Families

I was in my second year of college when I felt certain that God was calling me into Children's Ministry. I was excited about the road ahead of me and with my overzealous personality I began to go full speed ahead learning everything I could about children. I worked with children in every aspect possible. I began researching what an effective Children's Ministry looked like and filling my brain with everything I could to learn how to most effectively impact the lives of children.


During seminary I had the opportunity to work part-time at a church and as a nanny. Although this was not my ideal situation, God was definitely teaching me through both experiences. My attitude was the same at both jobs; I would devote my life to teaching the children about God. I incorporated secular learning theories, learned about child development, and was ready to teach those precious babies all I could. My ministry was going great and I could see how God was using me to work in lives. I was so grateful for my education and my job experiences. I was on cloud nine and feeling very successful in what I was doing.


It was in my second year at seminary when I was challenged to write my ministry vision, consider why God had given me that vision, and how I would most effectively fulfill that vision. I thought through my vision for Children's Ministry. I wrote down all the things I wanted them to learn and what I hoped their relationship with Christ would look like. I wrote about having a safe and inviting learning environment. After I had concocted this glorious vision for an outstanding Children's Ministry I began to ponder the most effective way to accomplish that vision.


I considered my life and what had impacted me as a child. There is no child in America that stepped through the doors of a church more than I did as a child; my Dad is a Worship Pastor. Even though I had positive memories about my childhood in the church and could remember things I learned in Sunday School, Pioneer Club, Children's Church, etc. everything kept going back to things I learned at home and how my parents had impacted my life. It was at that moment when I felt a change in myself. My vision for ministry didn't change, but the methods would have to look different. As the years have gone by I still feel God clearly telling me the most effective way to minister to children is to impact the lives of their parents. My presence and the presence of the volunteers will come and go in the lives of most of the children, but their parents will remain.


My thinking had been revolutionized and my everyday outlook in the lives of families I came in contact with was very different. My heart was ready to learn new things about ministry. Things that would be of much greater value that how to evaluate curriculum. I clearly see how the Holy Spirit started to reveal to me teh struggles of parenting and the everyday life of having chidlren in tow and constantly vying for your attention.


I had the opportunity to work as a nanny for one more year and that year was life changing for me. My outlook fo rmy job was different. My focus changed from teaching the girls to sharing what I knew about how to teach the girls with the parents. This has impacted the lives of the girls far more than if I had spent another year strictly focused on caring for them. I learned that yes, my passion lies in the heart of every child, but the heart of every child lies in the hands of its parents. The biggest way to impact the children would be to impact their parents.


Doing family ministry on an individual basis was an easy transition to make, but being a part of family ministry within a church context is a much bigger task. Both Biblically and culturally you can see an apparent need for family ministry. My prayer is that we don't get overwhelmed with the complexity of it all and lose sight of the benefits of ministering to the families.