Author Archives: Ministry Tools Resource Center

In Anticipation of VBS

Posted on by — 1 Comment ↓
Share:

Are you having Vacation Bible School this year? You will have some work ahead, some prayer to invest, some workers to recruit and materials to prepare, as well as promotional efforts. Though time intensive and energy consuming, trusting God to use it should bring an excitement and joy to your soul.

Vacation Bible School Ministry Manual
The following poem of anticipation is included in the Vacation Bible School Ministry Manual. This resource looks at seven steps that will lead to a more impactful VBS, to make what you read below a reality.

‘Twas the Morn Before VBS : Anticipating VBS

‘Twas the morn before VBS and all through the church,
not a car was a stirring, not a person in search.
The tent was hung by the building with care,
in hopes that lots of children soon would be there.
The classrooms were empty; the sanctuary was bare,
not even one person to sit on a chair.
The directors were busy with last minute details,
while visions of blessing their mind couldn’t curtail.
Yes, visions of laughter from children at play,
enjoying recreation every day.
Fun games for all from the littlest to the oldest,
with challenges to see who’d be the boldest.
Our vision didn’t end there, so much more we would share
as we’d welcome each person to a special affair.
There were visions of craft time for each one to make,
a reminder of that lesson’s truth they could take.
There’d be singing and offerings to a mission we’d claim
all for a demonstration of God’s love to proclaim.
One vision would outshine all the others we’d sown,
and that was to make our Lord Jesus Christ known.
They’d learn how God loves them and wants them to be,
a member of His big family.
A new life He’ll give them, one full and free,
one able to reach out and love as does He.
These visions were dancing around in our heads,
and that long winter’s nap … well …
All of the sudden there arose such a clatter,
we didn’t have time to see what was the matter.
Then what to our wondering eyes to appear,
people registered for VBS this year.
The moral of this story is so plain and so true,
God will work through VBS, but that we already knew.

© 2022 Ministry Tools Resource Center, MinTools.com (permission to print for ministry use with copyright info included but not on another website)

Need help preparing for your VBS?

Share:

Pointers on How to Pray

Posted on by — No Comments ↓
Share:

Often people want steps on “how to” do various tasks or a pattern for how to do it. The same holds true with prayer. Though Jesus did give a pattern for how we might pray in what’s been called “The Lord’s Prayer” (Lk. 11:1-4), He put more emphasis on what goes on inside than the actual words or action of praying.

Pointers Jesus Gave on How to Pray

Throughout the Gospels Jesus spoke about prayer as an attitude of the heart. He modeled prayer that focused more on God than His own needs.

1) Be authentic when you pray.

And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Matt. 6:5-8)

2) Be eternally minded in prayer.

Jesus prayed, Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done. (Lk. 22:40-46)

My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. … I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (Jn. 17:20-23)

3) Be full of faith when you pray.

If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer. (Matt. 21:22)

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. (Mk. 11:24)

4) Be persistent in praying.

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. … (Lk. 18:1-8)

Church Purpose Ministry Manual with Pointers on How to PrayYou’ll find these pointers Jesus gave on how to pray from the Gospels, plus six more points about how to pray found elsewhere in Scripture, listed in the Church Purpose Ministry Manual which looks at prayer as one of the ways we fulfill our purpose to love God.

Share:

Saint Patrick’s Day Is …

Posted on by — No Comments ↓
Share:

Shamrocks, rainbows, leprechauns and pots of gold, the color green, and more, mark celebrations on Saint Patrick’s Day. But, there’s more to this holiday when we look at the life of the man called Saint Patrick.

St. Patrick’s Day is a time for us to be reminded to trust in the sovereignty of God.

We see this in the life of Patrick (birth name was Maewyn) who was kidnapped by Irish pirates and sold into slavery. It’s reported that he came into a true relationship with the Lord while a slave in Ireland. Though he escaped and went back home to Britain, he eventually returned to Ireland as a missionary, already having learned their language and culture. God used his time there to prepare him for ministry.

Holiday Reflections for Saint Patrick's Day
The Holiday Reflections Discipleship Guides resource includes Saint Patrick’s Day, one of 14 different holidays. It pulls out three important truths about we can learn about the sovereignty of God through the account of Saint Patrick’s life. It provides Scripture and questions for reflection.

Also go to: St. Patrick’s Day Ministry Resources

Share:

Keeping Issues from Blocking Church Growth & Health

Posted on by — No Comments ↓
Share:

We want to see our churches grow and become spiritually healthy. Yet, church leaders must deal with many issues that can prevent or stunt reaching those objectives. We can, and should, learn as much as we can about the obstacles but keeping issues from blocking church growth and health requires aligning with God’s overall purposes for the Church.

Objective to Grow & Become Spiritually Healthy

First spend some time reflecting on your desire for church growth and health. Ask God to help you understand your part in it and how to handle blockages to that growth. Here are some articles and books that can help you grasp a better understanding of this objective:

Issues That Might Be Blocking the Realization of These Objectives

Obstacles of both a physical and spiritual nature can sometimes block church growth and health. This post won’t provide solutions but rather point to other resources for you to read, reflect on, and pray about.

  1. Physical concerns like safety and legal issues can get in the way of spiritual growth and health if not dealt with effectively. They could become distractions and even cause people to become disillusioned with the church. Perhaps the following resources can help you with these kinds of issues:
  1. Sometimes people stray from God and His ways. Similar to the account of Achan in the Old Testament whose disobedience to God affected the whole camp (Josh. 7), so will sin left unchecked in the Church lessen its light and saltiness in the world (Matt. 5:13-16). If the people in the church act and react no better than everyone else, what’s the benefit of becoming part of it? Church leaders can find help thinking about their role in these situation in the following resources:
  1. When conflict festers in a church, it tends to derail real ministry and can even lead to division. Jesus clearly stated that a house “divided against itself will not stand” (Matt. 12:25). Leaders can become so consumed with putting out relational fires that they have little left to steer the church toward health and growth. If we can’t reconcile with one another and find ourselves wrapped up in political power plays, how are we any different than the world around us?

Keeping These Issues from Blocking Church Growth & Health Requires Aligning with God’s Purposes

We must always remember what Jesus identified as the Greatest Commandments — to love Him with all of who we are which spills over into loving others (Matt. 22:37-40). Jesus also said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (Jn. 13:34-35). Church life will at times get messy as a diverse group of people come together as one living in a world full of trouble (Jn. 16:33). But, if we keep bringing each other back into alignment with God’s overriding purposes, we will overcome and continue to grow and mature in Him. To keep from letting issues destroy and divide rather than build up and propel us, we need to “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Pet. 4:8). Use the resources below to work through how to continue on this pursuit:

Keeping Issues from Blocking Church Growth & Health Requires Aligning with God’s Purposes

More Help for Leaders: Leadership Resources

Share:

God’s Word Essential to Christian Community

Posted on by — No Comments ↓
Share:

A Christian Community with God's Word Essential
The Church is a community, a group of people connected by their common life in Christ Jesus (Rom. 12:4-5). Though He is the foundation upon which fellowship with one another gets built (1 John 1:7), God’s Word must also be viewed as essential to Christian Community.

We find the Word as an integral part in Acts 2:42-47 where we see community at its best in the early New Testament Church. They devoted themselves to a number of essential elements with “the apostles’ teaching” heading the list followed by fellowship.

Ways in Which God’s Word is Essential to Christian Community

When members of the Body act like they belong to one another in Christ Jesus, we have true Christian Community. Here are three ways God uses His Word to bring about that kind of unity:

1) The Word is our Source of authority about community.

Scripture informs and instructs us about what community is. And, it corrects us and trains us on how to get back on track. It thoroughly equips us for EVERY good work, including acts of community. (2 Tim. 3:16-17)

2) The Word is what Prepares us for community.

When Jesus prayed for the disciples’ protection and for unity among believers through the ages, He asked God to “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” (Jn. 17:17) Sanctification is the process through which we become more and more Christ-like and able to live out God’s purposes and design for the Church.

3) The Word is a Core element to community.

We use God’s Word as the basis for encouraging and building up one another. As members of one body we’re to “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” (Col. 3:15-16)

Share:

When Things Go Wrong in Ministry

Posted on by — No Comments ↓
Share:

When Things Go Wrong in Ministry Ask God to Search Your Heart
When things go wrong in ministry it’s important to get to the root of the problem. Before pointing our finger at other people, let’s ask God if we could have done something differently.

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Ps. 139:23-24)

If we don’t ask ourselves some strategic questions, we might apply the wrong solution and potentially make things worse. And, history will possibly repeat itself as we didn’t learn from what happened.

Questions to Ask When Things God Wrong in Ministry

1) Did I adequately prepare?

Sometimes just a little more time, effort, or foresight in the planning stages could have averted a lot of problems. — We may need to learn to be more patient with the process so we’re more careful and wise in making the most of every opportunity. (Eph. 5:15-16)

2) Did my non-verbal communication match what I said verbally?

When we say what we mean and mean what we say, our non-verbal communication usually aligns. A lack of such authenticity, however, sends mixed messages and often results in misunderstandings. — We may need to learn to better guard our heart since what’s in our heart tends to come out. (Prov. 4:23; Lk. 6:45)

3) Did people know what was expected of them?

If we fail to let people know what’s expected of them, can we really blame them when things go wrong? — We may need to learn to communicate more clearly and honestly. (Eph. 4:15, 25)

4) Did my methodology match the abilities and needs of the people I serve?

The better we understand the people we serve, the more we can adapt what we do to best meet their needs and gain their cooperation. — We need be more willing to take the time and effort to truly get to know the people we serve. (1 Cor. 9:19-23)

5) Did I get others involved in the process or did I push through my own agenda?

If people lack a sense of ownership in the process, or feel devalued, we are looking at potential problems. — We may need to learn to relinquish control. (Matt. 20:25-28; Eph. 4:2-3)

6) Did I fully rely on God’s Spirit to be at work in and through me?

When we rely on our own understanding and efforts, we can only blame ourselves when things go wrong. However, if we are truly relying on God’s Spirit to be at work in and through us, then we can be confident that God will use the adverse circumstances for some sort of greater good we don’t yet understand. — We may need to learn pray more from start to finish, trusting God in all our ways. (Prov. 3:5-6; Col. 4:2)

Share: