Book Recommendation: The Littlest Watchman

Today I had the pleasure of reading The Littlest Watchman by Scott James to four kids in Sunday School, all around age 8 and it was a delight. They gasped in all the right places, they made clever predictions, and they wanted to know if it was a true story. That last part was my favorite, because then I could read the very last page, which tells the true story of Christmas (while also explaining that Watchmen are made up). This is the perfect story for Advent, because it is all about waiting.

From Amazon:

Benjamin is a Watchman. It's his job to watch for the sign that all God's promises are coming true. It's his job to watch a stump.
Trouble is, it's hard just waiting. And one night, Benjamin finally gives in and stops watching. But that same night, as he sits outside Bethlehem, he gets to watch something wonderful.
Kids will be gripped by what Benjamin saw, and will be excited by the Christmas story all over again.

Amazon suggests this book for grades 1-2, but the kids I read to today were grades 2-4, and they all loved it! I highly recommend this story for you and your family as you await the coming King this Advent season.

I just became an Amazon Associate, because I link to books so often on my blog! As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, so if you want the book and to support me, use my links in this blog post. Thank you!! ❤️

What I've Learned as Director of Children's Ministry: The Interruptions are the Worship.

Photo by Beth Maree. Note my son with his Spiderman.

Not pictured: our resident 1-year-old, Tess, who always crawls towards the altar!

Something kind of beautiful happens at my church every Sunday: many of the kids sit either in the front or near the front of the sanctuary.

If you’ve gone to church at all, you know this is not the norm. Kids sit in the back. Parents of kids sit in the back with them.

It is reasonable that this happens: it’s convenient to leave if you need to; it’s possibly less disruptive to others; if a mother has to nurse, it’s more private. This all makes sense. And there is an argument that children do need to be taught to sit and listen. The problem is when parents and kids feel relegated to the back as if they aren’t welcome to sit wherever they want. And frankly, kids pay better attention when they are up close anyway!

Oftentimes during church, my son (8) is playing with his stuffed animals (that he never fails to bring). Sometimes it bugs me and I feel like my worship is interrupted by his play. I literally have to work through it in my head: what would Jesus say or do if he was here?

Usually when I ask this question, I have to work out the answer based on what I know about Jesus’s character. But this is one of those rare times we actually have a verse that answers the question!

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14)

Perhaps this verse is used so much for Children’s Ministry that it’s lost its potency, but just think about it. It was so important to Jesus and so imprinted on the minds of the early disciples that it makes it into two different gospel accounts! Jesus cares about little children. He wants them to be up front near him. He even goes so far to say that theirs is the kingdom of heaven!

Henri Nouwen says:

“I have always been complaining that my work was constantly interrupted; then I realized that the interruptions were my work.”

I feel this quote deeply. But I think you can also substitute “work” for “worship” and it is still true. (N.B. You could also argue that our work is a type of worship, but that’s a post for another day.)

I have always been complaining that my [worship] was constantly interrupted; then I realized that the interruptions were my [worship].

So when my son is playing, instead of being annoyed at the interruption, I remember that I should prioritize play in the presence of Jesus; that I should delight in my son’s play as an act of worship; that I should remember that the kids are the ministry and future of the church. Shouldn’t they feel as welcomed as any adults?

My daughter (11) recently said to me that she wished we had church more than once a week, because she feels so at home there. As a mother and as a director of Children’s Ministries, I was delighted. That is how church should feel: like home.

What would churches look like if we all delighted in the interruptions of children? If we prioritized play in our own lives? If we let the kids sit up front? If we laughed, instead of scorned, at their antics? If we got to know them and heard their stories and what’s on their hearts?

Maybe church would feel more like home to all of us.

What I've Learned as Director of Children's Ministry

I have been thinking for a while of blogging more about my role as Children’s Ministry Director at my church, so today I am writing about something that has been on my mind for a while. In fact, a few days ago, I prayed that God would give me “eyes to see the invisible and ears to hear what people are really saying.” It struck me as very a very powerful image that I prayed that prayer and then immediately walked out of the main sanctuary back to my job with the kids. So here is the first installment of what I’ve learned as Director of Children’s Ministry.

I am an advocate for the invisible: kids in the church.

One of my goals since I began this job has been to make our children in the church visible. I highlight them in the service as often as I can. I bring other people back into the classrooms as much as I can. I need these children to know that they are seen by other members of the church, and by extension, Jesus himself. I tell my youth volunteers that even if they are struggling with their own beliefs (as they should at their age!), they are still representing Jesus to these little ones. But I think everyone in the church should also hear this message: You are representing Jesus to those around you, especially the children. If the children feel loved and seen by you, they will feel loved and seen by Jesus. Because that’s what Jesus does. And by his grace and favor, he uses His church to do it.

I am an advocate for the invisible servants of the church: children’s ministry volunteers.

I want my volunteers to know that this is a high calling and that they are seen by me (I try to bring lots of gifts to prove it!) and by God. It isn’t something to dread, but actually an opportunity to learn and to be blessed. But it’s not the kind of church volunteering that will bring accolades or compliments (this isn’t the worship team!*). It is almost an invisible task and the blessings you will receive will be on the inside and yours alone. Because you will receive blessing from being with the kids. You will be amazed by their questions, their sweetness, and their sheer energy! You will be reminded of your youth. You may even wish that more people had reached out to you in your own youth, and then you’ll realize that that is exactly what you are doing for these kids. And they will remember. That in itself is a burden and blessing. And all this doesn’t even consider what you will learn from the lessons themselves. Lest you think these lessons are only for children, they are not. They are timeless for a reason. 

I am doing the work of Jesus: seeing the invisible and helping others to see them, too. 

I remind myself of this a lot, especially when I struggle with feeling invisible. But when I am doing my job for God’s glory, it is incredibly rewarding and humbling. When I can lift up others who feel invisible, I am almost brought to my knees in praise and adoration: what a gift that God invites me in to this good work! If I can help others to see that God sees them and invites them in as well, then I will have done my job.

*I absolutely love our worship team! My point is children’s ministry is not in front of the whole church (as are many other behind-the-scenes jobs… “like the person running sound”, points out my husband…)

All bodies are beautiful.

All bodies are beautiful. Period. Let’s repeat this to ourselves everyday, and remember this means YOURS too.

It’s been a busy week or so here as I prepare for Holy Week (a busy time in church work!) so my blog has taken the back seat for a little while. But here is another little image I put together, that is also available on my Society6 store.

Meanwhile, this is a lot of what I’ve been up to:

This has been such a fun project, and our church has such willing volunteers for this type of activity! I feel very blessed, and I hope the kids who participate do as well!

If you are in a children’s ministry role and ever want to connect, feel free to contact me!

Ash Wednesday in the Nursery*

Today for my church’s Ash Wednesday service, I sat in the nursery with four little faces looking up at me, asking me to read the pile of books they had chosen. Book by book, the pile lessened, and yet they still sat at my feet and listened. Afterwards, several people said “thank you” or “I’m sorry” that I had to miss the actual service to be in the nursery. And I murmured back the appropriate response. But in my heart I knew God was in the nursery this morning.

I’ll be honest with you. Sometimes children’s ministry doesn’t feel exciting. I’ve been there, sweating and exhausted, wondering if I’m making any sort of headway or planting any seed in these children’s lives. I tell myself at least I’m here for the parents, so they can be in “big church” and their children are safe and cared for. And I sort of trust God that this is good work, after all, we know Jesus loved children and cared for them deeply. But it’s all just words, because sometimes it feels like a chore.

But God is in the nursery.

God’s economy is different than ours. The first shall be last; the last shall be made first. Seek first God’s kingdom, not money, not power. The widow’s offering of almost nothing was more valuable than a fortune. God himself came to earth, not as a king, but as a baby. God’s economy is different than ours. 

Children’s ministry might feel small, it might even feel pointless, it might even feel boring. But it matters to God. God’s economy is different than ours. 

So if you spend your morning caring for even one small child... that is what brings God glory. And I know God was in our nursery this morning.

*originally written February 26, 2020