Ask or Imagine…. August 26, 2008

I have always believed that I serve a great big God. He is bigger than all my needs. He knows all my weaknesses and failures. He knows my strengths and my passions. He knows when I am down and I need to be lifted up. He knows when I need to be corrected and when I get off the path he has for me. He is a BIG God. I love that. I can put my life completely in his hands and trust that no matter what may come my way – my God is standing there – right beside me.

Yesterday I was looking up one of my fav verses, found in Ephesians 3:20-21, “To him who is able to do exceeding more than we could ever ASK or IMAGINE, to him be the glory, forever and ever. Amen.”  I love that Paul points out that God can do exceedingly MORE than we can ask or imagine. I really noticed yesterday the two parts of this verse. First is asking. He can do more than we ask. He cares about our requests and our needs.  The next part is imagining. I love that word. I am a huge imaginer, I love to dream big and this verse encourages me that no matter what I am imagining – God can do exceedingly more. It’s like he cares about our needs, and he cares about our dreams. That is so exciting to me!!!!! It encourages me – that my great big God – he’s got me covered!

I went on to then read this same verse in the Message Bible. It read, “God can do anything, you know – far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams. He does it not by pushing us around but by working withing us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.” The Message Bible always gives a translation that captures my attention because of the language that it uses. I love the part in this translation that points out that his Spirit is deeply and gently working within us.

So I guess I am encouraged to ask and to dream, and to expect. And I encourage that for you as well whether it be in your everyday life – or your spiritual life! God is BIG!

Speaking of dreaming, I had a great chance to meet with some Children’s Ministry Leaders last night. I am excited about the fall! I had them write down some sentences on what they thought Children’s Ministry at Compass Point should look like. Here are a few that I wanted to share:

• Guidance, realtionship, encouragement
• Fun, Developing Friendships
• Bringing children to a saving knowledge of Jesus
• Learn in a safe and enjoyable setting
• See positive role models
• Learn to be a servant
• Have a safe, nurturing environment where children can learn to love God and others
• Grow in God’s word
• Be confident in the fact that Jesus loves them always
• Know how deep, wide and encompassing is the love of God for them

I love all those thoughts….They encourage me that we can all together keep dreaming and believing for all of those things for our children. Remember, God can do more than we can ask or imagine!

Our God is big!

Shelly

Jesus. It’s all about Him August 18, 2008

Last March I had a great opportunity to go to Florida to work at the Children’s Pastors Conference for Godrocks! The conference was at Disneyworld – so I was EXTRA excited! If you have ever been to Disney, you know that it is quite the place.  I love Mickey and Minnie, I love the princesses, I especially love pirates – so to actually stay right there on site at a Disney Resort was so much fun for me! Even our hotel soap had little ears! (and yes, I took a bunch home…) After awhile though, you kinda feel swallowed up by the whole Disney empire. It’s like being on another planet - another world altogether!

I went on this trip with my great travel pal that I was working with at the time. (she shall remain nameless, or I’ll be in trouble)  We had many many exciting adventures on our trips! After our week working at Disney, we boarded the Disney bus that was taking us back to the airport, which was playing the farewell Disney video – wishing us well as we left Disney and of course encouraging us to return again soon to Disney. My friend turned to me, and in complete seriousness said to me, “So, what is Mickey anyway?” I was a little stunned for a second. Then I replied, “Mickey is a MOUSE.”

Well, the laughing over that moment went on for a very long time and the “Mickey is a Mouse” moment will never be forgotten. While we attributed that comment to being part of a “blonde moment”, I can kinda understand my friend’s momentary confusion. With all the activity, the action, the marketing, the characters, the events – it kinda is easy to lose sight of that little mouse that started the whole Disney empire! What is he anyway? What is this place all about? Really, when you scale it all back. Disney is all about that mouse.

That moment came back to me the other day. I am in kid’s ministry turbo fall mode. Planning, scheduling, networking, cleaning, booking, ordering, calling, emailing, sorting, etc. It is a crazy time! I am ready, with our great team,  to launch into an amazing fall with exciting things planned for children and families. I love to plan big and dream big. I love the madness that comes with being a kid’s pastor! I love it, I love it, I love it!

But then I had to stop for a moment one day last week. And I had to refocus. I thought about my friend and how she for a moment lost sight of that little mouse. And I thought that I really needed to remind myself of something as well in the midst of all my planning and craziness. I don’t ever want to lose sight of what it’s all about it either.  We as a children’s ministry don’t want to build something that loses sight of it’s original purpose. It’s original passion. The reason why we do EVERYTHING that we do.

Jesus.

It’s ALL about him.

That’s it in a nutshell. The events we plan. The progams we run. The outreach that we initiate.

It’s all about Jesus.

It ties into the overall vision of Compass Point Church. Care, Communicate, Coach and Commission. It’s about being sought out by our community because we LOVE and CARE for people. That’s what it is all about. 

Then from there, we have the opportunity to minister into the lives of children and families as they come into personal relationship with Jesus. We help them grow and discover what God has for their lives. Then we equip them for the future. It’s a great responsibility that we have. It’s exciting!

So, my Disney moment reminded me of all this the other day. Not that I was trying to build a theme park or anything quite that grandious at Compass Point Kidz. I just needed to step back for a second. Look around. Think a little bit. Focus on the reason  

So, if anyone ever asks “What is Compass Point Kidz all about anyway?”

It’s about Jesus!

A good read… August 11, 2008

Well, it rained ALOT this past weekend. So I thought it was a good time to read. I am a little afraid of lightening though, so I had to move around the house alot to avoid large windows and potentially large bolts of lightening coming after me! I did however, manage to read a whole book!

 A couple weeks ago after a particularily long day of breaking up summer clashes with my children, I thought a good parenting book couldn’t hurt.  I picked up a book I saw recommended by Focus on the Family, Have a new kid by Friday. How to change your child’s Attitude, Behaviour and Character in 5 days, by Dr. Kevin Leman. I like his writing, and I have appreciated and enjoyed his advice on parenting that I have seen in various interviews. (my kids however, were a little offended with the title!)

I think it is a little optimistic to think that you can totally make changes in a child in 5 days (and I do think my children are great little people, I don’t want to totally change them – I like them!!)  But Dr Leman definitely gave some good advice and great suggestions as where to begin when it comes to making improvements in your child’s behaviour. I liked his focus on Attitude, Behavior and Character – things I know that I really want to see developed positively in my children.  And he addressed the fact that children learn what they see – so there was some examination for parents on our parenting styles – and how we as parents act and react to things – are mirrored in how our kids act. There was also a great section on mountains and molehills and how to determine what are the behaviours that are really important to address in our children -  and then the issues that are not as drastic as we think or make them out to be.

All in all, a good book that got me thinking, talking with my husband and evaluating ourselves – because I know that parenting is a work in progress, and I want to make sure I am equipped the best that I can be. Dr. Leman also includes an A to Z guide in this book to some common parenting questions. Some good ideas and insight.

Obviously when it comes to parenting, the same thing will not work for every family. But what does work is a committment to our children and doing the best that we can to equip and raise them for success in the future – both spiritually and socially. It’s a great calling and challenge all in one!

So, the book is on my desk if you want to borrow it, it’s definitely worth the read!

Shelly

A little thought, inspired by smelly socks…. August 5, 2008

So, there is this great little camp called Braeside in Paris, Ontario that has been part of our family summers since I was a little girl. I went to camp there as a child, then as a jr high, then as a teen. Then I became a counsellor, program director, etc. etc. It is a very significant place to me, as I can vividly remember specific times in my life that I was impacted spiritually there. It was also a place where I had the opportunity to lead, and discover some giftings that I had on my life.

Last week, my 10 year old son was a camper at the same camp for his 3rd year. He LOVES it there.  It really kind of feels full circle to me. I have to admit that I get a little emotional when I think about it. He sleeps in the same rickety cabins that I did, he goes to chapel in the same HOT building that I did, he eats the same scary camp food that I did. When I picked him up, his suitcase was filled with very GROSS and DISGUSTING smelling clothes and everything was damp (ewww), just like I remember my suitcase being! As I watched him in the closing service for parents, worshipping God and participating in the service, I had tears in my eyes because I love that his young life was impacted spiritually during his week at camp, and that this place has become a significant part of his faith journey- just like it was it was for me.

That got me thinking about spiritual traditions that we can impart into our children. I am a traditional type of person.  I love family traditions. My friends make fun of me because I have seasonal decorations. (doesn’t everyone have a singing snowman clock?)  I have things that I do every year on certain holidays or occasions with my kids – because I want them to look back and remember celebrations that we did as a family, and I want them to have special memories of being a kid! (That is why every Christmas we make the saddest, sorriest gingerbread house that you have ever seen….but it is FUN!) 

 Spiritual traditions though, those are the ones that are REALLY important. Things that we do that spiritually impact our homes. These types of traditions will impact the hearts of our kids, strengthen our families, and instill passion and purpose for Jesus.  I read an alarming statistic recently that only 10% of Christian families have faith discussions in their homes. That really got me thinking and got me purposely and intentionally making sure that we talk about Jesus in our house! Sometimes in our minds, we just save that kind of talk for Sunday. But growing in our faith, and growing our families in Jesus is a day-to-day committment that we need to make. And I know that it is hard with the craziness of life. We have tried so many ways to have good family devotional time – it is NOT easy! We are still trying to find what works for our family.  Most things though, that are benefical to us, require effort.

So, I encourage you (and myself as well) to establish spiritual traditions in your home. Not for tradition sake, but with the goal of firmly rooting your children and your family in Jesus. Tradition on it’s own can become stagnent and redundant. But tradition with purpose can be alive and vibrant! Devotional time, prayer together, faith discussions, prayer walks, journalling together – these are things that will draw your family closer to God and to each other. (I’d love to hear some ideas on what you do in your home that works!)

In the fall we will be letting you know on a weekly basis what your children are learning at Compass Point Kidz, and the goals that we have in regards to our part in their spritual development. The hope is that what we are teaching, can be reinforced at home and that we can partner together. Together as a team, we can develop life-giving spiritual traditions that will further lead our children as they grow into all God has for their lives!

Developing a partnership in this area, is one tradition I hope will grow strong!

Shelly