MK040 Sermons
Family Ministry Sunday (Audio)
A couple of years ago, my mother came for a visit from Iowa and she drove out in the minivan and in the back of the minivan she had a bunch of stuff and a couple of things that were in there were a couple of big totes of stuff. Now they were a little bit bigger than these totes or this totes, but there was some things in there that represented my last remaining items that were in my house back home in Iowa where I grew up. And so she was bringing them to me to get them out of her storage and now they're in my storage. And so there's a lot of stuff in there that was art projects and report cards and awards and a whole bunch of different stuff books that I had when I was a kid. And kind of as you go through all the different sortings as you get older and you kind of start to get rid of some stuff, these are the things that survived all the way through my however many years of life and growing up there in Iowa. The other thing that was in those totes was some of my childhood toys and they had kind of survived all the sortings. They had survived me playing with them and they kind of represented some of my most favorite kids or toys. So when I was a kid and I played with them, these were the ones that I played with the most. And so when mom was said, we got to sort this junk, those are the ones I'd stash somewhere so they didn't get thrown away. And I want to show you guys some of them that I have here with me today, give you a little look back into my childhood. And like most kids, I had a bed full of stuffed animals. And at one point I remember it could cover like the whole bed and I'd have to like kind of weasel in underneath them to be able to sleep at night. But I have three left that kind of made it through from my childhood. And so I want to show them to you. The first one is this one, this is Brownie the Bear. All right, and I'll put a picture up there too in case you can't see him real, but he's a cute bear. And he was one of the ones that I can have some of my earliest memories of having Brownie the Bear with me. And so I've kept him and held onto him and then I'll have this guy. This is Brownie the Dog. I had pretty creative when it came to naming my animals. And so as you can see, all right, so Brownie the Dog made it through. And I had one more. And these were kind of my three favorite. And if I was going somewhere, one of these was going along with me. And this one's a little unique. Might be my favorite. I don't know if I can choose between these three. But this one's one that not too many people had one of these. And so it's really stuck with me, although there was one person in first service that had one. But it's my stuffed skunk, Jasper. And this is something that my aunt made for me for one of my birthdays. And I love this thing. I mean, no one else had one of these growing up. Anybody here have a stuffed skunk? All right, see, all right, see, not too many people had a stuffed skunk as they were growing up. So here's one of my favorites. And as most kids, most boys growing up, you got to have a Tonka truck. And so I didn't have one of the biggest ones. But this was my Tonka's-- oh, I almost broke it. This is my-- see, that's why these have survived, because they're built to last. So except it doesn't like to shut anymore. And so this was my Tonka truck. And it had little horses that I could go in and out of there. And I remember jamming as many cars as I could get into that thing and running it around outside and in the basement. And the other thing that I remember playing with a lot-- maybe some of you can relate-- is matchbox cars. How many guys have matchbox cars that you played with? Yeah, they've kind of transcended the generations, right? And so I have these three that kind of made it through. This is like my very first one. This is called Mini Haha. It actually says it on the bottom. I did not make that name up. I'm not that creative. But I remember that one. And my monster truck and a pickup truck. And I grew up on a farm, so every good farm kid's got to have his tractors, right? His tractor's complete with hay baler. And used to have a little hay bales that actually went in. Those kind of got lost somewhere along the way. But those represent some of my favorite toys growing up. And I can remember the fun that we had as kids playing with those. And I can remember hours spent in the basement with my older brother playing with the trucks and the tractors and the matchbox cars. And I can remember hours chasing my older sister around with Jasper pretending to spray her with skunk spray. And I have a lot of great memories that are connected to the toys from my childhood. And when you think about your childhood, I wonder what toys kind of pop into your mind as some of the favorites that you had fun with. And this morning I want to help you take a little trip down memory lane as we get started to help you think about some of the toys maybe that you played with as a child in your childhood. And I want to play a little game and have a little fun as we get started here. And this is a participatory game. So you have to participate. And it's OK to speak in church and shout some things out at me and have fun with this. But I'm going to put up some pictures of different toys through the decades. And so we're going from the 1950s all the way to the 2010s today, the toys of today. And so I'll put a slide up that's got about five toys on there. And you can just shout out or talk to your neighbor or ask someone around you if you don't know. Just shout out what decade those toys were most popular in. All right? So here's the first one. Oh, someone was quick on that one, 1980s. Yeah, Atari and Rubik's Cube. And some of these have made a comeback, right? Rubik's Cube that's kind of lasted here. My daughter got one. She asked for one for Christmas. And so we got her a Rubik's Cube. Still, I don't know how to do it. She doesn't need it. But there's websites now that tell you how to solve them. So that's easy. All right, so how about this one? Little hesitation there. What is it? '70s, I'm here, any? '60s. This one is the 1960s, the 1960s. Mr. Potato Head and Play-Doh and Matchbox Cars really broke out in the '60s. So, and Barbie. All right, how about this one? How about this one? So I'm here in '90s, 2000s. Come on now. Students, were there iPods in the '90s? No, there's no iPods in the '90s. 2000s, 2000s, all right? So those are toys that were popular in the 2000s. How about this one? '50s, I'm here in '50s. That is the 1950s. Yeah, hula hoops and slinkies and roller skates attached on your-- I actually had a pair of roller skates like that. I don't know if they were from the '50s, but I remember playing with them. So how about this one? '90s, I heard that one. I heard that one out there, some '90s guys out there. This is the 1990s, Tickle Me Elmo Super Soakers. How about this one? Yeah, this is the latest and greatest, right? This is the 2010s, all right? The one's currently popular today, Xbox One and Frozen and Rainbow Loom and some of these come in and out, but they were popular in this current decade in the 2010s. All right, how about this one? Last one. '70s, all right. Yeah, we have a good group that grew up in the '70s. It sounds like they understand the easy Bay Covens and the orange race car tracks and barrel of monkeys and little people and all that. So yeah, that one is the 1970s. So hopefully that was a little fun for you and maybe jogged a few memories for you as we took a trip down memory lane and the toys that you played with. And as you remember the fun of your childhood, you probably not only thought of the toys that you played with, but the people that you played with those toys with. Maybe it was parents or grandparents or aunts and uncles or siblings or friends or cousins, whoever it may be. But we often remember the fun we have, but we also remember who that fun was connected to. And that's really one of the reasons why fun is so important. One Sunday morning in K through fourth, the lesson was on peace and the small group activity was a relay race involving partners in balloons. As one of my kindergartners returned from his turn and was making his way to the back of the line, he looked at me and he said, "We should have a balloon fight." Now a balloon fight was not in my plan for the day. It was not part of the lesson. So I put him off for a moment and said, "Maybe." And then we continued the game. As I was watching the clock, I realized we were gonna end a few minutes early. And so I said, "You know what? What we really need is a balloon fight." So I gathered everyone around me and I said, "Now our last activity for today is we're going to have a balloon fight." And instantly shrieks and giggles erupted all across the room as we started batting balloons at each other and up into the air. And for the next three minutes, we laughed and enjoyed our balloon fight. And as each child left that morning with a balloon tightly clenched in their fists, I was reminded of the significance of fun. To an elementary-aged child, fun is a key element to building relationships. And as a small group leader, that is my goal, to build meaningful relationships with my few. We all like to have fun, and I hope as you kind of thought back through, you know, your childhood this morning that you have a lot of fun memories that you can remember. And, you know, as I think, but as I, as what, when we think about our childhoods, I think sometimes there's also other memories that we have as well, you know, memories that stick with us that are hard or difficult or painful. And, you know, I think we probably all have some memories from our childhood where we felt unvalued. You know, memories where maybe our interactions with others left us feeling unimportant, or like a failure, or maybe even unloved. You know, maybe it was constant harsh words from an authority figure, or maybe bullying that you experienced in school. Maybe just criticism every time that you failed or came up short. And this is a pretty big deal because the reality is the way that we're valued as kids often shapes who we've become as adults. You know, this morning, I want us to spend a little bit of time thinking about the impact that we as a church are having in the next generation. And I want us to consider how we, as individuals, each one of us are valuing the kids and students that God brings across our past. And I don't know how much you think about this. Maybe you think about this a lot. And if you do, maybe you have one of these shirts on and that's why you're there. Maybe you don't think about this a whole lot. But the reality is wherever you fall is that this is something that we all need to think about. This is something that we all have a responsibility to value the next generation. You know, the reason that I say this is because really it's the example that Jesus left for us in the New Testament. You know, and if we are a Christ follower, then we are called to follow His example and what He left us in our lives. And, you know, as John's been reminding us, you know, as we grow in our love for God, our capacity to love others like Jesus grows as well. And so we want to take a look at this question. You know, how did Jesus value the next generation and see what we can learn from His example? So if you have your Bibles, you can open them to Mark chapter 10. That's where we're going to be looking. And if you need one, the guys have one that they'll gladly hand out to you. I'll be putting them up the words up on the screen as well if you'd like to follow along there. But in this passage, we kind of find Jesus kind of in the thick of his teaching ministry. And he's traveling around and he's sharing with those that he could about the Kingdom of God and what it's like and who's going to be there and what God's doing and kind of revealing some of God's big story. And so he's kind of got a lot to do. He's got people to heal. He's got things he needs to teach. And he's got, you know, crowds that are coming around him and all these things. And right in the middle of it is this quick little story that I want us to look at today, this quick little incident that I want us to examine a little bit together. And it starts there in Mark 10, verse 13. You can follow along if you want here on the screen. It says, it says people were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. But the disciples rebuked them. And when Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He was ticked off. He was not happy with what they did. And he said to him, he said, let the little children come to me and do not hinder them for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. And he took the children in his arms and he placed his hands on them and he blessed them. We see here in this short little glimpse into the life of Jesus, the disciples missed an opportunity on this occasion. You know, they were too busy doing the more important things to have time to let Jesus be bothered with a few little children that people were bringing to him. You know, they had the wrong view of what was most important in that moment. To them, what was most important was spreading the Kingdom and making sure that they could reach as many people as possible. And yet in doing that, they overlooked these kids. And so Jesus kind of confronts them on that. And I want to just kind of look at three things as we consider this passage that I think Jesus did and that we can learn from his example. The first one is this is just that, notice he was just fully present with him. He said, "Let them come to me." He was willing to take time just to be with them, to be present with them. He stopped what he was doing, what he was in the middle of doing, to be with them. And he just gave them their full attention. He gave them a hug and he laid his hands on them and he blessed them. His focus was fully present with them. The other thing that I think that we see there is the, he also saw them as important. See, in this society, all right, he said it, he said it in this part of it where he says, "The Kingdom of God belongs to such as these." And in that society, children were loved, but they were kind of viewed as lower class citizens 'cause they were powerless and they were weak and they were dependent on others to help them through life. And so what Jesus said is that, you know, in what God's doing, these are key players. These aren't just, you know, low kids on the totem pole. These are important, important human beings. And, you know, they're not the bottom dwellers of society. They're, they are the citizens of the Kingdom of God. And, you know, I think of the passage in Psalms 139. It talks about how God shaped us and he formed us. And I can't help but wonder if maybe Jesus was thinking about, you know, the fact that these are human beings made in God's image that carry his image and his likeness with them and that they were handmade by God for a specific purpose in his grand story. And he elevated their importance. He lifted them up and he commended their faith as he did it. He said, he commended their simple faith. He said, "Receive the Kingdom like these little children do." And he kind of understood the phase where they were, he kind of understood their capacity for faith and though it was maybe limited because of their age, it was simple but it was so profound. And he held it up as an example to the disciples and to those around us. Their faith is the example for you. In fact, if you don't have humble child-like faith, you can't enter the Kingdom of God. And he commended their faith and he lifted it up as an example and this is kind of the example in these three statements of what Jesus left for us on valuing the next generation. And this is how he wants us to interact with kids and students in our lives. And, you know, that day those kids got a glimpse of who God was through Jesus. And I know he was God and so you may think, well, he's got a little bit of an advantage there but the reality is, right, God is now chosen to use us in that way and the same is true of us today. And when we value and love kids and students, they get a glimpse of the love of their heavenly Father through us and when we value the next generation, they understand how much God values them. And so here at CCC in the family ministry, this is really what we want to be true about us. We want to be what we're all about. We want to value and love and impact kids and students in a way that makes an eternal difference in their life in a way that sets their life in the direction that God wants it. And this is kind of how we've begun to say and express that in the family ministry. It's this statement here. It says, we want to be a place where kids and students are deeply valued by engaging leaders who share in their faith journey, resulting in our life transformed forever. And I know there's a lot there in that statement. And so I want to unpack it a little bit for us this morning and just kind of take a look at some pieces of it and explain how we're trying to work and accomplish that through the family ministry here at CCC. And the first part of the statement there is just this. It's that we want to be a place where kids and students are deeply valued. So as my ministry leaders, I'm like, tell me some, how do we do this and help me explain this to the rest of the church, how we really focus on value in kids and students? What's that look like for us on a weekend and a week out basis? And here's a few of the things that they said. You know, we value kids and students when we welcome them and we help them feel like they're in a safe place, physically and emotionally and spiritually. And that's something that we really, really value. You know, we talk about their physical safety and we've got all sorts of guidelines and things so that kids are in a safe environment. I know some of those are inconvenient and you have to stop and get tags and if you don't have that pickup tag, you've got to go back and get it and what we value their physical safety. And that helps you as parents probably feel a little safer more so than the kids. But we want the kids to walk into an environment where they walk in and they can feel like they're safe that be themselves and be who they are and be able to express the things that are going on in their lives and to be able to interact on faith and where they are in their journey. And we value kids and students when we get down on their level with them and when we plan to have fun with them like Alicia was talking about and when we give them a place where they can belong and are accepted for who they are. We value the next generation when we pay attention to and are really genuinely interested in what's going on in their lives. You know where we believe that their thoughts are valuable and worthy of our full attention. We treat them with respect and we're able to extend grace and forgiveness and hope and encouragement to them. And we value the next generation when we create environments that are designed specifically for them that are engaging that they love to come to where because we know that kids don't just learn by what they hear, they learn by what they see, they learn by what they experience. And we value them when we prepare lessons with excellence and in a way that's on their level that they can understand, they can grasp. And when we put time and creativity into activities and discussions that draw them in and help them to take what they heard and to live it out in their lives. And as they grow and get a little older, we value them by giving them a place where they can ask the hard questions or they can wrestle with their faith where their struggles aren't looked down upon. We could go on and on and if we do, I might start crying so I won't. But we can talk a lot about the ways that we want to value kids and students and the reality is we want everything that we do to show and to communicate to them how much they really matter to us. - One of the ways that we value kids is by creating safe environments for them to share about where they are in life and in their faith. The lesson one particular morning with our fifth and sixth graders was about doing the hard things and about how our actions should follow our beliefs or we don't really believe it. One of the small group leaders was leading the boy small group and asked the question about an area where it's difficult for the boys to do the hard things in their life. And they shared that an area was when they don't often agree with or like something that a coach or a teacher does. The small group leader then asked, is it important to respect coaches and teachers and the discussion brought it into a deep discussion and meaningful discussion about respect and how respect is earned and one of the children astutely said that our actions must always be respectful but we don't always have to respect them in what they do. It turned into a really insightful conversation and one that typically doesn't happen on the playground. We believe that having a place where kids feel comfortable and discussing difficult questions like these with their peers and with engaged adults can have a huge impact in what they believe. And as the lesson pointed out, what we believe is how we'll act. - We also value kids by teaching them in age appropriate ways about God's truth, ways that they can immediately walk out of the classroom and put right into practice. A couple of months ago, we had a lesson with our three to five year olds on the Good Samaritan. The craft that day that we made was we put together little boo boo bags. And inside these bags were bandaids and tissues and cotton balls and smiley face stickers, different things that they can give to somebody in a time of need. And I had a parent that had shared with me afterwards that they were walking out into the parking lot that day and their older elementary fund had fallen. So here's this four year old standing there as his brother fell down with this boo boo bag in his hand. And he was excited because he was able to reach inside, grab the bandaid, and give it to his brother. But not only just give him the bandaid, he was able to say to him, "I can love like Jesus, you can love like Jesus." And which was, is something that we want our preschoolers to be able to walk out of that classroom, to take that lesson that they learned that morning and be able to put it right into practice like this little boy did. - We love hearing stories like that. The reality is though that stories like that, they don't just happen. You know, valuing kids and students doesn't just happen without people. - Come on down here, Nate. We got lots of good recruits in here. Watch out folks, this is a trained expert. Don't worry, you might want to duck a little. - Oh, got me. - All right. - Jerry, what are you doing? - So let's see, oh hold on Tim, I got it. Okay, so let's see here. K through fourth is looking for someone tall. Dark, and let's just say breathing right here. This guy right here, let's grab him, rope him. You got him, Nate. All right, come on on here, you're part of the family. All right, over here, let's see now. Oh, let's see, nursery, we're looking for someone that is warm, endearing, strong but soft, good hands and can put up with smells. Right here, we'll have this guy right here. Okay, come on up front here. There you go, good. - Jerry, I don't really think this is what I was referring to. - With him, you said we needed to rope some people into the family ministry, and Nate here can rope a steer. He certainly can rope one of these people. - He can, yes, I've seen, he's really good at that, and I think you got a couple great ones, but when I was talking about the tug on their heart to value and serve kids and students, I wasn't really talking about a physical tug with a rope. - Come on, Nate, it's obvious he doesn't appreciate the talent. - Thank you guys, sorry. Forgive them, please. You know what Jerry said is true, even if his tactics were maybe a little off, we are always looking for volunteers to have a heart and a passion and a desire to serve the next generation. 'Cause we can't accomplish those things that we saw in Jesus' life without people to make it happen, and recently my family had an opportunity to take a trip to Disney World, and I got to go with Jen's family, and while we were there walking around the park, I noticed that everywhere they were doing construction and stuff, they had these walls erected so it kind of kept the park looking nice, and on them they had these signs, and they all had quotes from Walt Disney on 'em. And this one caught my eye, and in fact, I made my family go back and find this one sign so I could take a picture of it, because it reminded me of this reality about the family ministry, and it said this. It said, you can dream, you can create, you can design and build the most wonderful place in the world, but it requires people to make that dream a reality. You know, and the same is true of our family ministry. I can talk about it all day long, but we can't make it happen without people who are committed to making a difference in the lives of kids and students, and that's really what the next part of our statement says is that, you know, we want to value the next generation by, you know, by engaging, who are, let me try that again, we want to be a place that values kids and students deeply by engaging leaders who share in their faith journey, all right? We don't want just adults who, or students who come to serve, who just wanna watch kids or just hang out with students, you see, that's a little part of it, but that's not what we're looking to accomplish. We want volunteers who are engaged in whatever role they have, and not every role that we have in the family ministry is sitting on the floor holding babies or running around crazy with middle schoolers. Sometimes we have people in the family ministry that design and help us make sets and make our environments that connect to our monthly themes, just really, really appealing and engaging, and we have those that, you know, that welcome 'em at check-in, and they see a smile when they walk in the door, and they help 'em get checked-in and get to their class, and you know, whether it's someone who leads the music, or someone who sits behind the soundboard and turns the knob so that everything in the environment sounds and looks great, or a teacher who helps 'em to understand God's Word, or a small group leader who helps 'em connect that truth to their life, you know, whatever their role is, we want everything that they do, and how they do it to communicate the kids and students that we value them, how much we value them, and all those roles are part of, you know, coming around the next generation in a way that helps 'em to take the next step on their faith journey, and when we value the next generation, we help 'em to know and to understand God's love and help 'em to move towards Him, and in doing so, we will be the difference in their lives, and that's what the backs of our shirt says. We'll be the difference in the life of a child or a student, and the next generation needs engaged leaders who will come alongside them on their faith journey in whatever phase of life they're in. - Engaged leaders are genuinely interested in the kids they are working with. At the start of each service, we spend time talking with the kids, asking how their week went, if anything exciting happened, and also introducing the topic for the day. This particular week was in December, and we were discussing the idea of gifts culminating with Christ as the greatest gift. One of the questions presented to the kids was, what do you hope to get for Christmas? One of the responses was a bit unusual, the child wanted a turtle. Now, the following week as we opened the discussion with what exciting things happened this last week, this child told us about how he got to go to the store and look at turtles. So, a few weeks passed, and it was the Sunday after Christmas, and the kids were coming back and talking to us about all the gifts that they had received at Christmas. So, the same child came in, and we immediately asked about the turtle. So, we began telling us about his new turtle named Digger, and in the week that followed, Digger remained a consistent part of our conversations on Sunday morning. One of our goals for small group leaders is to show up in the lives of our few, which might be remembering their favorite candy, or what sport they play, or in this case, the name of the turtle. - In the student ministry, we also see leaders who go out of their way to help students navigate through life and faith, and their faith, and it's not only on Wednesday nights and Sunday nights, but it's also, outside of those times, like having a small group over, or maybe going out with student for coffee, or going to retreat with them. And it might also be like, some will take vacation with them through the summer. I know the last fall, Ryan in the bottom of myself, took a couple guys to a cabin, and we had a great time of connecting and just having fun together, and we also got in a good discussion about a certain aspect of our faith, and that was really cool. So leaders realize what's at stake, and want to help impact, and make sacrifices for the next generation. - Engaged leaders are willing to make sacrifices, 'cause they understand that the result of their efforts can be a life that's changed. We say it this way, say resulting, I'm still sorry, guys, resulting in a life that's transformed forever, and everything we do in the family ministry is really to make a difference in the next generation by impacting one life at a time. We want to see lives that are transformed by Jesus, to see a kid grow and develop through the years, and have an authentic faith by the time they walk out, and graduate from high school. And every phase that a child goes through is important to this process, and every environment that we have for kids and students is, it contributes to that process in huge, huge ways. And I'd like to take a little time this morning just to share briefly with you about how all of our ministry environments work together towards that end, and how they're all aligned to help move the next generation forward in their faith. We usually use a couple of circles, and I'll have those up on the screens that kind of help us to illustrate that, but we thought it'd be a lot more fun today to use a couple of giant beach balls to kind of illustrate this for you as how we see a child growing and taking steps in their faith throughout different phases of their life. And the other thing that I'd like to share with you as we do this is one of the things that's true about us is that in a few weeks we'll be able to be in a brand new building that's our own. And over the last several months, we've had the opportunity to design and to create permanent spaces for all these things to happen. And we've done it here for a long time, and we've done it to the best of our ability, but now we have rooms designed specifically the way we want them to help us to accomplish these things. And so I've asked my ministry leaders if they would come and just share about the new environments and some of the few changes and names and themes of some of those, and so I just wanted you guys to see and hear from them about what those groups and their identities and the design for those ministry environments. And so as we kind of talk about this, and we think about how we grow in our faith or how a child or student grows and develops in their faith, really it's how we all do. We call the one, the smaller circle or ball in this case, me, just, you know, so as you're looking at it, you understand that's one of us who's on this journey of faith and obviously this great big one has to be God then. And he stands there and we'll kind of see how is it that we help kids and students to move towards God. And you know, it really starts in preschool. And when a child's born, right, their relationship with God looks kind of like this. It's separate. In fact, a baby doesn't even really know and understand that God exists. Even though he made them, they don't really grasp that yet. And so on the preschool level, it kind of, that birth through age five before they start school, our goal in those environments is to help the child to discover the journey. To help a child to see that there's this journey out in front of him, we talk about, we use the idea of a journey when we talk about our faith and it's a journey and it's got ups and downs and it's got peaks and valleys and easy times and hard times. And so we want them just to understand that there's a journey out in front of him that we want to help a child to know that there's this great big God, all right? And if we took that in there, they would never see God any different than a great big beachfall. But no, there's a great big God out there that loves them. And we want to help them to be amazed and in wonder of who he is and we want them to walk away from those years understanding that I am loved. Our new preschool environment will be called Mogo Land. Mogo, if you're wondering, is actually a city in Australia. But Mogo Land is a place of wonder and discovery for our youngest kids that are filled with many of the amazing creatures that God created. We wanted a name for our preschool environment that was simple, catchy and fun that our preschoolers would remember. We wanted to capture the imaginations of our youngest kids as we help them to begin to discover the great big God. We also designed our environments. And when we say preschoolers, this is birth through age five. Just to be bright, fun colored places that the kids are going to love coming to week after week. And I love being here at Gamemons. I was appreciated being here, but I am not a huge fan of the white walls in our classrooms. So I'm very, I'm really looking forward to the colors over there. I know some of you have been there and have commented on the colors, so we're really excited about those environments. But in each room is going to have things like bugs and elephants and fish and different things like that that all go back to our curriculum. In our three to five-year-old classroom, the kids often see some of these things. And they will also now see them on the walls in their classrooms as well. It's just a place where they can feel belonged and or they belong and feel welcome. And we entrust that our environments will be able to do that in the drop-off area of our three to five-year-olds. We'll have some posters hanging. These three posters are some things that we want the kids when they walk out of preschool and they head upstairs to kindergarten that they know these things. They will say, God made me, God loves me, and Jesus wants to be my friend forever. And we say these things often in preschool. They repeat them back to me. I say them to them. So they hear these often, but just to be able to walk out of preschool and to head upstairs with those three things. That's what we want them to know and understand by the time they leave. After discovering a God who loves them and who sent his son Jesus for them, our goal is that in the elementary years that they're going to start the journey. And those are the years when most kids begin their relationship with God by trusting Jesus as their Savior. And this is kind of where their connection with God starts. And so we move the ball over so now they're touching and the circles come together. They're touching, they're beginning. They're starting that journey, that relationship with God. And we want to help them to explore what it looks like to love God with all that they are and to love those around them the best they can. And we want them to know when they leave that I can love. We have designed a kid-friendly environment for our kindergarten through 4th graders, which we call Studio 252. It is welcoming, warm, fun, and yes, very colorful. The idea of the studio and the gears is a reminder that our work is constantly in progress. And Studio 252 is also our kid's first exposure to small groups here at CCC. So we've created small group spaces where kids can interact with their peers and with their small group leaders. The 252 part of our logo comes from the verse, Loop 252, which is the basis for how we love God and others. And out of this verse come the three things that we emphasize in the years that kids are in this environment. Just like Jen spoke of the three things that she wants their kids to understand by the time they leave preschool, these are the three things that we want the kids to walk away with when they leave after 4th grade. And it comes from the verse, Loop 252. And Jesus grown wisdom. We need to make wise choices. Jesus grown wisdom in stature. This is the time when they're physically growing a lot. Jesus grown wisdom, stature, and favor with God and man. I can trust God no matter what. And I should treat others the way I want to be treated. - As kids hit that transition, the transition years between elementary to middle school, we want them to see them take another step. And we want them to begin to experience the journey. And their story and God's stories are now beginning to overlap. You see the circles or the balls starting to overlap one another. And we want them to understand that their faith and their everyday life are not separate from one another. And we want them to walk away from those years, knowing love makes a difference. And one of the big themes that they emphasize is that choices have consequences. And so when I choose to love someone else, it makes a difference in their life. - Drawing inspiration from the iconic Route 66, we created Route 56 for the fifth and sixth grade environment. This theme dovetails perfectly with the notion that we're all on a journey through life. When we think of a highway, we think of adventure, fun, speed, excitement, and mystery. But we also think of construction, potholes, accidents, exits, decisions. And if you're like me, recalculating, recalculating. We want Route 56 to be a safe place where we can walk with fifth and sixth graders as they begin to experience their faith journey at an age when kids can sometimes be deeply serious and sometimes seriously silly. Several aspects of our curriculum fit with our theme. As we teach through the Bible, we have teaching series such as Paul's journeys, Bible caravan, and life as a highway. Our new environment has more room to accommodate the activities to help energetic fifth and sixth graders learn in a way that works well for them. Our desire is that Route 56 be an engaging environment with caring leaders that walk alongside our students as they learn that choices have consequences and that when we choose to love someone else, it makes a big difference. Middle school years can be kind of tough. But this is really where the students begin the process of making their faith their own. And we want them to begin to take ownership and to engage the journey is how we say it. And we want them to choose to be an active participant in their growing their own faith and not just be dependent on mom and dad or their leaders or their teachers to help them with that. We want them to begin to allow God to direct their lives and their choices because this is the time in their lives where the choices that they're making can have some huge implications and huge impact on their future. And we want middle schoolers to understand that I can choose to make a difference. And it's up to me to make the choice to make a difference in somebody else's life. Flipside is our middle school environment and we work to make it a fun and active time for them to be there. The middle schoolers are filled with energy and they just need a lot of room to be active while they build relationships with each other as well as explore their own faith. And we build our gatherings around activities that helps to promote fun relationships and learning. And everything we do from our connection time to our games and activities along with our large group lessons, it builds towards our small group time where we connect with the students. And they just have a consistent adult leader that walks with them through their faith and helps them as they learn to engage and to actively participate in their relationship with God. - As students walk into their high school years, we really emphasize their need to own the journey. And they have to make their faith their own. And this often comes with wrestling and struggling and ups and downs. But it's really, really vital to their process, the process where they realize that God created them with a purpose and that they understand who they are by who God says they are. And we use the phrase, I'm created to make a difference. And our role here is to really help them understand who God is, who they are in light of that, and to mobilize them to move out and make a difference in their world. - C3 is our high school environment that is designed for them. It's a laid back place where they can have a sense of belonging. With all that's going on in their lives, they need a place where they can pause and reflect and be refreshed. We try to strike a balance of relationship, refreshment and activity on a weekly basis, where C3 can be a place where they can pause and spend time connecting with others as they wrestle with their own faith. And small groups is a time where they can, it's a safe place where they can explore question, learn and grow with a committed, caring leader. And also, we provide opportunities for them to go out and serve and make a difference in other people's lives. - We hope that the family ministry environments help kids and students to take this journey. And it's our desire that even as adults, as John's been sharing with us over the last several weeks, that we become so fully enveloped in God's love that it just can't help but spill out into the lives of others. And the back of our t-shirts say, be the difference. And really, each and every one of us has the opportunity to be a difference maker in the life of a child or student. And as I think about our church and as I dream about, it's future and what can be true of it, there's one thing that I do hope is true about our church and that's that as a church as a whole, not just a family ministry, not just parents, but our church as a whole that each and every one of us values the next generation like Jesus did. Because when we do that, we make a difference in their generation and we enable them to reach their own generation 'cause they can do that better than we can and as well as the generation that will come after them. And we need volunteers in the family ministry who have that desire to be the difference in the life of a child or student. Maybe this morning, you've felt that tug in your heart, not Jerry's tug or Nate's with the rope, but the tug from Jesus example. And if you are, we'd love to talk to you more about that. We'd love to explore where you can use your gifts and your abilities and your skills in the family ministry. You can note that on that yellow sheet that you'll find in your program that they'll talk about in a little bit as we wrap up the service, but following Jesus example of value in the next generations is really for all of us as a church. And so as we kind of wrap up this morning, I want us to just look at a few quick takeaways that relate to impacting the next generation. And the first one is this. I think that we have to just learn to be fully present with our kids. And the reality is, our kids and students, the reality is that they know when we're not. You know, my kids know when I walk in the door and I'm not fully left to work behind or whatever's going on or I'm on my cell phone texting or reading an email or something, they get that and they understand sometimes they let me know that. You know, this has been a week that I've struggled with that and maybe it's kind of like the disciples did. We just get focused on something that we think is more important and we miss just being present when we have those opportunities. And sometimes we just have to stop what we're doing. We have to get down on their level. Don't try that with high school students, but with the littler kids, you know. It communicates a lot to a kid when you talk to them like this compared to you talk to them like this face to face. And so even just simple things like that make a big difference in helping kids understand that we're fully present with them. And, you know, the way we ask questions, instead of just saying hi, are we listen fully and even when it's really, really, really, really, really, long story about how fast they ran in PE class, you know. And when we remember the things that we say and we ask them about that again later and there's tons of ways that we can do this. But I think we have to really work at being fully present because here's the reality. When we learn to do that, when you're fully present with a kid or a student, you communicate to them that they are valuable, that they're valuable. I think we also have to do this. We have to really meet them where they're at on their journey. You saw a lot of different spots in their journeys and we know faith is not linear. It goes ups and downs and forwards and backwards and this way and that way. And there's twists and turns all along the way. But we have to just be willing to be okay with where they're at, to be okay with simple faith, even if we think it should be more, to be okay with mistakes that they make and extend grace and forgiveness and hope when they do. To be okay with questions, ones that maybe seem silly, ones that we've answered a hundred times, ones that maybe we don't know the answers to. And we have to be slow to just give a quick pat answer. We have to help them explore it and help them find out. And when we don't know, I tell my leaders all the time. It's okay to say, I don't know, what you have to follow it up with. Let's find out together. And here's the thing. When you meet kids and students where they're at, you communicate the love of Jesus to them. And the last thing that I want us to kind of take away from today is this idea that we need to elevate the importance of spiritual impact. 'Cause the reality is you can value kids by coaching their soccer team or showing up at a concert. And those are important things and we always encourage our leaders and especially small group leaders to do things like that. But there's something different between what I do with my daughter's soccer team and what I do here at CCC. 'Cause this is our calling as a church to pass our faith on to the next generation, to do something that has an eternal impact in their lives. This is why I began doing what I do and working with kids and students for a profession. I went to college and I saw a bunch of guys around me that had something growing up that I didn't have. They had loving adults and leaders in their lives that helped them navigate life and faith and I didn't have that. And I remember the talk that I felt in my heart by God saying, "Tim, you can provide that for others." And I know I get paid to do that, but you don't have to get paid to do that. You don't have to stand in front of others who do that. You don't have to speak in the service to do that. You can do that in a lot of different ways. By the way, you interact with the next generation. And the reality is this, when you help kids and students to grow in their faith, you make an impact that lasts forever. Each and every one of us can be the difference in the life of a kid or student if we will learn to follow Jesus example that he laid out for us. And as we wrap up and as I close, here's just one last statement that I hope maybe sticks with you this week as you think about what we talked about this morning. And that's this. The kids and students know how much they matter to God by how much they matter to you. And that's our calling. And it can be in big ways and it can be in simple ways. But the impact of that statement is huge. How much they matter to us, communicates to them how much their great pick God loves and cares and how much they matter to him. Father, thank you so much for your love. And I pray that you would help us to know and understand and grow in that love so we can share it with the next generation in ways that change their lives forever. And God help us just to be faithful in using our lives to communicate to the next generation how much they matter to you. And God, I pray that that's something that's true of me. I pray that's something true of our family ministry. I pray that's something that's true of our church. We love you, Father, and we pray these things in Jesus' name.