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Big News!!

Kathie Phillips 2 Comments

Yesterday, I announced (via social media) a big secret I’ve been keeping…

I am officially under contract for my second book!! *cue all the confetti*

It’s been in the works for a while now but the deal was finalized last week. This is an incredible opportunity, especially since my publisher (RoseKidz) has recently merged with Tyndale House, so I’m a Tyndale House author now!

This new project is really special to me and I can’t wait to share more details later. The book will be released summer 2022. Like my first book, it will be a resource for Children’s Ministry leaders, homeschool groups, and Christian educators.

Thanks to my editor, Karen McGraw, who helped navigate all of the details!

Now, it’s time to write!!

P.S. If you’d like to check out my first book, you can find out more here.

P.S.S I will have one more special secret to fill you in on next week…stay tuned!

What About the Tweens?

Kathie Phillips 17 Comments

I am so excited to have my friend, Andrea Hopgood, share about her recent experience at the Children’s Pastors’ Conference.  Andrea and I connected through another national conference a few years ago and I count her as one of my trusted kidmin sisters.  Thank you for sharing your story with us, Andrea!

What about the tweens

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend the Children’s Pastors’ Conference (CPC15).  The four days of sitting and learning from experts in their field started with a long, daily look into, “What Matters Most in Ministry to Tweens”. Kids are considered a “tween” when they are between 9-12 years old. I will share with you highlights and AHA moments that were both confirming and convicting to me.

According to Daniel Nott with Tween Gospel Alliance, the average:

  • family time is 36 minutes per day
  • church time is 3 hours per week
  • media/digital time is 8-10 hours per day

These statistics show that media is forming and shaping the minds of our tweens. Our teens are buying into these thoughts:

There isn’t any absolute truth. They believe it’s ok to believe what you want.

They’re asking the question, “Is church relevant for me?”

Partying is good and being skinny is the key to happiness.  Anorexia is starting between ages 9-11.

Divorce and living together is okay.

They are being mentored by media.

Having sex is normal because it’s on TV regularly. According to Dannah Gresch, founder of Secret Keeper Girl, kids as young as 11 have been exposed to pornography.

 As parents and Christian leaders, it is our responsibility to nurture the tweens in our lives so they will not build their moral compass on a shaky (worldly) foundation. Instead, we need to guide them in creating a Biblical perspective that will be a firm foundation for their lives.

Moral Development Phases

3 to 6 year olds – This is the “copycat” phase. They want to be like mom or dad. At this age, they have the play kitchen sets and pretend tool boxes and they mimic what they see mom and dad do.

 7 to 12 year olds – This is referred to as the “counseling” phase because they are forming their spiritual beliefs. No longer can we say “Because I said so”, they want to know “why”. This is always a spiritual question. This gives us the opportunity to give an answer from a Biblical perspective. If we aren’t ready to answer their questions, the world is definitely ready.

Spirit

The battle for the mind and hearts of people are largely won or lost by age 13. According to studies conducted by Barna, 80% of tweens say the Bible, Qur’an and Book of Mormon teach the same truth.

1% of tweens have a Biblical world view.

Social Peers

Tweens tend to detach from face to face communication and prefer to engage in social media. This detachment causes a decrease in empathy. To grab their attention in the church setting, we must provide experiences that will grasp their attention and apply the lesson directly to their lives, followed by time for them to verbally process how the lesson (for example) applies to their life. Many tweens are the 4th-5th graders in our ministries. They are bored being with the 1st-3rd graders, but they aren’t ready to be with the older kids. This is a golden opportunity for us to create a transitional ministry.

When they were asked, “Who is the biggest influencer in your life?”, the #1 answer was their parents. This is confirmation that we must provide opportunities for parents to be in the driver’s seat for spiritual encounters and spiritual formation.  How can we do that?

  • Provide a parent/child baptism and/or communion class. This class will allow families to attend together as a ministry leader facilitates conversation. Parents will have an opportunity to share their faith story with their child or begin a conversation letting the child know that they are beginning this journey together.  This will start heart conversations that can continue even after the class is complete.
  • Host date nights for fathers and daughters or mothers and sons.
  • Organize a parent/child purity retreat to guide conversations so parents are teaching their kids the Biblical perspective of modesty and truth about sexuality.

As you ponder what God would like your next steps to be, I pray that you receive the clarity and courage you need in order to walk out the next steps He has for you.

Resources

tweengospelalliance.org

secretkeepergirl.com

Six Ways to Keep the “Little” in Your Girl by Dannah Gresch

Six Ways to Keep the “Good” in Your Boy by Dannah Gresch

Keep the conversation going!  Are you the parent or leader of a tween?  Do you feel equipped to navigate these years?  What resources have you found helpful?  Share a comment here or on our Facebook page!

Andrea has a passion for equipping ministry leaders with tools needed to lead children and families to have a relationship with our Savior.  During her 17 year career, she has served as a Children’s Pastor, a consultant, and a Presenter at various conferences.  Currently, she is the Director of Elementary Ministry at Elmbrook Church.

Finding Joy in the Mundaneness of Ministry

Kathie Phillips

 

Over time, things can become very routine.  We wake up at the same time everyday, brush our teeth (and if you’re like me, you only buy one brand of toothpaste), drink coffee from the same cup, take the same route to work everyday…you get my drift. We don’t even have to think about it – we just do it, sometimes so well, we could do it with our eyes closed.

If you’re in any type of ministry, you very well know that certain aspects of your job can become routine after a while, too.  You know…doing the same things over and over because Sunday (or Wednesday or Friday) is always coming and there are things that need to be done so that ministry can happen.

Some of my responsibilities occur like clockwork.  Here is what is typically found on my to-do list every week:

Sunday:  Game time! All of my weekly prep pays off today!

Monday:  Edit curriculum for upcoming lessons; catch up on email from the weekend; follow-up with notes from Sunday; work on bigger-picture projects; writing

Tuesday:  Email lessons to leaders; handle email; staff prayer; Children’s Ministry staff meeting; return phone calls

Wednesday: Director-Level staff meeting; staff prayer; paperwork

Thursday: Final prep for Sunday; meetings with our family meeting team; staff prayer

Give or take other duties, depending on the time of year, these are almost always on my to-do list.  Do I love my job?  You bet! Can my job tasks become routine? You bet!

“Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.” (Colossians 3:17, The Message)

So how can we find joy in the mundaneness of ministry?

1. Recognize that joy is a choice.  Most of us don’t wake up joyful, especially if our day’s to-do list is long.  So you need to choose joy.  Choose to see each day (and its tasks) as a gift from God.  Choose to live joyfully in the calling God has placed on your life.

2. Realize that ministry means hard work.  Ministry doesn’t just happen.  It takes a process of steps to get from point A to point B.  That oftentimes means long hours preparing for ministry to happen and doing tasks that we might not like to do.

3. Shift your lens.  Think about all of the children and families who walk through the doors of your church each week.  Think about the opportunities you have to help them know, love and follow Jesus.

The work order you put in to have your facility cleaned helps families feel their child is in good, safe and sanitary hands.

The copies you make (or have made) will bring the day’s lesson into focus for many children.

The lessons you edit help ensure that the important things are taught.

The craft supplies you shop for and gather will help children will allow them a tangible reminder of God’s love for them.

The ideas you pin on Pinterest help you present God’s Word as creatively as you can so that each child learns in the ways that suit them best.

The time you spend designing a cool graphic for your communications will help draw families to information.

The emails and phone calls you made helps prepare your volunteers and lets them know you are there for them.

The meetings you attend remind you that as a team, you are all working together for the Kingdom of God.

The crumbs you sweep off of the floor reminded you that children love snack time!

The time you spend in prayer helps you remember the reason why you serve.  It’s about Him, not you.

Join the conversation: What helps you find joy in the mundaneness of ministry?

From the Archives: Ministry and Motherhood

Kathie Phillips 1 Comment

Note from Kathie:  As Mother’s Day is rapidly approaching, I thought I’d pull a post from my archive to share with you (again).  If you are a KidMin ministry mom, please consider joining my Ministry Moms group on CMConnect.  You can find the group here.

Balancing ministry and motherhood is something that I’ve tried to manage for the seven years that I’ve been on-staff in Children’s Ministry.  It hasn’t always been easy.  Sometimes I feel like I pour too much of myself into my work while neglecting time with my children and vice versa.  Instead of thinking of it as either-or, I have tried to intertwine the two.  Here’s how:

I involve my children in my ministry.  This won’t work for every family (my children are teenagers) but my children actually enjoy being a part of my ministry.  In fact, they call it “our ministry”.  They are able to offer great insight into music choices, games, events and resources.  My little test group, if you will.  Not only does this help me stay relevant and “cool” with the kids at church, but it helps my children feel like valued members of our ministry (which they are).

As a result, I’ve seen them use their gifts and talents.  My son has seen me lead Sunday School and is now a teen small group leader for 6th grader boys at our church.  He not only prepares his lessons ahead of time but he finds ways to shepherd the boys as well as provide an atmosphere of community within the group.  He has also taught me a thing or two about technology (namely how to design a PowerPoint presentation).  My daughter is extremely artistic.  She has helped design brochures as well as sets and bulletin boards.  She has also researched craft projects and has written skits for the children.

I ask their permission before signing them up for events, etc..  I value my children and their need for personal boundaries by not signing them up to help me at events.  I don’t automatically assume that they will be present or fill open slots.  Because of this, they look forward to going to church and volunteer to serve in various ways.

I value their opinion.  When I was presented with a new ministry opportunity last year, I talked it over with my children (and my husband).  Because the opportunity would involve changing churches, their opinion was vital to my decision.  Talking it over with them and getting their insight strengthened our family and helped them to love, not resent, moving to our current church.

I am aware of negative talk about the ministry.  Volunteers don’t show up.  Someone may disagree with a decision I’ve made.  Someone may complain about this or that.  But my children don’t need to hear that.  It’s not their burden to carry.

As often as I can, I take them along with me when I travel for work.  My children are unsung heroes of my ministry, so taking them along with me is a reward for them.  Those trips have been some of the best times we’ve had as a family.

I value them by leaving work at work.  I love Children’s Ministry.  I love to read about it and talk about it.  But I also love my family time and try to protect that at all costs.  Saturdays and Sunday afternoons are reserved for family–movies, good conversation, a delicious meal, a road trip.  Just good, quality time to connect.

Although I love Children’s Ministry, motherhood is my most important ministry.  But having my children integrated into my ministry is the best of both worlds!  I could not imagine ministry life without them! 🙂

If you are a mom in ministry, how do you make it all work?  Share your thoughts below!

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