Make It Personal!

I'm quoting again. This book has some good words though. Check out this segment by Reggie Joiner in a chapter about making it personal with kids:

Kids already have a front-row seat to their parents' lives; the question is, what are they watching? Is it just a show? Or is it real-life adventure where they see courage and passion to overcome personal obstacles? Parents must show them what it is like to pursue a better relationship with God. Show them what a committed, loving marriage looks like. Show them how it looks to prioritize Jesus above anything else. Show them what it is like to reject the materialism and consumerism of this world. If parents want their children to have it in them, they have to see it demonstrated.

Kids need to see their parents
struggle with answers,
face their weaknesses,
deal with real problems,
admit when they are wrong,
fight for their marriage,
resolve personal conflict.

Children need to see their parents make relational, emotional, and spiritual growth a priority. If parents don't make it personal, it may never be personal for their kids. Some of my favorite stories through the years have been told by children of single parents who watched their moms or dads overcome difficult obstacles. Don't forget that God is writing a story in the hearts of parents, a story of redemption and restoration. One of the most powerful things that children can see is God at work in the lives of their parents, but they can't see who their parents are becoming if they never see who they were in the first place. Otherwise, how will they know the difference God has made and continues to make in their parents' lives? It is the firsthand look at that difference that will give them hope for their future and faith in what God can do in them.

Uber challenging. I am noticing as I parent my son that I always try to be my best around him. If I curse my first response is to cover it up and pretend I didn't rather than just apologize and tell him why it frustrates me that I do that. When I'm having a bad day I ignore him or hide my face from him rather than just talk about how I'm feeling. On the days when I just let it all out - we have the coolest conversations. Being vulnerable with our kids - letting them into us. That's how I want to live. I hope we'll be friends later in life because of it, and I hope more that He sees the God of the universe playing out in me (somehow, someway).

Family Rhythm

I've been thinking a lot about rhythm lately - something my husband and I have been intentional this past year on building into our lives. We started Sabbath-ing a year or two ago, taking Fridays completely off from the world. We don't ever schedule anything then and we do whatever we want to - many times just resting and playing at home. That's become a rhythm. The other thing we've been building this year is being home more nights than out. This is something we want our son to grow up noticing and valuing. For some this may seem like a no brainer, but being pastors - it's easy to be out every night if you keep saying yes. These things have built some consistency and sense of home that we all really needed.

I'm reading a book called Think Orange. It's a book about family ministry - about the church and family coming together. I'm pretty stoked on it. The "Orange" references are overdone, but once you get over that - it's a good read.

There's a lot in it and I may post more later - but where I'm trying out some new skills in my own family right now is regarding family times. Deutermony 6:7 is something we read and say a benediction over our families with at every baby dedication and then hope that we all follow in the years to come.

"Impress (these commands) on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."

Joiner makes the point that:

"it's not enough to spend time together as a family if a family's time together is never meaningful or strategic. It's not just about quantity, and families can't make up for frequently missed opportunities by going on a nice vacation once a year or by spending several days together during the holidays. And it's not just about quality - families have to to be both intentional about how they spend time together and consistent about how often they spend time together. In short, they need to create a rhythm. As leaders, we should act like Moses and encourage families to get in sync with the natural patterns that already exist in life. We need to help them find their beat and see their time as an opportunity to celebrate God's story."

So this is his attempt to break it down for us - to remind us of what we value so deeply, intimacy with our children:

MEAL TIME When you sit at home
Focused discussion as a teacher to establish core values

DRIVE TIME When you walk along the road
Informal dialogue as a friend to help your child interpret life

BED TIME When you lie down
Intimate conversation as a counselor to listen to the heart of your child

MORNING TIME When you get up
Encouraging words as a coach who gives a sense of value and instills purpose

I'm pretty excited about it - this simple reminder of scripture that I hold dear but worry that I don't live out well enough. The fact is all we do these things. No matter what is going crazy in our lives; we all wake up with our kids, drive them around, eat dinner with them and go to bed with them. The rhythm of making those times sacred and real - gets me excited. Peace to you as you live a life of faith with your children.

Summer Electives!

We are getting close to kicking off the summer here at Imago Dei Kids! It all starts July 5th. This is when:

1. All our 5 year olds that will be Kindergarten age move up to the world of elementary to make space for all the preschoolers that are growing up. This also gives the new Kindergarteners a chance to get used to the elementary program before the fall so there isn't one more transition for them in September when they are already saturated with change at home starting a new school.

2. Our graduating 5th graders that will be in 6th grade in the fall, begin participating in the Jr. High ministry. Leaders came down to meet them today, and next week we'll take them on a field trip to the Jr. High room where they can see what it's really like.

3. This is also when we kick off Summer Electives!!!!! Our regular teachers and leaders are off for the summer. This is the one focused time a year when we invite all of our Imago Dei Community to come and teach the kids once or twice during the summer. Something creative that fits a passion they have (cooking, sports, biking, drawing, clay, graphic arts, you name it) while tying it in to the character of God. The kids LOVE this time of year as they get to pick their own class (usually 3-4 classes going on simultaneously during each service)! And adults get that don't normally see our children's ministry get to try their hand at playing a part. We still need 30 more people to be a part of this!! So please help spread the word and consider teaching a class yourself. My teachers and myself will help you develop the curriculum so you can successfully transfer your passion to the kids. Contact me at karen@imagodeicommunity.com for more info.

4. Lastly this is when we invite all the nursery and early childhood parents to come teach in their child's class for one service this summer. We give the regular weekly teachers 4-5 weeks off in the summer and need help filling their places. Since parents are the primary discipler of their child it seems to go hand in hand to have the parents BE the teachers during the summer. Other teachers and myself will help each parent with the curriculum and coach them on how to teach a group of kids. We still need 40 more parents to help with this! So please let us know if you can come teach for a day. Contact me at karen@imagodeicommunity.com

As if all this isn't enough, this is also the week (July 5th) where we go to just 2 services for the summer. We'll be doing a 9am and 11am service only. Though this change is actually very welcome for Imago Dei Kids!

Happy summer planning and vacationing to you all. On the weeks you are in town consider jumping in to teach a special class for the summer!

The godly adults that bless us

Tonight I had our last meeting of the year with our elementary team. I had to arrive late due to an emergency so I asked one of my leaders to get the fire pit burning, S'mores out, and to invite the teachers to pray.

I arrived to a group of 12 people praying for our kids, for each other, and for God to change them. Have you ever arrived late to a meeting you set up and found the whole group praying honest prayers? It's really something.

So we spent the evening evaluating the ministry. What went well this year, what inspires them, what needs improvement, etc. I'm still trying to articulate what it was that moved me so. I mean we had quite full lists of pros and cons. But I think it was the eagerness each teacher had to share! All but one chimed in more than once and had significant contribution to make. This isn't a passive group or another meeting to get through for them. This was how are we going to love these kids well and be the church to them?

I feel I have made some good friends this year with this group. And they with each other. These are good people. Solid character, mature in their faith. A deep love for the church, in it's wholeness, including the kids.