Missions Q & A (part 2)

Q. When is it the hardest to not be home?
A.  Right now...Robin's dad's not doing well and her mom needs help with some things. When Grandparents die, family and friends have problems, etc... it's pretty tough being so far away.

Q.  When you left for the field did you have a plan of when you might return home?
A.  Well... that's up in the air. We don't really have a re-entry plan. We know a lot of people that have come and gone. But we feel it's better to follow what you feel God is calling you to do than to live a safe life. Besides, our thinking was that if it didn't work out, we would just move back to the USA and start over. Making a mistake isn't the end of the world, although it really stinks.

Q.  Did you keep your house here for awhile?
A.  Nope... God told us to sell everything.

Q.  What made you feel like that you and your family really had something to give?
A.  We had years of experience at that point... we've always felt as if God called us to something, He knew what He was doing.

Missions Q & A (part 1)

We just received a list of questions on our Facebook page from a friend of ours.  This person is considering going into full-time missionary work.  I thought our answers could be a benefit to others considering missions or those that wonder what life on the mission field is like.  Enjoy! - JP

Q.  So how long have you been on the field?
A.  We've been here about 7 1/2 yrs now.

Q. What was the "call" that made it a final decision? In other words what made you say ok now is the time?
A.  We had been invited to speak at RHEMA Germany and were praying for our trip when God interrupted my prayer time with a booming "voice that isn't a voice" in my heart. He said, "Don't just prepare to go for a week... prepare to move your family there." After a week or so, Robin knew it too. We felt as if Oct, 2001 was the right time to go. We left three weeks after 9/11.

Q.  What made you choose Germany?
A.  Our call was specific. We knew we were to go to Bonn and help RHEMA Germany to start out.

Q.  Were there attacks to keep you home?
A.  Not any major ones that we can think of... there were some financial issues, but God really came through for us.

Thoughts on Children’s Ministry (part 13)

PICKUP

When the parents of each child come to pick them up, have something positive to say about what their child did in the service that day. It’s a good idea to have the main leaders to be the contact person with the parents. It’s also a good idea to keep the parents informed of what the kids are learning…either in a small newsletter every month, a blackboard at the door that states the theme or main story or maybe a small slip of paper every week. Invite the child – by name – to come back next week, and remind them of something fun they did this week.

Thoughts on Children’s Ministry (part 12)

Also, touch the children every chance you get. It’s so sad that I feel the need to clarify this statement. Because of some sick people out there in the world, we have to clarify good and bad touches. Give the children hugs….a lot! The older the children are, the more careful you need to be about giving hugs to the other sex. Let the women hug the girls and the men hug the boys.

This is another one of the reasons that you are to always have at least two people in each of the children’s church rooms. In they eyes of the public, there is no difference between an accused child molester and a real child molester. Churches never recover from accusations, whether they are true or not. So never let there even be a question…never be alone with a child. Adults should not go into the bathroom with any child. If a child isn’t fully potty trained, he/she needs to be in the nursery.

Thoughts on Children’s Ministry (part 11)

If you are a helper, actively look for ways to help the children’s pastor. If you see that his/her attention is being taken by a child that needs ministry, you take some initiative and get a snack ready or begin a game. Always come to the service with a game in mind… preferably one that doesn’t need props. If you see a child that is misbehaving, you go sit right next to them and lovingly put your arm around them.

Always, always, always listen to a child that is telling you something. You may have 20 things that need to be done, but please remember that this child is your ministry! Don’t overlook the ones to whom you are sent, in the name of doing “ministry.” What they are saying may be something completely trivial to you, but to them it is important and sacred enough to share with the leader. Pray for the children every chance you get. If they ask you to pray for something, do it right then.

Thoughts on Children’s Ministry (part 10)

BE PRESENT

Many of us are overcommitted, overworked and just plain worn out on Sunday mornings. On a “free” day, sometimes ministry is the last thing we want to do. But, that’s when we have to make a choice.
Many of the Psalms say, “I will rejoice and be glad in Him”. We have to decide: will we just “go with the flow”, just getting by… or will we “be present”, ministering to the kids on purpose? We need to come to church having already prayed for the children and the service. We need to come early. There is nothing worse than a leadership team that shows up just in time for the service to start. The whole team needs to be there far enough in advance to be adequately prepared and “on the same page.”

Thoughts on Children’s Ministry (part 9)

I remember a little boy in one of the churches that where we worked. He was basically uncontrollable. He was called out in front of the other children many times each Sunday morning. He was “talked to,” held back, put in time out and everything else that the workers could think of. But I came in and decided to make him my special buddy. Each week I would let him know how excited I was to see him. I sat next to him during every activity possible. I constantly told him how glad I was that he was in children’s church.

I made up things for him to do and called them my “special tasks” that only he was qualified to do. I made up a special nickname for him. I didn’t do any of this to where it was very obvious to the other children (because I didn’t want them to feel that they weren’t getting the “special” treatment). Remember that people normally like people who like them. It was so simple, but he responded just as I thought he would. He would sit still for me when he wouldn’t do it for any of the other leaders. And he ended up giving his heart to Christ!