Same Thing We Do Everyday, Brain...
I spent this weekend with a bunch of folks in Johnson City, Tennessee. What a beautiful place that is! I spoke five times at the Tri-City Children's Ministry Conference on Saturday. Then I spoke at a church there yesterday.
There is a church here that performs KidStuf on Sunday nights, so I was honored to attend last night. I actually teared up a couple of times. It's like watching one of your kids. I feel so much ownership of this thing that KidStuf has become. I had a lot of great conversations and saw so much passion this weekend. It was wonderful, and I feel like I've made some new friends. Thanks to everyone who made this weekend so pleasant for me.
I also talked to a lot of people who are frustrated by dominant and controlling deacons, elders, preachers, parents, etc. I spoke with one guy last night who has just been forced out of youth ministry because of a few outspoken parents who don't want to take responsibility for the spiritual development of their own kids. They think youth ministers are paid to be surrogate parents.
Hey, if you're a deacon, elder, preacher or a parent, give your youth and children's ministry staff a break, huh? They usually know what they're doing and can do it better than you can. Don't use them as guinea pigs or scapegoats. Stop treating them like they're junior varsity. Just because you make twice as much money as they make, that doesn't give you the right to boss them around and disrespect them.
Hey, who put that soapbox there?
Okay, what was I talking about? Oh...yeah... At Family Wise, we're really are trying to set off a revolution. We're changing the way churches think about family ministry, and it's exciting to watch the ripples spread. I'm telling you -- from what I saw this weekend -- I have every reason to believe that the revolution has begun.
There is a church here that performs KidStuf on Sunday nights, so I was honored to attend last night. I actually teared up a couple of times. It's like watching one of your kids. I feel so much ownership of this thing that KidStuf has become. I had a lot of great conversations and saw so much passion this weekend. It was wonderful, and I feel like I've made some new friends. Thanks to everyone who made this weekend so pleasant for me.
I also talked to a lot of people who are frustrated by dominant and controlling deacons, elders, preachers, parents, etc. I spoke with one guy last night who has just been forced out of youth ministry because of a few outspoken parents who don't want to take responsibility for the spiritual development of their own kids. They think youth ministers are paid to be surrogate parents.
Hey, if you're a deacon, elder, preacher or a parent, give your youth and children's ministry staff a break, huh? They usually know what they're doing and can do it better than you can. Don't use them as guinea pigs or scapegoats. Stop treating them like they're junior varsity. Just because you make twice as much money as they make, that doesn't give you the right to boss them around and disrespect them.
Hey, who put that soapbox there?
Okay, what was I talking about? Oh...yeah... At Family Wise, we're really are trying to set off a revolution. We're changing the way churches think about family ministry, and it's exciting to watch the ripples spread. I'm telling you -- from what I saw this weekend -- I have every reason to believe that the revolution has begun.
posted by john alan turner at 4:15 PM
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