I had the opportunity to participate with 30 of our children's ministry volunteers in a simple time of training last Sunday. It was fun! I'm always so impressed with the way our volunteers give of their time and resources to make an impact on our kids. Here's a little glimpse of what I was thinking about as I prepared for this event.
Every Sunday, little tiny babies and energetic pre-teens pack the place with curiosity and excitement. They walk in our doors expecting something great. Parents are looking for a welcome face and a caring environment; kids want a safe place to tell you about their life and a place to have fun. We get the opportunity to introduce them to the love of God. This impacts our world for the Kingdom of God more than we realize. I’m curious to know how many of us adults began a relationship with God as a child?
A while back, I read a statistic that stood out to me…George Barna, the statistics guru, found that between birth and fourteen years of age, there is a 32% chance that a child will begin a relationship with Jesus. After that, the percentage drops to 6%during the rest of a person’s life. SIX! Do you see the urgency?
So, when we wake up on Sunday morning, after a sleepless night or a squabble in the home as we hurry out the door…there are days we just don’t think we have the energy, time or desire. But wait…God has a purpose for what we do each Sunday. He has a child in mind that needs to hear His word; He has a young couple in mind that is trying church out for the first time that need just a few minutes to know their child is cared for and is safe. He has a single mom on her wits end praying that her kids build relationships with other adults that will teach them principles she’s trying to instill herself. There’s a boy without a father that is looking for a man to show him how to be a man of God. There’s a girl being bullied by her friends to look a certain way or do certain things that she knows aren’t right. Who is going to love them? Who is going to tell them that GOD loves them and that they matter?
Do you see it? What we do is BIG. We partner with parents to lead their children toward God and other believers. And yes, some days it is very hard. So thank you. Thank you from the staff and from so many parents that trust us with their children each week. All of you make the "Best Hour of Every Kid's Week" happen; you ROCK!
