Running the Wrong Way

I was recently studying about one of my favorite Bible stories. Jonah and the big fish. 

If you dig into this story, you will discover some great truths about God and His heart for the world to be saved. 

You know what happened...God told Noah to go to the city of Nineveh and share with them their desperate need to repent of their evil ways.

The Ninevites were known for their brutality and evil. To travel there was risky. But to preach to them about God would mean certain death.  

Jonah wanted nothing to do with the Ninevites. Especially since he was a Jew. It would be like asking a Jew during World War II to go preach to the Nazis. 

One of two things would happen in his mind. He would be killed or the Ninevites would repent and be spared. Jonah was not interested in anyone from Nivevah living to see another day. 

So...instead of running to Ninevah...he decided to run the wrong way. As far away from Ninevah as he could get. He boarded a ship and went the opposite direction. 

In all this we see God's heart for people...even the most wicked people.

Look what he says in Jonah 4:11. 

"...the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals."

Many commentators believe the 120,000 persons is referring to children who are not old enough to know the difference between their right and left hand. 

He calls it a great city because there were so many lost people on whom He had compassion. 

He also mentions animals? What does that mean?  Scholars say that even the cruelest of men sometimes have a soft spot in their heart for a puppy, kitten, etc. 

God has compassion on lost people and so should we.  

Do you sometimes feel like Jonah?  Your heart for lost people occasionally wanes and you want to run away from them instead of going to them.  

You want to run away from the child that causes all the commotion in class?

You want to run away from the neighbor who is a pain?

You want to run away from the child that you just can't seem to connect with?

You want to run away from the staff member or church member that you can't get along with? 

You want to run away from the hours of planning and work it takes to pull off a VBS, Fall Festival, or other outreach event? 

You want to run away from trying to partner with parents when the parents just can't seem to get it. 

I have felt all of this at times.  

At times...I have run the wrong way.

When we take our eyes off of Jesus and people the natural tendency is to run the wrong direction. 

Jonah disliked the Ninevites and it was obvious why. That dislike led him to disobedience.  

Perhaps in all of this we see the heart of God for those who are far from Him.  Perhaps in all of this we see that God has called us to run to those who are far from Him and share the Gospel with them.  

So God puts Jonah through the ringer. You know what happened, he was on a ship...running the opposite direction when a storm blew in. Jonah confesses that He is running away from God's will and they end up throwing him overboard to save their lives.

Jonah gets swallowed by a big fish...perhaps it was a whale or great white Orca...whatever it was it was big.

Jonah spends three days in the big fish. During these three days, he spends most of his time talking to God and repenting for running away from God's will. 

So God decides to ask Jonah to go to Ninevah for the second time. 

p.s. Here are some apologetics you can teach kids about Jonah being swallowed and living through it.

Many critics can't "swallow" the story of Jonah because they say it couldn't happen. 

Hang on. Let's examine the facts.

An average sperm whale has a mouth that is 20 feet long, 15 feel high, and 9 feet wide. Plenty big enough to swallow a person. 

Did you know the sperm whale feeds largely on squid. Often these squids are larger than people. Whalers will sometimes find an entire squid in the stomach of a dead whale. 

In 1891, two small whaleboats harpooned a huge sperm whale. The whale went under the water but then burst from the water, smashing one of the boats. One the sailors named James Bartley went overboard and was lost. 

The whalers were eventually able to capture the whale and winch it to the ship. When they pulled the whale up, the sailors noticed that the whale's stomach was moving...so they cut the whale's belly open.  Inside the whale was James Bartley...still alive after spending over 15 hours in the belly of the whale. 

Now think back to Jonah.  God was ready to use Jonah to reach Ninevah. So he had the big fish spit out Jonah onto the beach. Jonah was fortunate. There were only two ways out of the fish. Jonah got out the most pleasant way. 

So here's Jonah...crawling out of the ocean after being spit up by a big fish. 

Here's an interesting thing.

Do you know what false god the Ninevites worshiped?  It was a fish god named Dagon. 

Perhaps...just maybe some of the Ninevites saw this man come up out of a fish with seaweed wrapped around his head. If that happened, I would say Jonah had their attention. 

So Noah runs the right way this time and heads to Ninevah. He shares the Word of God with them and the entire city turns to God. 

So what do we learn from this amazing happening?

God's heart is for people. 

God uses people to reach people...even when their attitude is not the best.

God wants us to have His heart of compassion and love for those who do not know Him.

When God asks us to run toward people with the Gospel, it is critical that we obey Him. 

God wants you to run toward His will for your life instead of running away from it.  

The best choice is to always run toward God's will instead of from it. 

God is the God of mercy and forgiveness.  Run to Him. Help others run to Him. No matter who they are.

God is looking for yielded hearts to reach people with the Gospel.

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The Biggest Reason Why Kids Grow Up and Walk Away From the Faith

Two major research organizations asked people why they left the church.

The number one answer?  They simply stopped believing. Over 50% say they have stopped believing in the core doctrines and faith tenets.

Turns out that the experience a child has in church between the ages of 5 and 17 is the single strongest predictor of whether they will stay with the faith as an adult.  

If a child has a negative experience at church, there is a 70% chance they will later walk away from the faith. 

But if a child has a positive experience at church, there is a 84% chance they will stick with the faith.  

What can we do about that as children's ministry leaders? Is the answer found in a new program?  More relevant worship music?  More lights and fog? Cooler games and activities?  A new version of the Bible for kids? Different small group curriculum? 

We cannot let this opportunity slip away. It's time the church makes children and student ministry a high, high priority.  It's time the church goes all in for reaching and discipling the next generation.

Ministry for kids and students is the front line in the battle for the next generation.  The enemy knows this and is going all out to steal, kill, and destroy the faith of the generation coming behind us.

So why are kids growing up and walking away from the church because of unbelief?  

I believe it is because churches are not teaching kids why we believe what we believe.  

I believe it is because churches are not teaching kids apologetics.

I believe it is because churches are not teaching kids doctrine. 

I believe it is because we are not letting kids ask the hard questions and helping them work through it. 

I believe it is because we are not teaching kids what the verses mean that they are memorizing. 

I believe it is because we are teaching kids about God but not about knowing God personally. 

I believe it is because we are not helping kids own their faith. 

I believe it is because we are not strategic with the curriculum we are teaching them. 

I believe it is because we are not preparing them to defend what they believe. 

I talk about this extensively in my book Fertile Soil...How to See Kids' Faith Grow and Flourish for a Lifetime. You can get your copy here.  

I also have 2 apologetics series for kids - Mythbusting and Pranksters. You can see these teaching series at this link.

It's time the church focuses on the next generation. Children and student ministry cannot be an afterthought.  It must be at the forefront of our thoughts, planning, strategy, and outreach. 

It's time the church turns its eyes to the greatest mission field in the world...kids and students. 

It's time for children and student ministry to be the most important ministry in the church.  

Children's ministry is not babysitting or childcare. It is crucial ministry at the most important time in a person's life.  If we don't reach and disciple children and students we will see them grow up and walk away as adults.

Children and student ministry leaders be encouraged. God is with you. He wants to pour out His power and anointing into your life as you serve on the front lines. 

Children and student ministry leaders be encouraged. Your ministry is dear to the heart of God.  Jesus paused adult ministry when He was here and made children's ministry a top priority when the parents brought their children to Him. 

Sadly in many churches, we find that children's ministry is just an afterthought.  The pastor and church leaders fail to invest heavily into children and student ministry. 

If you are in that situation, I would encourage you to share this article with your leaders. God has placed you where you are to be a champion for children and student ministry. Lovingly and humbly share this with your leaders. It might be just what they need to understand the importance of the ministry you are leading and serving. 

There is hope for the next generation. God has divinely placed you where you are for such a time as this. 

You are the person God wants to use to reach and disciple children and students through your local church.  You matter and what you do matters....more than you can comprehend. 

Together...with all of us engaged in this great work of God...we can see the faith projectory of an entire generation changed.   

Then we will see kids and students grow up to walk with God instead of away from God.

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10 Safety & Security Measures You Need for Your Children's Ministry

Safety and security is such an important part of children's ministry. It is a non-negotiable. In a world of abuse and insecurity, the church should be a place where parents and kids are safe.  The church should be a place where parents can feel confident that when they drop their child off, their child will be safe and secure.  

 

Churches have to get safety and security right if they want to earn the right to be heard by families. 

 

That being said, here are 10 safety and security measures you need to have in place. 

#1 - A secure check-in and check-out system.

 

Every child should receive a name tag and every parent should receive a matching tag for pick-up. Everyone has to show the matching tag when picking up their child.  No exceptions.  

 

#2 - No one should ever be alone with a child.

 

Again...no exceptions. 

 

#3 - A secure bathroom for boys and girls. 

 

These bathrooms should only be for kids to use.  

 

#4 - Always have two volunteers in place before you open a classroom. 

 

This ties into #2.  

 

#5 - A personal interview with potential volunteers.

 

Sit down and have a conversation with every potential volunteer. In this meeting, you will ask the hard questions and see if they are a good fit to serve in your children's ministry. If you would like a copy of the questions I ask for this, you can get a free copy at this link.

 

#6 - A background check on everyone.

 

After you have finished the personal interview and feel like they are a good fit, run a background check on them.  

 

#7 - Men don't change diapers.

 

Enough said. All the men are shouting "Hallelujah!" Seriously, for safety measures have ladies do the diaper changing.

 

#8 - Windows into every room so you can look in and see what is happening.

 

You should always be able to look in the room and see what is happening. Have side panel windows or a window in the door. 

 

#9 - Only approved volunteers and parents should be able to enter the children's area.

 

Check their tags as they are entering the children's area for drop off and pick-up. Keep the main doors locked during service.

 

#10 - A dedicated safety and security team that monitors the children's areas. 

 

Enlist a security team that helps keep your children's areas safe. If you can, take it to the next level and have an armed police officer on duty by the children's area. 

 

Do these 10 things and you will have a safe environment for the kids and families. 

 

p.s. Do you need more safety and security training?  You can access the Children's Ministry Safety and Security Webinar at this link and watch it on demand.

 

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7 Ways to Know That a Church Values Children's Ministry

How can you know if a church  values children's ministry? Some churches say they value children's ministry but their actions tell a different story. 

Let's put it to a test. Here are 7 ways you can know if a church truly does value children's ministry.

Volunteers

The church encourages people to serve in children's ministry. It is high on the list when it comes to volunteer opportunities. 

The best, most gifted volunteers can be found in the church's children's ministry.  The choir loft isn't full of volunteers while the children's ministry volunteer team is minuscule. 

The church knows this - the success of the church rises and falls on the strength of the volunteer team that ministers to the next generation. 

Facilities

When parents walk into your facilities, what are your facilities saying? 

Children are important here?

We care enough about the next generation to create quality environments for them?

Our children's facilities were designed with kids in mind...not adults?

Subpar children's facilities will make your children's ministry seem worse than it is while high quality children's facilities will make your children's ministry seem better than it is. 

Facilities for children matters...a lot. You can't stick kids in the basement in an environment that looks like a hospital and expect growth.

Your adult space may look great...but if your children's space isn't popping...then you will struggle to grow the ministry.

Budget

The children's ministry budget should be one of the largest budgets in the church. If a church says they care about reaching and discipling the next generation, then their budget allocations will reflect this. 

Money invested in children's ministry will pay for itself many times over in families who are reached.

Show me your budget and I will tell you how much you value children's ministry. 

Staffing 

A church that values children's ministry will have adequate staff.  I have created a staffing chart that shows how many staff you should have in your children's ministry based on attendance.  If you'd like a copy of the chart, feel free to email me and I will send it to you.

Visibility

The children's ministry will have high visibility.  This includes pulpit declaration, bulletin space, announcements, screen time, and an overall culture that says children's ministry is important to us.

Partnerships

The children's ministry will not be a silo. Other ministries in the church will partner with the children's ministry. There will be a partnership with student ministry. There will be a partnership with adult ministry.  The children's ministry will often collaborate with other ministries to reach and disciple families.  

Events

The church will invest generously to host children and family outreach events. Some examples are VBS, Easter outreach, summer camp, fall festivals / trunk or treat, Christmas events, etc. 

The entire church will get behind these events and will get involved by giving, volunteering, promoting, etc. 

Does your church value children's ministry? These are some good talking points as you lead children's ministry in your church. Feel free to share this article with your church leaders. 

A lot is at stake...we only have a short window of time to reach and disciple children.

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