It’s May 25th, 2009 and in a matter of a few days Vickie and I will be celebrating our 30th anniversary in children’s ministry. On the first weekend of June in 1979, Vickie and left Waxahachie, Texas to become full-time children’s evangelists heading off for our very first Kid’s Crusade at Mark Hankins church in central Louisiana.
Some 30 years have come and gone. You’d think that I’d have a full grip on everything associated with children’s ministry by now, wouldn’t you? Today, allow me to use this blog to share some things that I still don’t understand.
- Why is it that most parents in dropping off their child in our classes exit the class while telling their child, “Have fun”? Is having fun the reason that their children are with us? To make matters worse, the parents first words in picking up their child usually are, “Did you have a good time?”
While this doesn’t effect me because my ministry isn’t operating off of the children’s offerings, I don’t understand why parents give their child a coin or two for the offering. I know of many children’s churches who derive their entire budgets off of what is given in the children’s offerings. Let’s see … 30 children each giving 28 cents …. whoa …. we’ll get a new DVD …. wait, it will be cheaper to find an old, used VHS tape at Goodwill.- Why this happens … the more visible the ministry, the more bountiful the number of volunteers. To flip it around, the more hidden or out-of-sight the ministry, the fewer the number of volunteers.
- Why is it that midweek sporting activities are more important than midweek Bible clubs? I’ve never heard of a teenager facing overwhelming peer pressure falling back on truths learned at pee-wee baseball to help them resist the smooth conniving lies of the enemy, have you?
I know that this isn’t one of my “usual” type blog entries. This entry won’t point you towards having a Holy Spirit service. Believe me when I say that I’m not writing this entry because I am bitter or angry. These are just thoughts that come to me from time-to-time. Perhaps you have the answers to these thoughts, or other thoughts to add to this list. Send me your answers or additions …. [email protected].
