Quotations: The Encouragement of Words

Posted on by bigstuffthatmatters

People collect a variety of items. Stamps, coins, baseball cards, Willow Tree figurines.

I sort of envy those who collect Willow Tree figurines. Unfortunately, my rotten cat takes far too much joy in knocking them over for me to successfully collect them. I have one left. It’s days are numbered.

Instead, I collect other things.

My dad got me started collecting old vinyl rock albums from the 60’s and 70’s.

At some point I started collecting glass bottles.

I have a small but growing collection of Star Wars items.

And I collect quotes.

Many years ago, I got into the habit of jotting down powerful, challenging, or encouraging words when I would read. My desk and office would end up wallpapered with the scribbled quotations. When I moved, I felt torn taking down all the post-its and scraps of paper. As I moved into my new office, one of my first tasks was to again display the quotes.

They stare me down. They challenge me; To seek Christ. To love others deeply. To care for myself. They remind me of my purpose. They encourage me and spur me on. They are like fuel in the tank. They motivate.

Here are a selection of the quotes that I currently have posted in my office. Do you have a quote that has encouraged you?
Share it in the comments below!

 

Ministry

“Ministry: We’re not in it for the income. We’re in it for the outcome.” (Anonymous)

“Ministry is messy, because sin is messy. Get over it, get a mop, and start helping to clean it up!” (Jud Wilhite)

“Other people are going to find healing in your wounds. Your greatest life messages and your most effective ministry will come out of your deepest hurts.” (Rick Warren)

“Use your ministry to build people, not people to build your ministry.” (Jacquelyn K. Heasley)

“The gospel is only good news if it gets there in time.” (Carl F. H. Henry)

“Preach the gospel at all times, when necessary use words.” (St. Francis of Assisi)

Children

“Every child you encounter is a divine appointment.” (Wess Stafford)

“Children are great imitators. Give them something great to imitate.” (Anonymous)

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The quote that greets me every time I enter my office.

“A person’s a person, no matter how small.” (Dr. Seuss)

“Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them.” (Lady Bird Johnson, Former First Lady of the United States)

“We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today.” (Stacia Tauscher)

“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” (Frederick Douglass)

“If I could relive my life, I would devote my entire ministry to reaching children for God!” (Dwight L. Moody, evangelist)

“Don’t worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you.” (Robert Fulghum)

“Kids go where there is excitement. They stay where there is love.” (Zig Ziglar)

“If you can’t explain it to a 6 year old, you don’t understand it yourself.” (Albert Einstein)

Leadership

“Remember the difference between a boss and a leader; a boss says ‘Go!’ A leader says ‘Let’s go!'” (E.M. Kelly)

“You do not lead by hitting people over the head.  That’s assault, not leadership.” (Dwight D. Eisenhower)

“Nothing so conclusively proves a man’s ability to lead others as what he does from day to day to lead himself.” (Thomas J. Watson)

“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.” (Ryunosuke Satoro)

“Be faithful in the small things.” (Adapted from Luke 16:10)

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Displayed on my desk.

“Don’t get used to fences that need to be painted.” (My summary of a great point in Jim Wideman’s book “Children’s Ministry Leadership: The You-Can-Do-It Guide”)

Personal Edification

“Let your life speak.” (Old Quaker adage and title of Parker J. Palmer’s book “Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation”)

“Because we do not rest, we lose our way. We miss the compass points that show us where to go. We lose the nourishment that gives us succor. We miss the quiet that gives us wisdom. Poisoned by the hypnotic belief that good things come only through tireless effort, we never truly rest. And for want of rest, our lives are in danger.” (Wayne Muller)

“Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done.” (C.S. Lewis)

“Let him who cannot be alone beware of community… Let him who is not in community beware of being alone… Each by itself has profound perils and pitfalls. One who wants fellowship without solitude plunges into the void of words and feelings, and the one who seeks solitude without fellowship perishes in the abyss of vanity, self-infatuation and despair.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)

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A much needed reminder for my introvert tendencies.

My God Can: A Reusable Object Lesson

Posted on by bigstuffthatmatters

For over 10 years, I have used a specific object lesson to teach kids about the power, love, grace, and character of God. I have used it to tell the Christmas story. I have used it to tell of the death and resurrection of Jesus. I have even used it to present the Gospel. Kids have come to Christ because of this object lesson. All of this and more has come from a coffee can.

Right off the bat, I want to say that this was not my own idea. Many years ago, I was at a conference and saw a ventriloquist using the object lesson. I thought it was amazing. I returned home and immediately used it in my own church ministry. Over the years, I forgot the name of that ventriloquist until recently. When I read that Dennis Lee was in a car accident, the light bulb came on. He was the ventriloquist. So Dennis gets the credit but lets also give him our prayers as he continues to recover from his injuries.

So what’s so great about a coffee can? It’s no ordinary coffee can. It’s the “My God Can.” In the can is a variety of items. As you pull out an item and talk about it, you will ask the audience a question. No matter what question you ask, the answer is always the same: “MY GOD CAN!”

My God Can

Here’s an easy example using a band-aid: Have you ever been hurt? Have you ever scraped your knee or scratched your arm? A band-aid is great because it helps those hurts to heal. In life, sometimes we get hurt. Sometimes they are little hurts. Other times, they are big hurts. Sometimes, it’s our body that is hurt. Other times, it’s our heart. Who can heal us when we feel hurt? MY GOD CAN!

How can you put together your own “My God Can” can?

Gather Supplies

You will need to gather some supplies: a coffee can, decorations for the outside of the can, a variety of random objects to go inside the can

Put It Together

You will want to decorate the outside of the can. My can is covered in fabric that was hot-glued into place and trimmed with pom-poms. Decorate it according to your own preference or to match your children’s ministry area. How simple or detailed the decorations is completely up to you.

Formulate Questions

My God Can 3The most important part of this object lesson involves what you put in the can. Do not rule anything out. Keep an open mind and think creatively. A great place to start would be in your ministry office or ministry supply room. Look for objects that would fit into the can and think of how they might be used to point kids to Jesus.

Some ideas might include…

  • Pens, pencils, or markers to relate how God writes our names in the lamb’s book of life or that we are written on the palm of his hands (Isaiah 49:16).
  • An eraser to relate how God erases (forgives) our sins.
  • A cell phone to teach how God can hear us when we talk to him and how we never get busy signal when we need to talk to God.
  • A compass to remind us that God can show us the right way to go.
  • Heart stickers or anything heart-shaped to show the nature of God’s love.
  • A plastic spider or anything that might be “scary” to relate how God can calm our fears.

You will need to formulate a question for every item in such a way that the appropriate answer would be, “My God Can.” For the ideas given above, after talking about the item, the questions could then be worded like this:

  • Who can write our names in the Lamb’s Book of Life? (My God Can!)
  • Who can erase our sin when we ask for forgiveness? (My God Can!)
  • Who can always hear us when we want to talk to him? (My God Can!)
  • Who can show us the right way to go? (My God Can!)
  • Who can love us with a love that never ends? (My God Can!)
  • Who can keep us calm when we are afraid? (My God Can!)

Using the Object Lesson

As you use the “My God Can,” be sure to involve the kids or audience by having them answer the question each time.

For a more detailed video on using the “My God Can,” including a variety of examples of what can go inside the can, be sure to check out this instructional video.

Once you create your own “My God Can,” be sure to share your photos and stories in the comments below or connect with me via Facebook.

 

Non-Negotiables: Prioritizing Prayer & Bible Study

Posted on by bigstuffthatmatters

A couple years ago, I had a conversation with a fellow children’s pastor who was struggling. Ministry had taken over much of their life and they had gotten into the harmful habit of sacrificing their time with God in order to “get ministry done.” Personal spiritual disciplines like prayer and Bible study only happened when ministry required it for others.

Unfortunately, I don’t think that particular children’s pastor’s scenario is unique. As was discussed in a previous post, sometimes in ministry, we get into the habit of placing the spiritual and personal needs of others before our own. Consequently, our own personal discipleship suffers.

At the 2016 Children’s Pastors Conference, Matt Guevara, Executive Director of the International Network of Children’s Ministry (INCM), spoke to this issue. “If the things you are doing for God are keeping you from Oneness with God, then you need to take a break.”

Our work in ministry should never overshadow or take precedence over our relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

While there are many things we could and should be doing as Christians and ministers, the spiritual disciplines that maintain our connection with the Father must be priority. Personal time in prayer and with Scripture should be non-negotiables for every person serving in children’s ministry.

These are not new and ground shaking ideas. We already know these things! But out of love for our people and the obligation we feel in ministry, sometimes the very things we work so hard to encourage people towards are the things that we sometimes neglect.

In my own life, in order to maintain “habits of holiness” and strengthen my connection with the Father, I have established a guide to ensure that prayer and time with Scripture remain as non-negotiables.

The Calendar

From my experience, what helped to make my personal “quiet time” of prayer and Scripture reading a non-negotiable is my calendar. In the same way I would schedule an important meeting, I schedule my time with God. In the hectic nature of ministry, I find it best to schedule that time in the morning.

Is it easy?

No. In fact, it can be really difficult. I’m not a morning person. But by scheduling it first, I can protect that time.

Do I have a perfect record?

No. There are mornings when I run behind. There are mornings that I miss my appointment. But for my own sake, those missed encounters are the exception to the rule.

Establish a Routine

I have established a routine that keeps my prayer and Bible study on track during the week. What does it look like?

Scheduled Disciplines

I have my standing appointment with Jesus each morning. I allow an hour for this each morning before my normal office schedule begins.

On Mondays, I also do some sort of deeper Bible study. Maybe I am looking deeper at a passage or going through an actual Bible study program. Since Mondays tend to be slower days for me, I am able to take another hour before lunch for Bible study.

The other days of the week, I spend time in the Word. Many times, I choose to listen to Scripture, a habit I picked up in Seminary from a professor. There are several apps, like the BibleGateway app, that include the option to listen to the Scripture.

Create Habits

I remember one Sunday helping the kids at church memorize a verse. I was going through the speech about how important it is to memorize Scripture. And then this kid dropped a question on me like a 10-ton bomb. “Do you memorize verses, too?”

Ouch, kid! That hurt!

I was asking the kids to do something that in my own life, I was not doing. That had to change. Now, to keep the place of Scripture in my life as a non-negotiable, I memorize Scripture. I have created it as a habit in the midst of other daily routines.

Creation of a new habit comes from frequent repetition. That is how I approach Scripture memorization. Each week, I focus on a new passage or a continuation of a previous passage. I include the planned repetition on my schedule.

When I first began memorizing Scripture, I considered other habits I have in my life.

  • I look at my phone a lot.
  • I check Facebook periodically during the day.
  • I take bathroom breaks.
  • I make several trips to the children’s wing throughout the day.

Those habits now serve as cues for me to quote the Scripture that I am trying to memorize.

What about you?

Do you have areas of personal discipleship that you struggle to maintain in the midst of ministry?

What are your non-negotiables? How do you protect them from the busyness of ministry?

 

Children’s Pastors & the Empty Cup: A Conversation in Self-Care & Spiritual Disciplines

Posted on by bigstuffthatmatters

I am a visual learner. I think in pictures and images. In my life, when I hear words or concepts, I view them as paintings or movies in my mind.

Because of this, there is one popular idiom that frustrates me.

“You can’t pour from an empty cup.”

Intellectually, I get it. You have to take care of yourself in order to take care of others. But for me, I can’t get past the mental images long enough to embrace to popular quotation.

Let me invite you inside to see the picture.

Imagine sitting as a guest in someone’s home and being offered tea or coffee. And then, your host pours you some coffee from their own cup.

Wait. What just happened?

 Did they just…?

They totally did. I’m not drinking that!

 Fake it. Be polite… but I’m not drinking that.

I know what you’re thinking. I obviously do not understand the symbolism. I have missed out on the key lesson. “You’re missing the point, Allie.”

Or maybe, I’m not.

In my goofy way of thinking, an important thought crossed my mind as it relates to my role in ministry or my life as a follower of Jesus Christ.

In life, we of course do not pour from cups. We pour from pitchers. We pour from carafes. We pour from some sort of vessel into cups. And in ministry, we pour into many cups.

Our problem is not that the vessel runs out for we know that it contains an endless supply of “living water.” I think that often in ministry, our problem is that we pour into other cups first. By the end of the day, though there is more than enough to pour into our own cup, we are simply out of time or energy to do so.

We practice hospitality to our own detriment. We do for others and do not for ourselves.

Christ came that we would not just have life, but have it to the full (John 10:10). Our cups should not just be full. They should be overflowing because of our close connection with the Father through Christ. If that is not the case, it should be a major red flag flying in our weary faces, warning us of the looming danger. We’re probably just too tired to notice.

So in our lives as followers of Christ who serve in ministry, what can we do to make sure that our cup does not remain empty while we fill the many cups of others?

In the coming weeks, I’ll be posting some ideas, but I’m curious.

What do you do in your life to make sure your own cup does not remain empty?