http://schottremovals.co.uk/author/owen/page/9/ Wildwood Church
Goodyear A few weeks ago now, I had the joy of filling in as a small group leader for a group of girls on Wednesday night. Our Wednesday night structure leaves 20 minutes during the evening for kids to have an open discussion about what’s happening in their lives, and then we close the time in prayer. We always start out with the simple question “How was your week?” Immediately I was struck by this group of girls’ openness and willingness to be vulnerable with each other. As we went around the circle, one by one they spoke about what stood out as most important from their week–some told funny stories, some sad, and one was full of excitement over something new she was learning at school.
You could see how much each child cherished this time of sharing, but I was also impressed by how the others in the group were listening, truly interested in the one speaking.
If that’s where this story ended, it would honestly have been enough. I would have walked away thinking it was time well spent, thankful that this group of girls has found acceptance and a place in their church family. It’s rare in today’s fast-paced, self-centered world for anyone, kids or adults, to find belonging in a group of people outside of their family. What a gift to have a place where they can share a bit of who they are and what’s going on in their lives with people who really care about them. The Church should be that place.
It is my desire that any child that comes through our doors at Wildwood will find love and encouragement here, among the body of believers, as it was designed to be.
But that isn’t actually the end of this story. One child who is usually quick to speak and almost always smiling was looking down at the floor with her hands pressed against her face. She confessed in a very serious and quiet voice that she had been struggling for a while with a burden to tell a friend about Jesus, but she didn’t know how and she was scared. At that moment, our conversation was transformed into what could have easily been a conversation around the table at my own connect group. As I started to respond, another child in the group spoke up and began to empathize with her, having shared in the same struggle. Then she began to give some solid biblical advice that had once helped her. In a matter of minutes, they were all deep in discussion about God and their burden for the lost around them, and they were encouraging each other with truth. I wasn’t needed in that conversation, but I was certainly praising God for the gift to be witness to it.
God is at Work
Parents, be encouraged that the Lord is working in the lives of your children. The fruit of your discipleship in the home is showing in how your children care for others around them.
We live in a world that is so focused on self that I sometimes wonder if people really see each other at all. But God doesn’t teach us to live that way. He wants us to see others as He sees them, beloved, and in need of the gospel–the way these girls see and love each other. John 13:35 tells us “by this all people will know that you are my disciples if you have a love for one another.” It is a blessing to see the transformation of your kids into Christ-followers, and I know that much of that is because of the work you are doing in the home.
Church, our families are being transformed, and that is something to celebrate! The more the parents in our church are committed to taking seriously the Word of God and applying it to their lives, we see them taking it home and passing it on to their children. This is exciting to see. It is the goal of our ministry team to come alongside our families in the hard work they are doing to support them. We treat the kids’ small group times as mini-connect groups; I view this as one of the most helpful parts of our ministry for supporting families’ discipleship of their children. Each group has a committed leader that, over time, will build relationships and trust with the kids. These groups will learn how to study and talk about Scripture with each other. They will learn what it means to be connected to a body of believers that care for one another and share in both joy and burdens.
They will learn to pray with one another and see how God is moving in the lives of people around them. Thinking back to the small group of girls on Wednesday night– they function the way they do because of the consistency we’ve been able to provide for them. These girls have had the same three leaders for a few years now. That, coupled with regularly meeting together on Sundays and Wednesdays, has helped this group form real friendships rooted in Christ. I hope to see this for all our small groups. But in order to do this well, we need help.
Partner with Us
We need more adults in our church to invest willingly and regularly in these children. Our kids deserve consistency in leadership by people committed to their spiritual formation similar to the leadership our adult connect groups and discipleship groups currently have. We already have a wonderfully-dedicated team of volunteers who have been doing this and loving our kids well, but we still need more. Praise God, our church is growing and we have more kids than ever, but this means our small groups aren’t so small anymore.
Please pray about whether God would have you partner with us in this ministry. I know it seems like I am asking a lot, and the honest truth is, I am.
Building relationships and mentoring others in the faith is our responsibility as followers of Christ–that doesn’t mean it is always easy. There are many days where I am scheduled to show up at church with a smile on my face and energy to match the kids, and all I feel is tired–but I show up anyway. In fifteen years of kids’ ministry, I can’t remember even once that I have left the church building regretting that I showed up. God always provides the energy when I need it, or sends a word of encouragement from a fellow volunteer or parent when I’m feeling discouraged. And every once in a while, He gives me a glimpse at the work He’s doing in the lives of our children–like that Wednesday night girls’ small group–and I’m reminded that the work we’re doing matters.
If you are interested in serving in Wildwood’s Children’s Ministry or have questions, I would love to hear from you! You can email me by clicking the button below!
Children's Ministry Director, Jessi Burns
Jessi and her husband Mike have attended Wildwood since 2018. They have 5 children that keep life both busy and fun! They were both born and raised in North Carolina, but the Army brought them to the Quad Cities in 2015 where Mike finished out his 20 year military career. They loved this area so much that they decided to retire and raise their family here. Jessi loves to read, care for her many “plant babies” and go camping with her family.
