Often when I scroll through Facebook, I begin to type a response to a post and then just before I hit enter to post it, I hit the backspace button, delete the post, then move on. Generally I do that because I know that the conversation will not be fruitful or edifying. I am guessing that you find yourself in that situation as well.
I have to confess that there are times that I do engage in the discussion and I want to share about a recent discussion because it should resonate with you as you begin the ministry year.
In one of the many children’s ministry groups on Facebook, someone sought insight on a situation where people were saying that the mid-week program needed to be more fun, that 15 minutes was too long for a lesson and they went on to share the format of their night.
My response to the original post was,
“What foundation is the ministry being built upon?
Fun (for whatever reason)
or Jesus Christ?Only one foundation will stand.”
I also shared the picture on this post with my response.
What do you think of my response? Someone had an issue with it. They replied, “This is an unnecessary dichotomy. Service can be fun and about Jesus.” It seems that people get upset if you reference fun in a seemingly negative way. It seems as if they missed the point and so I responded with these thoughts,
“If one builds a ministry on fun, that being its foundation, then when the fun ends, or we can no longer keep their interest because something is always bigger, better, and more entertaining, then the ministry will fail, like wood, hay, and stubble.
A ministry needs to be built on the Gospel, on God, a firm foundation.
Does that mean that one cannot have a fun element while teaching the things of God? No. Fun activities are a tool to build upon the foundation. Activities can be relational in purpose so that we earn the right to speak Truth into their lives.
If the things of God are an afterthought, then what truly is the foundation? If we plan a fun activity and then as it approaches we scramble for a “message” to share, the foundation is fun with God being an afterthought. IF we plan on how to reach them with the Gospel, to teach the things of God, and use fun to help them learn, then the foundation is Jesus.
I do not see this as a dichotomy. Nowhere did I say it was all about Jesus or all about fun and the two could not be mixed. The point is what is the purpose of ministry, fun, or to share the Gospel, in response the original post.“
I struggled trying to build a youth group in a small church. I knew that what I set as the foundation would be what would grow, and what that foundation was would determine if it would stand or fall. I knew that I had to build it on the Bible, not on fun, for fun would end, but the Bible would stand forever.
As we begin the Awana year, what are you building your club on? What is your foundation?
- Is it handbook completion?
- Is it amazing theme nights?
- Is it excessive competitiveness?
- Is it being the best Awana Club in town?
- Is it teaching children so they can come to know, love, and serve the Lord Jesus Christ?
Once at Awana Headquarters, there was discussion question where the scenario was a new youth pastor being hired and he was planning on ending Awana to use his own curriculum. In the discussion a few things stood out to me.
- People felt that all churches should have Awana – If that was so, then that would mean that God could only use Awana to reach children. My friends that is not true.
- Someone mentioned that their church was hiring. I perked up and thought, hmmm, they’re hiring; but then they said something that would keep me from applying or going to that church. They said that Awana was non-negotiable! Is Awana non-negotiable for you and your church? I hope not. To say that Awana is non-negotiable is saying that you are not open to change. You are not open to the leading of the Holy Spirit because a ministry is non-negotiable.
- Finally, in the course of the conversation at the table I said, “What’s the problem? Awana isn’t for every church.” Yes, I said that at Awana HQ! The tension became so strong from people that opposed my perspective that the person leading the discussion had to deflect and shift the discussion to relieve the tension.
Awana was no longer about telling children about Jesus, it was now being worshiped…. Awana was becoming the foundation, not the things of God. There can be only one foundation. Awana, fun, and other things are tools that are used to build upon that foundation. May we never lose sight of the One True Foundation.
