May.June2016 Edition

IPHC Children’s Ministry

HOPE Mag

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HOPEMagazine

Recently we had a huge storm, complete with thunder, lightning, and so much rain that schools were closed. In addition to the weather challenges, over 100,000 people woke up to no electricity. That’s when we realized that we often take light for granted. Life is a struggle without light. God obviously knew this was the case, so He had a plan to provide it. Psalm 119:105 is one of my all-time favorite verses, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” (NIV). God knew we would struggle living life in darkness, so He brought light – so we could see Him, so we could see ourselves, so we could see others, and so we could see our paths.

In an age of tolerance and political correctness it’s easy to get caught in the shadows. If we and our chil-dren have ever needed light, it’s now. That’s the value of God’s Word. It is light. It illuminates and makes clear what is true, right, and good. As parents and children’s ministry leaders, it is vital for us to intentionally teach and train the next generation where light and truth are found. This foundation is vital for developing a biblical worldview – having God’s perspective of who He is, who we are, and our role on this earth. Research indicates that a person’s worldview is fairly set by the age of 13, reinforcing the need to be intentional in training our kids, while they are young, to think like God thinks.

According to George Barna, “By the age of nine, most of the moral and spiritual foundations of a child are in place.” As we teach, train, and encourage kids to use God’s Word as the standard for determining what is true/false, good/bad, right/wrong, lovely/unlovely, we are setting them on the right path.

God didn’t stop with giving us His Word and His Son as light, He also said that we are light. “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16, NIV). Kids desperately need to see our lights. As we shine our lights into their lives, loving and leading them toward the one true Light, and as they make the decisions to live their lives as friends and follow-ers of Jesus, they will discover that they, too, are lights in this dark world.

This is a big job and one that cannot be accomplished alone. Obviously, we need God. But, we also need each other. The more we purposefully partner together, as families and churches, to embrace the light of God’s Word and share it with our children, the brighter we will shine. In the words of our Creator,

“Let there be light” – His light, that even the strongest storm can’t knock out!

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Dr. Ellen MooreIPHC Children's Ministry Consultant

HOPE Photo Credits: Fotolia, Lindsey Snider, Kent Bell

“Let there be light”

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ILLUMINATEThe Bible is Our Lightby David Moore

Where is the darkest place you have ever been? For me, it was over 200 feet under-

ground in a cave, with no lighting. Now that is total darkness, but it was also a lot of fun! The Royal Rangers at our church had gone on a cave explor-ing trip where we spent several hours crawling and squeezing through the various tunnels and passages in the cave. At the end of the trip we were able to spend the night in the cave in total darkness with the constant expectation of a cave rat creeping across our sleeping bags. It was an incredible experience to say the least.

It was daylight when we went into the cave, and daylight when we came out. But it was dark the entire time that we were in the cave, and the only lights we had were the ones we brought with us. It was a little unnerving waking up in the middle of the night to total darkness, and I remember thinking how glad I was to have that flashlight with me. I could not see very far with it, but at least I could see my surrounding area.

Just like that flashlight made all the difference inside the darkness of the cave, so also the Bible, God’s Word, makes a difference in our lives. In our outpost meeting each week we say the pledge to the Bible. “I pledge allegiance to the Bible, God’s Holy

Word. I will make it a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path, and will hide its words in my heart that I might not sin against God.” God’s word not only gives us a light to guide our path, but gives us strength and encouragement during the dark times of our lives.

The only way that a flashlight can illuminate the place where you are is for you to turn it on. In the same way, God’s Word can only illuminate your life when you apply it to your life. Make your Bible a part of who you are, not just something that you keep on your shelf. Psalms 119:11 (NIV) says, “I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”

My challenge to you and your family is to make reading God’s word a part of your everyday life. Be in-tentional about spending time together to read God’s word and let it illuminate your family. Become doers of the word and not just hearers. Then you will be like Matthew 5:16 (NIV), “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” ILLUMI-NATE!

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CAVE DWELLINGMaking God's Word a daily part of your life teaches your kids the importance of Jesus' teachings. Bible reading can be enhanced by creating a fun atmosphere in the comfort of your own home! Break out the blankets and lights before bedtime to make your own reading cave! Giving kids the opportunity to create their own adventure while including the Bible can add life to their daily Bible routine.

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Fathering101

by Bishop Greg Amos

No instructions! Yes, we men are notorious for not reading the instructions but this, well this is

different. This is much more complex than assembling a bicycle or putting together a swing set. This is for life.

You've been preparing for nine months or so. You've got the room ready. You've been blessed to accumulate needed supplies in preparation. The mo-ment you've both been waiting for arrives and off to the hospital you go. You now get to witness the birth of your child.

Words are inadequate to describe the thrill of hold-ing your child for the very first time. Family and friends are there to celebrate this most joyous of occasions with you. The nurse conveniently retires, bringing your baby to you so mom can get some much de-served rest to facilitate her recovery.Then it begins

to hit you! No more nurse. Family eventually leaves and it’s just the two of you with this sweet, innocent little gift from God. Sure, you've read books or even taken some classes to prepare but now, all alone, you begin to feel the weight of being a good father. Will I really make a mess of this? Will I do something really stupid? The answer is probably!

We begin to realize that no matter how much we've tried to prepare, this child didn't come with a set of in-structions on how to raise him or her. Sure, you know how to feed, change, and care for the child, but this fathering business is something completely different.

All we really know to do was most likely gleaned from observing our fathers. The things he did well and the mistakes he made along the way are in us to pull from. It's still a scary proposition to raise a child and to do so well can be intimidating.

What was God thinking giving imper-fect people the responsibility to raise another human being knowing our frailties and propensity to mess things up? The answer is He knew we would need His help and His guidance along the way. He reminds us that in all our best efforts to be the best father we know to be we must depend on His grace and mercy to repair our messes and fill in the gaps we missed. I'd hate to try fathering on my own without His oversight and wisdom. You see, He’s the model Father. He is our example. Whether we had a good example of a lov-ing, caring father or not, we always have His example. That is where the instructions can be found on how to be a good father to our children.

I must admit to you looking back I got it wrong too many times. I let my frustrations at work or financial pressures cause me to react instead of act. I could tell when I crossed the line because I could see it in my son or daughter’s eyes. I wanted to discipline my children well, but at times I focused on what they were doing wrong rather than seeing what they were doing right.

Fathering is not a one day fix. It's all kinds of jobs. It's the everyday little things that somehow accumu-late to produce a stable, healthy, well rounded person that you will one day release to fly on their own.

I'd like to share a few thoughts of what I've learned along the way regarding being a father:

1. Don't let TV, video games, or social media take your place as a father. I know it's an easy trap to fall into because you're tired when you get home from work. Determine to spend some quality time each day not only with your child, but also with your spouse. Your child needs your undivided attention daily, but they also need to see a loving, caring relationship modeled before them of a mother and father.

2. Do life together. As much as possible find ways to incorporate your child into your daily routine. Take them to the store, to get gas, etc. They learn a lot from observing how we treat others and how we act or react.

3. Discipline with love not anger. Discipline should be more about helping your child learn proper behavior patterns than simply punishment. I can't tell you how many times the Lord would remind me of how He disciplines me and how I'd be toast if He did it

out of anger.4. Don't be afraid to admit when you make mis-

takes and be willing to say, “I'm sorry.” This teaches our child how to repent of their failures and how to maintain a tender heart. Remember God can do any-thing with a tender heart! It also keeps the line of com-munication open between you and your child for when they mess up they can feel comfortable talking to you rather than trying to hide it or deal with it all alone.

5. Let your children hear you pray and see you worship God. Our children need to see examples of godly men talking to the Lord. It's also liberating to them to see their fathers lift his hands and employ other expressive forms of worship. It models for them that men can be men and show emotion when it comes to worshiping God. It's powerful!

6. Make Bible reading a part of everyday life. This, of course, shows them the value you place on the Word of God, setting a lifelong pattern for them to follow.

7. Say yes as often as possible. I'm not saying let them do whatever they want, but rather try not to be overprotective or negative about everything. Discuss with them possible dangers or pitfalls they may en-counter and train them how to think through situations before making hasty decisions. They will not always be with you when they are faced with tough deci-sions. These seem to be coming earlier and earlier to our children no matter how diligently we try to protect them.

8. Speak blessings over them daily. The Word tells us that life and death are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs18:21). Fathers especially need to be intentional about speaking life to their children. They will have plenty of condemnation and death spo-ken over them at school, etc. We are uniquely posi-tioned and empowered to affirm and encourage them. Tell them you love them, you are proud of them, and you see value in them. Remind them daily that God has a plan and purpose for their lives. This shouldn't stop even when they are grown and gone!

This father role is not for wimps! The rewards are tremendous even though there may be hard times. Let's learn to go to our Heavenly Father to get wisdom and guidance and trust Him to turn every situation we face for good.

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Mothersby Linda Thomas

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MOTHER … the very word itself evokes deep emo-tion and memories for me. I am third born among

a family of six children; however, I never suffered any hint of "middle child syndrome". I do not know how she man-aged to do all she did, but she knew how to make each of us feel like the most important one. She was a busy farm-er’s wife with all the chores of home, family, and crops. We children were involved with the daily activities and learned early on that our family was interdependent. She rose early to cook a big breakfast to get our days started and was the last to settle at night. She and Dad saw that our physical needs were supplied and, more importantly, that our spirits were fed as well. Though she has been in Heaven over twenty years, the sweetness of her spirit is alive and well in my memory.

It was not until my first child was born that I truly under-stood the heart of my mother. I am thankful that she had prepared me for the role. I chose to abandon my career to be a stay-at-home mom. I had to learn to do without “things” in order to do so. Three more children were born, and life sometimes was hectic as I had several jobs at the same time, in addition to teaching Sunday School, serving as Church Secretary-Treasurer, and being Youth Leader. Much of that time, my husband was away from home with work and serving as a State Senator. Mothering wasn’t easy; but, looking back, rearing my children brings my fond-est life memories.

Now I look at our children’s families … three sons and three wonderful daughters-in-love, our daughter and son-in-love, three grandsons, six granddaughters and another on the way. Their families are like well-oiled machines balancing the day-to-day activities but, the struggle is real as both parents work outside the home and somehow balance children’s needs and activities on a daily basis. It is a far stretch from my childhood … and even from their childhoods. These moth-ers come home each evening to their families after expend-ing eight hours of energy on the job. The strain to see that there is a proper and appropriate educational time pro-vided, to prepare proper nourishment in order to keep them healthy and well, to offer them opportunity for extracur-ricular activities that make them well-rounded and socially balanced individuals, to spend time with them individually and collectively in worship and spiritual training … constant responsibilities draw from their time, energy and resources.

Though other demands are real, the importance of a mother’s role in her children’s lives is not diminished. She is a central figure in the development of their physical and

spiritual well-beings. No matter what other job she has, the mother is the one whose heart is first and foremost designed by God to feel the heartbeat of her children. It is her actions they will imitate. It is her voice to which they will respond. It is her faith that will guide them to a biblical worldview. It is her influence that will set their courses in life. It is her words of wisdom to which they will cling when the going gets tough. Mother is the greatest title she will ever wear.

No one ever said being a mother would be an easy job- It isn’t! However, I can witness that it pays great dividends and is the most rewarding job I have ever done!

No matter what other job she has, the mother is the one whose heart is first and foremost designed by God to feel the heartbeat of her children.

Why SPECIAL

NEEDS Ministry?

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During the past several

years we have had the

opportunity to share with IPHC

churches about a ministry that is

near and dear to our hearts: Lov-

ing H.A.N.D.S. Loving H.A.N.D.S.

is a respite ministry offering

“Hope-Acceptance-iNclusion-

Dignity-Support” for families who

have a loved one with “special

needs.” One Friday night a month,

the family at Bethel Life trans-

forms the church into a place

of fun and activity for 3 hours,

allowing family members and

caregivers an evening to enjoy

any way they like. We love and

care for these very special indi-

viduals offering games, activities,

music, snacks, face painting, a hair

and nail salon, and a night with a

buddy filled with love and attention.

In addition to the monthly respite

we also extend to the families an

opportunity to attend a weekend

worship service where their special

needs loved one will be assigned a

“Loving Angel.” The Loving Angel

joins their special needs guest in

worship while their families are then

free to enjoy worship without worry

or fear of being accepted or of be-

ing a distraction. That’s more of the

“What” Loving H.A.N.D.S. is as a

ministry. What I would like to spend

a little more time on in this article

is the “Why” we do “special needs”

ministry at Bethel Life.

For Denise and I, it is personal.

You see, we have a son, Jason,

who is now 33 years old and was

born with special needs. Jason has

a condition known as “Angelman

Syndrome” and functions at the level

of about a two year old child. Jason is

non-verbal and does not sign, but

chooses to communicate through

an infectious smile, eyes that exude

love and acceptance, and a hug

that will melt your heart. I often say

Jason is the closest thing to Jesus

I have met on this earth. Although

he is far from perfect, lacks patience

when his mother is fixing pancakes

and self-control when eating Mc-

Donald’s french fries, his love for

others is truly unconditional. He

does not know the emotion of anger

and can brighten your day without

uttering a word. He is our inspiration

for Loving H.A.N.D.S.`

We strongly believe God doesn’t

make mistakes and there is a

purpose in everything. The ministry

focus and heart of Bethel Life has

been to meet people at their deep-

est need, and having a personal ex-

perience with a special needs child,

we understand the need for support,

love, and acceptance. We couldn’t

have a more loving and caring

church family than what we have at

Bethel Life. That is why we have a

focus on a special needs ministry.

We have been blessed with Jason,

and from this place of blessing we

desire to extend the same love and

support to our community.

I encourage you to prayerfully

consider how the Holy Spirit might

direct you to open your doors and

your hearts to some of the most

special people in the whole world

and watch them change your life. If

you would like to know more about

special needs ministry, give us a

call. We would love to come share

with you. Contact us at Bethel Life

Church, www.blwc.org.

Pictured: Denise Bell dancing with her son, Jason, at Night to Shine. Night to Shine is an event held across America that is committed to helping people with

special needs. Bethel Life is one of many hosts to bring this event to life through the

Tim Tebow Foundation.

Pictured: Jason Bell, Kent and Denise Bell's son.