11 Ways To Break Through Ministry Discouragement

We all run into it at some point in ministry… discouragement. Sometimes it creeps in gradually, and sometimes it hits us like a brick wall. It could be a particular situation that causes it, a season where things are tough, or it could come from nowhere. However, it is universal. Every person in kidmin will face discouragement in ministry. Here are eleven ways to fight to overcome discouragement.

1.  Get back to the basics – It is quite common that my feelings of discouragement in ministry often come in seasons when I have neglected the basics in my relationship with God. If you are feeling discouraged, ask yourself how consistent your own walk with God is. Are you reading the Word? Are you praying? When is the last time you sat in big church for service?

2.  Get Away – Not forever, you have to come back. But sometimes if you can just take a brief break, you can regain perspective. Sometimes discouragement is a sign that you need rest.  Honor that and take a break. Go to the beach. Go to the mountains. Go to Target. Go somewhere and don’t think about ministry for a little bit.

3.  Get Friends – Often discouragement in ministry can cause us to feel very isolated and alone. Resist the urge to hide away. The more alone you are, the more discouraged you will feel. Take a friend to lunch. Don’t have friends?  (That’s probably part of your problem, by the way.)  Get some! Figure out someone that you kinda like and reach out to them. Do something fun.

4. Get to tomorrow – When times are tough, this is the statement I say to myself, “Tomorrow will be better, if not it is a day closer to being better.” There are seasons in every ministry. Some are awesome, some not so much. The good thing about seasons is they come to an end. Hang in there.

5.  Get Real – Not everything is bad. It may feel that way, and there may be lots of bad things happening. But not everything is bad. Write down a list of the “wins”. Write down everything that you’ve seen God do in your life and in your ministry over the past six months. The reality is that God is faithful and is doing great things. Don’t let discouragement hide those from you.

6.  Get organized – Sometimes our discouragement feels greater because our world feels like chaos. We are trying to juggle way too much, and it is overwhelming. Take some time to organize yourself. Write down what has to be accomplished, and prioritize them. Create timelines for completing projects. Don’t let the lists overwhelm you, either, but use them as tools to help you feel in control and to see light at the end of the tunnel.

7. Get perspective – There are a lot of things that are out of your control. Those things are often extremely discouraging. You’ve heard the serenity prayer: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference” Acknowledge that you can’t control it all, but you serve the God who does. Let Him carry the stress.

8.  Get past the past – Dwelling on past decisions, events, or mistakes will only increase our discouragement. You can not go backwards. Learn from the past, fix what you can, and then move forward to what God has next. Revisiting the past repeatedly rarely is healthy.

9.  Get ice cream – Ice cream makes everything better. Really, it does.

10. Get on your face – God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. Isn’t this what we teach the kids? It is absolutely true for you too. God has called you to ministry. That is precious. Your calling is precious. Get on your face and cry out to God to heal your heart and to strengthen you for what He wants to accomplish.

11. Talk to me, let me know – Let us pray for you, with you. Let's see if you are carrying too much of the load physically, spiritually, and if you are serving in your strengths.

Blog post by Jenny Funderburke on ministry-children.com. (#11 added by Grace Children's Ministry)

Serving In Children's Ministry

My husband and I have had the privilege of serving together in our elementary ministry for the last few years. It has been such a blessing to our family. We are encouraged when we see God at work in each other, as we the gifts God has given us on display.

We are better parents because of the volunteers we serve with. We are all diverse in our seasons of life, and it has been a blessing to be able to share wisdom others have shared with us, and to hear stories of those ahead of us. This helps us stay the course and dream of where we're headed with our own children.

We are better leaders because we have been able to serve alongside those giving their lives away in a way that is refreshing and compelling. We've been able to hear stories from other leaders about what God is doing in our body, and how He is transforming our church family to be more like Him.

We are also able to reinforce truths with our elementary-age daughter in a way we could not if we were not a part of the elementary ministry. When we leave the campus, we have a deeper appreciation and understanding of the curriculum and truths taught that day. We are able to encourage her in these truths, and fill in the gaps where she may have missed something. We feel blessed to be equipped to lead her in this way.

Serving in Children's Ministry has been a privilege and a blessing for our family. How has serving impacted your family?

- Sara Fowler

Sara currently serves as the Camp Grace Big Group Drama Coach for the 11:15am service at Pelham Road, and her husband, Stephen, currently serves on the 11:15am drama team for Camp Grace.

Preschool Curriculum: God is Compassionate

"Be kind and compassionate to one another."

Ephesians 4:32

As we continue in our regular programming in 2011, we will be teaching preschoolers about God's kindness and compassion.  We just finished our Christmas series, where we see the wonder of God's love manifested in His Son coming as a baby.  Now, we will use the story of Ruth (along with Naomi and Boaz) to show what it looks like to be kind, no matter what situation we are in, merely because God has been kind to us.  Read an excerpt from the Leader Preparation material:

Kindness is no little thing.  It often calls us out of our comfort zone to places we could never imagine.  It may cost us something.  And it always asks us to rely on our faith and hope in God.  That is why the apostle Paul wrote, "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." (Ephesians 4:32)  We can never be truly kind until we recognize the amazing kindness that God has already poured out on us.  Our kindness is simply an overflow of God's mercy.  

See more of our upcoming curriculum topics on our website.

Preschool Curriculum: Christmas

"Worship the Lord with gladness;

come before Him with joyful songs."

Psalm 100:2

Next weekend, we begin our series in our Preschool programming on Christmas.  Here excerpts from the Leader Preparation section in our curriculum:

The Christmas season is a time of joy and excitement.  But it can also be a time of stress and busyness. . . .  Take a moment to read Luke 2 and Matthew 1:18-25.  Reflect on the extraordinary events of Jesus' birth while remembering the extraordinary love an purpose of Jesus' life.  God chose ordinary people, Mary and Joseph, to be the parents of His extraordinary Son. 

God also chose ordinary people, the shepherds, to proclaim His Son's extraordinary birth. . . .  These ordinary men responded by going to meet Jesus and worshiping God for His birth.  Their joy was so great that they went on to tell everyone they could find about this amazing news.  

In light of this, how does it make your feel to know that although Jesus was God, He also lived an ordinary life on earth and understands what you experience?  How do you respond to what God has done for you through Jesus?  Do you share in the shepherds' reaction -- a heart of worship, praising God for the gift of His Son?

The story of Christmas is one of the ordinary being invaded by the extraordinary.  God sent His Son to ordinary people in an ordinary world and through Him, God brought the extraordinary into their lives.  As you share this lesson, look for ways that God can use someone ordinary, like you, to bring the extraordinary message of Jesus to the children in your class and to others.

Special Needs Equipping Follow Up

We we excited to have 35 people (including Staff, Volunteer Coaches, and Welcome Team members) attend our Special Needs Equipping Event earlier this month.  After an initial welcome, we had about 45 minutes of a highly-informative program, including:

• Emily McGowan and Jessica Crumpton (our Special Needs coaches on the Pelham Road and Powdersville campuses, respectively) explained the general process of how a child with special needs gets ministered to during our weekend programming.  Most importantly for this audience, we wanted to give an overview of how we try to reach out to families who have children with special needs.  In these cases, we expect our volunteers to go the extra mile, as a way to love on these families.

• Jimmy & Susan Bates, and Joey & Charley Altom, two families that have children with special needs, shared their perspectives as parents.  In both cases, these families have been ministered to by other folks at Grace Church, and this not only encourages them, but has freed them up to minister to others (II Corinthians 1:3-5).  

The volunteers in attendance asked some good questions, especially of the Bates and Altoms, leading to further discussion and explanation.  For example, the parents said that it's OK for a church to tell a parent in this situation, "I don't know the answer, but we'd love to work with you to find a solution, if you'll help us."  Also, they were asked by a volunteer, "Do you want to know when your child misbehaves, or do you just need a break from that?"  All the parents were emphatic that they DO want to know about the behavior of their children, so that they can better shepherd them. 

We look forward to more events like this, perhaps from a different perspective or for a different audience, as we continue to seek ways to assist families in leading their children, and to equip volunteers to shepherd children. 

Take some time to check out our special needs page on our website, and watch this video about the Altoms' story when they started attending Grace Church over two years ago.

PS -- Special thanks to Amy Fenton Lee, author of The Inclusive Church, who made the 2 hour trip up to Greenville to check out this event.

Meet Our Volunteers: Chris & Dorsey Ward

Dorsey Ward, mom of 3 young children and a long-time volunteer in our Nursery programming, says this about her husband,

"Chris thinks that if he keeps me serving in the nursery, it will be keep me from wanting a fourth baby, because it will fulfill my need to love on newborns!"

While that maybe a valid motivation, this couple also mentions another great reason to serve in Children's Ministry, "the opportunity to meet and build relationships with others parents that have children the same ages as their children." 

You can read more about their story, and how else they are being used by God to pour into others, on our Meet the Volunteers page.

Preschool Curriculum: God is Love

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, 

and love your neighbor as yourself."

Luke 10:27

Starting this upcoming weekend, and continuing past Thanksgiving, we will have a series studying the divine attribute of Love in our Preschool programming.  All of us, kids and adults, are called to love others, not just because it is a good thing to do, but out of a worship response towards God's love for us.  We will use the account of the Good Samaritan to help our kids understand what it means to "love your neighbor."  Here is the Leader Prep material for this series:

Despite all our technology, we live in a very disconnected world.  We become so consumed with our own lives that we often become blind and isolated from the world around us.  It is in the midst of that reality that God calls us to "love our neighbor as yourself." 

Over the next few weeks we will be sharing the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:23-37).  During this unit we will also be giving our children an opportunity to apply what they are learning to their own lives by collecting donations for our less-fortunate neighbors.  As Jesus points out int his parable, it is not enough to just know the commandments; we must also live them out.

There are many reasons why we fail to love our neighbors as ourselves.  One of the biggest reasons is that we just don't see them.  We're so busy with our own needs that we don't even notice the needs of others.  This leads to another reason for our failure -- pride.  Our love of self has poisoned us to see the needs of others as interruptions instead of amazing opportunities to be a part of God's plan.  And often we fail because of fear -- fear of sacrifice, fear of discomfort, fear of being taken advantage of, fear of rejection.

Whatever the reason for our failure, the answer is a better understanding of God's love for us.  God acted on His love for us by providing a way of salvation through His Son, despite our unworthiness.  His love is freely given, with no strings attached.  And He did all of this for His own glory -- so that He would be praised, not us.  Our compassion for others is merely a reflection of God's love, mercy, and grace in our own lives. 

As you prepare to share this lesson with your class, first spend some time meditating on the love of God.  What blessings has He poured on you?  What has He saved you from?  Then ask Him to show you how to share that amazing love with the people He has brought into your life.  

As always, you can see our curriculum outline on our website.

image courtesy of Billy Alexander via sxc.hu

Special Needs Equipping Event

We have already written almost 20 posts this year about special needs, giving both the theology behind and practical application of what we do.  Our goal in communicating these things has been to inform our own church body about what we are doing and to give direction to parents who have children with special needs.  Additionally, we hope to be able to share with other churches what we are learning, to encourage and equip them.  (For churches looking for additional resources and information, we recommend The Inclusive Church, which also profiled our ministry in this post.)

To further equip our Children's Ministry volunteers, we are hosting a Special Needs Equipping Event on Wednesday, November 3.  This meeting is for our Welcome Teams (who are on the front line of greeting families and helping children get checked into Small Groups), and for all our Volunteer Coaches, who may need to help meet specific needs during our weekend programming for a child with special needs.  We will share our vision, helpful information, and inspiration, as we strive to reach the hearts of the parents and children.

This event is by invite only, but if you want to know more or if you have any other questions (or if we mistakenly left you off the invite list), please let us know. 

Additionally, we've launched a couple of additional communication tools:

1. A webpage summarizing our Special Needs ministry.
2. An specific email address (specialneeds@gracechurchsc.org) for questions about this ministry.

Preschool Curriculum: God is Sovereign

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart; 

lean not on your own understanding."  

Proverbs 3:5

Starting this coming weekend, we will have a two-week series on God is Sovereign in our Preschool programming, using the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3).  Along with teaching children the truth that God is in control, we also want to exhort our leaders to trust in His sovereignty.  Below is our Leader Prep material for these lessons:

One of the greatest desires we face is the desire for security and control.  We want to minimize risk and be assured of the outcome before we launch into a new endeavor.  We want to solve our own problems instead of giving them over to someone else.  But the life that God calls us to is one that often seems very costly and is full of unknowns.

Over the next few weeks we will be looking at the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3:1-30).  To most of us (if we're honest), these 3 men seem foolish, if not insane.  But in God's eyes, these men were living out their faith in His sovereign will.  They were demonstrating the total surrender that is required in order to follow God.  While they were uncertain of the outcome, these 3 men were certain that their God was in control and that they could trust in Him.

We may not be facing a fiery furnace, but there are still lots of areas of uncertainty in our lives today -- worries about money, health, our families, etc.  And in the face of those uncertainties, God calls us to trust and worship Him.  He doesn't offer detailed answers of how and when our problems will be solved.  He only offers Himself.  And while that may not seem like a lot,remember that Christ laid down His life for you -- He left all the glory and comfort of Heaven so that you could have the assurance of eternal life.  Your security is not in what you can do to protect and provide for yourself, but in what Christ has already done for you.

As you prepare to share this lesson with your children, think of areas in your own life that you may need to trust in God.  Are you looking for answers and solutions, or are you trusting in God's sovereign plan?  Ask Him to give you the courage to trust in Him instead of relying on "your own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5) of your current circumstances.  

See more of our upcoming Preschool series on our website.

Volunteer Appreciation

We are so thankful for the 750+ volunteers that we have serving in Grace Children's Ministry.  We have Welcome Team members that work to create a safe and welcoming environment, Small Group Leaders who show love and teach Biblical truths to children, and Big Group Leaders who sing and perform funny skits.    These volunteers pour themselves out, with the goal of reaching the hearts of the next generation for the sake of Jesus Christ.

As a small way to show our appreciation, we will have some light refreshments available on the weekend of October 23 & 24.  We hope all our volunteers can stop by to grab some snacks after or in between services.

 To learn more about what it looks like to serve in our Children's Ministry programming, see our Volunteer Central.  Any other questions?  Leave a comment here, or email us at children@gracechurchsc.org.

Meet Our Volunteers: Kelley Haff

With over 750 volunteers serving in Children's Ministry across six services on three campuses, there is no way to know all the faces you may (or may not) see on the weekend.  By doing the volunteer "biographies," we hope to give you the chance to learn about the type of people that desire to equip the next generation for a life in Christ.  Here is an excerpt from this month's biography on Kelley Haff, a Preschool Small Group Coach on the Pelham Road campus (a coach is a volunteer who is a leader over other volunteers in a specific ministry area):

Kelley Haff tried serving in several areas of the Children's Ministry before she settle on being a coach for the preschool hall during the 11:15 a.m. service at the Pelham Road campus.  She started on an audio-visual team for a few years, and then tried working in a nursery room, but it was the third try that was the charm. 

"This area of service definitely fits my personality and gifts the best at this stage in my life," Kelley said.  "Sometimes you just need to commit and try something until you find the right fit." 

Read more about Kelley Haff, and other volunteers, on our Volunteer Central webpage.

Preschool Curriculum: God is Faithful

"Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, 

Your faithfulness to the skies."

Psalm 36:5

This past weekend, in our Preschool programming, we began a series to teach that God is Faithful.  We are using the account of Esther to show that God was faithful to her and to the Hebrew nation, and that she responded by being faithful to her call from God.  Here is our Leader Prep for this series (see last month's here):

Over the next few weeks, we will be exploring the life of Esther and her example of faithfulness in the midst of uncertainty.  This remarkable story of an orphan girl who was chosen to become queen almost sounds like a fairy tale.  But in reality, her story is not that different from our own.

Very early on, Esther was faced with the harshness of life when both her parents died.  And yet she also saw God's unfailing love through her cousin Mordecai, who brought her into his own home and raised her as his own daughter.  It was this love -- God's love shown through Mordecai -- that would later give Esther the foundation to act with such courage and bravery.

Esther also learned that great blessing also comes with great responsibility.  Though unexpected, Esther's position as queen allowed her to enjoy a very privileged life.  But more importantly, it allowed Esther to save an entire nation.  Esther realized that her blessings were not meant for her alone, but to be used to bless others.  

Just like Esther, we area all orphans spiritually and in need of a loving Father.  Through Christ, we have been adopted into God's family and are now called His sons and daughters.  And just like Esther, we can be faithful with the blessings God has given us in response to the limitless and never-ending faithfulness He has showered on us. 

As you prepare to share this lesson with your class, take a moment to read through the book of Esther in the Old Testament.  Then ask yourself what blessings God has given you and how He might want you to use those to encourage, protect, and provide for those around you. 

To see our curriculum outline, see our website.  To see our take-home Parent Page, where you can read a summary for each week's lesson and songs, click here.

Recognizing & Worshiping Jesus

In Camp Grace, we just completed our second week of our study through the New Testament.  If you are not familiar with our curriculum for our Camp Grace (1st - 4th grade) programming, we go through the entire Bible -- Genesis to Revelation -- over two years.  Our goal is to not merely teach "Bible stories," but to teach principles that these children need to apply, as a response to God.

Each week's lesson also includes a small section to help the leaders prepare.  We know that if our volunteers are growing in Christ, they will be better equipped to lead their Small Groups as well.  As an example, here is the leader preparation material for this coming week's lesson, as we study about recognizing and worshiping Jesus:

Before this weekend, read Luke 2 and Matthew 2.  As you read, think through the significance of Mary and Joseph following the law and sacrificing two pigeons to redeem Jesus.  Jesus not only followed the Law (even as a baby), He also fulfilled the Law. 

As you look at what characterizes the lives of the Magi, Simeon, Anna, and King Herod, think about what characterizes your life.  Do you regularly move from recognizing Jesus to worshiping Him?  Compare and contrast King Herod's response to Jesus, with Simeon's and Anna's responses to Jesus.  We are so often wrapped up in ourselves and our own "kingdoms" that we fail to recognize Jesus for who He really is, just as Herod did.  Are you filled with joy each day because of Jesus' death and resurrection, or are you too wrapped up in your "kingdom" to take the time to recognize and worship Jesus for who He is?

To see our curriculum outline, see our website.  If you want to know about the goals of our curriculum, see this post for a summary.

Glitter, Glue, & Goldfish

You are one of the hundreds of Children's Ministry volunteers, and you feel like you do the same thing every weekend.  You enter your room, pull out the crafts and goldfish crackers, and try your best to keep the kids' attention.  For the whole service time you feel like you're maintaining order, picking up smashed goldfish, and drying tears.

Some weekends are good; some are so repetitious that you wonder if you're making a difference in the kids' lives.  Do you feel like any of this really matters to God, or do you feel like you're just surviving away the weekends until you get to heaven?  Does God actually care about glitter, glue, and goldfish?

Actually, He does.  Very much.  In our Preschool programming, we have recently studied how God is Creator, and now are learning about how God created man and woman in His image.  As I was preparing for these units, I was reminded of who our Creator is, how we were created, and what our response should be.

• Genesis 1:1 --> God creates.  Light splits the darkness, order emerges, and it is good.  We have an energetic, creative, ordering God.
• Genesis 1:26-27 --> God makes man in His image.  We are made in the image of a creative, ordering God.  Humanity is given a mandate:  take dominion over the earth, cultivate it, take care of it.  We are to imitate our creative, ordering God.

Here is the connection to glitter, glue and goldfish.  When we serve, create, and keep order in our classrooms, we are imitating our God.  God loves to see His creatures imitating Him.  You're not just "babysitting" the kids; you are fulfilling the creation mandate (command), which pleases God.  You're not merely doing crafts; you're actually imitating the creativity of God.

When we imitate God in front of the kids, we are setting a model for them to follow.  Greater things are at stake than smashed goldfish and soggy diapers.  The glory of God is at stake.

Remember, dear volunteer, that each weekend you serve isn't just another weekend.  It's an opportunity.  It's an opportunity to imitate and glorify our God, our Creator.  Don't waste it!

-- Val Gutschow, Children's Ministry Coordinator

What Is Worship?

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom,  singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.  (Colossians 3:16-17)

In both our Preschool and Camp Grace programming, we have Small Group and Big Group times.  During Big Group, we sing, pray, have skits, and sometimes watch videos.  We want to provide a model of what it looks like to worship in community.  (Read more about our philosophy of learning.)

If you have some musical ability and want to be a part of our music team, we want to encourage you to sign up for the next church-wide worship audition, on September 29-30.  You can find out more information on our website.

Preschool Curriculum: God is Relational

We are excited to be starting a brand-new series in our Preschool Curriculum this coming weekend.  We will use the account of Adam and Eve (Genesis 2 & 3) as our backdrop.  Coming off of the past four weeks of teaching about God is Creator, we will now focus on the divine attribute of God is Relational.  (See our current curriculum outline on our website.)  One thing that is incorporated into each lesson is some "Leader Preparation" material, that has the purpose of equipping our leaders with additional theology and application.  Here is the Leader Preparation for this upcoming series:

What's the plan? . . .  One of the first lessons you learn in working with preschoolers is that it's good to have a plan -- not that things always follow the plan perfectly, but it certainly helps to keep things on track.  Over the next few weeks, we will be exploring God's plan when He created human beings and the implications that plan has for us today.

God created human beings to reflect Himself.  Our memory verse for this unit says that we were created "in His own image."  However, we were not all created the same.  The verse goes on to say "male and female he created them."  Even though we are different, we still reflect the image of God.

God also created us to be in a relationship -- relationship with Himself and with others.  God knew that it was "not good for man to be alone" (Genesis 2:18) so He provided another person for Adam to connect with.  God also provided instructions and responsibilities.  Just as God gave Adam & Eve the job of caring for the Garden, God also gives us responsibilities.  He has a purpose for each of us.  But He doesn't leave us on our own to find and pursue that purpose.  He gives us instructions.  Just as He gave Adam and Eve guidelines for living in the Garden, our instructions are found within His word, the Bible.

But the most perfect plans don't always go smoothly.  and God, in His infinite wisdom, even had a plan for our shortcomings.  When Adam and Eve failed to follow God's instructions in the Garden, God already had a plan for their restoration.  He provided His Son, Jesus, as a substitute for the punishment that we all deserve and through Him the hope of a restored relationship.  

As you prepare to share these lessons with your class, take a moment to meditate on God's plan.  Are you even aware that you reflect God's image?  Do you trust in God's plan, His purpose, for your life?  And do you have faith in the restoration that Christ offers, even when you mess up?  Ask God to make His plan real in your life and reveal how you can share this amazing hope with the children in your class.

To learn more about our vision for our Preschool ministry, see this post.  Additionally, you can read a previous post about being created in God's image. 

Volunteer Biographies

We've spent a lot of time this summer talking about how we equip volunteers.  But with 750+ volunteers, it's not always easy to know each person who faithfully pours himself or herself out each week.  If you are encouraged by real life stories of "everyday folks" who are being used by God to reach the hearts of the next generation, you should check out this webpage.  On our "Meet Our Volunteers" page, you can read two different biographies each month, plus see our archived list.  Let us know what you think!

Training Meetings Recap

We've had multiple training sessions over the past few weeks, where hundreds of volunteers heard our vision, learned what our expectations are, and connected with others.  Thanks to all the volunteers who participated, and especially our volunteer Coaches, who took the lead in our breakout sessions.

We also know that some people were not able to attend any of the sessions (such as those who just this week joined the Children's Ministry team).  For their sakes, and for the sake of review, here is an outline of what presented:

1. Welcome & Introduction.  And at each meeting, we gave away some recommended books, including What Did You Expect?; Different Children, Different Needs; A Gospel Primer for Christians; and StrengthsFinder 2.0.
2. Key Passages from I Corinthians
1. Chapter 3, verses 7-10 --> Paul was disheartened to hear that there was division in the church.  He reminded them that God is the source of life, and it is a blessing to be used by Him.  Only the Spirit can make us grow in holiness, though the responsibility to make an effort is on us.
2. 4:16 & 11:1 --> Paul called the church to imitate him, not that he was perfect, but that he was moving towards Christ.  Likewise, children will imitate us, so we need to grow in Christ.
3. 15:1-4 --> After rebuking the church for a number of issues (the core issue being that they were concerned for themselves instead of others), Paul reminded them of his love (calling them "brothers") and of God's love, as proven through the life, death, and resurrection of His Son Jesus.  No matter what struggles and sins are in our lives, we need to always come back to the basic message of the Gospel.
4. 15:58 --> Paul encouraged the church to stand firm and work with enthusiasm.  Though we may not always see the short-term effects or rewards, God honors any work we do for His sake.  We quoted Stacey Wieland, a volunteer on whom we put a short biography on our website.  She reminds us that, despite the fact that Children's Ministry may sometimes feel like babysitting, we "are planting a seed of faith in these children's hearts."  Discipleship is a long-term process, and the blessing for us is to be a part of what God is doing.
3. Mission & Vision
1. You can read more about our mission here.
2. We discussed the focus for our curriculum (read it here).
4. Expectations.  We expect volunteers to . . .  (read more details in our training packets)
1. Prepare for the weekend
2. Execute the programming
3. Grow for a long-term impact  
5. Other
1. You WILL have an impact for God if you serve in Children's Ministry.  The question of how big an impact is proportional to how much you grow.  You cannot lead others (including children) in a direction that you are not heading in.
2. We need you to recruit.  We have over 750 volunteers, but we are lacking in some key areas.  You have to talk to the folks you know, to share with them the blessing of being a part of an awesome work that God is doing through Grace Children's Ministry!
3. We are thankful for the huge number of men who are leading.  When men are engaged in playing, teaching, doing motions in Big Group, etc, all children (boys and girls) notice and follow.  God created men to lead.
4. We are also thankful for the number of students we have that are serving.  It gives us (staff and adult volunteers) the chance to equip two generations for a life in Christ.  For the students, it gives them a chance to submit to authority, to love, and to sacrifice for the sake of Christ.

 We're looking forward to another great year in Children's Ministry!

Promotion Weekend & Volunteer Update

For all children (infant - 4th grade) who registered for the 2010-11 school year, Small Group assignments have been completed and parents should receive an email by tomorrow.  We had over 900 children (not counting the Fusion programming) registered across all 3 campuses.  What a great opportunity to reach the hearts of the next generation!

We're excited to see that we already have nearly 700 regular volunteers (full time or sharing a responsibility) in Children's Ministry, and I thank all of you who are involved in serving regularly on campus during our weekend worship services.  There is no doubt that we are celebrating the servants that will have a Kingdom-level impact!

However, we want to make everyone aware that of a situation that we are facing.  We are short about 105 Children's Small Group Leaders, with less than two weeks until Promotion Weekend (August 14 & 15).  For those of you who are not serving regularly (on a rotation on Saturday nights or Downtown, or at least twice per month elsewhere), I would like to encourage you to do so.  This will be a blessing to you, be a model for your children, and give you the chance to serve others.

If we are not able to find teachers, we will be closing several classes each week.  We will make every effort to place children in other age-appropriate classes, but our ability to do this is limited.  We will make priority for new guests (folks that have come to Grace within the last few months) and people who are serving on campus that week.  Guests and volunteers can check in immediately, and just before the service time, we will check on space in other Small Groups, up until the class capacity.

Of course, our hope is that we will not have to turn away any children, but we are left with little choice if we do not have volunteers.  It is important to understand that we are volunteer-limited, not space-limited.  In order to have a safe and meaningful Small Group experience, we limit the maximum number of children that can be in each classroom.

These are the areas that we currently have a shortage:

• Saturday Night
• Nursery:  we need 11 more individuals to serve on a 3-team rotation
• Preschool:  4 (out of 6) classes will need to be closed once every three weeks
• Camp Grace (1st - 4th grades):  3 (out of 5) classes will be closed every three weeks, and 4 other classes have only 1 leader
• Pelham Rd - Sunday
• Nursery:  4 (out of 16) classes will be closed about twice per month, and 3 classes have no leaders
• Preschool:  6 classes (out of 28) will be closed about twice per month, and 2 classes have no leaders
• Camp Grace (1st - 4th grades): 9 classes (out of 26) need at least one more leader
• Powdersville
• Preschool:  8 classes have only 1 adult leader, and 1 class has no leaders
• Camp Grace (1st - 4th grades): 3 classes have only 1 adult leader
• Downtown
• Nursery:  Need 2 individuals to serve on a 3-team rotation
• Preschool:  Need 1 more individual to serve on a 3-team rotation
• Camp Grace (1st - 4th grades):  Need at least 1 leader, but may need 3
• Students or Adults:  Need at least 6 to serve in Quest (either at 9 or 10:15 AM)

We are excited about the opportunities that we have this fall, and for the nearly 700 volunteers that we have on the Children's Ministry team.  Please let us know if you have any questions, or if you would be willing to serve regularly, or to at least "share" a class with someone else. You can contact:

• Joey Espinosa (jespinosa@gracechurchsc.org) for Pelham Road campus
• Kathryn Sanders (ksanders@gracechurchsc.org) for Powdersville campus
• Nicole Snyder (nsnyder@gracechurchsc.org) for Downtown campus

Special Needs FAQ: Who's In Leadership Over Special Needs?

Most parents who come to Grace Church and who have children with Special Needs want to know who is in leadership over this ministry.  They may wonder if their child will be merely "babysat" by well-meaning volunteers, but who have no understanding of that child's specific needs.  We have already talked about our volunteer shadows, but who exactly equips these shadows?  And what about children who do not require shadows?  Is there leadership and expertise throughout this ministry area?

Grace Church is an elder-led church, meaning that the elder board has the ultimate authority and responsibility for everything our church does.  However, the day-to-day operations is handled by the staff, including Children's Ministry.  In most areas of Children's Ministry, especially in an area as specific as Special Needs, we depend highly on volunteers to equip, minister to, and inform others.  We have been blessed with two great volunteer "coaches" who help provide leadership, direction, and training for our Special Needs ministry.

Emily McGowan helped get this ministry launched at Grace Church years ago, and currently serves on the Pelham Road campus as the Special Needs Coach (organizes, schedules, and equips volunteers).  She has a degree in Special Education, and is certified  to teach children with learning disabilities and profound mental disabilities.  She taught for three years at the Washington Center, teaching children ages 5-8 who had profound disabilities, and she has also done applied behavioral analysis (ABA) tutoring for children with autism.  She now stays at home with her two sons, including her a two-year-old that has dwarfism and developmental delays.

Jessica Crumpton has served in a number of areas at Grace Church, and is now our Special Needs Coach on our Powdersville Campus.  Like Emily, she has a degree in Special Education, and is certified to teach children with learning disabilities, trainable mentally disabled, and educable mentally disabled students.  She taught for four years in the Pickens County School District before coming home to be with her children.

With a newly launched Children's Ministry programming at our Downtown Campus, we have not had specific leadership over special needs, nor a need for it at the start.  But with a growing church, we hope that God will give us opportunities to minister to families who have children with special needs, and we trust that He will continue to provide the leaders to support them.

Image courtesy of immrchris via sxc.hu