Is God Looking for Excellence?
Is God Looking for Excellence?
I have had the privilege of serving as a career long Children’s Pastor. Several thoughts about ministry come to my mind. I think about the limited commitment that a lot of people take when it comes to children’s ministry. Over the years I have observed many people that have seemed to catch a vision for children’s ministry. They start purchasing supplies, researching curriculum, gathering a team to work with…and just as quickly as they seemed to catch a vision they lose their excitement or zeal and move on to a different area of ministry. Puppets are left in boxes, costumes left in a drawer, backdrops abandoned, etc.
I will never forget an experience that I had years ago in a revival service. I went to the altar and spent an extended time in prayer. The Lord spoke to my heart and said that there are a lot of people who are willing to minister to adults, but there are few that are willing to minister to children, especially in a long term situation. From that night on, I purposed in my heart to do my very best to develop an effective children’s ministry. God has given us many opportunities to minister for him, more than I could have ever imagined. Opportunities to minister at camps, conferences, outreaches and large evangelistic events. There are many ways to reach out to children and their families if you have a heart for it!
Selina and I are driving back from Panama City today. We were blessed with the opportunity of attending a few days of Bigstuf Beach Camp. We observed a ministry determined to reach out to teenagers with a commitment to excellence. The music and worship were top quality, there was a wonderful use of media in the staging and videos, there was lots of humor, the messages were relevant to the students, and it is at a beautiful location right on the ocean. You can tell that a lot of thought and prayer went into this event.
These last two days have really challenged me and renewed a hunger in my heart to strive for excellence in our area of ministry. I don’t want to be comfortable, but to continually look for innovative ways to reach young people. Whatever area of ministry that you feel that the Lord is directing you to participate in…I would challenge you to minister in that area with excellence.
