A Revelation in team recruiting
Recruiting teams.
Large group presenters. Small group leaders. Worship. Pre-K. Nursery. Check-In. And more.
Let's face it - recruiting folks for our teams is a never-ending, crucial part of leading in children's ministry. It can be exhausting. Frustrating. And at the same time richly rewarding. Exhilarating.
When recruiting for my teams, there's a verse in the Bible that stays in the forefront of my mind.
It's not one of the passages on spiritual gifts. Or a passage like Deuteronomy 6 that talks about passing faith to the next generation. Nothing about Timothy learning from his mom & grandma. Or Jesus telling folks to bring the kids to Him.
They're all great. I love them all. But there's one in particular that grabs my attention.
After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. - Revelation 7:9
Why this one? Because if we know Jesus, then we're His witness. To who He is. What He taught. His death. His resurrection. His Kingdom.
And His Kingdom is the most inclusive club that I know. Place your faith & life in Jesus, and you're in. On equal footing with everyone else. Male & female. Jew & Gentile. Slave & free. Every nation & tribe & people & language. Amen!
As the Church, we get to witness that to a watching world. As a children's ministry, we get to witness that to kids - both to the "church" kids, and the kids in our communities - and their families.
For churches in America, I think there are 4 things that help us be a witness to the incredible inclusivity and equality found in the Kingdom.
Our churches need to reflect the diversity of our communities.
Martin Luther King, Jr. famously described Sunday mornings as the most segregated hour in our lives as Americans. All these years later, he's still probably right.
This is a bigger topic than I can tackle in this blog post. Stacks of books have been written about it. But a better reflection of the Kingdom starts here.
If your church feels homogenous, and doesn't reflect the diversity of your community, take some action. Get with your lead pastor. Your staff team. Your leadership team. Pray. Read together. Commit to the changes needed.
Our ministry teams shouldn't look just like us.
It's such an easy trap. We do it without even thinking. When I begin to look for people to partner with me, to join my team, it's easiest to look for people who are just like me.
There's nothing nefarious about it. The more we have in common with someone, the easier it is to talk to them. It takes a little more effort & intentionality to talk to folks who are different than us.
But, if my reflection of the Kingdom is a homogenous group of Gen-X'ers, then that's what the kids will see. And learn.
So be intentional about inviting younger people to your team. And older people. And people of color. And men. And women.
Not as tokens, or to fulfill a quota. But as team members. Kingdom members. Partners.
Our ministries should allow people to thrive as who they were created to be, rather than reinforce stereotypes.
Stereotypes aren't a reflection of the Kingdom. They're a distortion.
So leave the afro wigs & gold chains & urban lingo at home. If it's included in the curriculum that you're using, consider editing out that part. Stereotyping is not the same thing as inclusion.
And leave the predetermined thoughts about which gender boys & girls will respond to at home, too. Families are broken. Boys & girls both need male & female role models. They both need to see men & women living out the mission. And leading. Because that's a reflection of the Kingdom.
Follow Paul's example.
This is really the example that Paul sets for us in Acts and in his letters. Paul's team reflected the diversity of the 1st century Roman Empire. Certainly, many of the folks on Paul's team were Jewish men, just like he was. But he didn't stop there. Gentiles were recruited. And women.
And as Paul planted churches throughout the region, the leadership of those churches was unquestionably diverse. He knew that these new churches wouldn't survive if Jews & Gentiles ran in separate circles. And if women didn't have a seat at the table.
Paul knew how radically different the Kingdom of God is from the normal ways of doing things.
And it still is.
Happy recruiting!
Large group presenters. Small group leaders. Worship. Pre-K. Nursery. Check-In. And more.
Let's face it - recruiting folks for our teams is a never-ending, crucial part of leading in children's ministry. It can be exhausting. Frustrating. And at the same time richly rewarding. Exhilarating.
When recruiting for my teams, there's a verse in the Bible that stays in the forefront of my mind.
It's not one of the passages on spiritual gifts. Or a passage like Deuteronomy 6 that talks about passing faith to the next generation. Nothing about Timothy learning from his mom & grandma. Or Jesus telling folks to bring the kids to Him.
They're all great. I love them all. But there's one in particular that grabs my attention.
After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. - Revelation 7:9
Why this one? Because if we know Jesus, then we're His witness. To who He is. What He taught. His death. His resurrection. His Kingdom.
And His Kingdom is the most inclusive club that I know. Place your faith & life in Jesus, and you're in. On equal footing with everyone else. Male & female. Jew & Gentile. Slave & free. Every nation & tribe & people & language. Amen!
As the Church, we get to witness that to a watching world. As a children's ministry, we get to witness that to kids - both to the "church" kids, and the kids in our communities - and their families.
For churches in America, I think there are 4 things that help us be a witness to the incredible inclusivity and equality found in the Kingdom.
Our churches need to reflect the diversity of our communities.
Martin Luther King, Jr. famously described Sunday mornings as the most segregated hour in our lives as Americans. All these years later, he's still probably right.
This is a bigger topic than I can tackle in this blog post. Stacks of books have been written about it. But a better reflection of the Kingdom starts here.
If your church feels homogenous, and doesn't reflect the diversity of your community, take some action. Get with your lead pastor. Your staff team. Your leadership team. Pray. Read together. Commit to the changes needed.
Our ministry teams shouldn't look just like us.
It's such an easy trap. We do it without even thinking. When I begin to look for people to partner with me, to join my team, it's easiest to look for people who are just like me.
There's nothing nefarious about it. The more we have in common with someone, the easier it is to talk to them. It takes a little more effort & intentionality to talk to folks who are different than us.
But, if my reflection of the Kingdom is a homogenous group of Gen-X'ers, then that's what the kids will see. And learn.
So be intentional about inviting younger people to your team. And older people. And people of color. And men. And women.
Not as tokens, or to fulfill a quota. But as team members. Kingdom members. Partners.
Our ministries should allow people to thrive as who they were created to be, rather than reinforce stereotypes.
Stereotypes aren't a reflection of the Kingdom. They're a distortion.
So leave the afro wigs & gold chains & urban lingo at home. If it's included in the curriculum that you're using, consider editing out that part. Stereotyping is not the same thing as inclusion.
And leave the predetermined thoughts about which gender boys & girls will respond to at home, too. Families are broken. Boys & girls both need male & female role models. They both need to see men & women living out the mission. And leading. Because that's a reflection of the Kingdom.
Follow Paul's example.
This is really the example that Paul sets for us in Acts and in his letters. Paul's team reflected the diversity of the 1st century Roman Empire. Certainly, many of the folks on Paul's team were Jewish men, just like he was. But he didn't stop there. Gentiles were recruited. And women.
And as Paul planted churches throughout the region, the leadership of those churches was unquestionably diverse. He knew that these new churches wouldn't survive if Jews & Gentiles ran in separate circles. And if women didn't have a seat at the table.
Paul knew how radically different the Kingdom of God is from the normal ways of doing things.
And it still is.
Happy recruiting!
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