#WhyIDoWhatIDo: Confessions of a Children's Pastor

Here's a statement. Get ready. It's a doozy. " We believe it is sinful to bore kids with the gospel. " - Jim Rayburn, founder of Young Life Strong words. Audacious. Words that demand a response. How does that statement make you feel? Think about that for a bit. At the end of my description of part 1 of my Kids' Church relaunch, I asked myself this question: "Did my church have the kind of Kids' Church that was going to give us the opportunity to tell God's story to every one of the thousands & thousands of kids in our community?" The honest answer was no . And fun had a lot to do with it.  All I had to do to get that no answer was to look at the numbers. Tony Morgan & The Unstuck Group estimate that, at a healthy church, " the average range for kids attendance is between 19 and 23 percent of total attendance ." I've been at this church for about a year now. It's an energetic church that targets young famil...

Kidmin ain't easy. Currently, I'm leading the Kids' Church team at my church through the process of, essentially, a relaunch. Asking questions. Thinking about vision. Digging through curriculum. Assessing culture. And coming up with something new. A whole lot of change. Change. Anyone who has led change knows that it's not for the faint of heart.  But we had to. There was something compelling me to lead through change, even though it's tough. Why? For me, it all starts with  Psalm 78 . I read things like this: We will not hide these truths from our children;      we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the  Lord ,      about his power and his mighty wonders. The next generation needs to know about God. Not just any ol' things. They need to hear the stories. The stories of the glorious, awesome, amazing things that God has done. How He has shown His power. The miracles He has ...

There are plenty of words that I could use to describe myself.  Husband. Mario Kart Champ.  Dad.  Former low-income housing guru.  Jesus-follower. Taco lover.  Children's Pastor.  It's that last one that inspired this blog. So, a bit more about that. I've served as a volunteer team leader at a large church in Michigan. A children's pastor at medium-sized church in Indiana - the middle of the Bible Belt - for 4 years. And again at an super-conservative (and declining) church in Minnesota for a couple of years. And now at a diverse, growing church in the DC-Metro area. I also have a Master's in Children's & Family Ministry from Bethel Seminary. I've been some places, seen some things, experienced successes & hardships. And I still love what I do. And, now a new word to describe me. Blogger. Why add one more voice to the online cacophony?  I suppose the shortest answer is that I just can't keep what I've ...