This past weekend, I had the privilege of visiting the church in South Texas that I attended when I was growing up. Throughout the service, my mind was flooded with memories. To be honest, I had trouble paying attention to the guest speaker that Sunday. My mind was constantly thinking about different things that happened at the Christian Center in my childhood and youth. I could almost visibly see my pastor, Brother B.B. Hankins, flowing in the anointing and working together with the Holy Spirit.
Also during that service I reflected on the wit and wisdom of Brother Hankins. Among the dozens of “Hankinsisms” that I remembered that Sunday, I could picture him telling the teenagers of the church that when they were asked the question, “Do you speak in other tongues?” to answer with the question, “Do you mean that you don’t?” In other words, he was telling us to not apologize for what should be the norm in the life of the believer.
I thought about that bit of wisdom quite a bit yesterday as Vickie and I flew back to South Florida and how it applied to our ministry to children. In many Pentecostal/Charismatic children’s ministries, leaders and workers act as though they are embarrassed by what should be a normal, every service occurrence. Many have apologetically made the normal to be abnormal when it relates to children being filled with the Holy Spirit and praying aloud in their heavenly prayer language. What was considered to be the norm at the founding of the Church has become something that we are apparently embarrassed by.
Come on children’s ministry leaders! Let’s quit apologizing for being a Spirit-filled, tongue-talking Church. If today is the day of the Holy Ghost (and it is), then let’s demonstrate it! Let’s boldly and consistently encourage our children and staff to unapologetically demonstrate that we are a New Testament Church that flows with the Holy Ghost by praying ALOUD in your services in a heavenly language. Let’s stand in front of our children’s church congregations and Sunday school classes and mid-week Bible clubs and declare like the Apostle Peter “For this promise is for you and your children” (Acts 2:39) and then demonstrate that this is a normal, every day way of life by encouraging the children and staff to pray ALOUD in their heavenly prayer language.
Let me wrap up this entry by challenging the readers in the 60+ nations that are reading today’s blog to be a present-day B.B. Hankins. When asked the quest
ion about your children’s ministry, “Do you speak in other tongues?” your answer should be the question, “Do you mean that you don’t?” Let’s boldly be a Holy Ghost children’s ministry!
