Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room

Kathie Phillips 2 Comments

Christmas is all about preparing for the celebration of Jesus’ birth and all of the details that come along with that…planning menus for holiday dinners and parties; choosing outfits for pictures and performances; shopping, lots of shopping; decorations for trees and houses; making room in closets, attics and garages for hidden gifts and packages.

Advent is also all about preparing—your heart.  Think of it as making room for Jesus.

Luke 2:7 tells us, “…there was no room for them [Mary and Joseph] in the inn.”  No room.  Every room taken, filled to the brim.  That can often describe my life during this time of year.  This year, I am vowing to make different choices so that I don’t crowd Jesus out.

It is very easy for me to be side-tracked and distracted with all of the preparations that need to be made, so I need to be more intentional.  Maybe you can relate.  Spending time daily in the Word and prayer, using an Advent devotional, writing in my journal, making time for solitude and setting aside more time to enjoy the people God has placed in my life are at the top of my to-do list this Christmas.  It’s not so much about doing more—it’s about a change in perspective, focusing on the most important things and not forgetting why we celebrate.

Starting this Monday, and continuing on each Monday through Christmas, we’ll look at different ways that you can make room for Jesus this Christmas.  I’ve invited some very special guests to share their thoughts with you; I know that you’ll be blessed by their stories.

I hope you will join me by making room for Jesus this Christmas.  As the song says, “Let every heart prepare Him room.”

Enjoy a little music to get you in the Christmas spirit!

S-T-R-E-T-C-H Your Ministry Dollars

Kathie Phillips 10 Comments

People all across America waited in long lines this past Thursday and Friday to snatch up good deals for Black Friday.  And today, Cyber Monday is in full effect.  The bottom line is that we are looking for great deals to stretch our dollars a little further.

This is nothing new for those of us in Children’s Ministry.  It really doesn’t matter how big or small our churches are…Children’s Ministry leaders want to get the most bang for our limited bucks.

Here are a few tips for stretching your ministry dollars in three of the biggest expense areas:  curriculum, snacks, and crafts.

Curriculum

  • Order enough materials for children who attend 75% of the time, plus 2 or 3 more.
  • Better yet, consider switching over to digital curriculum.  While you will spend time printing and purchasing paper, this will help reduce overall costs for take home pages and in-class activity sheets.
  • Search for free lessons online.  Check out Ministry-to-Children to get started.
  • Invest in reproducible books.

Snacks

  • Have your congregation or parents donate frequently used items, such as napkins/paper towels, cups, crackers and O-shaped cereal.
  • Serve water instead of juice.
  • Buy in bulk from a membership warehouse.
  • Find people who love to bake and ask them to bake cupcakes, cookies, brownies, etc.
  • Purchase generic brand snacks.

Crafts/Craft Supplies

  • Shop end-of-season and post-holiday sales for seasonal items.
  • Alert your church of needed items and allow them the privilege of donating.
  • Shop early enough to avoid rushed or overnight shipping costs.
  • Buy crayons, glue sticks, and scissors before the school year starts (when school supplies are dirt cheap.)
  • Again, reproducible craft books are a good investment.

General Money-Saving Tips

  • Use email, your website and social media for publicity.
  • Swap items with another church.
  • Save money on DVD’s by borrowing them from your local library.
  • Ask professionals in your church to teach their specialty to your children, parents and volunteers.
  • Maintain your resources.  For example, keep caps on craft supplies and properly wrap food.
  • Print your own brochures, handbooks, business cards, flyers, etc.
  • Make black and white copies instead of color.
  • Use white paper instead of colored.
  • When photocopying, use both sides of the paper if you can.
  • Consider using 1/2 sheets of paper to get your message out.  That way, you get 2-for-1 sheet of paper!

How do you stretch your ministry dollars?  Share your ideas below!

Thankful Thursday: Week 4

Kathie Phillips

A few weeks ago, I planned to set aside every Thursday in November to share some of the many things I’m thankful for.  

You can read about Week 1 here, Week 2 here, and Week 3 here.

“Give us today our daily bread.”

Matthew 6:11

As I type these words, the smell of sweet potato pie and pumpkin crisp fresh from the oven is permeating throughout the entire house.  Those are two Thanksgiving traditions that I bless my family with.  That’s what I’m thankful for today…tradition.

Growing up in my household meant that we celebrated everything.  My mom celebrated big events (such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Easter) as well as smaller events (such as good grades on our report cards, special awards and milestones reached).  Celebrating these special moments are memories that I still hold dear today.  It’s only natural that I passed along these traditions to my own children.

As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving today, we will weave years of tradition into our festivities.  Our day began with a big breakfast that I prepare each year–bacon, eggs, breakfast potatoes, toast and juice.  Afterwards, my daughter and I baked 2 sweet potato pies and 2 pumpkin crisps.  Now we are relaxing until we head out to family dinner, which will include lots of laughter, games (and prizes!), good music, fellowship and of course, great food.

A few weeks ago, I read an article by Anne Lamott called “Counting Our Blessings“.  In the article, Lamott shared why she says grace before her meals.  I found the article to be very enlightening because saying grace seems like second nature to me.  It’s not something that I have to think about doing.  My husband and I have raised our children to say grace before their meals.  Whether you’re at the cafeteria table, the food court at the mall or at a friend’s house, we pause to thank the Lord for the food that He has provided for us.

As you gather around the Thanksgiving table today, be sure to pause to thank God for the delicious food you will consume.  Ask Him to not only bless the food but also the hands that prepared it.  Pray for those who are less fortunate than you.  Pray for those struggling with their first Thanksgiving without a loved one.  Ask God to bless the conversation and memories that you’ll share.  Enjoy making new memories while savoring honored traditions.  As a friend mentioned this morning, “Thanksgiving is what comes out of the heart…not the oven.”

Happy Thanksgiving!