Children’s ministry is so much more than just childcare!
Here are 3 ways to encourage discipleship in your children’s ministry.
Mission Centers of Houston seeks to bring positive change by working with children and schools to increase student success.
Personal conviction and church autonomy have long been distinctives defining who we are as Baptists. That means each church is going to have its own flavor, and that's (usually) a good thing—much like the mouth-watering diversity found in Houston. When we're bound together by the truth of the gospel, our different perspectives and approaches can help us innovate well. But how different is too different? Does unity in the church have to come at the cost of good decision-making or orthodoxy?
Consider whether you agree with the following two statements: “Churches need to innovate in order to reach their God-given potential.” “Conflict in a church is a sign that we’re doing something wrong.” Many church and ministry leaders would affirm both of these statements. Even if they don’t verbally agree, their behavior indicates they do. They will talk about starting new programs in order to be more effective. And they will be surprised and disappointed when they encounter resistance or conflict.
Over the years, Millennials have gotten a bad rap when it comes to taking responsibility, doing hard things, and generally making our own way in the world. It's not that we're lazy. Adulting is just really hard. That's even more true when it comes to ministry. The messy work of leading and being responsible for others may have you wanting to run and hide, but God's Word gives us good reason and encouragement to press forward.
Todos hemos oído historias de escándalos públicos de algún líder espiritual, pastor, o un miembro de la congregación envueltos en pecados. Usualmente, los daños de esas fallas moral afectan todo el cuerpo de Cristo y en particular a las familias de los ofensores. Cuando este tipo de ofensas ocurren, la integridad del ministerio de la iglesia se compromete. Las personas son dañadas hasta el punto de perder la confianza en el poder del evangelio y la obra redentora de Cristo.
As a side effect of our Western love affair with personal autonomy, American emotions have become increasingly fragile. A few months ago, I heard someone jokingly say, “Good morning, America. What can I be offended about today?” Social media has given every person a public platform. But instead of using our platforms for culture-cultivation, our sin-scarred hearts (Jeremiah 17:9) are naturally inclined to use them for ventilation.
In one season or another, every one of us has needed to either build or rebuild trust. The issue of trust is a human issue. Building it is crucial to every budding relationship, and rebuilding it is crucial to every damaged one. So, how do we build or rebuild trust? They didn't teach me math in seminary, but over the years, I have used this formula:
TRUST = (Truth + Transparency) * Time
In Matthew 18:15–20, Jesus outlines a very clear and specific way for conflict to be addressed. This is based upon that fact that relationships between people are very important to God. Especially as leaders, we should have the maturity to follow Christ's powerful wisdom in this area. So, here are four steps involved in Jesus’s reconciliation process.
What are the little things we let divide the church? As small differences carve deeper divides in the church, we must be careful not to turn our eyes and weapons against our brothers as the Israelites were tempted to do. We must fight not to look at those who have been in the trench with us and wonder if they, too, are just a little too dangerously different.
“We need to talk.” That simple sentence can spark fear and trembling, especially when there’s disagreement. We know conversation is a path forward but we also fear it may be unproductive and difficult. When we create a container for overheated conversations, we can talk things out without hurting ourselves or anyone else. We can make progress toward mutual understanding and decision-making.
