Thankful Thursdays: Week 1

Kathie Phillips 4 Comments

“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us–they help us learn to endure.  And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation.  And this expectation will not disappoint us.  For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.  Romans 5:3-5 (NLT)

A few weeks ago, I planned to set aside every Thursday in November to share some of the many things I’m thankful for.  It is no coincidence that today, the first Thursday in November, I would initially struggle to find one thing to be thankful for.  You see, for the past two weeks, we’ve experienced setbacks of one kind or another.  This morning at a glance:  we overslept, rushed out the door to get my children to school on time (with 2 minutes to spare) and on my way to work, my van broke down (the third time in 2 weeks that something on the van has needed major repair).

Lately, it’s been feeling like one backwards step after another.  Today I felt like I reached my breaking point.  As I was about 1/4 way through the box of tissue in my van (waiting for the tow truck to arrive), I began to ask God why He continues to allow things like this to happen to me and my family.  Not that I was expected an audible answer.  I know that tests and trials are good for us (that’s what God’s Word says–and I believe it) but a series of tests and trials feels a little like, well, punishment.

After I had some time to reflect and allow the Holy Spirit to calm my nerves, I began to think about the many ways God has blessed me.  Today, I am thankful for Jesus.  I am thankful that He loves me more than I’ll ever know.  I am thankful that He sends gentle reminders through adversity that He’s there and still in control.  (He sent a very friendly tow truck driver to rescue me, family and friends offered to come and sit with me while I waited for the tow truck, my husband called me every 10 minutes to check in on me, and I was able to pull off of the main road and not block traffic.)  I am thankful for the promises of Scripture.  I am thankful that nothing can ever separate me from His love.  I am thankful that while situations change and tests come, He never changes.  I am thankful that while I don’t know “why”, He uses all things for my good.

What are you thankful for today?

Orange Tour Notes (Part 2)

Kathie Phillips

Yesterday, I shared notes from the recent Orange Tour in Washington, D.C.  You can find those notes here.  Today, I will share my notes from the two breakout sessions I attended.

Breakout #1 – “No More Sunday School” – Kristen Ivy and Colette Taylor

Traditional Sunday school was established in the 1700’s during the Industrial Revolution.  It’s primary reason for existence was to help kids become literate since they didn’t attend school.  In 1870, all kids started to attend school so churches no longer needed to help kids with literacy.

Today, kids spend an average of 32.5 hours in a classroom environment.  Do we want Sunday school to reflect another classroom environment?

We should consider shifting from a Sunday school model to a spiritual formation model.

What if we didn’t just think about content for the church?  What if we thought about how we could tap into the day-to-day influence of the home?  (Remember, kids spend an average of 40 hours/yr at church and 3,000 hours/yr with their parents.)

What if we didn’t just think about what we would teach next Sunday? What if we thought strategically about a plan from preschool to college?

What if we didn’t just recruit volunteers who can teach?  What if we sought out focused leaders who can embody the strategy?

What if we thought less about teaching the Bible to kids and more about teaching kids the Bible?

What if we didn’t spend all of our focus on content?  What if we also spent the same amount of energy on how we package that content so it will be relevant?

Helpful Resources to Consider (not mentioned at the conference):

Good to Great by Jim Collins

Making Your Children’s Ministry the Best Hour of Every Kid’s Week by Sue Miller and David Staal

Sticky Faith by Kara Powell and Chap Clark

The Fabulous Reinvention of Sunday School by Aaron Reynolds

Breakout #2 – “Lead Small for Kids:  Connecting with Kids Relationally” – Kristen Ivy and Colette Taylor

*Note:  The ideas shared piggy-backed on what Reggie Joiner shared in Session 2 about Small Group Leader “To-Do’s”.

1. Be present.  Show up mentally.

  • Think about the discussion questions ahead of time.
  • Pray for the kids.
  • Turn off your cell phone.

2. Create a safe place.  Guard the heart.

  • Report when kids are hurting someone, someone is hurting them, or they’re hurting themselves.

3. Partner with parents.  Cue the parents.

  • Communicate in more than one way.  Utilize your church’s website, email, phone calls, social media such as Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.

4. Make it personal.  Be real.

  • Share your story.
  • Be okay with not knowing the answer.  Simply say, “I don’t know.  Let’s look it up together.”

5. Move them out.  What’s next?

  • Be sensitive to transition times in your ministry (preschool to elementary, elementary to middle school, middle school to high school).
  • Hand kids up well.
  • Set new leaders up to win by contacting their new small group leader.
  • Consider moving up with your group.
  • Encourage the spiritual journey.

Did you attend the Orange Tour breakouts?  What stood out to you the most?

Orange Tour Notes (Part 1)

Kathie Phillips

Last week, I attended the Orange Tour at National Community Church in Washington, D.C.    The theme was “Lead Change…Lead Small.”  The first half of the day was spent talking about leading change (in various ways) while the second half of the day spoke to the importance of small groups and leading small groups.

It was my very first time hearing Reggie Joiner speak and I thoroughly enjoyed the passion and inspiration that his talks offered.  He spoke for all three main sessions.  In addition, I attended two breakout sessions that corresponded to the theme.  Here are my notes from all three main sessions.  (I will post the breakout notes tomorrow.)

Opening Session – “Lead Change” – Reggie Joiner

Change is not an option, but how you respond to it is.

3 Possible Responses to Change:

1. Ignore it and drift nowhere.

2. Hold on and let it drive you where you don’t want to go.

3. Make an adjustment and use it to get where you want to go.

When you lead change you decide to make adjustments to present methods for the sake of a sacred mission.

25% of Americans treat Sunday like a holy day.  Everybody else treats Sunday like a holiday.  What if you stopped counting the people who come to your church every Sunday and started counting the people who don’t?

If you don’t change, you run the risk of being:

  • Irrelevant
  • Disconnected
  • Ineffective

It’s time to change:

  • How we treat every FAMILY
  • How we communicate our MESSAGE
  • How we develop LEADERS
  • How we prioritize for SMALL GROUPS
  • How we DISCIPLE a generation
  • How we redefine the CHURCH

“At some point, most of us stop doing ministry out of our imagination and start doing it from memory.”  Mark Batterson, Pastor of National Community Church

Session 2 – “Lead Small” – Reggie Joiner 

Our strategy doesn’t matter if God is not a part.

What you do for a FEW will always have more potential than what you do for MANY.

If you are a small group leader, it’s just as important that you know what you ARE NOT as that you know what YOU ARE.

Nothing is a substitute for relationships.

  • God created us for community.
  • Jesus illustrated community.
  • The Church practiced community.

(1 Thessalonians 2:8)

Small Group Leader “To Do’s”:

1. Be present.  Connect their faith to a community by:

  • Showing up predictably (consistently)
  • Showing up mentally (coming prepared)
  • Showing up randomly (at events important to the child)

2. Create a safe place.  Clarify their faith as they grow by:

  • Leading the group
  • Respecting the process
  • Guarding the heart

3. Partner with parents.  Nurture an everyday faith by:

  • Cuing the parents (parents should know the plan)
  • Honoring the parents
  • Reinforcing the family (do not compete with family time)

4. Make it personal.  Inspire their faith by your example by:

  • Living in community–your small group of kids is NOT it!
  • Setting priorities
  • Being real

5. Moving them out.  Engage their faith in a bigger story by:

  • Moving them to someone else
  • Moving them to be the Church
  • Moving them to what’s next

You should start packing a student’s bags the day he or she shows up.  The goal isn’t to keep them; the goal is to launch them.

Session 3 – “Personal Challenge” – Reggie Joiner

We should not SIGN UP for ministry; we should be CALLED to ministry.

There’s no way to do what you do without getting messy.

There was no way for Jesus to do what He did without getting messy (John 6:53-54)

The Gospel is messy because the cross was messy.

There’s no way to make disciples without THEM getting messy.

Jesus did not call to you to follow Him to safety.  Jesus called you to take up a cross and engage in a MISSION.

When serving your children, you have two choices:

  • You can protect them; or
  • You can engage them.

Did you attend the Orange Tour?  What impacted you the most?

Is Your Ministry Prepared for an Emergency?

Kathie Phillips 2 Comments

As I write, our area is under a flood watch and high wind warning as Hurricane Sandy approaches our area.  My family took precautions to prepare for the storm by securing outdoor items, putting down the storm windows, clearing leaves from the storm drains and stocking up on bottled water, non-perishable food, batteries and flashlights.

In the same way, ministries should be prepared for emergencies (weather-related and otherwise).  Help your ministry be ready by keeping the following items on hand for each classroom:

  • First aid kit
  • Flashlight
  • Spare batteries
  • Portable radio

In addition, make sure that you have an evacuation plan established.

  • Train your volunteers on your evacuation plan.  You should set aside time at each volunteer training to address this issue.  Include a written plan, including diagrams, in their handbook.  You may also find it beneficial to walk your volunteers through the process, showing them where to exit and what to do.  Have a designated place for each class to meet outside of your building that is a safe distance away.  Instruct volunteers to take their attendance roster and conduct a head count when they arrive at their designated evacuation location.
  • Be sure that parents know your evacuation plan.  They should know where to meet their children and what the procedures are for retrieving their children at the designated evacuation location.
  • Ensure that your plan includes procedures for babies and children with special needs or physical limitations.
  • In addition to a written plan, have an evacuation route map and plan outlined and posted in each classroom.  Your map should include your church’s address and an emergency phone number and/or contact number to be reached.  It should also outline your current location, the nearest exit and their designated evacuation location.

Contact www.redcross.org for additional information on how to prepare for emergency situations.  You can also request a copy of our ministry’s emergency plan by leaving a comment below.

What steps have you taken to ensure that your ministry is prepared in the event of an emergency?