I am so pumped. I just had a chance to see East Hill put on their Family Production they do once a month. It's a family service designed to get kids and parents in the same room, learning the same stuff. This instantly gets parents on board with what their kids are learning at church and gives them common point of reference for the next month. Implementing something like this has been a big dream of mine for the last couple of years. We've done a couple of Family Productions (the ones on Halloween and New Years). The response was good, but for whatever reason I've doubted whether this was the direction we should go. Part of it is I've felt like a "lone wolf" going after this idea without the support of other leaders (though this is more in my mind than reality). I think the other part is knowing what it could be and that we're just not there yet. But I still love the idea. And tonight, some other people on our leadership team had a chance to see what I've been shooting for. They are all very pumped as well.
I think what has really made it difficult is knowing that this is a small part of the big vision that God has given me. I see our church as a place for parents to be resourced and encouraged as the spiritual leaders of their families. To put it plainly, what happens at home is more important than what happens at church. These family productions serve one of many potential ways that families can jump on board with a plan to disciple their kids.
It's been very affirming to be around a group of leaders (up here at Connections, a children's ministry conference) that are ALL feeling this same call to minister to families, not just kids. The problem is, I think I'm the only one that understands this at our church (at least, that's how it feels). We have a huge focus on raising up young leaders, which is incredible. I think there are so many gifted and called young leaders out there that just need to be given the chance to get their hands in there and make ministry happen. And most of the time they do a better job than what's already in place (though a little messier). However, we're missing a huge piece of the puzzle if we're not training the parents of our church to be the leaders of their families.
I think the hardest part of this is knowing I cannot speak into the lives of these parents from my position as childen's pastor. Sure, I can work to build myself a little kingdom of parents that I can partner with (and I'm actually planning on something along those lines) but I can't help but think that's counter to how churches should operate. It just doesn't make sense to me. When you have a group of very talented and dynamic leaders all trying to build their little kingdoms, you end up with a collection of departments and conflicting systems. Families are pulled in a dozen different directions as leaders try to vie for their mental and spiritual bandwidth. In the end we end up more compartmentalized then ever.
It's just tough. I don't know the direction I should go. If I go after what I feel like God is doing without partnering with the other leaders, then I'm working counter to my purpose. But if I don't go after it, I'm afraid it's going to fade into obscurity, and I'm being disobedient to what God has put on my heart. I hope I'm not sounding discontent. I am so blessed to be in a church with such health, and to be under such incredible leadership (Ron Swor is the most amazing leader I know). That almost makes it harder, though. What business does this kid have messing with what's working? But I can't ignore what God has put on my heart. *sigh* Thanks for listening to my little rant. Please, I need your thoughts and comments on this one. What has God been putting on your heart? What's the vision that He's given your family?
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So happy to hear you're around some like-minders this weekend. Whatever it amounts to, it's hope for now, and hope is good.
ReplyDeleteYou are an important piece to an exceptional puzzle. I really believe that, and I'll leave things right there.
My wife and I have been parents of five children all serving the Lord thankfully. We have only one, an 11 year old son, still at home. When they were babies, we went into the nursery to work. Little training, little connectedness between home and church. As they grew up, we moved up teaching and helping and in some cases leading.
ReplyDeleteI have never, in the three churches we have been a part of in the past thirty years of child rearing, felt we were giving the family much in the way of tools to minister at home nor have I seen any substantial change in the course of most kids leaving the church after high school and doing their own thing and then seeing a rescue/recovery effort for those that return.
Don't know the solution yet other than prayer, friendship, one-on-one discipleship that works. Often I feel we in the Sunday School biz are doing what the little kid does as he throws a starfish back into the ocean. Not a big change to the starfish population, but maybe life giving to the few we touch.
Be BLESSED as you seek HIS face for the answers...and you are not the only one who feels the way you do.
Honey pie (I'm Dustin's Auntie, fyi to the unrelated reader)...
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your passion and vision.
There is, however, no need to be frustrated. I (your fellow over-user of parentheses) am in the time of life where I've seen the other end of these things enough times to know that your best instincts are correct: prayer and obedience are the key.
If God has truly placed the vision (and, we as dusty humans...no pun intended...must always maintain the "if" factor), then He will bring it about. It's like the whole (uh oh...rant of my own coming) physical healing thing. We don't have to force or pretend or hide symptoms. God is God. If He will, He does. Your job, as Annette recently said in HER passion, is to position yourself for blessing. Don't steal that line, she's using it for the theme for retreat. :) Seriously, that means: prayer, humility, obedience, faithful service, etc. Basically, placing yourself in the center of His Known Will.
In udda woids: no need for frustration. Trust. Obey.
God's God.
He Am.
:)
Love you,
Aunt Nay
Thank you all for your insights. Luke, thanks for putting into words what is so hard for me to express. I think you're right. I am blessed to be part of such an exceptional puzzle. Emery, I am blessed by families like yours, that makes raising and disciplining your kids a priority. Starfish in the ocean, I like that, thank you.
ReplyDeleteAnd Aunt Ne', thanks for reminding me of what I should already know. God is the one who has brought me this far (despite my best efforts to mess it up most of the time). Surely He will continue to bless and guide me. I guess I'm just at this weird place where I feel like God is calling me to be more bold and courageous in the things that He's put on my heart but I don't know how to balance that with a healthy dose of humility and submission (those honestly seem contrary, though I know they're not). I'll figure it out, hopefully without too much pain. Thanks you all for your insight.
Dustin
Dustin-
ReplyDeleteIt’s so cool to get to know where your heart is these days in your ministry and elsewhere. I love the direction that God is taking you and the role he’s beginning to give you.
The comment that you make about what business do you have messing with what works makes me think a bit. It’s obvious that your heart is in the right place in that you want to have equal parts of vision and humility. This might be rare, and it’s so true that sometimes visions don’t get fulfilled to their full potential or effectively at all because the approach and/or attitude is all wrong. Your awareness of this and desire for it not to happen is from God, too, I think.
I also think that the Enemy sometimes uses what’s good to distract from what’s best. I think God has put a vision in You for something that’s “best” and more in the direction of where his heart is for kids and families. What’s “working” is good, but God wants “best”. Maybe, anyway it’s so cool to see. And I’m praying for it all, my friend! God bless!
Thanks Traci, that's very encouraging. How does that old saying go? "The enemy the great is the good" or something like that. Very insightful. Thanks again!
ReplyDelete