Tag: Skit Guys

KidMin Conference – General Session Takeaways

Kathie Phillips 2 Comments

Yesterday I posted a few ideas for next steps following this year’s KidMin Conference (you can read that here).  Today, I thought I’d share some of my general session takeaways.  Be warned…my notes are not lengthy.  (1) It was a little dark in the general session room for me to take many notes and (2) I was really taking everything in and tried to just be present, especially after the phenomenal worship times.

FRIDAY EVENING GENERAL SESSION

I was not familiar with Roddy Chong prior to the conference but boy did his story resonate with me.  He spoke about being chosen by God and the many doors that God opened for him that he never imagined being opened.  He shared about traveling with well-known singers (Shania Twain & Celine Dion).  His story resonated with me because I, too, have seen God open many doors for me that I NEVER thought would happen for me.  It is really humbling to see God work in unimaginable ways.  Roddy also spoke about the need to not be defined by your mistakes.  That’s a good lesson for everyone!

The Skit Guys are a KidMin Conference favorite!  I always enjoy them!  They do a beautiful job of blending comedy and thought-provoking challenges.  One question they tossed out was, What are you afraid of?  They challenged us with this:  God chose you before it all began.  If he did that, He has a plan for you.  You have nothing to be afraid of.

SATURDAY MORNING GENERAL SESSION

Greg Baird spoke on Saturday morning and he did not disappoint.  I follow Greg on social media and also enjoy his blog posts, so I knew I’d enjoy hearing from him.  He referenced Ephesians 6:12, which says:

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

  • We are not superheroes.  We are in a battle.  When we are in ministry, the target on us becomes bolder to the enemy.
  • We cannot surge [SURGE was this year’s theme] ahead if we cannot stay on the battlefield.
  • What keeps us from surging ahead?
    • We simply try to survive (Acts 20:24).  It’s not about me – it’s about Jesus.
    • We get distracted.  Our ministries need to be about Jesus.
    • We focus on the wrong danger (things like numbers vs life transformation, families falling apart, etc.).
    • When we do these things, we do ministry in our power.
  • What do we do to combat these things? (Zech. 4:6)
    • Instead of trying to survive, trust God.
    • Instead of being distracted, immerse yourself in God’s Word.
    • Instead of focusing on the wrong danger, focus on your relationship with God.

Greg closed with a quote from Phil Vischer:  “Impact does not come when we are pursuing impact – impact comes when we are pursuing God.”

SATURDAY EVENING GENERAL SESSION

Jon Acuff spoke on passages from Isaiah 30.

  • Give God our expectations.  God will never be handcuffed by your failures or unleashed by your successes.
  • We need to learn how to be present.  Sometimes our lives are so loud we miss God’s whispers.

I didn’t attend Sunday morning’s session (I was having breakfast with a friend) or Monday morning’s session (I was headed home).  I did attend Sunday evening’s session with DeVon Franklin but I was too busy agreeing with him to write stuff down!  Sorry!

Were you at the conference?  What were some of your takeaways? Let me know by commenting below!

 

KidMin Conference 2013 – Day One Notes

Kathie Phillips 1 Comment

So, we made it to the 2013 KidMin Conference!  I am so excited to be here!

Friday Morning – Pre-Conference

This morning, I took a Pre-Conference track led by Jim Burns from HomeWord.  Jim taught about “Partnering With Parents”.  Here are a few highlights:

*When you reach the family, you reach the world.

*One of the major purposes of the church is to mentor parents.  Parents then mentor their children, and the legacy of faith continues from generation to generation.  There is a 300% chance that high school graduates who have come from homes who’ve regularly engage in faith conversations at home are more likely to not walk away from the faith.

*When you welcome a child, you welcome Jesus (Mark 9:36-37).

*The family, not the church, is the greatest influence in a child’s life.

*Moms are by far the most influential person in a child’s spiritual development.  Here’s the breakdown on the top five (5) people, in order, of influence in a child’s spiritual development: (2) Dad, (3) extended family, (4) friends and (5) church.

*Why keeps us from partnering with parents?

  • It means more for us.
  • We’re insecure  – kids are easy, parents not so much.
  • We might encounter parental resistance, especially if the child has openly shared things happening in the home.
  • We have no say in Adult Education.
  • There is conflict with the Senior Pastor.
  • Parents don’t have time.
  • Parents have different priorities.
  • Non-traditional family structures are hard to navigate.

*As Children’s Ministry leaders, we serve parents by providing four primary tasks:

Information (communicate clearly to parents)

  • Send parent newsletters.
  • Have parent meetings (gather parents for dinner, decadent desserts and information/trainings).  Consider having spiritual offerings as well as needs-based offerings).
  • Let parents know of seminars, workshops, etc. at nearby churches, hospitals, etc.

Assistance (support the family structure)

  • Hold special seminars.  Get people in your church who have specialized training to speak to parents – teachers, doctors, therapists, etc.)
  • Have a library of parenting resources (books, CDs, podcasts, etc.).  If you don’t have a permanent space, have a mobile cart and park it in a highly visible area.

Encouragement (encourage parents)

  • Schedule a Parent Recognition Sunday, a special Sunday service where parents are celebrated.  Have the kids put a video together, serve lunch or dinner, etc. to honor their parents.
  • Write notes of encouragement to parents.

Involvement (parents in your ministry)

  • You will always need volunteers.  Consider, however, expanding what you need by asking parents to assist with areas they’re gifted – parents who fundraise for a living can help raise $ for mission trips, event planners can help plan events, etc.
  • Have a parents counsel to help speak into the ministry.
  • Have opportunities for parents and kids to do together.

Friday Night – General Session

The General Session started with awesome worship (this has never disappointed me here at KidMin).  Worshiping with other kidmin leaders is always a wonderful experience.

The Session’s keynote was to be delivered by Joni Eareckson Tada but due to illness, she was not able to attend.  So, the Skit Guys led the session and did so wonderfully.  They spoke on Mark 2:1-12.  Here are a few highlights:

*Jesus delights in us bringing people to Him.

*Jesus could have healed the man on the spot but He didn’t.  He said his sins were forgiven.  We think we know our need but Jesus knows best.

*Ministry doesn’t turn off when we turn off the lights.

*God has called us to put people on the mat and lead them to Jesus.

I am looking forward to more learning, laughs and encouragement tomorrow!