Each week for my ministry, I write a short devotional thought that hopefully will encourage and inspire those who have made a choice to work with kids. We call the time when we share this VIP (Vision, Information, Prayer).

These devotions are a part of casting vision to our leaders. I want to do everything I can to help them remember that they are making a difference for the kingdom of God and spreading the love of Jesus effectively. All the while challenging them to stretch in their own walk with Christ.

April 5, 2015

Happy Resurrection Morning!

This past weekend I had the privilege to hold one of God’s greatest gifts, a newborn baby. As I looked down on this precious bundle of joy, I became overwhelmed with how much of a huge responsibility I have, no we have, in sharing the gospel message with all that we come into contact with, especially children.

When you think that God has given us the opportunity to share the story of how much He loves each and everyone of His children, it can be an enormous feeling of responsibility.

After thinking about that consider this, we are accountable to God for each child’s safety that we are entrusted with.

That can be scary.

These are just two reasons why we must have training sessions like the ones we offer or require. We are responsible for the well being of these children.

Here is a quick scripture just to show how serious Jesus took teaching children and caring for children.

Luke 17:1-2

Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. ² It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble.

That’s pretty serious.

In light of what God wants His children to hear and understand, these consequences should be taken seriously. We not only are responsible for their safety and well being, we are also responsible for communicating to them the good news of the resurrection of Jesus. That friends, can make a difference for eternity!

Once you become a follower of Christ it’s our responsibility to do this whether it’s children or adults.  Jesus commanded us to do this Mathew 28:19-20

Thank you for doing all you can, to keep our children safe!

Each week for my ministry, I write a short devotional thought that hopefully will encourage and inspire those who have made a choice to work with kids. We call the time when we share this VIP (Vision, Information, Prayer).

These devotions are a part of casting vision to our leaders. I want to do everything I can to help them remember that they are making a difference for the kingdom of God and spreading the love of Jesus effectively. All the while challenging them to stretch in their own walk with Christ.

 March 29, 2015

This week I had a great reminder of why I do Children’s Ministry.

I was going through the halls as our mid-week service “SPLASH” was finishing up. All but a few kids were still around with their leaders. Then I heard one of our leaders call out to me, “Pastor Butch! I have someone here who wants to tell you something.”

As I leaned over to look this little girl in the eyes, she said to me, “I want to be baptized.”

I was so excited for her. I said “that’s great!”

All though this is great, the best part was when I asked, “Why do you want to do that?”

She peered straight into my eyes and said, “Because I want to obey God and do all He wants me to”.

Wow! In that moment my heart did jumped and melted all at once.

Here we have a glimpse of why we do all that we do. These are the moments we hang on to, especially when you’re asking yourself, why am I doing this?

You may say Pastorb, I don’t have that opportunity, I work in the nursery. The kids I work with are not able to communicate these choices to us as well as they do when their older.

Here is what I say to you, when older kids make these choices and tell us, I want you to understand that you have had a part in their decision to follow Jesus. You have changed their diapers, wiped their tears, you are the ones who have loved on them and rocked them to sleep. You have had a big hand is showing the love of Jesus to them.

This all happens because of our faithfulness to do what God has asked us to do.

I want to say to all of you, Thank you for making a difference!

Whoever wants to save their life must lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.

Matthew 16:25 

“God did not call us to be successful, but to be faithful.”

Mother Teresa

Each week for my ministry, I write a short devotional thought that hopefully will encourage and inspire those who have made a choice to work with kids. We call the time when we share this VIP (Vision, Information, Prayer).

These devotions are a part of casting vision to our leaders. I want to do everything I can to help them remember that they are making a difference for the kingdom of God and spreading the love of Jesus effectively. All the while challenging them to stretch in their own walk with Christ.

March 22, 2015

(He) Made Himself nothing, taking on the very nature of a servant. Philippians 2:7

This verse was part of my quiet time this week and as I took time to think about it, I wondered what is the nature of a servant? What does that look like?

Now a servant is not necessary a slave, in todays terms. But you can become a slave, when you let some thing or someone become your master. That is where knowing who you serve is so very important.

In scripture we see a very clear picture of what it looks like to be a servant. Jesus did this so eloquently through out his life, here on earth and when He was with the Father, before He made the divine decision to come to earth to be our Savior.

He gave us a life to strive for. His life was a beautiful painted picture of what a servant looked like. As we grow into being a disciple of Christ, we are faced with some challenges. Who would have thought putting others before yourself and loving one another would be such a difficult task?

If this is not a challenge for you perhaps you need to draw in closer to the life of Jesus.

Our children need to see Christ like servants and feel loved. We have no clue where they come from before they reach our doors or what they have experienced on the trip to church. We need to remember this; today the love you give, maybe the only love they get to experience.

Thank you for what you do!

 “Our Lord lived a life… to give the standard for our lives.”  Oswald Chambers

Each week for my ministry, I write a short devotional thought that hopefully will encourage and inspire those who have made a choice to work with kids. We call the time when we share this VIP (Vision, Information, Prayer).

These devotions are a part of casting vision to our leaders. I want to do everything I can to help them remember that they are making a difference for the kingdom of God and spreading the love of Jesus effectively. All the while challenging them to stretch in their own walk with Christ.

 March 15, 2015

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:6

Have you ever wondered about this verse? I have what does it mean to have your paths made straight? The more I thought about this I started to think about all the choices I have had to make over the course of my life.

Some were great and some were well… unwise choices. Thinking about the unwise choices if I would have had more wisdom in my life, more guidance, perhaps I could have made the wise choice. Therefor my paths would have been made straight.

Looking at this verse, if I want to make wise choices I need to go to the one who holds everything, God.

This starts by acknowledging Him in everything. Sometimes what that means is yielding my will for His will. Stepping aside and letting God mold me into the person, He sees me becoming.

This is hard. Especially with all the things of the world asking for my attention and luring me away from living a life that honors Him.

Friends, this is what we’re teaching through the love we share with the kids, week in and week out. When we have the chance to display or communicate how to make choices that honor God, it will be second nature to us, if we have yielded our will to God on a daily basis. The kids will catch this. I heard it said more is caught than taught and that is true.

Hudson Taylor said this: “God always gives His very best to those who leave the choice with Him.”

Each week for my ministry, I write a short devotional thought that hopefully will encourage and inspire those who have made a choice to work with kids. We call the time when we share this VIP (Vision, Information, Prayer).

These devotions are a part of casting vision to our leaders. I want to do everything I can to help them remember that they are making a difference for the kingdom of God and spreading the love of Jesus effectively. All the while challenging them to stretch in their own walk with Christ.

March 8, 2015

"When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark you don’t throw your ticket away and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer." 

~Corrie ten Boom~

As I sat and chewed on this a bit I started to get it. Many times we do jump off the train. We don’t fully trust. We like to say we do or think we do, but if we’re honest, we don’t.

Perhaps we don’t throw our ticket away but we sure do run up and tell the engineer how to drive or do his job according to the way we want it to be done.

See when were in dark times or low times, this is when we need to rest. Resting in the fact that God (the Engineer) is in control and He wants us to come out on the other side stronger and ready to give testimony to His grace and love. 

So what’s this have to do with what I’m doing here with these kids? Think about the amazing things they will be able to do for God, if they learn to do this early in life. The kids are learning how to do this from you, today by you showing up, being present, and sharing God’s love. Because of you doing this our kids have a chance of learning this.

You are making a difference!