Friends, another year has come and gone. THANK YOU for all of the interactions we had over 2017, whether we met at a conference, corresponded over email or messenger, shared a lunch or just shared a heart for kids, family, and generational discipleship. This year ReFocus Ministry added a record number of followers and welcomed many new friends to our ReFocus Family and Intergen Facebook group. It blesses me so much that so many ministers and parents have a heart for raising up the next generations through intentional discipleship and legacy leaving.
As I’ve done each year, I wanted to leave you with the top five posts from 2017. These posts generated the most views, shares, and “likes” on Facebook, which tells me that these are the things we are passionate about when it comes to children, youth, the church and the home. Once again, thank you for inviting me to be a part of your journey!
What Happens When You Replace Pews with Coloring Tables? 
This summer we took out a couple of pews in the back of church, long wooden benches that are designed for fifty minute sitting sessions. Unfortunately worship usually lasts an hour. We replaced the pews with coloring tables. They were an immediate hit. No signs were needed as to why the tables were there. And here is what happened.
The Distraction During Worship
When we talk about distraction during worship or at church, it’s not unusual to hear the topic of children come up, because, let’s be honest, children can be distracting. But let’s also be clear, they are not a distraction. They are members of the body of Christ and the only group of people that Jesus specifically instructs us to welcome.
Why I’m not Mad at Disney
So there it is. The Controversy. In the live action version of Beauty in the Beauty, there is a nod to Same Sex Attraction (SSA). You can go look up the details if you haven’t heard about it yet, but if you haven’t, I’d be shocked. I have a few people ask me for my take on this. Specifically, I had someone ask me “Doesn’t it just make you so mad?” And, I had to look at them and say, “No, not at all.” And here’s why.
Frustrated about Kids in Church? Something’s Gotta Change 
A wise person once shared with my husband that “Frustration is the difference between expectation and reality.” He went on to say, “If you are frustrated, you will need to either change your expectation or you will need to change your reality.” The church tried changing the reality with unforeseen consequences. So what if we changed our expectations?
Do Not Hinder: Welcoming Kids to Worship
“It’s not about making sure we use strategies to keep kids occupied and from being a distraction. That’s important, but its not about that.
It’s not about changing the way we do our service or sing our songs or preach our sermons. That’s important, but it’s not about that.
It’s not even about making Scripture come alive and building intergenerational relationships and encouraging mentoring. That is so very important, but it’s not about that.
What it is about is simply this:
He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.” Mark 9:36,37″
For more information about
- Kids in Worship
- Determining which Type of Family Ministry model works best for your church
- Discipleship in Intergenerational community
- Encouraging the continued conversation through Practical Discipleship at Home
- Seminars, Workshops, Coaching
Check out to ReFocus Ministry or “like” our Facebook page. Join our conversation at theReFocus Family and Intergen Ministry group on Facebook.
About this Blog
Refocus Ministry was started by Christina Embree, wife to Pastor Luke, mom to three wonderful kids, and church planter at Plowshares BIC. With years of experience in family ministry and children’s ministry, she is passionate about seeing churches partnering with families to encourage faith formation at home and equipping parents to disciple their kids in the faith. She recently graduated with a Masters of Arts in Ministry focusing on Family, Youth and Children’s Ministry at Wesley Seminary, she also blogs at www.refocusministry.org and is a contributing blogger at D6 Family, ChurchLeaders.com, and Seedbed
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n the afternoon of Christmas. The morning had been filled with opening gifts, eating Jesus’ birthday cake, playing with new toys, watching new videos, and being with the family. PJs were worn all day, the house was a hot Christmas mess, and our food consisted of nothing but snacks and sweets.
The cry of every child who sees a funny faces, watches a “magic” trick, listens to a silly voice, snuggles with mommy, plays with daddy, swings with grandma, and rides a bike with grandpa. I can’t tell you how many times we watched the same episode of Dora with our middle child or read the same book with our oldest. And at Christmas, we do a lot of the same things we’ve always done. But let’s be honest…sometimes the repetition can get…boring?
If we only wait for “teachable moments” to be intentional, we are missing 98% of life. The everyday moments like getting on the bus and watching TV and eating a meal and cleaning the house… these everyday mundane moments are teaching just as much as the big headline-news ones.
The gift of a child is given with all sincerity. See, for a child, when they create something, a song, a scribble, a ring, they genuinely give a part of themselves to it.
Please know that I realize that for some churches the program is more than a performance. For those churches, the children are involved in church all year long as participants and not just performers and the Christmas program is an extension of a greater story. I am beyond blessed to serve in a church like this.
