This You Tube video clip of a Paul Washer Sermon was forwarded to me yesterday. I think it poses a great question to us as Christians.
But I want to suggest this is also a challenge…a plea…for us to consider how we are walking through life with our children.
Watch the video…think and ponder its implications for you…your children…your church’s community. What do YOU see as the bottom line issue for a Christian? I would love to hear what you think.
I will respond myself to this topic on Friday’s post…for now watch…listen…and ponder this 4 minute challenge:
I just returned from a week long trip to Indiana, where I was part of a four day workshop on Building Healthy Leaders by Leader Source, SGA. I mentioned them a couple weeks ago in a previous post (The Walk), sharing with you my excitement over our first meeting together.
Think about it, how did Jesus build his disciples…leaders?
With no seminary education, how did these men become capable of turning the world upside down? Leader Source, SGA does a fantastic job (being very clear we do not need to get rid of seminaries) of articulating a very clear message of what we need to do to build healthy leaders within the church today…using the very model Jesus used with his own disciples.
I am so excited because this is exactly what KidTrek is doing. We are seeking to raise up children to become Christ-changed, hope-filled, productive adults who will change their communities at large through the presence of long term, committed adults willing to be intentional in every aspect of their discipleship of these kids.
The Lord God Almighty desires we do not push the children from him, but that we nurture them and raise them in his precepts that they may grow to not only fear Him (in a healthy way), but to love him with all their heart, soul and might.
We need to stop waiting till children become adults to disciple them; we need to stop solely “educating” children about the precepts in the bible through memory verses and activities…we need to start walking with them through life in such an intentional, long term manner they will grow to believe those verses we are cramming down their throats every week!
Do your children have this in their life?
What is the local church doing to walk with your kids and the kids in your community through life?
Jammal was really struggling in school - in fact he was failing.
Robert, Jammal’s “Secondary Nurturer“ was to meet Jammal’s mom at the school to meet with Jammal’s teacher, the principal, and school counselor. The discussion was to be in regard to Jammal’s being admitted into a special class for children with severe learning disabilities. The state would fund it but Primary Nurturers had to request it.
Robert was running a little late because of complications at his second job (he has to work a second job to provide for his family) kept him longer than usual. He called the school to let them know he was on his way. The principal came on the line and told him he might as well not come because Jammal’s mom had not shown up. A Secondary Nurturer is trained, and soon experiences once on the field, that s/he must fight for the kids part of which is often parenting the parents.
Robert drove to the apartment where Jammal, his mom and siblings live. There was no answer at the door but as Robert was getting back into his car Jammal’s mom drove up.
“Where have you been? We are suppose to be at the school.”
“Oh something else came up so I just figurered we could reschedule.” mom replied.
“No! This is too important. Jammal deserves to be in this program. We are going to the school right now. Get in the car.” Robert challenged.
When they got to the school the principal said it would take a couple of hours to get everyone back together to meet. Robert told him that was fine - they would wait! Robert and Jammal’s mom sat down in the reception room to wait.
Fighting for the “Invisible Children of America” often means parenting the parents. It means walking through life not just with a child but with an entire family. It means getting to know the teachers, principal, counselors so they trust you. It means going to school events, volunteering at school, working with not against the school.
STORY TWO:
The call came late in the afternoon, “Myra we are going to be taking the Jones children into protective custody tomorrow morning at the school. Would you like to be there so it is a little less traumatizing for them? You can ride with them to the foster home.” The call had come from a social worker whom Myra had spent time getting to know.
A Secondary Nurturer becomes the constant in a child’s life. To do that they work on building a relationship with all the social service professionals in a kid’s life. It is about team work. This takes a lot of time and a lot of effort. It takes perseverance.
It is the vision of KidTrek that by getting “Missionaries,” also known as Secondary Nurturers, into churches fewer children will have to go into the foster care system. By building relationships with the Primary Nurturers and walking with them through life as they parent a lot of subtle parental training just happens. Because the Secondary Nurturer is a trusted friend, not an authority figure, the Primary Nurturer listens.
There are many different levels at which you can Join the Walk to fight for the “Invisible Children of America.” Will you join us?
Did you have the opportunity to read Amos over the past couple of days? I reread it and wow! What a challenge.
Amos 5:24 “But let justice roll down like waters.
What is justice for a child?
I believe we are told what justice is for a child in Deuteronomy 6:7 - as I read this I see each child with an adult who is walking through life with him/her. An adult available to nurture him/her spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally, socially.
As mentioned in the previous post - I believe that the Body of Christ is given the responsibility to do this. We CAN do this IF WE ARE WILLING!
Amos warned the people that God didn’t want to hear their praises or listen to their music because they weren’t following Him. A sign of their lack of “seeking Him” was their lack of care for those with needs in their society. America has thousands and thousands of children who are growing up with little or no nurturing. What greater need, what greater poverty is there? Where is the Body of Christ?
Will the church “stand in the gap” for them? If you are part of Christ’s Body are you willing to “stand in the gap” for the “Invisible Children of America?”
If you are at a loss of how to “stand in the gap” KidTrek has some ideas. You can become a Missionary/Secondary Nurturer and acutally serve at-risk kids and their families full time; you can be a Giving Warrior supporting the missionaries on the front lines; you can be a Prayer Warrior holding up to the Lord the needs of the missionaries, the kids and their families. You can also pass the word and get others to Join The Walk meeting the needs of the “Invisible Children of America.”
I have never met a child that deserved to be left behind - but thousands in America are.
No child left behind is a term with which most Americans are familiar. But what does it mean?
Of course “education” is probably the immediate response. But I believe if we are truly sincere about not leaving a child behind we must address the needs of the whole child - spiritually, emotionally, physically, intellectually, socially.
Who can do that?
The school can’t - they aren’t allowed to provide the spiritual (and I wouldn’t want them to). Plus how much time does a teacher have to spend in the home getting to know the family, or interacting with social service professionals?
Social Service Providers can’t - they aren’t allowed to provide the spiritual. Plus do they have time to get out and play games with the kids?
Secular programs can’t - they aren’t able to provide the spiritual.
The government?
Whose responsibility is it?
If you haven’t read the book of Amos lately you might want to do so.
The Body of Christ is able to do it - IF it is willing.
I’ll continue this later in the week when you’ve had a chance to read Amos.
I wonder…with all the money that is now coming available to after school programs are we, as Christians, losing sight of the big picture?
I am getting prepared to go to Indiana on Monday for an all week Training with Strategic Global Assistance, an organization committed to training Christian Leaders using the model Jesus exemplified. At the heart of this training is this understanding from their CEO, Malcolm Webber:
“The centrality of the Person of Jesus Christ in Christian leadership. Union with Christ, the cross, suffering, holiness and dependency on the Holy Spirit (John 15:4-5) must be at the center of all our leader development. The Person of Jesus Christ is the Beginning and the End of all Christian leadership and leader development.”
As I read articles by The Search Institute and After School Alliance and the Federal government’s No Child Left Behind Act, I have to wonder…are we, as Christians…doing all we can to develop our children into the leaders of tomorrow?
Is an after school program the answer for us in accomplishing this goal? Is keeping them “safe and off the streets” 3 hours a day an effective enough tool to accomplish this responsibility of the Church?
The obvious answer is, “NO!”
An even more obvious question is that just because it will not meet every need of a child, do we not do it?
But as Christians, if we take government money that tells us we must not include the Gospel, not talk about Jesus, not walk with these kids through life in such an intentional, long term manner that must include Jesus…are we doing all we can?
I truly believe, that as Christians…as the Church, if we truly believe in Jesus being the Christ, we must do everything we can to keep Him at the center of ALL we do; to keep our kids safe, educate them and develop them into the adult leaders they will become one day!
Visit our website at www.kidtrek.org to learn more about KidTrek’s plan to accomplish this goal.
If you are visiting our blog for the first time, this post is in reference to The Walk’s (our e-newsletter) most recent Issue focusing on Launch Pad, a KidTrek Associate ministry.
If you do not get our e-newsletter, and interested in subscribing, visit www.kidtrek.org to subscribe by submitting your email address there.
You may also read past issues of The Walk by visiting our Project D67 landing page, not to mention learn more about our effort to partner with the local church in walking with at-risk families through life.
Here are some recent pictures of life at Launch Pad, a ministry of the Church of St. Clement in El Paso, TX:
Launch Pad middle schoolers at camp in New Mexico.
Kids enjoying the playground at the church.
Kids are challenged and encouraged to expand their art skills.
Every Bible lesson is followed up with debriefing; a time to discuss and apply
what they just learned to their every day life
Launch Pad helps the kids get connected to their community,
inviting firefighters to come and talk with the kids for instance.
Launch Pad even has one of St.Clement’s pastors come and lead worship during their Family Time together.
As with all our Associate Ministries, kids are challenged to develop their reading skills through “read alouds;” whether that be the kids, or the secondary nurturer, reading to the group; this has had a profound influence on their ability to progress in their reading skills.
While incentives are important, our real goal is to teach children the life skill of proper money management through earning, depositing, spending and saving/investing money…and of course the importance of tithing; through this experience kids are daily challenged with the pros and cons in life of proper and improper use of their finances.
Through it all, the kids are learning to work together…as a family.
This past weekend my wife, Kelly, and I were invited by some friends to go see the David Crowder Band at The Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles. I must confess, I had never heard of the Crowder Band before, but after Saturday night I am hooked!
Not only is David Crowder an amazing talent, you could feel God’s anointing power as he led us in worship. I quite honestly never felt like I was at a concert, but I was in a time of worship.
The other thing that connected me with David Crowder, is his heart for the poor. Before the concert, he sent out a mass email to his fans to bring towels and socks for local homeless shelters.
And he didn’t stop there, he challenged everyone in attendance to consider their responsibility, as Christians, to give to the poor.
I have attached a YouTube video of his song, “Everything Glorious.” If you are not into an 80’s techno type sound you may not enjoy the Crowder Band’s style of music, but I encourage you to get past that and listen to his lyrics and how he applies the video to them.
God’s glory is everywhere, even in the midst of this fallen world we live…do you see it?
You know, that certain moment when you know you were somewhere, with someone, or doing something you just knew God had orchestrated?
I had one of those “moments” on Tuesday.
I started reading Strategic Global Assistance’ monthly Leadership Letters back in June and I was immediately hooked.
I thought, it may be a shot in the dark, but I am going to email them and try to learn more about their plan to develop Christian Leaders. Not only did they respond, but I was able to meet with them this past Tuesday as they have been in town for a Training they are leading in Pasadena.
Long story short, I was reminded, if not challenged, to stick with the vision we have. I was reminded that the heart of what we are trying to do, as commanded in Deuteronomy 6, is to walk with kids through life. That is, to develop Christian Leaders using Jesus’ own model of discipling, walking with his 12 disciples through life.
And so, as I thought about it, as Christians, we are commanded to walk with people through life…to make disciples of all nations; just as Jesus did with his disciples.
What does that mean? What does that look like. It may look like KidTrek’s model…it may not!
Depending on the church, the organization, the ministry, the mechanics may look different from one place to the next…aaaah, but the heart of the mission is the same…to walk with kids/people through life.
It is so simple, but as we all know, at the same time so difficult. Why can’t we grasp Deuteronomy 6?
Are you walking with anyone through life? If you are a parent, I am sure you are; but do we stop there? What will it it take to really raise up kids to become Christ-changed, hope-filled, productive adults who not only fear the Lord God Almighty, but love Him with all their heart, soul and might?
And then there is you and me.
Is there someone walking with you through life? Who is discipling, exhorting, challenging you to fight the good fight, to run the race to its end, to keep your eye on the prize?
I pray God not only moves you to do this with someone, but that he puts someone, like he has done with me, in your life who will walk with you through EVERY aspect of life…that is, both the good and the bad.
Eight years ago part of the Lord’s direction which led to the founding of KidTrek was a constant barage from those in ministry with me at the time. I was continually being told that my expectations were too high. Many a tear was spilled as I cried out to the Lord asking Him if I was hearing Him correctly.
I was flying home from Chicago after a particularly difficult time of being told how wrong I was. Curled up next to the window I cried out, “Lord am I as far from Your will as they are saying? Am I not hearing you correctly? If I am wrong I want to change.”
Suddenly, as if He was sitting in the seat next to me I heard, “Wanda this is not your vision it is Mine, no one has a right to change it. To reach these “Invisible Children” it is going to take prayer and fasting, but not fasting from food. It is going to take adults who are willing to fast from the things they want to do for themselves because they are spending so much time with the children.”
I don’t know about you but when I believe I have heard the Lord speak on something this important it always concerns me - I may just be hearing what I want to hear. So I asked the Lord, “If this is truly from You please confirm it.”
That next week I was sitting in my office in Los Angeles when an After School Center Director whom I had trained dropped by. She told me she had been driving around and praying where her church was planning to plant a new church. She was overwhelmed as she watched drug dealers openly exchanging drugs on the street corner while preschoolers ran in and out amongst their legs.
“Wanda I cried out to the Lord and asked Him how we were ever going to reach these kids, how we were ever going to be able to make a difference. You know what He said to me? He said, ‘It is going to take prayer and fasting, but not fasting from food. It is going to take adults who are willing to fast from the things they are doing because they are spending so much time with the kids.’”
SHE KNEW NOTHING ABOUT MY TIME ON THE PLANE WITH THE LORD!
To reach the “Invisible Children” of America it is going to take adults who are willing to fast and pray. Adults who are willing and able to give up doing what they want and poure into the lives of these kids.
KidTrek is looking for individuals called by the Lord to join “The Walk” to reach the “Invisible Children” of America. You can join the walk at many different levels. For complete information visit our website www.kidtrek.org
