February 5, 2015

 

Dear MLEPC Members and Friends:

 

This week, we begin a pastoral letter series that helps us better to understand the structure of our ministry at the church and through the church to the world. In this edition, our Children's Director, Ashley Gardner, looks at our four life stages, our three directions, and our one growing church through the lens of Children's Ministry. - Pastor Tim

 

Greetings from Children's Ministry!

 

Today I would like to talk about my absolute least favorite school subject from childhood: Math. Having two engineers as parents, you would have thought that I would be fond of the subject, but that was far from the truth. I remember sitting at the kitchen table with my math homework, dreading every single problem. I would often ask my dad for help, hoping he would give me the answer to the problems rather than a lesson in how to solve them.

 

While math might still not be my favorite subject, I've gotten better over the years. Today, I'd like to pose an equation to you. Don't worry...you won't need to grab your calculator. This is simple arithmetic. See if you can solve the equation: 4+3=? Not too difficult. The correct answer should be:

 

1

 

Oh no! If you're anything like the seven year old me, your head is now spinning. How does 4+3 ever equal 1? This equation might stump your average math student, teacher, or even engineer, but this equation finds its fulfillment at our church. This equation is true when you add the "4" life stages to which our church ministers (children, youth, adults, and senior adults) to our "3" fold mission statement (to reach upward to God in worship and prayer, outward to the world in witness and service, and inward to each other in fellowship and discipleship). When you add this "4" + "3", you get "1" growing church, working and maturing together in Christ.

 

I have the distinct privilege of working with the first life stage, children, which encompasses birth through fifth grade. Children's Ministry, however, constantly interacts with all "4" life stage groups. We have youth volunteers helping the kids with events such as Children's Church, Fired-Up Friday, and Vacation Bible School, serving as examples and mentors. We have several parents and other adults ministering to the children as teachers in Sunday School, Children's Church, Vacation Bible School, and more. The kids also interact with the senior adults throughout the year with our "prayer pal ministry" where the kids make crafts and pray for senior adults in our church. In recent years, they have also enjoyed singing to residents in retirement homes.

 

Children's Ministry strives to touch on all three aspects of our "3" fold mission in every activity offered for the children. For instance, from the surface an event like Fired-Up Friday might appear to only be focused on the "outward" part of our mission. Every month, we have somewhere between 60-80 kids coming through our church doors, the majority of whom are not from our church. We are clearly opening our arms to those outside of our church walls, beckoning them to come in...focusing on the "outward." Each month when the kids are here, we pray with them and they hear the gospel message. The kids are encouraged to accept Christ into their hearts. One month, we knew that we had a very large group of kids attending from a Jewish background. Some volunteers were holding their breath when we arrived at the lesson time, wondering if we would water down our normal message or approach. Knowing that our main goal is to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ, we in no way shied away from the Gospel. Not only did we want to reach "outward" to the kids, we wanted to show them how to reach "upward" to God and how to invite Him "inward" to dwell inside each of them.

 

In ministry, when the "4" different life stage ministry areas are working together and each are fulfilling the "3" fold mission of the church, the church will begin to grow as "1" whole. It won't just be a single area that blossoms, but the entire church.

 

My family is the perfect example of this church-wide growth. We started coming to the church when my brother Austin (now 23 years old) was attending Kingdom Kids Nursery School. Through the preschool, we heard about the youth group, which I began attending (I was in 6th grade at the time). I immediately could feel Christ's presence in the group and encouraged my family to start attending the church. My family began coming to MLEPC on a weekly basis, and eventually even my grandma and grandpa joined the church.

 

Our family encompassed all "4" life stages, and we saw how the "3" fold mission was taking place in each stage. When my family joined the church, MLEPC continued to grow as "1" body of Christ...not just a singular ministry area.

 

So while I might not love math, I have found to love this equation: 4+3=1.

 

In Christ,

 

Ashley Gardner

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