I would have never thought 1 year ago today, I would be sitting in a position where I would need to write part of the church newsletter… and here I am.  Maybe I’m still in disbelief.  To say the words: “I’m going into the office to work,” sounds so weird to my family.  I haven’t worked in an office in over 14 years!  I accepted this position as Children’s Ministry Director because I knew that God would use me and stretch me in a way I haven’t been stretched before.  It will be challenging but yet, so rewarding in the same way.  I love the people at CCC and knowing I get to work alongside so many of you was enough to finally say yes.  Haha yes, a few of you I did call crazy when you mentioned that you had been praying and I kept coming to mind.  I think God was just preparing my heart to really be praying on it.  So, keep praying for me and all our adults (and children alike) involved in this awesome ministry.

As far as our children’s ministry, we are in what some would think as a pretty low period because of the lack of kids, but the kids we do have however few ARE worth our time.  They are worth our teaching, guidance and love.  These kids are the next generation.  They are the ones that will one day be teachers, doctors, firefighters, husbands, wives, fathers & mothers.  What are we doing to ensure that they know Christ?  That the love, forgiveness, grace and mercy of Christ is shown to them.  So, my heart has been so heavy lately and after hearing a few of my own kids saying they didn’t want to participate in a women’s event because “there will just be old people and what do I really have to bring to a group of women,” my eyes were opened!  These “older” (and wiser) women are dear friends, people I go to for encouragement and support.  It hurt me that although they care for these people, they just didn’t have that connection.  I began thinking about mentorship, building that bridge between older people and younger (I’ll be forty this year so I’m in that older person category).  So what can adults do to come alongside the youth in our church?  According to Lifeway Research:  “Teens who had at least one adult from church make a significant time investment in their lives….were more likely to keep attending church.  More of those who stayed in church by a margin of 46% to 28% said five or more adults at church had invested time with them personally and spiritually.”  We live in a day and age where countless kids are walking away from their faith after high school.  What if we went beyond just Sunday school teachers? What if multiple people would invest in these kids personally and spiritually throughout the week, the month, and their life?  So please join me in praying for an upcoming event we will be doing with our kids, it will take a commitment from you but a commitment that will be pivotal in these kids lives you won’t want to miss out.  

“Before God enables his people to bring in a harvest, he pours out a Spirit of prayer upon them.  The surest sign that God is about to send power upon us is a great movement of prayer in our midst.” – John Piper