Week after week, all school year long (and for one VERY intense week of the summer) the volunteers in our children's ministry are incredible. They show up, ready to guide, encourage, counsel, referee, and demonstrate what it means to follow Jesus. I am amazed at their commitment!
Sometimes I leave on Tuesdays wondering what I do to make a difference in the lives of these kids. Since I am co-director of the weekly ministry and the director of VBS, I am behind-the-scenes mostly.
Tammie is the one who brings it all to life for the kids. The crew leaders are building relationships with the kids. Now, I know my job is important and the ministry wouldn't quite be the same without what I do. But because I'm not spending the time with the kids that the others are, I'm missing out on the struggles AND the blessings.
Well, today we were short-handed and besides getting to lead one of the stations, I spent time with the preschoolers during worship. Now, children's worship is completely different than the "worship service" that happens on Sunday morning in that very same room! It's lively, active, loud...you know, kids' worship. There are a couple of preschoolers who are ALWAYS all over the place. Keeping them from using the prayer alter as a diving board, keeping them off the stage and away from expensive equipment, and keeping them from filling out church membership cards each week is quite a chore! And there is almost always gymnastics of some sort. I know there are dearly beloved church members who are no longer with us who MUST be turning in their graves each time a cartwheel is attempted in "The Sanctuary"!! Sometimes I can just see the looks on the faces some of the older crowd in our church as I watch these little ones climb over pews and attempt to hide under the Lord's Supper table!
Cody was one of these kids today. Even the most active, engaging worship songs didn't hold his attention. He ran here, ran there, tried a few cartwheels, wrote his name on several pew envelopes, etc. I tried everything to get him involved. After the music, Tammie was trying to refresh the kids' memories a bit, reminding them how much God loves them, etc. Cody sat with a hymnal wide open, turning pages. Tammie asked "
How can Jesus make us clean, take away our sins?" Cody began slamming the hymnal shut again and again as older kids try to answer, but didn't quite give the response she was looking for. Just when I thought there was no way this kid was listening, Cody said as loud as he could, "
Jesus died on the cross so we can go to Heaven!" I looked at him. He looked at me and said with a huge grin, "
I learned that HERE!!!"
That's why we do what we do!
