Sunday's on it's way.....

This is an interesting article that Ed Stetzer, VP of Research with LifeWay & much more, recommended today from the Wall Street Journal – quotes Bruce Morrison our former MoBaptist Sunday School guru.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124598071177158161.html
I think the ultimate question isn’t going to be about competing to entertain the kids with more elaborate Sunday School programs, but rather to find disciplers among the laity who are willing to invest themselves in relationships with the kids outside of the Sunday School hour. We cannot compete on an entertainment level and most soccer (or name your sport) parents don’t have the fortitude to tell the leagues – “we’ll forfeit our Sunday games and practices.” So instead of competing against the rush of adrenaline based attention-getters in this ADD catering society, why not try a different approach??
* Be there for the kids at times other than the Sunday School hour – A man who invested his life in me and many other kids in our community was a Sunday School teacher and Royal Ambassadors leader, but he also got us jobs mowing lawns with him and worked with our baseball skills – His name was Von Stockler. Because of his investment, there was standing room only at his funeral and many of those young men are now in ministry or serving s deacons and Sunday School teachers in their churches.
* Show the children how powerful the Word of God is by falling in love with it and then sharing our passion rather than reading out of the teacher’s book. Care enough to prepare enough to leave the book on a table. I’ve seen leaders trying to do skits in front of children by reading the script with no props. We need to do better than that. The message is too important. I love the teacher’s guides that we use, but they are for preparation – not presentation.
* Get a broken heart over the kids who aren’t in you’re class…yet. Pray over their names. Go see them and invite them. Offer to bring them in your car. Kids get plenty of applause for the things they can do at a recital or in a batting cage, but someone who just honestly loves them enough to stay in touch with them and visit them outside the church walls is refreshingly different.
There is a fun music video called Sunday School rock by one of my favorites in Christian music, Carmen Dominic Licciardello, A.K.A. Carmen. You can watch it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Os710YxSJ4k. But remember, we don’t have to make the Word of God more appealing than it already is – we just need to present it as if it is “Sweeter than honey” (Psalm 119:10, 102-104)
I’m looking forward to the Bible Study Leadership Workshop at First Baptist, Macon on Sat. Aug. 22nd (8:30a-12:30) with Dr. John Ewart. I hope you are all serious enough about your ministry to set aside this time. Folks from First Baptist Kirksville will meet in the North Parking Lot no later than 8 a.m. and we’ll drive together. The event is free, but we have to RSVP by Fri. Aug. 14th. Contact our church office if you plan to go at (660) 665-6477 or info@fbckvmo.org. We have some fresh faces planning to attend and I think it is people who are committed enough to upgrade their skills and hone their vision for the Kingdom at events like this that will rise up to the key leadership positions within our fellowship.
What do you guys think?

Reflections on a Powerful Weekend

This weekend a number of people will circulate through the First Family (Baptist) Church @ Kirksville, MO. On Saturday more than a dozen will sacrifice their morning and serve the Lord by helping with Angel Food Ministries.

Others will be coming by and preparing their classrooms for a week of "Vacation Bible School a la Boomerang Express." This is a vital time in the life of our Kingdom work each year where were reach children with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. On Sunday morning we will fill up the worship center and praise the Lord who is so very faithful. Our sermon subject in the 10:45 service will be Extreme Makeover: A Strong Family - A Godly Heritage based on Acts 18:1-3.

Sunday Evening our youth group will gather for some deep discipleship and fellowship at 6 p.m. while the adults & children will grow deeper and wiser looking at another important segment in the life of Job - The Perfect Storm. This Bible study will help people of all ages be prepared for the "storms of life" that come to each of us and will enable to them to be porepared to be found faithful.

Our youth should be recovered from all the exciting activities of Youth Camp @ Grand Oaks in Chillicothe. Only 2.5 days and yet many were stirred by the Holy Spirit to walk morepassionately with their Savior. In many ways this camp does more to bond our youth group together than the other types of camps that last an entire week.

So as we finish July with Vacation Bible School each evening I get very excited about the potential of the Family at First Baptist reaching out with the Love of Christ Jesus to our community and around our world. And as we peek into August with the return of Truman students and I anticipate a mission field that changes faces every semester, it think of Gospel seeds being scattered to the wind. Seeds that will cause students to return to Kirksville for reuniones and much more and remember the work that God did in their lives through us. All of this activity makes for a very tired fellowship - but its a good kind of tired. And so we gather to become re-energized by His diving presence in our fellowship and worship. How could anyone stand to miss that??