The Possibility of Maybe

Maybe it was guilt. Maybe obligation. Maybe a temporary lapse in sanity. Whatever the reason, he finally caved in and agreed to start serving in Waumba Land. Most members of his family had already been serving there over the last couple years. He was the lone hold out. And with just cause. He’d already paid his dues. Done his time. All those years, when his own kids (now teenagers) were little, he was there. He had wiped snotty noses and sang the sugary-sweet, wee-worship songs. But there he stood before me, tall and imposing in presence, and said, “I’m here to help.”

He went into the pre-k room to lead with his wife. He quickly learned which kids had allergies, which ones liked Star Wars, which ones liked to be picked up when they were upset, and which ones needed their space.  He liked greeting the kids at the door when their parents dropped them off. He liked hearing his wife’s laugh when the kids asked him where his hair went. He liked listening to his own teenagers share their Sunday stories about the kids in their classes. Sunday had become the most exhausting, crazy, hilarious, day in the week. And he loved it.

Until last Sunday.

The kids that have been wearing him out all year are now getting ready to promote out of Waumba Land and into Upstreet. We brought the K-1 Upstreet leaders into Waumba Land to spend some time with their new small group. A lot of changes take place in the fall for kindergarteners: new school, new teachers, new church environment. We wanted them to become familiar with the faces of their new leaders. One less adjustment to make. Or so we thought.

I caught a glimpse of the once-reluctant leader as he walked through the hallway away from ‘his kids’. I could see them standing at the door and hear their cries for him. I could see the redness in his eyes. I gave him a sympathetic smile. He paused before opening the gate to his new class, looked at me and said, “I didn’t expect to feel this. I didn’t expect to get this attached. I guess I’m a softy, at heart.”

Maybe it was a moment of weakness. Maybe it was a temporary lapse in emotion. Whatever his reasons were a year ago, he walked in hoping to help serve. He walked away knowing he had loved.

If You Give a Mouse a Sticker

This is Mouse. Mouse is ready to go to Large Group to hear a Bible story and to sing some fun songs about Jesus. 

Guess who Mouse's teacher is. A two-year-old.

As you know, in Waumba Land we use these stickers to help kids remember what class they're in and to organize the tranistion from large group back to the small group classrooms. 

But for this future small group leader, one large group experience a week just isn't enough. And if you want to do something fun with your best mouse friend during the week. What's more fun than church?! And chances are, if you give a mouse a sticker... he's going to want to go to Waumba Land with it :)

Always Never the Same

I took my daughter to the doctor last week. Just a check up. But my mind was on the million other things I needed to do after the doctor, so even as I checked in, I was ready to leave. The receptionist asked me the usual questions, "has my phone number changed? same insurance?"

"No... same..."

"I see we don't have your place of employment listed", she commented.

"Oh, Wiregrass Church.”

"WIREGRASS CHURCH!" she exclaimed, "My husband and I just went there on Sunday and let me tell you, we. were. BLOWN. AWAY. I mean it, blown away! At first we thought the video preacher was gonna be weird, but he's like, LIFE SIZE up there!" 

By now the other receptionists are listening in as she very enthusiastically went on. "I have an 18 month old, and we were nervous, so we didn't put him in the nursery...”

My mind was frantically searching for the right things to say at my first opportunity. Should I talk about our incredible small groups? The engaging large group production? Share our mission and vision? Ask her to volunteer? But before I could settle on a subject, she joyfully continued.

“... But we went by the Waumba Land area after the service and WOW! That place is awesome! There was a guy in a green shirt right by the doors. He showed us around and told us how y'all use curriculum even for 2-year-olds. And we looked in the classes and it was just A-MAZ-ING! That place is incredible! And that guy, who is he? He was so nice to give us a tour! We are SO going back! So, what are ya’ll doing for EASTER?!”

Being the well-trained professional I am, I wanted to seize this powerful moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for this stranger’s admiration of our laborious effort to provide an entertaining, engaging, safe place for her family to worship and connect with God.

But what did I come up with?

“Same thing we do every Sunday!”

Here are some pictures of just another amazing Sunday:

Have a bad day!

One of the things that makes me smile is when a child is standing outside his classroom, crying at the top of his lungs, and resisting his parent's best efforts to leave him with a new leader. Some people might walk by this situation and think, 'Waumba Land is having a bad day!'


For example, a leader was out because her son was sick. Unfortunately, one little boy in her two's class missed the memo about the unexpected substitution in his class. Two-year-olds just aren't as sensitive to other people's problems as they should be. They tend to express their dissatisfaction, loudly if necessary. That was the scene on Sunday. 

I happily listened to the sound of a sweet two-year-old cry and holler about how he 'wanted his teacher'. He even called for her by name SEVERAL times. It was precious! Because in all the commotion, what I heard was a child who valued and trusted his small group leader. And a leader who had connected and made an impact on the child entrusted to her. 

In my book, that's not a bad day. Not bad at all.

Reading and Writing

 I have a story to tell you.

Once upon a time there was a little boy who came to a strange, but interesting land called Waumba. (Pretty original stuff, I know. Just stay with me.) The little boy met other people the same size he was. They seemed nice, but he wasn't sure how to act around them. He met very kind big people, but he wasn't sure if he could trust them. In this new land, they spoke of Love and Gentleness. He did not know these words, he had never seen what they were. He knew Anger and Frustration. These he had seen. They were familiar and he knew them well.

This new land was not at all like the land he came from. It made him feel confused. The new land seemed happier, but the other land was where he lived.

Now I wish I could tell you that this story goes on to a "happily ever after' ending. But the truth is, I don't know how this story ends. Because it's still being written. What I can tell you is that this story is true. And, that you are part of it.  Sometimes the story you're in, makes you want to close the book. The story is too complicated. There are too many plots and the characters are less than appealing. No one would blame you for shelving this story. 

But the Author in this story is very good. And you know that He would want you to continue to turn the pages in this book.  

Whether you know it or not, every week you are making a significant impact in, not just the life of a child, but in the life of a family. With every smile, every hug, every song... you are influencing the outcome of someone's story. Thank you for making that first impression of who God is in the lives of children.
And thank you for having the courage to keep reading.

Family XP: Fall on the Farm

Last night, the Family Ministry team put together our first Family XP (a.k.a Family Experience).  We called it "Fall on the Farm".  The idea was to partner with families by creating a fun event for a family to do together.  You see, sometimes people can live in the same house, share the same last name, spend money from the same account... and hardly spend any time together at all.  Sound familiar?  It does to me too.  That's why we wanted to give families an opportunity to get together and enjoy each other in God's creation, before we all get distracted by sports, Christmas shopping, mid-term exams, year-end projections.... and the billions of other things that a family has to fit into a week. The fact is, parenting is hard. Overwhelmingly hard sometimes. It takes so much time and intention. I read this quote once that, well to be honest, it shook to my core... "If you don't have TIME to do it right, when will you have TIME to do it over?"

That's what "Family Ministry" is all about. It's about partnering with parents to help and encourage them to weave God into their family's everyday life. It's not about giving parents more to do. It's not about church planning more events. It's about combining our efforts to create the biggest impact in a child's life, because we only get a limited amount of time to influence them.

Thanks for partnering with Family Ministry and Wiregrass Church!  Enjoy the pictures from "Fall on the Farm":

taking photos of families. love it!

train ride!

I snuck in on this family's photo being taken by a friend. too cute!!

the folks that make it happen

"photo spot" signs. stole this idea from Disney.

PACKED parking lot! THANK YOU, K. Faulk & small group for providing parking volunteers!

Farmer on the Farm

cool fall weather. cool fun family.

hugs!

family moment to remember

hayride to pumpkin patch

"crowd" waiting for the hayride.  How cool?!  We actually had "crowds" at Family XP!

It's the great pumpkin!

pumpkin...check, sunflower... check, wife... check.  good to go!

exploring 

cook out

Thank you college girls small group for providing guest service volunteers!

fun family photo!

family picnic

Photo op

proud survivors of the corn maze

Dad found a pumpkin as big as his kid

"Hey let's go and get the audio CD we get to listen to on the way home from the farm! I hear it has a great talk from Adam about intentional parenting on it!"  

(pretty sure that's what I heard them talking about)

love capturing people, capturing their small, beautiful moments

"seriously, this is how people used to get water?!"

good to the last cookie crumb

the farm was fun for students too

generations on one farm, together.

A Personal Ministry Perspective

The end of the school year had brought unexpected transitions for one particular girl. Changes beyond her control.  Responsibility beyond her maturity. The tallest girl in her class. She felt angry and awkward. To add insult to injury... acne had taken hold. Why did she have to be different?  Why did she have to be the first among her peers to advance to adolescence? Without perspective to understand what was happening, she despairingly confessed to her mother, "my body hates me."

"You are wonderfully made. God created you. You are part of His plan. "  Her parents reassured.

"Yeah... sure... you're suppose to say that" she said.

Throughout the summer, she got to spend one day a week helping take care of the little kids whose mothers came up to Wiregrass Church to prepare curriculum for Waumba Land and Upstreet.  That's how she got to know a rambunctious 2-year-old, named Grace. Very soon, 'Friends' volunteer days became her favorite part of the week. It became hard to tell if Grace was following her around, or if she was following Grace around. At any rate, the two were inseparable. However, like things often do, the summer came to an end. In the last week she got to spend taking care of Grace, she told her mother, "I just love Grace. She's so smart. She's the tallest her age. She's just like me."

The start of the new school year has come with a renewed spirit. Through Grace, she saw herself differently than she had just a few months before. God created Grace. The tallest her age, but God made her that way. Grace is advanced beyond her peers, but God has a plan for Grace. Grace, she thought, is a most wonderful creation.  When she saw herself in Grace, she saw herself with a new perspective. She began to appreciate her uniqueness. 

Her simple understanding of God grew a little in those few months.  Through her willingness to invest in Grace a few hours a week, she learned that she and Grace were a lot alike.  And how could anyone not love Grace.