire inning”. He looked at me and replied, “My mom is getting us pizza for dinner”. The boy walked up to the plate and swung at his first three pitches.  I don’t think he heard what I was saying. He had other things on his mind. He wanted to tell me what was on his mind instead of listening to my instructions. In families, our attempts at communication are many times just white noise in the background. 

Be quick to listen. The key to communication is listening. We can say stuff all day long it is just talking to ourselves until someone is listening. So often, we find ourselves looking at someone but never truly connecting with what they have to say. In families, if we don’t truly listen it leads to arguments. Lack of communication leads to confusion. Bad communication leads to striking out in three pitches. 

Take time out. Focus on each other. Listen to what each other has to say. Kid’s, your parents know what they are talking about. Parents, your kids want to hear about your day. Spouses, share your hopes. Communicate with each other it helps things go run better. 

What not to do if I ever became a Senior Pastor...

I want to begin this by saying, "My Pastor generally does "NOT" do these things". 

When I was an intern, the Pastor I worked with told me to keep two files in your drawer that had nothing to do with the things that are general working files. One file was for "Thank You" notes. I keep that file in the back of my drawer right in front of my file of comic books. If I have a bad day or ever think that I am doing a poor job or feel like I am not getting through, then I go to that file. It makes my day to see parent's and kid's notes. To me, that file is priceless. The greatest pick me up and inspiration I could possibly have is in that file because it reminds me of what God has done through the ministry I have done. The second file I keep is a file of things I would never do as a Senior Pastor (or at least I would hope I would never do). These are things that may deal with staff relations, leadership style, sermon types, etc. I was talking with a couple of other Kid's pastors and other guys and felt inspired to share some of my big time never do's. I want to add, I have no plans of ever becoming a "Grown Up" Pastor. It is just not something God has ever given me the desire to do. 

Associate Pastors Can Not Save A Situation

Don't hire staff as a "Hail Mary Pass". If you are Pastoring a church in any situation, It rises and falls with God first but leadership will always affect the situation. I don't believe God has called every church to become a mega church. I do believe God has called every church to be a healthy church where people are getting saved regularly. I do believe God has called every church to be doing something of purpose. If your church is struggling to grow, don't put stress on it by hiring extra staff to see if that can get you out of a slump. Hiring staff can seem like a great way to excite people and spread the load of responsibility. It can also add stress to an already stressful situation. It is kind of like a family I knew once that couldn't pay their bills, neither of the parents worked because of disabilities, and yet they still kept popping kids out like no bodies business. They couldn't feed the ones they had but they just kept having kids.

Most likely if you are struggling you are stressed and that probably isn't the greatest environment for any young pastor. Let's be honest if that is your situation, you are hiring a young guy. You are not going to be able and find an established associate that knows how to ask questions and what to look for in a healthy situation. Young pastors need to be in situations where they can get wins. If their salary is strapping their budget (what budget? in most cases) they will be worried about so many other things mainly surviving  than getting wins. 

Hire staff because your church is ready for it. You have easy wins for them to come into. It is hard enough starting at a new church. It is hard enough creating ministry in a new church. Hire someone because God has blessed your church, and you are ready to enable them to do a great job. 

Forced Praise is as good as False Praise

A pastor, I once worked for, would ask everyone periodically to share a good thing about different staff members during staff meetings. It was always awkward. We would go around the table and people would be searching for things to say. Some people, you really wanted to say, "Um that person can suck it".  Most of the time, you could come up with something. Even if it was something like, "he wears deodorant". Like any office, even churches with staffs their is usually someone people just tolerate. I am sure I have been that guy before. You don't want to be told, "hey say something nice about them". Generally, you come away thankful but you can also come away asking the question, "What did they mean by that?" 

Praise was meant to be spontaneous. It was meant to be genuine. If you create an environment of praise as a leader, you don't have to force it. If you have good things happening, you don't have to force praise in a meeting. Send notes, give pats on the back in public and in private, and call people in your office to tell them, "good job". Those are things that create an environment that is positive. If you only talk to your staff when things are business or bad then you create a workplace that isn't healthy. You want guys that lift each other up, lift your staff up. 

America Is "Not" in the Bible

This isn't a staff issue as much as it is a preaching issue. I sit through about 10-15 minutes of my pastor's sermon each week during first service. As a kid's pastor, I have to create opportunities to get fed. It is definitely one of the "cons" of the job. I listen to lots of different preachers through podcasts and different means. I have heard sermons about many different topics. I have decided interpreting the Bible is not the easiest thing in the world. Even with tons of different concordances, commentaries, research, study Bibles, and books you can still screw it up. It is why education is so important. Everyone, America is "NOT" in the Bible. We are not Israel in the old testament. We are not found in the book of Revelation. We are not even in the apocrypha. I hoped to find Texas, but it was missing in there too. I might be able to claim Texas as Eden but the angels did not keep us out. 

Please don't preach that America is God's chosen people. At this point, the church is God's chosen people. If you have asked Jesus into your heart, you are found in God's covenant. Scriptures given to the Hebrews were for certain situations. You need to take the time and figure out what those situations were about. You can not cherry pick them and create a new meaning for the scripture because we are in America. Likewise, to say anything that is prophetical and you know for sure it is talking about the good old USofA you are mistaken. God had a promise to keep with Abraham. He doesn't have that with our country. We can use those scriptures for application but make sure you take the time to understand the situation it is written for. I want God to bless our country and I support our country but I also want the Bible interpreted correctly and not so someone can get a few "amens" on a Sunday morning. 

I have a whole list of other things. I don't know why I felt the need to share these today other than talking with some guys and felt they were appropriate for the time. 

A Circle of Easter Lessons

Obviously, I spend a lot of time thinking about how to teach kids about Easter each year. After you have been in children's ministry for several years you have taken all kinds of different approaches to teach the Easter story. I have used scenes from the Resurrection Eggs, The movie ET, live plants, stuffed animals, candy wrappers, and tons of other illustrations to teach about this week in Jesus life. This week, I was thinking about all the different themes from the different stories of Holy Week. As I put the different stories together the themes of the week turn around in a circle. Let me show you how. 

It all begins with the story of Jesus triumphal entry or Palm Sunday. The theme of that being Jesus deity. Follow that by the story of the Last Supper. It's theme is remembering. Gethsemane teaches us the importance of prayer. Jesus' arrest teaches us the necessity of turning the other cheek even in the most dire of times. The scene of Jesus and the criminals on the cross shows grace in action first hand. Jesus death is the greatest show of love. Jesus resurrection brings it back to a complete circle by showing the entire world that Jesus is not just a teacher but he is God and king. 

I want to remember that in all the stories of this week that it begins and ends with Jesus being our God and King. We sing about him being our friend and we remember what he has done. We want to follow his examples in prayer and life. Yet, I don't ever want to forget he is our God. He is the King of Kings. 

What I learned from a game of catch.

In the afternoons after school, if the weather is nice and we are not rushing off anywhere, I take Cooper outside and throw a baseball with him. Some days we just stay out there till we are tired. Some days we set goals like we will go in once we make 100 throws or catch 50 pop ups. It just depends on what we feel like. 

Over the years, this game of catch has developed. It has changed because at first it was us just trying to catch the ball. Now, it is just a couple of guys throwing the ball. Talking about their day. I don't spend my entire time talking to him about how he is throwing. I don't spend the entire time talking. I listen to him. It has turned into something special for me. No television, no Wii, no Minecraft, no friends, and no homework to distract him from the attention that I get. We talk about his day. We talk about what he did at lunch or recess. We talk about what his friends did. He tells me more while we are playing catch than he ever does at the dinner table or watching tv. I have his full attention. In fact, he mentioned not playing baseball this year because basketball has been such a stretch for him. I quickly came up with tons of reasons for him to play. I needed a reason to have him go out and play catch with me. It has truly become something special to me. 

I was preparing a lesson the other day to talk about how important quiet times are. I realized that God appreciates our quiet times like I appreciate playing catch with my son. Think about it. We lose all of our distractions. We give our full attention to our heavenly father. We tell him about our needs. We tell him about our lives. We even listen to him during that time. As much as I covet that game of catch, God must truly covet that time we spend with him. I am sure he is disappointed if we skip it. I pray that I never disappoint him. I know you wouldn't want to disappoint him either. Find some time today. Spend some quality time with our great amazing wonderful loving God.