Kid’s Korner this month is from Georgia McKinnon, a mom and children’s minister who serves as Registrar at Grace Communion Seminary.
It’s almost summertime here in North America, and with the onset of summer comes a flurry of activity for children’s ministry: VBS, pool parties, picnics, summer camps, movie nights, mission activities, and more! Before you know it, it will be time to plan a back-to-school bash! Whew!
Summer is a great time to intentionally engage children in ministry—at church and outside of church. But summer planning and activities can also be times of stress and anxiety, especially for smaller congregations, which may have unpredictable attendance. Anxiety creeps in as we ask questions of ourselves and others: Which families will be at church this week? Will there be someone to teach Sunday School? Will there be anyone to attend Sunday School? How do we plan our VBS when everyone is taking their vacation in a different week? Why won’t more volunteers sign up to help? Should I plan more activities, or should I take some off the calendar? Does anybody even care?
I don’t even pretend to have solutions to the logistical problems we often face as we participate in ministry. But I know the one who does! He is more interested in us and our children than we could possibly imagine! He is calling us to a deeper trust in him—a deeper reliance on his work in our lives and in the lives of our children and in our congregations. He is working deep within us, in ways that we often cannot see. He is far more concerned about us personally than about the quality of program we are able to pull off or how many people show up at our events.
Jesus is not calling us to be anxious. He is calling us to live in his peace. As we do so, we can minister in his strength, knowing that he is doing the work and providing the increase. We don’t need to be worried about too few (or too many!) kids showing up because we know that Jesus will show up! He is already at work, and we are invited to participate! Now that’s having fun in the Son!
It is indeed reassuring to know that “chaos has met THE Master” 🙂 Learning to “let go” can be so difficult. Finding “our rest” in Christ. Blessed is he (or she) who understands. Thank you.