Not an hour….eternity

Talking with people this week made me realize how quickly people can loose sight of what we do in Journey Kids.  Without the vision and “keeping the end in mind” a lot of volunteers can forget why they get up an hour early during the week, or come in and fill out supply buckets once a month.  The hour a week that volunteers are investing in our kids is not just to ‘babysitting’. It’s all about eternity.  We have to make sure we keep the end in mind.  What will really matter in 100 years?  The extra hour of tv or sleep?  Or could it be seeing kids trust in Jesus for the first time.  Showing kids God’s love.  Letting God use you in the life of another.

Remember that when you’re changing diapers or calming down a group of 3rd graders.  It’s more than just about us.  It’s BIGGER than that.  It’s all about an eternity with Jesus.

Orange Conference 2010

The Orange Conference 2010 is underway and I’m following it on twitter and following links to blogs where people have taken notes! I love that I can check in every few hours, glance down my tweetdeck and go to any tiny urls and read their notes!
Check it out! I’m following #orange10, #kidmin, #cmconnect. By the way, all of you Kidmin people out there, don’t forget Reggie Joiner’s opening the main session tonight and you can watch it live at www.orangeleaders.com – 7pm

Orange Conference

I love some parts of technology and streaming live is one of my favorites! There’s an amazing conference called Orange where church leaders and volunteers from all over the world come together and talk about kids, teens, family and the church. They’re doing some pieces live from Atlanta for those who can’t make it.  Although the breakouts are where I found most of the ideas when I went a few years ago, I loved the main group sessions for reenergizing!
ORANGE CONFERENCE
Next Wednesday through Friday – check it out!

Equipping the Family

So, you may hear this phrase, equipping the family, but what does that mean?  Well, lets talk about why, what it’s not, and finally dream about what it is.  A lot of these discussion points can be found in a book called Think Orange by Reggie Joiner and the ReThink Group.  I highly recommend reading it.  

As the church we only have an average of 40 hours a week any given year with your child.  As parents, you have over 3000!  Imagine that!  Now, at The Journey it is our desire to make the one hour we have the best hour of their week, sharing Jesus’ love and truths.  We want to help you with the 3000 you have.  

I don’t feel like equipping you is throwing a bunch of things at you and expecting that you radically change everything in the matter of one day.  It’s an overwhelming thing to think about for most parents, scared you’ll say something wrong or you don’t know “all the Bible stories”, so you do nothing.  What good does that do?  Jesus used fisherman and the “outsiders” not the educated & religious.  Don’t feel intimidated.  Take small steps.  

Orange ’09 – Random notes listening….

• “If you (as a leader) want your families to have a relationship with God, what does it look like in your life?” – Reggie Joiner
• “You have baggage…don’t try and hide it from your children, let them see it!” – Reggie Joiner  (not like they don’t see it already)
• Deuteronomy 6
• “Moses is saying if you want the next generation to have an everyday kind of faith, than it has to be everyday!”….we need a daily experience with God!
• 40 hours investing in kids, we’re a catalyst with these 40 hours…it’s priceless, very important, but if we want them to have an everyday kind of faith, than leverage the 40 hours against the 3000 that parents have.
• How do we partner with parents effectively?  
• Kids need another voice in their world.
• “Every parent can do something more.”
• What if a dad prays with his child once a week (when they were doing nothing before)…what an impact in their child’s life!
• Don’t worry about the picture….don’t worry about the ideal. It’s about how God shows up and does only what he can do.  There’s a bigger story. – Reggie Joiner
• God is a God of Restoration and Redemption!  
• Trust that God will move in the lives of parents.  
• Lean into families and help them understand the process.  
• I’m gonna trust in God to write a different story with my life.
• (Tear up the pictures of the ideal families.)