For Term 4

Why do I do ministry?

I do ministry for Term 4

Ministry can be really hard.  It can be such a term 1.  Lots of admin, lots of organisation, lots of asking people to do this or that and have them say no and thinking "For once I wish I could say no- but I can't because I'm paid to do this".  New relationship where you can't tell if people are shy or if they actually don't want to talk to you!  All that careful planning and you still find yourself saying "Why didn't I do this task before the madness of the year began!"

But I do ministry for Term 4

Ministry can be really crazy.  It can be such a Term 2.  Seeing an event you were going to run sneaking up on the calender, and having to decide that its just not going to happen. Exhaustion as everyone Else's long weekend is your busy time.  A whirl wind of emotions, as one week you see Teenagers get so excited about God, and the next week someone suggests that there is something wrong with the way you are leading Bible study.  And all the prep for a big ministry event- with the fruit still along way off.

But I do Ministry for Term 4

Ministry can be really exhausting.  It can be such a Term 3.  And amazing week of Kids Club- but with no time to recover before it's back to work again.  All the events that all ended up in the same month, despite your supposed careful planning of the church calendar.  All the people who suddenly want to meet, learn, grow, find out about Jesus, who you are so excited about- and yet how do you fit them in?  All the personal drama's that always seems to come up  right on the day of a talk your giving, a Bible study your leading, or a kids talk you are doing.  And all you can do is dry your eyes, pray like crazy, and do your job.

But I do Ministry for Term 4

Term 4!  The relationships that after a year are deep enough so that people actually come to you to talk about things of God.  The kids who go from seeming to get nothing from your teaching- to all of a suddenly showing they were listening all along.  Parents who start to think that maybe taking kids to church is a priority.  Women who shyly tell you they have started meeting with someone to read the Bible and they'd like some advice.  People who become Christians.  People who get Baptised.  People who grow.  People who change.  Term 4 is where the rubber hits the road, when you SEE and don't just know- that no work you do for the Lord is ever in vain.

I write this because ministry is hard.  It is sometimes a Term 1, 2, and 3 and at those times I forget the big picture.  But Term 4 doesn't happen without the hard slog through the others.

And I do ministry for Term 4
B

Still a Kid on the inside

Sometimes I struggle with real self-doubt when it comes to my job.

• I have never studied any form of childhood education (although I do have an unusually high understanding of early numeracy thanks to my parents line of work!)
• I've never had any formal training in children's ministry
• I supervise people who have taught more Sunday School than I have!
• I don't have children of my own, so I don't have that natural know how that a mother gets just from having to work out how to bring up a children from scratch

And yet, as I look back over this previous term, even though there are so many things that I could have done better- I can see that God in his wisdom and grace has guided me through it and used me.

I don't know everything there is to know about kids, but I think one of the secrets I have is that I am still a kid inside. I can play with kids, and I'm only just realising now that this isn't something that comes naturally to everyone. I can relate to kids, I can teach them. I love working with them. And when parents see this, they warm to me and open up to me more than I could have possibly imagined.

The reality of my "inner child" came back to me as I had this particular song stuck in my head for the last month:

The Easter Bunny came hopping along

Swinging his basket and singing a song

He delivered two eggs to the green front door

And he hopped a bit further and delivered some more

Now, having a song stuck in your head is not usually your fault. But I have to take some responsibility for singing it to my husband while I hoped around the room like a rabbit.

My inner-child loves my job almost as much as I do!

love B

The things Kids say

Quote of the week comes from one of my five year old Sunday School girls.

In response to a song about how big God is:
"God is so big that he could squish your head and your eye balls would pop out!"

Kids Songs

Don't you just love Christian kids songs?

One of the many highlights of leading Sunday School this term has been taking the chance to sing songs. I've been putting on the CD regularly to learn the many songs I had never heard before (they like it modern in Sydney for some reason- they don't use the Old classics from my If-I-were-a-butterfly childhood!)- but that's just my excuse. I really love listening to them.

But its funny how simple and profound and real kids songs can be. One week we played a Colin Buchanan song "Be Strong and Courageous" all about how we can trust God to keep us safe- and I'm not sure what the kids thought about it but it got me and the other leader in tears!

I've been really enjoying teaching Sunday School- although its also been scary to try something new in ministry. I'd experienced kids ministry on beach mission and a kids clubs at my old church- but never the really little ones. They are so limited in what they can do physically and limited in what they can remember! They need to go to the toilet several times a lesson and the smaller girls sometimes burst into tears and cry for Mummy.

But they need to hear about Jesus and we tell them, and its great to see their eyes following along with awe when they hear stories of Jesus life for the first time. They will probably hear and read them many many more times (that is our prayer anyway). But how exciting to be the first to tell them!

Please pray for the kids and their folks. Many of the kids have parents who don't yet know the Jesus that their kids are becoming acquainted with. And pray for me, that I will carefully, faithfully, lovingly share Jesus with them. I have always been so thankful that I can't remember a time when I didn't love Jesus. And my prayer for these kids is that they will one day be able to say the same.
love B