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Category Archives: Ministry

Famous Last Words – Anna

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Have you ever noticed that many older Christians “retire” from serving God? Once they aren’t working or their kids are grown or they can’t get around like they used to, they step back from active involvement in ministry. They continue to attend church, but they pretty much become a Christian spectator. (Lord, I’m praying already that this won’t be me.)

Anna, the Jewish prophetess, is a great example for all of us as we get older. (I know, some of us are older than others.) We meet Anna in the temple not long after the birth of Jesus. Joseph and Mary took Jesus there to observe all the ceremonies required by Jewish law.

36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

Luke 2:36-38, NIV

Although some scholars think Anna could have been more than 100 years old, she had not retired. She constantly served God and His people at the temple. Although we don’t have a specific quote from Anna, the Bible does tell us that after she met Jesus, she “spoke about the child to all…”

Anna faithfully witnessed about Jesus Christ to all who would listen. The implication is she continued witnessing until her death. I can imagine that the last words on her lips may have been, “Jesus is the redemption of Israel!”

Will you testify about your Savior with your dying words? Who do you need to tell?

5 Ways to Impact Your Children with Easter’s Message

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My brother, my father, & me, Easter 1969

Rich memories of childhood Easters keep popping up in my mind. I can still feel the cold metal of the folding chair as I sat with my family in the church parking lot waiting for the first rays of the sun to make their appearance. And with the sun, the somber notes of “low in the grave He lay…” became the joyous thunder of “up from the grave He arose (He arose), with a mighty triumph o’er His foes.” After prayer and singing, everyone escaped the chilly air and enjoyed pancakes and sausage in the church fellowship hall.

Recently, I’ve been thinking about the impact Easter had on me as a child. I also have wonderful memories of Christmas, but Easter took root in my soul from an early age. Even then, I must have sensed the eternal significance of Christ’s death and resurrection. As parents and grandparents, we have a great opportunity – and God-given responsibility – to make sure our children understand the great truth and power of Easter.

Below are five easy, but memorable, ways to help your children understand the Easter story. Make sure you check out the links for details and more information:

1. Make a set of Resurrection Eggs – This is a fun way to “concretely” share the Easter story with your kids. You can purchase a ready-made set, but putting them together with your kids is part of the fun. Here are the instructions for making your own Resurrection Eggs.

2. Watch a movie together – One great way to start a conversation with your children about the Easter is by watching a movie that portrays the Easter story or illustrates its truths. Several great ones are available. Just choose one that is age-appropriate for the kids in your life. Here are a few suggestions:

3. Attend a Good Friday service or event – Many churches have services on Good Friday to help us remember Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf. This is a great opportunity to talk about Jesus’ death and what it accomplished for us. Cochrane, the small town where we lived in Canada, had a “Cross Walk.” Members from all areas of the community met downtown and prayerfully followed the cross as a volunteer carried it through the streets.

4. Make Resurrection Cookies – Use this tasty object lesson to teach your kids about the empty tomb. Make them on Saturday night and enjoy them first thing Sunday. Here’s the recipe and how-to’s for Resurrection Cookies.

5. Experience the Easter Sunrise – Like the women who went to the tomb, be up and ready to greet the first light of Sunday morning. You can do this at an official sunrise service or in your own backyard. Friday was somber. Sunday is a celebration! (And don’t forget the pancake breakfast!)

I’d love to hear about your childhood Easter memories! Also, please share ways you celebrate Easter with your kids and grandkids.

Join the M.O.M. revolution!

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I asked my dear friend Stephanie Shott to share with us today about an exciting new movement she’s initiated. If you’re a mom, a grandma, an aunt, or ever want to be a mom, don’t miss this!

 

The M.O.M. Initiative

Many women dream of being the perfect mom who has all the right answers, never raises her voice and never has to count to three, but we all know being a good mom is not that easy. Those sweet little bundles of joy don’t come with instruction manuals or warning labels and moms are often left to figure it out on their own.

What is the M.O.M. Initiative?

“Mothers On a Mission to Mentor Other Mothers” is a group of moms and a package of resources to equip, enable and support women as they experience Titus 2 principles in real life. It is a mentoring package of resources that give Christian mothers an easy, hands on approach to passionately pursue mentor relationships with younger mothers and mothers-to-be, and ultimately impact the next generation for Christ. Simply stated, the M.O.M. Initiative exists to help moms become the best moms they can possibly be.

The M.O.M. Initiative website

Virtual encouragement for real life moms: The website is a safe place to grow as a mother, to gain a better understanding of what a mother is and what a mother does, and to foster and support mentor/mentee relationships.

Virtual mentoring in times of need:  Find practical tips, helpful tools, godly wisdom, and informative insight on current issues. The M.O.M. Initiative website also offers a private chat room where a mom can connect virtually with a mentor and find help in times of need. The website offers help for both the mentor and the mentee.

Practical articles for every season of life: A diverse and experienced group of moms provide the helpful and insightful articles on the M.O.M. Initiative website. Not only are they passionate about ministering to the hearts of mothers, they are also writers, speakers, counselors, nurses, or experts in their fields who devote much time and effort to serving other mothers.

The M.O.M. Initiative workbook

This workbook – currently in development – will be an invaluable tool to help Christian moms mentor other moms in the church and beyond. This eight-week study, five lessons per week, study will:

  • Present moms with biblical truths and solid information on the mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, and developmental needs of a child
  • Foster insight through thought provoking questions
  • Encourage moms to implement proactive mothering techniques
  • Include a M.O.M. mentor guide and a missional planning guide

Giving birth to the M.O.M. Initiative

M.O.M. Initiative founder Stephanie Shott was a single mom at age nineteen. Without Christ and without a mentor, she made a series of serious choices that affected her precious young son. When Stephanie became a Christian five years later she learned being a mom is much more than a three-letter word and a handful of sacrifices. The significance of Titus 2:4-5 deeply impacted her.

Stephanie’s experience fostered passion for mentoring moms and birthed the vision for the M.O.M. Initiative. Her goal is to impact not just church moms, but to also facilitate mentoring relationships with young moms wherever they are found – in homes for unwed mothers, low-income housing projects, apartment complexes, homeless shelters, prisons, juvenile shelters, schools, hospitals, the mission field and more. (Planning guides for each of these venues will be available in the back of the book.)

Will you join the M.O.M revolution? The M.O.M. Initiative is not just a book. It’s not just a website. IT’S A REVOLUTION!

 

Do we really need women’s ministry? – #4 Post of 2011

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This week I’m sharing the most read posts of 2011. The following post also had the most comments of any post of 2011. Click here to read the original post (December 2, 2011) with all the comments.

There’s been a bit of debate in recent years about whether or not churches should have separate  programs just for women. In fact, many churches have discontinued their women’s ministries. Some say it’s a financial decision. Others say that churches simply don’t need it.

I’ve been in women’s ministry leadership for many years. I’ve seen God do amazing things through women’s Bible studies, women’s outreach events, women’s mentoring programs, women’s retreats, and more. Through my experience I’ve learned several things about women and I could tell you story after story to illustrate them:

  • Women are usually more open to discussing spiritual things than men.
  • Women are more willing to be vulnerable and open to new relationships.
  • If we can reach the woman, we can very often reach her entire family.

I’d love to get a dialogue going about our need for women’s ministry and what we can do to best reach women in our community. Here are a few online articles I’ve come across recently that make great fuel for our discussion.

  • Women’s ministry has incredible potential to impact the women of your church and community. Great thoughts in this article: “What Women’s Ministry Can Be.”
  • We need women’s ministry now more than ever. According to a recent study, the percentage of women attending and leading in churches has declined. According to this article in Christianity Today we must be training Christian women to reach out to other women: “The Newest US Mission Field: Women”
  • This author emphasizes that women’s ministry should not be another social club. We need to help women find Jesus, deep community, and spiritual growth: “Why We Don’t Need Women’s Ministry”

So let’s talk! You may be a ministry leader, volunteer, or participant. I’d love to know what you think about this topic. I’d also like to hear about what your church is doing.

Nothing, but everything in common

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What does a 50 year-old American woman have in common with a group of eastern European twenty-somethings? Nothing except for Jesus, but that is more than enough.

Last month, I was blessed to spend two weeks in Moldova teaching an intensive course at the Moldova Bible Seminary in Kishnev. My students and I spent forty hours together studying the New Testament book of Hebrews. I’ve taught God’s Word in many different settings – Sunday School, women’s Bible study, middle school Bible club, retreats, conferences, and workshops – but a seminary class was a new experience for me.

The Moldova Bible Seminary, located in Moldova’s capitol city, trains young Christians from Moldova and Ukraine for a range of ministry work. This small seminary, a ministry of Kishnev Bible Church, is committed to spreading the Gospel of Christ in Eastern Europe and beyond. (Find out more about the seminary, other KBC ministries, and how you can help, here.)

Many of the professors – volunteers like me – are from Great Britain and America. So, thankfully, these students learn English during their first year of seminary. The language difference was only a small barrier. The more proficient students help out the others.

Of course there are cultural differences between the United States and Moldova. Language, food, humor, lifestyle, and dress are some of the more obvious. And as gracious and welcoming as the Moldovans were, I still sometimes felt a bit awkward and out of place. For instance, every time I attempted to speak Russian, they just smiled. I could hear them thinking to themselves, “Be nice, she’s trying.”

But none of those differences are really important. On a deeper level we had more important things in common. We are committed to studying God’s Word. We all love Jesus. In fact, my students and I are all one in Christ. There is no dividing wall or barrier (Ephesians 2:13-15). We could all sense the family connection.

27 And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. 28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you. Galatians 3:27-29, NLT

I love how God works. His presence brings unity, love, and common purpose. I hope God gives me the opportunity to go back. I miss my Moldovan brothers and sisters in Christ.

Have you ever experienced that “family connection” that only God can give? I would love to hear about it!