In 4th grade, I had a Sunday School teacher named Ms. Novak. The church in which I grew up predated the Civil War, and the small upper room that we met in looked like it. Old, a bit spooky, and not much larger than a closet – but every Sunday, Ms. Novak would make it come alive. She taught us stories of scripture but not simply by reading off a page. When we studied Moses on Mt. Sinai, she provided supplies so that we could craft our own replica ten commandments from clay. In learning about the Jewish Passover and its connection to Easter, she took us down to the church kitchen and we made some of the traditional Passover food. Other days, she simply made us play out the story on those old felt boards with stick-on Bible characters (any other young churchgoers remember those?). I never thought about it at the time, but Ms. Novak invested a lot of her time, energy, and money in us – not because she had to, but because she wanted to share her faith with a new generation. And it made a difference. Her investment cultivated faith in me, sparked my curiosity in God, and was a part of my call to ministry. I was only in 4th grade, but Ms. Novak changed my life.
It is hard to know how acts of service can change the life of someone else. Before the pandemic, every month at The Gathering hundreds of kids participated in our kids ministry. Some of them come enthusiastically, others with hesitation. Some are curious and interested, some skeptical or cautious. Some come knowing a lot about God, most come with little exposure to faith. But every weekend as a church, we have an opportunity to shape the lives of kids and share with them a faith that can change their life. Some of them need to know they are loved. Some of them need to hear that they are forgiven. Some need to experience that they are not alone. And some need to know that someone cares enough about them to invest in them.
On June 6th, we will be expanding our Kids Ministry to welcome all kids (nursery to 5th grade). As part of this return to full in-person ministry, there are a lot of opportunities for adults to serve in kids ministry and invest in the next generation. Perhaps you have worked with kids before, but maybe you never have. Regardless, I am asking all of you to try serving at least once this summer. We will teach you and train you (you won’t be left to your own devices). This can be a chance for you to not only shape the lives of kids, but even to discover gifts in yourself you never knew you had. There are all sorts of different ways to serve that can happen at various times and all three of our sites. If you are interested in learning more about serving, simply reach out to one of our Gathering Kids staff (natalie.williams@gatheringnow.org for McCausland, bethany.hanschu@gatheringnow.org for Clayton, and dallis.meyer@gatheringnow.org for Webster).
I don’t know what happened to Ms. Novak. She moved away from my church at some point after I had her as a teacher. I never got to tell her what a difference she made in my life. I suspect she doesn’t know that I am a pastor, or that the faith she invested in me is now shared with thousands of others. But it is, and the investment she made continues to have ripple effects far beyond what she probably imagined. That is what happens when we take a small step outside our comfort zone and decide to serve. I hope that this week you will take that step. You never know the impact it will have not only now but years in the future.
Peace,
It is hard to know how acts of service can change the life of someone else. Before the pandemic, every month at The Gathering hundreds of kids participated in our kids ministry. Some of them come enthusiastically, others with hesitation. Some are curious and interested, some skeptical or cautious. Some come knowing a lot about God, most come with little exposure to faith. But every weekend as a church, we have an opportunity to shape the lives of kids and share with them a faith that can change their life. Some of them need to know they are loved. Some of them need to hear that they are forgiven. Some need to experience that they are not alone. And some need to know that someone cares enough about them to invest in them.
On June 6th, we will be expanding our Kids Ministry to welcome all kids (nursery to 5th grade). As part of this return to full in-person ministry, there are a lot of opportunities for adults to serve in kids ministry and invest in the next generation. Perhaps you have worked with kids before, but maybe you never have. Regardless, I am asking all of you to try serving at least once this summer. We will teach you and train you (you won’t be left to your own devices). This can be a chance for you to not only shape the lives of kids, but even to discover gifts in yourself you never knew you had. There are all sorts of different ways to serve that can happen at various times and all three of our sites. If you are interested in learning more about serving, simply reach out to one of our Gathering Kids staff (natalie.williams@gatheringnow.org for McCausland, bethany.hanschu@gatheringnow.org for Clayton, and dallis.meyer@gatheringnow.org for Webster).
I don’t know what happened to Ms. Novak. She moved away from my church at some point after I had her as a teacher. I never got to tell her what a difference she made in my life. I suspect she doesn’t know that I am a pastor, or that the faith she invested in me is now shared with thousands of others. But it is, and the investment she made continues to have ripple effects far beyond what she probably imagined. That is what happens when we take a small step outside our comfort zone and decide to serve. I hope that this week you will take that step. You never know the impact it will have not only now but years in the future.
Peace,
P.S. In light of the recent CDC updated guidelines, The Gathering will be making changes to our worship gatherings. Next week, we will be making decisions in light of the new guidelines, and I am expecting that we will have more opportunities to worship, perhaps without the need for weekly registrations. Please be on the lookout next week for those updates. This weekend, we are launching a new series Heretic: Understanding Misguided Beliefs. I will be talking about the belief that Jesus is a good moral teacher but not the Son of God. We will explore why Christians believe in the divinity of Jesus and what is at stake for us in this belief. It is a perfect series for new people who might be skeptical about faith but curious to explore some of these questions. Take a second and share the series with them.
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M-Note 3.1.22Lenten Devotional // Day 1Lenten Devotional // Day 2Luke: The Gospel For Rebels Week 5Lenten Devotional // Day 3Lenten Devotional // Day 4Lenten Devotional // First SundayLenten Devotional // Day 5Lenten Devotional // Day 6Lenten Devotional // Day 7Lenten Devotional // Day 8Lenten Devotional // Day 9Following Jesus: Some Assembly Required – Week 1Lenten Devotional // Day 10Some Assembly RequiredLenten Devotional // Second SundayLenten Devotional // Day 11Lenten Devotional // Day 12Lenten Devotional // Day 13Lenten Devotional // Day 14Following Jesus: Some Assembly Required – Week 2Lenten Devotional // Day 15Lenten Devotional // Day 16M-Note 3.20.22Lenten Devotional // Third SundayLenten Devotional // Day 17Lenten Devotional // Day 185 Benefits to Embracing Your Uncertainty of GodLenten Devotional // Day 19Lenten Devotional // Day 20M-Note 3.24.2022Lenten Devotional // Day 21Following Jesus: Some Assembly Required – Week 3Lenten Devotional // Day 22Lenten Devotional // Fourth SundayLenten Devotional // Day 23Lenten Devotional // Day 24Lenten Devotional // Day 25Lenten Devotional // Day 26
April
Following Jesus: Some Assembly Required – Week 4M-Note 4.1.2022Lenten Devotional // Day 273 Implications of God's Humanity on YoursLenten Devotional // Day 28Lenten Devotional // Fifth SundayLenten Devotional // Day 29Lenten Devotional // Day 30Lenten Devotional // Day 31Lenten Devotional // Day 32Following Jesus: Some Assembly Required – Week 53 Misunderstandings of Easter that Impact YouLenten Devotional // Day 33Lenten Devotional // Day 34Lenten Devotional // Palm SundayLenten Devotional // Day 35Lenten Devotional // Day 36Lenten Devotional // Day 37M-Note 4.14.2022Lenten Devotional // Day 38 Maundy ThusdayLenten Devotional // Day 39 Good FridayLenten Devotional // Day 40 Holy SaturdayLenten Devotional // EasterMysterious You: How your union with God makes you divineM-Note 4.20.2022No Filter: See The Real You – Week 14 Ways Embracing Your Sin Serves the WorldM-Note 4.28.2022No Filter: See The Real You – Week 2
May
3 Reasons You Should Embrace Your WeirdnessM-Note 5.5.22No Filter: See The Real You – Week 3Identify Your Purpose and Empower Your FutureM-Note 5.12.22No Filter: See The Real You – Week 4Confidently Approach Life as a Second ChanceLearning to Enjoy LIFE by Eliminating DistractionsUncomplicating the “God” Question to Simplify Spirituality
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