Episode 008: Are You a Thankful Children's Minister?

Our level of thankfulness reveals the condition of our hearts, shapes how we relate to others and determines the direction of our ministry.  In this episode we will check out three things that may hinder our gratitude and three "turkey busters" that will stop these selfish turkeys from running wild in our lives and ministries.




Listen to Episode 008 in iTunes.

In Children's Ministry there are so many challenges and stresses we face each week that it can be difficult to cultivate a true heart of gratitude.  We are keenly aware of the problems and the resources we don't have (Anyone need more volunteers?  A bigger budget?  Better facilities?) and we are often so busy we neglect to pause and reflect on all that we do have.

Gratitude begins with awareness, stopping long enough to recognize the goodness of God in our lives and the ways we have been blessed by others.  But true gratitude isn't complete until it is expressed.  Remember Jesus and the ten lepers?  It was the man who actually returned to Jesus and expressed his gratitude who Jesus considered to be truly thankful.  


What do you need to stop and thank God for today?  Who else do you need to thank in your ministry and in your personal life this week?  

We have so much to be thankful for in our Children's Ministries: faithful leaders, gracious parents and the joy of serving amazing kids. But no matter how much we have been blessed, it's easy to let the frustrations of ministry and the pace of life lead to envy, entitlement and busyness, all of which short-circuit gratitude in our lives. 

In today's podcast I highlight three "turkey-busters," full-proof strategies to neutralize these enemies of thankfulness in our lives.  

Try these turkey-busting Scriptures this week to help you focus on the good things things God has given you and cultivate the habit of gratitude in your life.  

• Psalm 107:1
• Psalm 100:4
• 1 Timothy 6:7-8
• Philippians 4:11-13
• Luke 18:9-14
• Psalm 8:1-4
• Luke10:38-42
• Luke 17:11-19
• Psalm 46:10

God's Big Christmas Adventure is family devotional written to help bring the Christmas story to life for families this holiday season.  It's available as a $.99 download on the Kindle store.

Family Devotion: Best Toy Catalogue Ever!

Give thanks no matter what happens. God wants you to thank him because you believe in Christ Jesus.

- 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIrV)

Bible Story: Luke 17:11–19, Jesus Heals Ten Lepers

Terrific Truth: I can be thankful every day because of Jesus.

Wow, can you believe that the holidays are just around the corner? Before you know it, you’ll be making Christmas lists and decorating the tree. Speaking of lists, have you ever noticed how many stores like to mail you toy catalogues this time of year? They love to show you pictures of all the things you don’t have, so that you can make a list of everything you want. Their job is to try to convince you that you need everything in their store.

What if one year you got a different kind of catalogue in the mail? What it didn’t show you pictures of everything you don’t have, but instead showed you all the stuff you do have? Can you imagine if you had a catalogue with all the cool stuff you own? You may even discover some fun things you forgot you have.

But what if it didn’t stop with just toys? What if it also showed you pictures of your clothes and your food and your home? What if it showed the blankets that keep you warm at night and the hot water heater that heats up your water for a bath? What if it was filled with pictures of people who love you and even pictures of God and all the good things He is doing in your life?

That would be an amazing catalogue, wouldn’t it? Instead of making you think of all the stuff you don’t have, it would make you thankful for all the things you do have.

We probably won’t have a catalogue like that waiting for us in our mailbox, but God wants us to have one in our heart. It’s called gratitude. God loves it when we spend more time focused on all the goods things we have instead of complaining about the things we wish we had. It sets us free from greed and envy and lots of other bad stuff.

There’s a great story in the Bible where Jesus healed ten men of a terrible skin disease called leprosy. Not only did this disease cause the men a lot of pain but it meant that they had to leave their families and their jobs and couldn’t even go to the place where they worshipped God.

When Jesus healed these ten men, He gave them their lives back. They were so excited that they ran off to tell everyone what happened. Except for one guy. He didn’t run away. He ran back to Jesus. Why? Just to say thank you.

You see, his heart was full of the pictures of what God had done for him, and he was truly thankful.

This holiday season, before you make any Christmas lists, make a gratitude list and tell God and your family all the things you are thankful for in your life. It’s the best way to get what you really want this Christmas, a heart that is full of joy.

Prayer

God, thank you for loving me and giving me so much. Help me to keep my eyes on the good things I already have in life instead of the things I don’t have. Help me to be thankful today. Amen.

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Are You Thankful for Kidmin Turkeys?

Gratitude is hot this week.  I'm talking hotter than rolls fresh out of Grandma's oven. Everybody and their dog is Facebook posting, tweeting, texting and blogging about all of great things in their lives for which they are thankful.  This is a good thing.   

But let's be honest.  It's easy to be thankful for the happy stuff, especially for those of us who are Kidmins. Every week we get to work with cute kids and amazing leaders and watch God turn families' lives upside down (or maybe right-side up).  I'm truly thankful for the fun parts of ministry.

But what about the turkeys?  What about the hard stuff in Children's Ministry, the parts of the calling that absolutely stink?  How many of us going to be tweeting things like, "So thankful today for the kid who just threw up on my shoes!" or "Wow, I'm grateful for having to confront my leader about their drinking problem."  

And yet, it's in the midst of these crummy circumstances where God does some of His best work - both through us and in us.