What is the vision God has for you and your Kids ministry? What is God calling you to do? What is He leading you toward? Too many times we are busy doing the same thing; filling the calendar with “what we did last year,” and we really have no vision for where we’re going much less how we’ll get there. Too many Kids Ministers have ministry calendars full of programs but no vision for why they do anything. I’ve realized that personally I’m living in one of three places:
Living in the Past
While I’m very thankful for the past. After all it’s the past that gives us what we have today. Dr. Al Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY said it well when referring to those who forged the path at his school, “We are living in houses we did not build and drinking from wells we did not dig.” I very much appreciate that perspective. I am thankful for those who’ve gone before us. I’m even thankful when younger kidmin leaders recognize the work my generation has done. However, we can’t be so proud of our past that we let it become our future! The past makes us who we are, but we don’t dwell in the past.
Living in the Present
I’m noticing a lot of Kids ministries these days that are stuck in “neutral” and really not going anywhere. They are keeping “status quo” and feel pretty content. Know: maintenance mode doesn’t really work long-term! While the future may seem scary, standing still won’t help us get the message of Christ to the next generation. Be a “Nehemiah” and understand the present situation but recognize the vision and work toward the future.
Living with a Future Perspective
The older I get the faster the future seems to come. Some days when I consider the technological advances that have occurred in my life-time I wonder if I’m not living in the future right now. Some of these new resources can seem a bit overwhelming as we consider their use in Kids ministries today. But there’s an old adage that fits here: “Use whatever you can to connect an every changing world with the never changing message of hope and love through Jesus Christ.”
From the beginning, God had a plan (Jeremiah 29:11). He has a desire, a vision, and a plan! We must have faith and courage to fight through the fear of the unknown and trust God. Meet the needs of the present, invest wisely in the future, and be quick to explore new ways to reach the next generation.
Proverbs 29:18 tell us, “If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; but when they attend to what He reveals, they are most blessed” (The Message).
Pay attention to God’s vision for your ministry.
