Contact & Booking
 

September 2008

28 Sep I Don’t Plan to Ever Quit the Children’s Ministry!

Posted at 23:53h in Children's Ministry by Billy Burns 0 Comments

Many things have changed in the 29 years that Vickie and I have been in full-time children's ministry. I just caught myself writing full-time as though there is a part-time alternative. We all know that it is full-time to do all that is required to effectively minister to children. Many leaders put in full-time hours and energy for the children's ministry and receive their finances from an 8 to 5 job.While many things have changed over the years, there is one thing that hasn't changed. Every children's ministry is always in need of additional staff, right? I haven't heard of anyone with a waiting list of those biding time until an opening pops open.I am convinced that this could change if you were allowed just a few minutes to share why you are in children's ministry and don't plan to quit. Many people aren't involved because of the fact that they just don't know what is going on in each of your services!If I were allowed to address your congregation, I could list ten reasons that I am in this ministry and don't plan to quit. This isn't just hype. I have 29 years of being in this ministry and 19 years of being the children's pastor in one church. I live for each and every opportunity to touch the lives of children.Allow me to list four of these reasons. I apologize for not having the space to elaborate on each reason. However (here comes an unapologetic promotion) I can provide the entire teaching and my notes that I use to teach this lesson by having you visit the Billy Burns Ministries website http://www.billyburnsministries.com/ to purchase either the CD teaching that can be mailed to you or downloadable teaching that you have within in couple of minutes.Here are the first four reasons. Each when I step into the classroom, I am a supernatural interruption to the plans of the enemy. I am commissioned to eliminate the need for spiritual hospitals (otherwise known as support groups). I get to be a spiritual tour guide to our kids. I set the pattern for the future of the church. One more thing as I close this week's blog ...

Read More

22 Sep The Greater the Sensitivity, the Greater the Power

Posted at 22:16h in Children's Ministry, Revival by Billy Burns 0 Comments

If you have been in children's ministry for any length of time, you will agree that this is an on-the-job training ministry. At the beginning, mistakes are plentiful. As you continue through the School of Hard Knocks, you soon earn your bachelor's degree and the mistakes become fewer and fewer.One of the dangers of being a graduate of the School of Hard Knocks is that, after a while, it is so easy to begin to operate off of previous experience. There is security in having done things before. In our ministry, we know what works, what to do/what not to do, etc. There can't be many mistakes made if we always follow the lessons learned from experience. The downside of experience is that it can cause us to develop a cruise control mentality. In our ministries, we can begin to work off of an auto-pilot mentality. What is the end result? Instead of being Charismatic, we can become cruise-a-matic.Thank God for the experience and formulas. But, to accomplish our ultimate call, at times, we must push the safety net aside and, having heard the voice of the Spirit of God, leave the comfort zone behind and walk into uncharted territories.For those who see true moves of God, vulnerability, or perhaps best said "sensitivity", will cause us to join the ranks of the Abrahams who will leave family behind to go on an uncharted journey of faith, the Moseses' who will dare to lead an at times uncooperative group to a land of promise, the Esther's who will risk it all to stand in the gap for her people.Today, there is an inward voice calling for us to push the safety net aside and step out of the boat, walk on waters thought impossible by man. There is a voice crying out for us to become dependent upon our sensitivity to the Holy Spirit's voice in our services. There are places in the Spirit that our children haven't been. There are things that they haven't seen. There is a freedom that they haven't experienced. There are Gifts of the Spirit that they haven't operated in.Remember, the greater the sensitivity, the greater the power!...

Read More

15 Sep They are Children!

Posted at 10:32h in Children's Ministry by Billy Burns 0 Comments

After moving from South Texas to South Florida in 1989, we began to behave like the Israelites after they left Egypt and began to crave the foods that are peculiar to back home. (Forgive me fellow Texans. In no way is Texas like Egypt. It is just a biblical example to make me look studious.) We longed for GOOD Tex-Mex, Dr. Pepper in every restaurant, and real Texas BBQ.Not long after moving to Florida, we were blessed with a smoker (the kind that is used to smoke meat ...

Read More

07 Sep The Greater the Dependence, the Greater the Power

Posted at 13:37h in Children's Ministry, Revival by Billy Burns 0 Comments

One of the traps of longevity in children's ministry is that we can become so good and self-sufficient that we don’t need His presence and power. In the natural, no challenge is too difficult, no circumstance is insurmountable.It would be wise for us to learn from the apostle Paul in this matter. We all know that Paul had credentials and qualifications second to none. And yet we read in 2 Corinthians 3:5 (NCV) "We are not saying that we can do this work ourselves. It is God who makes us able to do all that we do."Here's the reason for this blog. The measure of your dependence will determine the measure of His power. In saying that, please understand that this doesn't give license for you to not prepare and do your part. Paul instructed Timothy to study to show himself approved unto God. We are to walk into ministry knowing that we have done everything that we can do. We have thought of creative ways to communicate the gospel. We have sought after fresh, new ideas to capture the attention of our children. And yet, with all of our training and preparation, we must walk into each occasion of ministry with a cry of desperation for His anointing and presence. We must be helplessly dependent upon Him to do everything that He can do.This dependency might even require that we cast aside all of our preparation so that we follow Him step by step through the ministry. It might require that the expensive object lesson be shelved for a later date, the much rehearsed skit be placed back into the filing system for a later performance.As your dependency increases, so will the anointing. Learn to depend upon His leading and prompting. Learn to decrease so that He can increase. One more time ...

Read More