Monthly Archives: October 2012

Oct27

Ministry Burnout Prevention Plan

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Statistically, youth and children’s ministers have short career spans.   Various studies can verify this fact.  So you can choose George Barna, Lifeway, or Group to discover for yourself the life and times of vocational pastors.

Many times, because children’s ministers are always engaging children with fun and high energy activities, people do not realize they have personal lives and sometime baggage just like everyone else.

The following is a plan to help prevent burnout.

Personal Burnout Prevention Plan

Be careful – you may be at risk of burnout.

            No one person is free from ministry burnout. Burnout can come in various forms. Recently, we have seen pastors fall to the temptation of adultery, pornography, financial wrongdoings, and other illegal and immoral activities. This can be a form of burnout. Another form of burnout may have ministers or pastors choosing a different career path.

A simple plan to avoid burnout is to be sure your focus is where it should be in your personal life—1. God 2. Family 3. Ministry

1.  Stay in God’s Word.

“I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11, ESV).

            I am blessed abundantly when I read God’s Word. I am blessed with specific gifts when I study God’s Word. The depth of His redemptive story can keep me focused on the blessing of life.

2. Family

“18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord” (Colossians 3:18, ESV).

“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and 52gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25)

            This step begins with staying connected to your spouse. This plan is specific for me. I enjoy being with my husband. More than spending time together, we enjoy serving together. Occasionally, we serve in each other’s ministry area. Spend time with family. If children are involved, be sure to be available to your own children.

3. Identity in Christ

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward” (Colossians 3:23-24, ESV).

My identity is in Christ and not what others think of me. I have to continually pray for strength in this area. My daily prayer is that I will follow God’s Will for my life and serve Him. Do not be jealous of the work of others. Read Titus 3. You should do everything as to glory of God.

4. Health

“If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple”( 1 Corinthians 3:17, ESV).

            Exercise has been an important part of my life. Running is a release for me. I like the concept of always trying to make myself a better runner. This is a time when I can be alone in prayer and with my thoughts. I feel better about myself when I feel healthy. I also try to eat right. As I get older, staying on top of all aspects of my health is important. I am in children’s ministry and keeping up with kids and activities requires staying healthy and staying in shape.

5. Relaxation, Fun, Retreat, and Joy

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11, ESV).

            A soap commercial once said “Calgon, take me away.” We must get away. We do not run away from life, but we must have fun. One analogy recently shared by a colleague is we are like a cup that is continually being filled with water. Life, people, circumstances, etc. come along and poke holes in our cup. The more holes poked in our cup, the faster the water drains out. We need to be sure the pouring in from God stays ahead of the draining out by life’s circumstances. Fellowship with others, find hobbies, use your vacation and personal days are highly encouraged. Always follow and fulfill your dreams.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10, ESV).

This is a plan for those in ministry. Those who are served by vocational ministers can help prevent burnout by taking out their  children’s minister to lunch, dinner, breakfast, giving chocolates, massage gift certificates, Starbuck’s gift cards, weekend getaways, and the list could go on and on and on.

And that is my 2 Cents worth

Oct12

Choosing a Bible For Your Child

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Choosing a Bible

http://childrensministry.com/articles/childrens-bible-review

This article does a good job of describing age appropriate Bibles and comparing various Bibles. Warning to the Children’s Illustrate Bible from http://www.dk.com. I found several unfavorable reviews for this Bible. This company is not a Christian publishing company. This may be a book to be used more for a factual resource for timelines and maps, but not as a Bible for children to understand God’s redemptive story.

Another important aspect of choosing a Bible is the translation. The following link is to a Bible comparison chart.

 

Is a child’s Bible selection important? Does it really matter? Can they just use one of the parent’s Bible? YES, YES, NO!

Preschoolers need to see the Bible, touch the Bible and interact with the Bible. I had never thought of preschoolers needing access to the actual Bible, but it makes sense if we want them to use it at home regularly and then introduce usage to them. Preschoolers should be allowed access to the Bible. Sometimes we do not want our little ones to have access to Bibles in fear they will ruin the Bible. God’s Word is all about His redemptive plan. God’s Good News is the Gospel. This Good News is Jesus-John 1:1. Let’s remember what Jesus said about keeping children from him-Matthew 19:13-15. We should encourage access to Jesus and what better way than through the actual Word. Physical interaction with God’s Word can encourage lifetime access and usage.

Storybook Bibles for preschoolers are a resource like any book a child may have in their collection. Be sure children understand the storybook Bibles are story books and not the Bible.  A child feels special having a Bible just like adults. They may not be able to read it or use it, but they get used to carrying a Bible to church (Pet Peeve: Not bringing Bibles to church. This goes for adults and children.) Christian educators should use the Bible when telling stories from the Bible even with preschoolers. This helps to establish the foundation for kids to understand God’s Word is truth, why He gave us the Bible, and how to use the Bible as a resource for every day living.

Pet Peeve #2 is not using the Bible at home. Children should see parents studying God’s Word at church, but more importantly at home. Children should be allowed to follow along with parents, teachers, or adults in their very own Bible.

Parents need information about the lesson and how to reinforce the Bible teaching at home. Parents are the ultimate resource in the spiritual development of children! The church needs to include parents. Often we forget to let parents know what their child is learning in class. No matter what the age, we cannot rely on children to communicate with their parents what was learned in class. Preschoolers learn by repetition. The repetition of a Biblical truth should be reinforced during the lesson but also at home. Children do listen to their parents. What parents reinforce and teach at home is another way to secure children are growing in their faith.

No matter what age or how many Bibles a child receives in a lifetime, the occasion should be celebrated.  Ideas when giving a child a Bible include a special dinner, date night, a testimony from a parent or influential adult, and always a prayerful time about using God’s Word to help on the spiritual journey. God’s Word is special. We should treat it as such.

Bibles on ipods, iphones, and ipads is a discussion worthy of blog for another time.

And that’s my 2 cents worth.

Oct2

Book Review-“Parenting in the Pew”- by Robbie Castleman

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Parenting in the Pew

Family Resource Evaluation

Dr. Robbie Castleman is Associate Professor of Biblical Studies at John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas.She is married to theReverend D. Breck Castleman, and they have two grown sons. She is also a speaker. She has been a guest speaker on this topic at our church.

Parenting in the Pew addresses the importance of instructing and guiding children, preschoolers to teenagers, in worship. Dr. Castleman introduces a concept somewhat foreign in today’s worship services–children participating in ‘adult’ worship with their parents. She bases the importance of this guidance on the scriptures Jesus used to show the importance of the presence and praise of children: Matthew 18:14, Mark 10:14 and Luke 18:16.

            The first concept addressed is in regards to worship. Worship is not for us, but for God. God commands our worship. The book is to help parents train children in worship.

            Dr. Castleman addresses the hurdles and obstacles parents encounter during this training. One obstacle comes in the form of other members of the church may not understand and appreciate the endeavor to train children. She points back to Pharisees and their concern with the Law over God’s love. She continually reminds the reader worship is not about us, but for God. Ill-prepared parents are another reason children are trained by volunteers, who may or may not be any more qualified. Heart, home, dressing, tithing, and attitude preparation should begin Saturday night. Encountering God with your children is essential. You can’t just give them coloring books and work sheets and anticipate them encountering God during worship. Parents should be with their children guiding them in the understanding of their faith in worship, which includes the teenage years.

This book offers suggestions how to approach the worship director, pastor, and others involved in the worship process to aid in the training of children. Dr. Castlemen offers advice for prayer, confession, baptism, Lord’s Supper and worship in song. This book is the expanded edition. The appendix address the issues of children who are hyperactive and programming for children’s church for seeker churches.

Parenting in the Pew gave new insight to the value of training children in worship. Many of Dr. Castlemen’s ideas for helping to train children in worship would benefit some adults. Adults should learn to take care of physical issues before attending worship so they do not have to be excused during worship, which can be a distraction to all. She uses scripture to show the value God places on children and how the faith of a child should teach us how to worship and come in to God’s presence. 

The book touched the surface of the issue of training children in worship. The book was written so that parents could read and apply the methods. This book is an easy read and has only 139 pages. The suggestions in the book are basic and simple to apply. Basic applications range from common sense to respect of others. The applications, also, encourage adult participation and worship enhancement. There is a study guide included so the book can be used as a group teaching tool.

Stages of development in children; cognitive, affective, physical, social and emotional could have been addressed with a detailed look at how to train children at various ages and stages of development. Dr. Castlemen suggests working with those responsible for worship to help with parenting in the pew. She also gives insight to the difference in training between children and teens.

There are some theological issues addressed in the book in regards to the sacraments–

Dr. Castlemen discusses infant baptism which does not lend to everyone’s beliefs. Dr. Castlemen puts conditions on Communion that some adults do not follow. She suggests children be mature enough in their faith to participate in Communion with other believers.   

Dr. Castleman’s examples given in the book are confirmed in her own life with her two sons.  Her testimony of training children to worship is accentuated by the fact she parented in the pew by herself while her husband preached from the pulpit. She also used feedback from various parenting seminars based on Parenting in the Pew to address the issue of over-active children and children’s programming for seeker-friendly churches. She makes several good points and recommendations in regards to over-active children. The most important suggestion, which can be applied to all children, is “to ask the Lord to help you see your child through His eyes” (page 135). 

Dr. Castleman emphasizes the importance of training children for worship during any program you may implement. She suggests for seeker-friendly churches that children are trained for a time and then incorporated into worship with their parents. This concept could revolutionize children’s worship and more importantly family worship. She discourages the use of children’s worship as an excuse for parents to get away from their kids. Rather this time should be looked at as an opportunity to be together during the most important time of a family’s faith development-worship. Dr. Castleman makes a comment in the book that God smiles when He is the recipient of worship from a family together in corporate worship. This concept may meet with resistance in many churches and by many parents.   

Families should also remember that worship is not limited to Sunday morning. Worship is finding those God moments in everyday life and giving Him the glory in all that we say and do. Children should see parents worship God in their everyday lives, as well.

The title, Parenting in the Pew, indicates this book would be for parents. However this book and the commitment to train children in worship represented by this book; would benefit the church as a whole. Parents are ultimately responsible for the training of their children, but in the case of training children in worship a commitment of family and the family of God is required and emphasized in this book. Castleman refers to worship as the one thing we get to do together forever. 

And that is my 2 cents worth.