May202013

Man of God — a free devotion for this week’s meetings

By A. Trevor Sutton on May 20, 2013

Editor’s note: On Sunday, June 16, 2013, families and churches all over the United States and in some other countries, too, will observe Father’s Day. This devotion is slightly adapted from one of the free resources CTA is making available to ministry leaders to help underscore one of our new themes for men’s ministry this spring, Man of God. You may want to check out our many other resources for Father’s Day and men’s ministry, too. All come with a multitude of free downloadables!

Introduction

Propane or charcoal? This is a high stakes cooking question! Grilling with propane is all about instant gratification; you can heat up a propane grill in the time it takes to decide what kind of cheese you want on your burger.

Cooking with charcoal is an entirely different story. It takes a long time for the coals to heat up. It takes a long time for the food to cook thoroughly. There is no way around it: Cooking with charcoal is tedious and time consuming. Yet, most barbeque connoisseurs will agree that the deep smoky taste of a charcoal barbeque is always worth the wait.

Getting to the Heart

We live in a society that hates to wait. Our drive-thru food arrives thirty seconds after we order it through a moving car window. Our money is dispensed instantly through the ATM. Our message appears in the boss’s in-box just seconds after we click the send button. Instant coffee, instant oatmeal, and instant propane grills are just a few of the instant aspects of our everyday lives. We are simply a people who crave immediacy.

God, however, is not the immediate type. Though he could, God seldom works in milliseconds, microseconds, or nanoseconds. Instead, God prefers to work in months, years, and even millennia. God often does his work over long increments of time:

  • The stubborn prophet Jonah waited inside the belly of the fish for three days before he repented for his disobedience and submitted to God’s call to preach in Nineveh.
  • The doubt-filled people of Israel waited forty years in the wilderness before they could enter the Promised Land.
  • The perfectly obedient, completely faithful Jesus waited in the wilderness for forty days before he began his public ministry.

Scriptures is chocked full of stories detailing the lives of the many people—faithful and unfaithful, patient and impatient—who waited for the Lord. Some waited days, while others waited years. Yet, each and every one of these stories comes to the same conclusion: those who wait for the Lord always find it is well-worth the wait.

Waiting for the Lord requires us to set aside our schemes for instant gratification. It requires enduring contentment. It requires us to resist our sinful impulses. It asks us to dismiss any trust in our own abilities. It asks that, instead, we rely entirely on God’s abilities—and on his willingness to do for us and in us what we could never do for ourselves.

Waiting for the Lord is no easy task! It calls for patience, perseverance, and a whole lot of intestinal fortitude. Waiting for the Lord means living at odds with our instant-everything culture. In fact, you could even say that waiting for the Lord is the faith equivalent of cooking with charcoal. Are you up for this? None of us are!

Yet, quite unlike waiting for charcoal to heat up, those who wait for the Lord do not do so in desperation, though at times it might feel like that. We might be tempted to despair when we remember that God knows all about our impatience and the ways we scheme to get ahead on our own. In fact, God knew about our sinful self-reliance from all eternity. Despite our faithlessness, he planned to send his own Son to die for us—and then faithfully fulfilled that plan. Listen! (Read Ephesians 1:3-5.)

Adopted as the Lord’s very own sons and heirs, forgiven in Christ’s cross, we can live in total confidence that our heavenly Father loves us. We can rely on the fact that he intends to use everything that happens to us for our eternal good. We can wait for him, trusting his promise to renew our strength as we wait for him.

As we patiently wait for his purposes to unfold in our lives, God patiently renews our strength. As we run the long race of godly living, we can trust our God to keep us from growing weary. We can walk confidently, drawing strength from him and knowing that, as we do, we will not faint. He makes it possible for us to soar, eagle-like, even in life’s storms!

The wait can be tedious, but the reward is tremendous. We find our waiting rewarded when we see God’s purposes far exceeding our own feeble plans. We find our waiting rewarded when a previously unanswered prayer is finally met with God’s resounding ‘Yes!’

At the end of days, all our waiting will finally and eternally erupt into an endless celebration. Those who have waited for the Lord will agree—for all eternity—that everything that has happened, everything we have endured, all the waiting we have done has resulted in our overwhelming, unimaginable good!

Taking it Home

Cooking with charcoal and waiting for the Lord have one thing in common: They both take time. Yet, no matter how perfectly you arrange the bacon, onion, lettuce, and tomatoes on your burger, God’s plans for those who wait for him are always much more perfectly arranged. God blesses and equips those who wait for him to act on their behalf.

Most men admit to knowing nothing about cooking; yet, most men claim to know everything about barbequing. Somehow when cooking is done outside it becomes a manly task.

Next time you are manning the grill, try this: As you finally take the burgers off the grill, pause for a moment. Pause to remember the godly men who have been an example to you, whose lives show you how to wait for the Lord. Pause to remember your Savior’s cross and your Father’s forgiveness for your own impatience. Pause to remember God’s promise that those who wait for him will not grow weary, weak, or faint. Pause just long enough to think about all the ways in which God rewards those who wait for him . . .. Then dig in!

You are welcome to copy this article for one-time use in your organization as long as you will receive no monetary benefit from it. Please include the copyright line printed below and submit an actual copy of use to CTA, attention Editorial Manager.

Used with permission grant #052013. © 2013 CTA, Inc. No duplication of this article is allowed without the express written consent of CTA, PO Box 1205, Fenton, MO 63026-1205. www.CTAinc.com

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May152013

Help Your New Members Serve

By Karen Kogler on May 15, 2013

When you welcome new members to your church, help them volunteer! Most appreciate the help and Scripture teaches its value. (See last week’s blog, “New Members Make Great Volunteers” above)

This is how we do that at St. Peter Lutheran in Arlington Heights, Illinois.

First, we teach our new members, including those who transfer to us from another church, that each of us is gifted by God for service (1Peter 4:10; Ephesians 2:10) and for a role in the church (I Corinthians 12:27). We also give them information on the various ministries of our church. But most importantly, we meet with each person at least once.

Our purpose is not to twist arms until newcomers agree to teach Sunday school or an fill open ministry position! Instead, we want to get to know them, their interests, and their God-given gifts. Then, we want to match those gifts with ministry opportunities.

We guide the conversation with questions in these three areas:

1. Tell me what brought you to our church.

2. What do you do for a living? Do you enjoy it?

3. What do you think you would you most enjoy doing at our church?

This outline begins by giving us a sense of their previous experience in churches. As we explore the second question, I might also ask about the newcomer’s hobbies, previous jobs, dream job, or educational background to understand more fully which skills they enjoy using and their areas of interest outside the workplace. With the third question, I hope to hear about their dreams and ideas before I make any suggestions of my own.

For example, this week I met with Erin, a full-time homemaker with an infant daughter. In college, she studied elementary education with a focus on art education. Her face lit up when I wondered aloud if the art teacher in our Christian day school might appreciate a volunteer helper. She also expressed an interest in connecting with other new mothers.

As the volunteer coordinator in my church, though, I’m the first to say that the volunteer coordinator can’t do all the networking! To help new members find interesting areas for service, other church leaders also need to be onboard. The art helper idea came from a prior conversation I’d had with our art teacher. As I write this, I’m reminded that the art teacher and I need to get back to Erin to firm up plans for the ideas we discussed. I don’t want this to fall through the cracks. Most definitely, I don’t want Erin to fall through the cracks!

New members make great volunteers – when we get to know them and provide opportunities for them to use their gifts.

Note: A more detailed version of this blog is available here.

You are welcome to copy this article for one-time use in your organization as long as you will receive no monetary benefit from it. Please include the copyright line printed below and submit an actual copy of use to CTA, attention Editorial Manager.

Used with permission grant #051513. © 2013 CTA, Inc. No duplication of this article is allowed without the express written consent of CTA, PO Box 1205, Fenton, MO 63026-1205. www.CTAinc.com

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May142013

VBS and Summer Sunday School Resources — New from CTA!

By admin on May 14, 2013

Spring is here and VBS will soon be in full bloom in churches across North America. Here are three new resources for VBS and summer Sunday school you won’t want to overlook!

1. Teachable Moments. These are unique teaching tools designed for those awkward five- or ten-minute gaps after the lesson ends and before it’s time to move on to snacks or crafts. They will maximize every minute for children ages 5-11 who are learning about God’s love for us in Jesus. Each comes with its own free downloadable devotion. Don’t miss this value-priced resource!

2. God’s Promises 4 Kids. Need a tumbler to hold that VBS fruit juice? Looking for a treat sack kids can use to take all their goodies home as VBS ends? Want a unique toy students can enjoy during recess? Want all of these to reinforce the truths you’re teaching from God’s Word? Then check out CTA’s new God’s Promises 4 Kids products. Great for summer Sunday school, too!

3. SHINE! When VBS ends, you want your students to Share His Incredible News Everywhere, right? Let the popular SHINE! line help you teach them how to do that. Your kids will love the glow-in-the-dark items and can use them to make an eternal difference in the lives of their friends and neighbors.

God bless your work with all his children throughout the summer months just ahead!

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May132013

Woman of God: Growing in Grace – a free devotion for this week’s meetings

By Gail Marsh on May 13, 2013

Editor’s note: Yesterday, families and churches all over the United States and in some other countries, too, observed Mother’s Day. While it’s a special day in many churches, women’s ministry goes on year round. This week’s devotion is slightly adapted from one of the free resources CTA has developed to accompany one of our new themes for women’s ministry in 2013, Woman of God: Growing in Grace. You may want to check out our many other free resources for women’s ministry, too. Note especially the free, downloadable women’s retreat packages!

Introduction

What do you want to be when you grow up? Aunts, teachers, and moms, especially, ask this question again and again. Very young children often answer by naming the improbable: “I want to be a princess!” or “I want to be a super hero!”

Later on, as a child grows, Mom or a favorite aunt might ask again: What do you want to be when you grow up? Now the answers are a bit more reasonable: “I want to be a construction worker!” or “I want to be a teacher!”

Still later, as high school nears its end and young adulthood looms, parents often notice that the question stirs up anxiety. It’s a simple question, but not always an easy one. Young adults often respond in frustration, “I don’t know what I want to be!”

Getting to the Heart

As any mom or grandmother can testify, growing up has its challenges. There are decisions to be made, plans to formulate, setbacks to overcome. But whether we are moms or aunts, dads, uncles, or teens, maturing in our walk with the Lord can seem just as daunting. The Scriptures sometimes refer to the process of maturing in faith as “growing in grace.” It’s a lifelong process, and sometimes we may feel as if it has somehow stalled.

The tree in Janet’s back yard was dying. When the expert from the garden center came out to take a look, he could see nothing wrong. Still, the leaves were definitely drooping. “Something is strangling this tree. Maybe a girdling root?” the expert guessed. “Girdling roots grow around the tree trunk rather than outward into the soil. They slowly choke off the water and nutrients the tree needs. They often grow below ground where you can’t see them. There’s not much you can do about them.”

In Romans 7:21-24, Paul describes the stranglehold of sin. (Read it.) Like Paul, like all the followers of Jesus down through the centuries, we want to do what’s right, but our good intentions frequently fail. It can feel as though sin has us in a chokehold. As we notice sin’s grip on our hearts, we can begin to doubt that we will ever mature. We may even come to think there’s not much we can do about it.

“Will I ever grow up?” we ask ourselves.

If you struggle like that, if you find yourself frustrated with what appears to be stunted spiritual growth, listen to what God, your heavenly Father, says to you. (Read Romans 8:1.)  

Because Jesus took our place on the cross, because he suffered for the sins we commit, because he died for those sins and rose again in victory, we can be sure of God’s forgiveness and acceptance, now and forever! No matter how we feel, the truth presented in the Scriptures gives us hope.

Jesus frees us from guilt’s stranglehold—women and men, moms and dads, kids and teens. In Jesus, we are forgiven. What’s more, Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to cultivate the new life he has planted in our hearts. The Holy Spirit is at work in us right this very minute as we “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18 KJV).

So what will we be when we grow up? Listen! (Read Galatians 5:22-23.) What beautiful fruit God intends that we produce! Loved by Jesus, we live unique lives, lives that make a difference, lives that bring God great glory!

When will the spiritual fruit we just read about reach full maturity? When will we finish growing in grace? There is no commencement ceremony; no graduation day. Growing in grace is all about the process. Throughout all eternity we will continue to discover new facets of our Lord’s love for us. We will forever explore new aspects of his grace. The more we grow in that grace, the more exciting it will be!

Taking It Home

If you plan to give the gift item to the women at a retreat or some other event, say:

Each woman here will take a gift of encouragement home with them today. As you use it, remember that you are growing in grace yourselves, and you are also helping those around you grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ. Your life makes a true difference. A meaningful difference. A lasting difference!

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for the new life you have planted in our hearts. Continue to use your Word to cultivate and mature in us the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and self control. Encourage us as we teach our children and as we mentor one another in the faith. Help us share your grace and love every day in each opportunity you grant to us. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

 

You are welcome to copy this article for one-time use in your organization as long as you will receive no monetary benefit from it. Please include the copyright line printed below and submit an actual copy of use to CTA, attention Editorial Manager.
Used with permission grant #050113. © 2013 CTA, Inc. No duplication of this article is allowed without the express written consent of CTA, PO Box 1205, Fenton, MO 63026-1205. www.CTAinc.com
Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

 

 

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May082013

New Members Make Great Volunteers

By Karen Kogler on May 8, 2013

Looking for volunteers? Talk to your newer members.

Only about 10% of church newcomers have the self-confidence and initiative needed to jump into volunteering at a new church on their own. The rest need a warm, personal invitation and our encouragement.

When newcomers read the ‘help wanted’ announcements in the weekly service folder or monthly newsletter, they don’t see themselves filling these roles. Instead, they think other, long-term members would be better qualified. They wonder if they’d be welcome. They also wonder what would happen if they volunteered, but then found they didn’t like it. If the same need is mentioned again and again, they figure there’s a good reason no one wants to do that! And if the advertised ministry needs don’t appeal to them, they have no idea how to find something that does.

Here’s an idea. Personally invite new members to a one-time, easy way to serve. Ask them to help set up chairs or bring a dessert for a one-time event. You just might create a new volunteer – and a new friend!

Even better, create a plan to get to know the newcomer. What are his skills, her passions? Don’t smother newcomers or barrage them with questions, but do open the door for an ongoing dialog. Then help them find service opportunities that use their skills, that fit their passions. Get creative in working around their schedule. The process will take time and effort. But it will pay off in ways large and small.

Consider:

New people, and their skills, interests and experience, are God’s gifts to His church. We won’t know about those gifts unless we ask.

The church is the body of Christ and each of us is a member of it (1 Cor. 12:27). Everyone’s gifts are not only desirable, they’re needed by the body.

Conversations uncover deeper gifts. Edgar offers to usher, and Samantha volunteers to bake. But only when someone talks with them in more detail about their gifts do we discover that at work Edgar skillfully directs large teams working on complex projects and Samantha leads training seminars—in addition to being an accomplished pianist!

The getting-to-know-you process initiated by the church’s volunteer coordinator provides another connection within the church for the newcomer. The more connections, the more likely the newcomer will continue to attend.

Next week, we’ll talk more about the nuts and bolts of these visits with new members.

Note:  In 2009, I wrote about the gifts we discovered in one group of new members at my church. (See “Christmas Gifts.”)  Every new member brings gifts to your church, too. Don’t leave them unopened!

You are welcome to copy this article for one-time use in your organization as long as you will receive no monetary benefit from it. Please include the copyright line printed below and submit an actual copy of use to CTA, attention Editorial Manager.

Used with permission grant #050813. © 2013 CTA, Inc. No duplication of this article is allowed without the express written consent of CTA, PO Box 1205, Fenton, MO 63026-1205. www.CTAinc.com

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May072013

Free Mother’s Day Card for Kids to Color

By admin on May 7, 2013

This coming Sunday, May 12, 2013 is Mother’s Day. Are you looking for an easy project that even the youngest members of your Sunday school or midweek classes can do to express their love and thanks to Mom and Grandma?

Then check out the free downloadable Mother’s Day card CTA is making available. Scroll to the bottom of the page to find the card template. Print it out. Duplicate as many copies as you need–and a few extras for kids who ask for “do-overs” or who would like to honor more than one person. Show the children how to fold and color the cards. And you’re set!

If you want a project that’s a bit more elaborate, make glue, ribbon, fabric scraps, and other crafting materials available and help the children use these to decorate the cards after they color them. The thoughtful messages the children add to personalize each card will make Mom smile—and those cards will likely grace many refrigerators until at least next Christmas!

Editor’s note: Year-round, CTA makes many free resources available to churches, ministry leaders, and individuals, too. You may want to check out our many other resources for Mother’s Day and women’s ministry, too. You’ll be amazed to note how many are free and instantly accessible via download!

 

 

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May062013

A Hope to Trump All Hopes – A free devotion for this week’s meetings

By Kristin Schultz on May 6, 2013

Editor’s note: Next Sunday, May 13, 2013, families and churches all over the United States and in some other countries, too, will observe Mother’s Day. This devotion is slightly adapted from one of the free resources CTA is making available to ministry leaders to underscore one of our new themes for women’s ministry this spring, Hope & Joy.  You may want to check out our many other resources for Mother’s Day and women’s ministry, too. Many are free!

Introduction

Take a moment to think back over the last week, the last month. In the past few days alone, you’ve probably had hundreds of hopes and joys floating through your head. Maybe you’re hoping that your son gets accepted into that prestigious school. Maybe you’re hoping for a new and better paying job. Maybe you were hoping for that beautiful dress to go on sale—and it did!

As we all know from experience, life’s hopes and joys can be intense and unpredictable. Your heart and spirit can be brimming with joy one day, only to be crushed the next. That new job may come with a $10k raise, but soon you discover your new coworkers are mean-spirited and rude. You put on that gorgeous dress for the first time, and accidentally spill your morning coffee all over it. Life’s a roller coaster. When we anchor our hopes in earthly things and look to find our joy in them, we ride a never-ending, up-and-down cycle of exhilarating delights and bitter disappointments.

Getting to the Heart

As Christians, we have a more enduring source of hope and joy. We need not derive our hope or our joy from our money, possessions, or status. These things need not define us. Instead, we have an eternal hope, an unshakable, sure, and certain hope in our Savior, Christ Jesus. Having confident, Christ-based hope can satisfy us like nothing else. The hope and joy Christ gives are all-consuming. They endure throughout the best—and the worst—of times.

When are you most steadfast in the hope God gives? When life is easy and things are going well? You’re not alone. It’s true for most of us. When we know what to expect, and we like what we expect, it’s simple to rely on God as the source of all hope. In fact, we may get so comfortable that we don’t even need hope. When life is good, faith feels strong. Joy floods in.

But step back for a moment and imagine a life that isn’t so perfect. (Maybe you don’t have to imagine. Maybe you’re already experiencing a life that’s off-track and discouraging.) What do you do when life doesn’t go quite as you had wanted, quite as you had hoped? In challenging situations, do you turn back, clinging to earthly anchors? Or do you hold on tight to God’s promises?

Many women have an amazing degree of personal strength. We need to have; we’re the caregivers for the world! Or so it often seems. We care for our children, our neighbors, our aging parents, that new co-worker at the office. We take care of the house—and even, sometimes, our boss!

But that kind of strength—the kind we drum up inside ourselves—will go only so far. When troubles come, when the kids get sick, when the bills mount up, when a friend starts nasty rumors about us, when dad can no longer manage mom’s care—when any or all of these things happen, they quickly deflate the kind of hope we can pump up in our own hearts.

Hope that comes from inside us or from the things around us is easily dashed. As someone has said, “I look inside myself and find unrest. I look around myself and feel distressed. I look to Jesus—and I’m blessed!” We know this. We’ve experienced it. But sin and Satan still conspire to keep our focus in the wrong places.

In life’s challenging times, it’s tempting to lie down, to nurse our hopeless feelings, to be content in our sins, to give up the fight. Sitting on the couch is easier than embarking on a seemingly endless job search. Drowning in our tears is easier than asking the question, “Lord, what now?” Wallowing in self-pity might not be fun, but rebuilding our confidence isn’t easy.

The good news is that in Jesus, our sins of self-absorption, worry, and even despair are forgiven. In their place, our Savior gives us hopeful endurance. (Read Romans 8:1-2, 24-25.) Psalm 31:24 reflects this same dynamic. (Read the verse) Take heart! There’s hope! Our Lord will sustain you through every circumstance.

And there’s even more! (Read 1 Peter 1:3.) Did you hear that? The hope God gives in Christ is not dead, it is living! Because Jesus died for you, his divine blanket of forgiveness always covers you—no matter how many times you lose hope. Your Savior will always be there for you. His presence makes it possible for you to rise above temptation and live in joy despite the troubles that surround you and threaten to bring you down.

As we journey onward, day by day, our Savior uses his faithful Word of promise to revive our hope and flood our hearts with joy. And when our lives here on earth end, he will take us to himself in eternity. Then, we won’t need hope any more. All our hopes will be realized. God will will give us, together with all Christ’s people, unimaginable, unending joy.

That joy is an incredible joy! That hope is a life-changing hope! So don’t just sit on this truth, abound in hope and joy—and share them!

Taking it Home

Today, each of you will receive (name the gift you will give). I pray this gift will remind you of the enduring hope you have in Jesus. That hope makes it possible for us to persevere, to keep on going even in hard times.

I pray that God’s personal love for you in Christ will work unwavering joy in your life hour by hour, day by day. May the Lord bless and direct you as you share that hope and joy with others!

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,

so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Romans 15:13

 

You are welcome to copy this article for one-time use in your organization as long as you will receive no monetary benefit from it. Please include the copyright line printed below and submit an actual copy of use to CTA, attention Editorial Manager.
Used with permission grant #050613. © 2013 CTA, Inc. No duplication of this article is allowed without the express written consent of CTA, PO Box 1205, Fenton, MO 63026-1205. www.CTAinc.com
Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

 

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May012013

Everything You Need to Plan a Successful VBS Kickoff

By Andrea Lohman on May 1, 2013

Is your VBS volunteer kickoff meeting just around the corner? Would you love some help? Use these ideas to organize an event that will ignite everyone’s enthusiasm and jumpstart great VBS experience.

 

Set specific goals for the kickoff event

Having well-defined goals makes planning much easier. It will also help you keep the event moving along at a pace that inspires. For example:

As a result of this meeting, every volunteers will know:

–They are each part of a dynamic team committed to sharing Jesus’ love with children.

–Our theme and the related Bible truths we want to share.

–Words and melodies for the main songs we will sing.

–Important safety and housekeeping details.

–That I respect their time and energy and show it by starting and ending on time.

 

Have everything you need on hand

If you want a great kickoff meeting, gather materials you’ll need in advance. For example, before the meeting:

­–Decorate the meeting room or living room where you will meet; use the decorations to heighten excitement for the theme you’ve chosen.

–Gather nametags for everyone, yourself included. Include each person’s VBS role/title on the tag.

­–Prepare folders containing all the important information each volunteer will need. See below.

–Arrange for treats to serve as you go over the details. Connect it with the VBS theme if you can. You need not create these yourself. Ask someone to bring them. (And, of course, don’t forget some chocolate!)

–Collect small thank-you gifts for each volunteer, each connected somehow the theme and useful during VBS; for example, a gift card to a local fast food restaurant so the volunteer can pick up a cup of coffee on the way to church or a certificate redeemable at a local craft store for last-minute construction paper.

 

Help others get ready for the kickoff

Before you get together at the kickoff event, you’ll want to set the tone and get organized. For example:

–Provide volunteer teachers, musicians, worship leaders, and craft coordinators, especially, with resources related to their responsibilities so they have time to look through these and develop questions.

–Invite church staff, especially your pastor, to attend the first part of the meeting or all of it. Advertise the meeting and make sure everyone who must be there gets a personal invitation.

–If possible, create a simple PowerPoint presentation that further outlines the agenda; most major VBS publishers provide clip art you can use to decorate your slides and further reinforce the theme.

–Prepare handouts and assemble folders for everyone, including a kickoff meeting agenda; the VBS schedule, including anything special you may have planned; and daily themes with the Bible stories. 

 

Help people feel welcome as they arrive

As the event begins, you’ll want to communicate your appreciation to each volunteer. For example:

–Greet each individual warmly. 

–Give everyone a name tag and offer help in attaching it, if necessary. 

–Help each person connect with others, especially with those they will work with closely during VBS.

 

Set a brisk pace, but allow time for comments, teambuilding, and questions

As you call for everyone’s attention, thank them once more for coming and for contributing so much to the success of VBS at your church this summer. Call attention to the agendas in their folders and launch into your presentation. But incorporate as much “audience participation” as you can. For example:

–Integrate movement; every five minutes or so, have everyone stand and join you in singing one of the songs you want to introduce. If the songs have motions you can teach, all the better!

–Involve others in presenting the information. Your pastor might comment on the Bible stories, the craft coordinator might lead everyone in making a sample of one of the week’s projects, and so on. Look for ways to help others play a starring role in your kickoff, but as you invite them to participate, clearly define the time you’ve allotted for their presentations so they know how much material to plan.

 

Here’s a meeting outline you can use

 

1. Relationship building activity. A week or two ahead of time, collect one fun fact about each person who will attend. Type these facts in random order on a sheet of paper. Hand out the sheet as people arrive and have them try to match a person with each fun fact.

2. Opening devotion. Base this on the VBS them and include one or two of the VBS songs.

3. Introduce church staff. They are part of your VBS community.

4. Walk through the daily themes. This is a great place for the involvement of your pastor or another volunteer. Ask them to give a quick overview of the main objective of the day and the related Bible story. Give out a prize or sing a related VBS song following each day’s summary.

5. Explain the mission project and where VBS offerings will go. 

6. Explain the schedule, the location of supplies, and other housekeeping details. 

7. Review safety procedures. 

8. Answer questions. Invite volunteers to contact you if other questions arise after the meeting. 

9. Spend time in prayer as you close. Pray for yourselves, for other staff, for students, and for their families.

 

May our Lord Jesus bless you richly as you plan a wonderful experience for the children and families who participate in your VBS this year!

 

You are welcome to copy this article for one-time use in your organization as long as you will receive no monetary benefit from it. Please include the copyright line printed below and submit an actual copy of use to CTA, attention Editorial Manager.

Used with permission grant #050113. © 2013 CTA, Inc. No duplication of this article is allowed without the express written consent of CTA, PO Box 1205, Fenton, MO 63026-1205. www.CTAinc.com

 

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Apr302013

25 Meaningful Ways to Affirm Kids & Youth

By Jane Fryar on April 30, 2013

This time of year, activities in Christian schools, Sunday schools, CCD classes, choirs, Awana, and Bible clubs begin winding to a close. In a few weeks, the children and youth you have worked with for multiple weeks, months, or perhaps even years will move on—to a different class, school, or community.

Perhaps one of the most meaningful gifts you can give the young people under your care is the gift of affirmation—of sharing your observations about their God-given giftedness and the spiritual fruit you see maturing in their lives. Whether you send a text, mail a postcard, write a personal note on the inside cover of a new Bible, fill out a certificate of thanks, or express your thoughts in some other way, here are 25 suggestions to get you started. Adapt and personalize them as you see fit:

  • I’m glad Jesus brought us together, (name)! Knowing you has encouraged my faith.
  • Thanks for asking so many good questions, (name). You’ve challenged me in a good way, and I thank God for you.
  • God has used you to bless me this year, (name)! I’m thanking Him for you today.
  • The Holy Spirit is growing such kindness in you, (name). You’re becoming more like Jesus, and I’m glad!
  • Every time I think about you, (name), I think about the joy you show. Jesus has blessed me through you.

 

  • Time after time, (name), I’ve seen your eagerness to help others. I praise our Savior for the many ways you’re becoming more like Him.
  • (Name), I so appreciate the way your prayers reflect the trust you have in our Lord Jesus. It has encouraged me in my own prayers.
  • I can always count on you to help me, (name). Thanks for all the many ways you’ve brought joy to my heart in these past months.
  • Way to go, (name)! Your friendship has brought joy to many people in our group this year. We thank Jesus for you!
  • You’re quiet, (name), but you’re always there when anyone needs a friend to care or someone to pray for them. I am thanking Jesus for you today!

 

  • Your jokes leave me laughing out loud, (name)! Thanks for sharing your joy in the Lord with the rest of our group!
  • Wow, (name), I can see the Holy Spirit cultivating true leadership gifts in you! What a gift you are to our group and to me!
  • Over this past year, (name), I’ve seen many of God’s gifts growing in you—especially musical gifts! Thanks for sharing your abilities with us!
  • You are becoming quite a writer, (name)! I’m so pleased I could watch this happen, and I’m praying that Jesus continues to use your talents to honor Him and help His people.
  • You’re becoming quite an athlete, (name). But what’s even better is that your sportsmanship is growing, too. Thanks for letting Jesus’ love shine through your words and actions.

 

  • It’s such a joy to have you in our group, (name). Your quiet strength has encouraged me. I see Jesus in you—and I thank Him for that!
  • You think about deep and important things, (name). I’ve learned a lot from you, and I thank Jesus for bringing you across my path!
  • I always smile, (name), when I see you walk in the door, because I know my day is brighter when you’re around. Jesus’ love shines warmly through you. Stay close to Him always.
  • God gave you quite a giggle, (name)! Thanks for making our group a happier place to be. Your joy reminds me how much Jesus loves us!
  • Whenever I think of you, (name), I remember your gentleness. Jesus has made you a good friend to many in our group—and to me. I’m thinking Him for you today!

 

  • Of all the groups in all the world, (name), Jesus brought you to ours. I’m so glad! May He continue to bless you and to bless others through you in the years ahead.
  • If I had a dollar for every smile you’ve brought to my face this past year, (name), I’d be rich! Thanks for letting Jesus use you to bring so much encouragement into the lives of so many people!
  • I can’t thank Jesus enough, (name), for all I’ve learned because you were in this group! Thanks for your questions, your comments, and for the many ways you share your faith.
  • You smile lights up a room, (name)! Thanks for sharing the hope and joy Jesus brings us—and just for being you!
  • As I thank Jesus for you, (name), your artistic abilities leap to mind! God has placed many creative thoughts and abilities in you. I pray that He will cultivate them and then use them for your good and His glory.
You are welcome to copy this article for one-time use in your organization as long as you will receive no monetary benefit from it. Please include the copyright line printed below and submit an actual copy of use to CTA, attention Editorial Coordinator.
Used with permission grant #041712. © 2012 CTA, Inc. No duplication of this article is allowed without the express written consent of CTA, PO Box 1205, Fenton, MO 63026-1205. www.CTAinc.com.

 

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Apr292013

Patient Growth — A free devotion for this week’s meetings

By Gail Marsh on April 29, 2013

Editor’s note: This devotion is slightly adapted from CTA’s new devotion book for women’s ministry and Mother’s Day 2013, Woman of God®.  

Read 2 Peter 3:18.

I’m not a patient gardener. I begin to fidget when winter temperatures warm above freezing. I mark pages in gardening catalogs months before it’s time to order seeds. And it doesn’t get any better once the plantings sprout. Several times each day I check to see if buds have set on, if aphids are active, or if plants need more water. I’m not a patient gardener.

So, you might wonder, why would I plant a Century Plant (Agave americana)? A Century Plant grows v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y. Eventually this succulent will form large, pointed leaves, but Century Plants bloom only once every 30 or 40 years! Given my current age and life expectancy, it’s a good possibility that I will never see my plant flower!

I’m not sure why I planted this unique species, but it serves as an object lesson for the apostle Peter’s second letter—specifically, chapter 3. Peter reminds us that Jesus will return one day to judge the world. Will it be today? tomorrow? thirty or forty years from now, when my Century Plant is in full bloom? Only God, our Father, knows.

What should impatient people do as we wait for Christ’s second coming? Verse 18 tells us: “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” How do we grow in grace? God has already given a full measure of his grace to us through Jesus. We have all we need!

Perhaps growing in grace means appreciating God’s grace in a deeper and deeper way. We can understand his grace by meditating on it, thinking thankfully about it. As we contemplate the abundance of grace God has shown to us, we gratefully share that saving grace with others. And we wait for his coming in expectant hope.

Prayer suggestion: To appreciate God’s grace (his undeserved love to us in Christ) more fully, make an acrostic. Print the word GRACE vertically along the left side of a sheet of paper. Use each letter to begin a word or phrase that describes what God’s grace means to you—personally! Praise him for his love!

 

Scriptures are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com
You are welcome to copy this article for one-time use in your organization as long as you will receive no monetary benefit from it. Please include the copyright lines printed below and submit an actual copy of use to CTA, attention Editorial Manager.
Used with permission grant #290413. © 2013 CTA, Inc. No duplication of this article is allowed without the express written consent of CTA, PO Box 1205, Fenton, MO 63026-1205. www.CTAinc.com.

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