The conference began Monday evening with a main gathering. The main gathering gave the hundreds of people who served in children’s ministry over the weekend a time to take a deep breath and just focus on Jesus – not schedules, volunteers, or events.
There was a wonderful time of worship and then Brad Tate brought the message to the attendees.
His focus was on not doing ministry with cassette tapes in a mp3 world. He was not speaking about the methods we use, or the curriculum, but on the affect of God on our lives. He shared how in Old Testament days, God was a distant God. He seemed far off and so often people today try to keep God at a distance. In Jesus’ day it was the Pharisees and the religious leaders of the day who did not welcome Jesus, but tried to get rid of Him and keep God as they knew Him, at a distance. Today, God is not at a distance, the Holy Spirit lives in us and we should be doing ministry as if He is, not as if He is at a distance. Unlike the Pharisees, we should not get so caught up in ministry that we forget to actually minister, and be ministered to.
Have you heard the voice of God speak to you recently? A few weeks ago I shared with my 3rd & 4th grade boys group how God had spoken to me about something, and a couple of weeks later I shared about how we know when God speaks to us. God is alive and living in those who believe. When Jesus died and rose again, everything changed! Are you teaching with cassettes (old way, God far away, or close by) or teaching with mp3’s (new way with Jesus and the Holy Spirit living in you)?
The evening finished with a time of remembering what Jesus did for us by giving the attendees a chance to participate in the bread and the cup, remembering the sacrifice Jesus made for each of us.
After a week of serving others, it was refreshing to be served and have the opportunity to worship with others who have a passion to reach children with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
