Archive for April, 2009

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Let’s Get Practical … About Spiritual Gifts

Thursday, April 30th, 2009

I recently received an e-mail from someone whose S.S. class was learning about spiritual gifts but wanted to help people see how to use their spiritual gifts within their church body.  

I really believe there is no substitute for taking the time to tailor it to your particular church setting.  You need to look at your particular ministries, the tasks required to do those ministries, and then determine which gifts are needed to accomplish those tasks.  To do that you must be able to define the different spiritual gifts and then discern what gifts are used in the different ministry areas.  

In reflecting on practical ways to help people see how to use their spiritual gifts within their church body, I thought about the Everybody Has a Part Curriculum, which is part of the MAX Pak.  It concludes with a lesson suggesting  that you end with what is often called a ministry fair wherein you set up displays or booths for each of the major ministry areas of the church, with the ministry head on hand to answer questions.  Students walk around to gain more information on the different ministries, talk one-on-one with the leaders, set up times to observe the ministry in action, etc. 

In addition to possibly having a ministry fair, here are ideas I shared in responding to the e-mail:

  • Make up a booklet of your church’s ministries and list the gifts that are most used within those ministries.  Get as practical as you can in laying out ministry descriptions and the process for getting involved in those ministries.
  • Have the ministry leaders from the different areas prepare for a session to share how people with the various gifts can be used in their ministries.  You could ask them to take ‘x’ amount of minutes to share with the whole group or you could have people go to only the one(s) that best fit their gifts.
  • Plan for testimonials from people with the different gifts to share how God has used them specifically because of their giftedness.
  • Set up one-on-one consultations with class members to discuss possibilities.

These are just a few ideas that have been effective in some churches.  What else has been helpful?

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The Value of Heart Preparation

Monday, April 27th, 2009

In my last post I wrote about 4 Critical Steps to Effectively Prepare for Vacation Bible School.  The steps each pertained to prayer preparation and can be applied to any ministry we do.  It points to the value we place on prayer and the need for heart preparation.

God Himself puts a lot of value on heart preparation.  Consider how He used John the Baptist to prepare the way for Jesus.

Without heart preparation, we can easily become like the Israelites of old.  Psalm 78:8, in the NASB, refers to them as “a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not prepare its heart and whose spirit was not faithful to God. “  The KJV words it “a generation that set not their heart aright.”

I don’t want to be like that and I don’t want that for those to whom and with whom I serve.  Because I value heart preparation, I will pray.  How about you?

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4 Critcal Steps to Effectively Prepare for Vacation Bible School

Thursday, April 23rd, 2009

Preparation for this year’s Vacation Bible School should have begun when last year’s VBS ended, especially step 1.  As I look back at the several times I directed and/or co-directed VBS, these are steps I wish I would have taken more seriously and done more strategically.

STEP 1:  Envision what VBS can be through prayer.

  • What does GOD want to accomplish through it?
  • Who does GOD want it to target?

STEP 2:  Envelop the whole process in prayer.

  • Ask God if there is a time best suited for what He wants to do through it and then put it on the church calendar.
  • Ask God about the best format to use … traditional, rotation, etc.
  • Ask God for wisdom in choosing the curriculum and developing the theme.
  • Ask God to help you be a wise steward of the allotted VBS budget and for creativity in raising extra needed to accomplish His answer to step 1.
  • Ask God to raise up gifted and impassioned leaders, teachers, and helpers for the various aspects … Bible lesson, crafts, snacks, games/recreation, etc.
  • Ask God to show you the best way to train the VBS staff.
  • Ask God for help in promoting VBS so you use the right means to attract the people He wants to attend.
  • Ask God for wisdom in maximizing the use of the facilities and church grounds by designating what areas should be used for the different parts of the program and also for room assignments.
  • Ask God to help you not to miss the many details that need to go into this such as collecting all the supplies, decorating, etc.
  • Ask God to motivate people to come to VBS as you begin pre-registration.

Step 3:  Enlist the prayer support of others right from the start.

  • Recruit a prayer support team specifically chosen to pray for VBS, often good to include those who cannot be physically involved in VBS.
  • Lead the VBS staff to keep praying from the moment they are recruited by giving them specifics of what they can pray for as the time approaches.
  • Gather the VBS staff to pray together each day of VBS prior to beginning the session.

Step 4:  Engage the entire congregation in praying for VBS.

  • Keep them updated about the vision and needs.
  • Plan a special time the Sunday before Vacation Bible School begins to invite the VBS staff to come forward and be prayed over.

Posted in Prayer, VBS | No Comments »

After Graduation, Then What?

Monday, April 20th, 2009

Many young people will soon be graduating from high school or college.  The church can give them a nice certificate to recognize this accomplishment or some other keepsake gift.  We can wish them well in their adult lives. 

But, can we keep them in the church?

Actual figures of how many drop out of church vary.  One of the lower figures I’ve seen is from a 2006 Barna study.  Here is a quote from that report:

In fact, the most potent data regarding disengagement is that a majority of twentysomethings – 61% of today’s young adults – had been churched at one point during their teen years but they are now spiritually disengaged (i.e., not actively attending church, reading the Bible, or praying). Only one-fifth of twentysomethings (20%) have maintained a level of spiritual activity consistent with their high school experiences. Another one-fifth of teens (19%) were never significantly reached by a Christian community of faith during their teens and have remained disconnected from the Christian faith.

I think the question we must ask is why they aren’t staying. 

  • Is it a matter of intellectual disengagement?  Have we not done a good job apologetically with them? 
  • Is it a heart issue?  Do they want to be in control of their own lives more than they want God?  Are we praying for them as we should?
  • Or is it something else?

 

Posted in Graduation, Young People | 8 Comments »

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