Month: July 2018

Back-to-School Blessing for Volunteers, Parents, and Kids

/ Christina Embree / 1 Comment

In many places around the country, schools are gearing up to re-start sometime in the next month. For churches that often means a re-boot as well as they move from summer mode into fall programming and the start of a new academic year. With that can come a whole range of “new” things!  Kids promote to the next class, new volunteers come on to serve or they begin serving in a new capacity, and parents begin to navigate  new experiences with new teachers, new schools, and new grade levels for their kids.

education-908512_1920A few years ago, the church I worked at was able to hold a time of commissioning and blessing over these groups as the new school year kicked off and we began to embrace all of these “new” things.  The entire time of blessing takes about 5 minutes and can be a way for your whole church to come together and let the kids, parents, and volunteers know that they are being held up and prayer and sent out as God’s lights of love as the academic year begins.

Feel free to adapt this script to your own church’s service and needs, and blessings to all as we encounter all the “new” things!

An All-Church Blessing for Parents, Children and Volunteers

Purpose – To recognize kids who are promoting to new classes/small groups, to pray over kids, parents and volunteers at the start of a new academic year

Children’s Pastor/Family Minister – We are excited to be able to celebrate with you the growth of our kids and families this year and recognize them as they promote to new classes and small groups within this ministry and some to youth group. But before we bring up the kids, can I ask all of our ministry volunteers to please stand and make their way to the center aisle?

(as volunteers are moving)

It is a blessing to serve with this group of people. The love they show our kids and the grace with which they serve is a testimony of the love of Christ in their lives and to the children. So, I’d like to not only say thank you, but briefly pray for you as you serve this upcoming year! Church, will you join me?

(PRAYER – Lord be with and bless these who serve. In their service, give the strength and by your Spirit give them grace. May the love they give be retuned to them in greater numbers and may your joy fill their hearts)

Volunteers if you will please line each side of the center aisle and get your high five hands ready, we will bring in our kids!!

(If you have some fun music, you could use this here. This is based on our structure with small groups. It can be adapted to fit whatever age groups, classes, or sections a church has for their programs. It can also be done as one large group which will reduce the amount of time needed for this commissioning and blessing.)

Joining us for the very first time as they are just starting school, we give you our preschoolers!

(children will “run” through the volunteers to the front)

Moving up into the elementary room, we are excited to recognize our new Kindergarten/First Grade small group!

(children will “run” through the volunteers to the front)

Not too far ahead of them, we want to recognize our “middle kids” our 2nd/3rd grade small group!

(children will “run” through the volunteers to the front)

And finally, our oldest group, and probably the most excited, our 4th/5th grade small group!

(children will “run” through the volunteers to the front)

Last, we’d like to recognize our 6th graders who will be moving up to join the youth group this year!

(children will “run” through the volunteers to the front)

AT THIS POINT, ALL THE KIDS WILL BE UP FRONT AND THE VOLUNTEERS WILL RETURN TO THEIR SEATS

Pastor or Worship Leader: Church, we are so blessed to have this group of children to welcome into worship and help their parents disciple in the faith. At baptism (or dedication, depending on the church), we commit to helping our kids grow in Christ and today we would like to re-affirm that commitment to them in their presence so that they can hear and know that we are here for them.

(At this time, we read our church’s Congregational Charge read at baptism. More than likely, each church has a similar reading for baptism or dedication. This is a great time to remind the congregation of the commitment they have made to walk with these families and children and a wonderful chance for the children to actually hear the words being said since they are too young to comprehend it the first time is said.)

Pastor – Lord, we thank you for the gift of these children and youth. May we be faithful to serve them and may they walk in your love. Be with this as they go into this new school year and give them the grace they need to learn and grow.

Children’s Pastor/Family Minister– If you are a parent/caregiver of one of the children here, will you please stand where you are? Kids, these people love you more than you could possibly know and they want you to grow in faith and in love. Will you help me to pray for them like we did for you?

DISMISS KIDS TO PARENTS

Children’s Pastor/Family Minister (as kids are going) – Parents we know that the work you do is difficult and while the days are long, the years are short. Please hear this blessing as a prayer for you as you serve God as the faith formers in your home.

“May you love the Lord with all your heart and all your soul and all your strength. May His commandments always be upon your hearts, so that you can impress them on your children. May God give you grace to talk about these things continually, when you’re at home, or on the road, when you lie down and when you get up. When your strength fails, may you walk in His. When you are weary, may His arms carry you. And when the day is done, may you hear His voice saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

This post was originally shared on ReFocus Ministry here.

For more information about

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

EmbreeFam2017

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

*The advertisements at the bottom of this page are chosen by WordPress, not by ReFocus Ministry, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and values of the author. 

What Happened at Church Last Sunday?

/ Christina Embree / Leave a comment

Guest Blog by Luke Embree, Pastor at Plowshares Brethren in Christ, Lexington, KY.

I witnessed something audacious in church last Sunday.

It took some time for it to sink in but as the service progressed a realization began to dawn on me.

The pastor had forgotten to dismiss the children! 

At least that’s what I assumed had happened.  The senior pastor (who, in his defense, had been off work that week) introduced the morning’s speaker and completely forgot to dismiss the kids.  No one spoke up, no one caught it, and the service marched on.

And all the while an ebullient energy, barely containable, simmered below the surface.  And then the most incredible thing happened: Nothing.

Nothing went wrong, nothing exploded, no one walked out in offense, no one disrupted the sermon, nothing fell apart.  The parents cared for their children, their neighbors showed grace and patience, and the preacher shared his message unabated.

Rather than dismissing the kids, they had a prepared a place for the kids within the worship service. The children were engaged members of the congregation and the intentionality of the whole thing was refreshing.  Why did it work so well?

The church staff, the speaker, and the whole congregation had taken steps to ensure that the kids weren’t just distracted but engaged.

The morning’s worship list included some songs geared toward the very young and (let’s be honest) they were fun for the adults too.  They included ways for a person’s whole body to participate in worship, an easy and effective way to diffuse some of the wiggles in young and old alike.

The speaker’s message was on the missionary journeys of Paul and it opened with a retelling of these journeys in a big way.

Rather than simply reading a manuscript, a couple of young people dressed in cartoonish robes and long beards to act out the speaker’s retelling.  Their performance, which included some goofy gags and play-on words, provided an entertaining visual that aided his story and our comprehension of his material.

The speaker then went on to share reflections about Paul supported by several long readings from his epistles.  But rather than read these passages himself, the minister paused to allow another young person, dressed in the similar costume, to read the passages as he scribbled with a long quill from his writing desk, situated to the left of the platform throughout the sermon.  The break in the minister’s sermon, punctuated by this young man’s recitation, added diversity to the message and a convenient change of voice for our listening ears.


IMG-5332During the sermon, three young people drew pictures inspired by his message.  These pictures were periodically projected onto a large screen behind the pastor, accenting his points with visual design.  The effect of combining visual aids with spoken word helped to keep our attention while the presence of young people sharing their gifts and helping to tell the stories of our faith inspired us all.

If it was the intention of the church’s staff to engage the whole congregation with a creative and informative exposition of Scripture, then the service was a tremendous success.

As I look back now I suppose it was actually a very small thing, not dismissing the children during the service.  But it communicated some very big ideas.  I’d like to share just three:

Children are valuable members of the community of faith

First, it stated that our kids make important contributions to our church’s life and community.  They are not distractions that need to be managed.  They are people who want to be with their parents and fellow members of our community.  Not only that, they have the capacity to listen, to learn, and to participate in worship if given the chance.  But it will take intentionality on our part to develop services that include them well.

Young people can lead

Second, over the course of 60 minutes, the young people within the congregation were affirmed and empowered as active members and ministers within the Body of Christ.  We learned that they, too, have gifts that creatively and effectively add value to our understanding of God and his Word.

Ministry is a team effort

Finally, it was refreshing to watch an entire community take on the mantle of teaching, encouraging, and ministering to one another.  Rather than elevating one person to the role of “Minister,” the community rose up to care for the people of God. Yes, this very gifted pastor deserves credit for organizing and preparing the service.  But his leadership also communicated a very important truth: the gifts and graces of Christianity are best experienced together

As I look ahead to this coming Sunday I’m curious how we might carry these insights into our own times of corporate worship.  How might these ideas be expressed in churches across our nation? There are no easy answers but they are answers that are worth seeking out because, together, we are the body of Christ.

For more information about

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

EmbreeFam2017

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

*The advertisements at the bottom of this page are chosen by WordPress, not by ReFocus Ministry, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and values of the author. 

We Need More Celebrants In The World

/ Christina Embree / Leave a comment

“A celebrant is someone who takes a memory and plants it deep inside your heart in such a way that it offers continual moments of grace for a lifetime…Pain and anguish naturally plant themselves deep inside…moments of celebration take time and intention to be planted and grow…we need more celebrants in this world.”  – Dr. Lawson Stone

I heard this shared once at a funeral for a wonderful woman who was in every sense of the word a celebrant. The tributes from her children had a common thread – their mom loved life, loved them, and loved people and she strove to create lasting memories in every interaction she had.

We need more celebrants in the world.

My husband once said to me, “As a society and as the church, we know how to party, but we’ve forgotten how to celebrate.” As parents, we have the unique opportunity to do that, to celebrate deliberately and intentionally, with our children in a way that takes a fleeting moment and makes it last a lifetime. And as ministers, we have the even greater opportunity to connect those moments to our faith and take them from lifetime experiences to eternal blessings.

So how can we do that? How can we be the celebrants this world needs?  

Here are five ways that we, as parents and ministers, can take a moment and make it last a lifetime and beyond.

Make The Ordinary, Extraordinary

One of the stories girl-586988_1280shared about this celebrant mother was playing in the swirling water that went down the drain after bathtime. Such a routine, everyday, boring thing, right? But not to this mom. Oh no, the end of the bath meant watching with her child as the water drained away, playing in the swirl, saying good-bye to the bath.  Such a simple moment but one that became a special time of connecting with her children in such a way that it remained with them years later.

Simple moments become lifelong moments when celebrants make a big deal out of them. Celebrate the smallest victories. Point out the tiniest details. Connect over the mundane and bring it to life.

Hit “Pause” on Life

Life comes at us 24/7, full speed ahead. Celebrants hit pause. They say, “Everybody STOP!” And when they do, celebrants point out the beauty in a moment.

My kids know I like to do this and they know that the next thing I will probably say, “Look at the sky!” They make fun of me for this. They roll their eyes and say things, “Yeah, mom, it’s looks like a sky.”  But the other day, they came running inside yelling, “Mom, come quick!  You gotta see the sky!” And we all stood together watching a beautiful sunset. We paused life…and celebrated together.

“Pray For Me”

Prayer is the opportunity to talk to God, the Creator of the world, anytime, anywhere about anything. It’s a celebration every time. Celebrants use prayer to celebrate, whether it be a blessing to start the day, a petition to get through the day, or worship to end the day.

There are many times where this scenario plays out in our home: I pray for my daughter before she leaves for school. Two minutes later, she asks me to pray for her. I say, “I just did!”  She says something like, “Well, I don’t remember and that’s the important part. Can you pray for me again?”  Of course I do. Prayer is a celebration, every time.

“See” the World

I’m not talking about traveling; I’m talking about letting your children know they are part of something so much bigger than their town, their church, their family. Celebrants open their homes and hearts to others.

The mother who was honored at the funeral I attended did this by continually opening her door to others (the kids said they never knew who’d be at the dinner table or sleeping in their home) and by placing a world map in their dining room to remind them that there was a great big world out there, full of life and light and families just like them. One child shared that their mom saw her role to the world as “taking care of Jesus’ family” and that every person was a part of that. It was a celebration of life, all life, and it planted itself deep in her children’s hearts.

Have Fun

It really is often that simple for children. To make a moment last a lifetime, just have fun. Celebrants seek ways to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary; the mundane into the majestic.

Long, arduous car rides turn into memories of playing the ABC game, hearing mom read stories, getting special snacks only for those times, stopping at random places to run around and have fun.

Cleaning the house turns into a dance party, complete with loud music and mop handles as faux microphones.

A walk in the woods turns into an adventure through the magic forest to the land of Jibbers (this is one of our family’s favorite fantasies that Daddy made up one day).

It’s laughing together and taking the time to make sure the memories get planted deep within.

Celebrants are the ones who make those core memories stick.

And we have an incredible opportunity to celebrate life with our children in ways that will form them forever.

For more information about

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

EmbreeFam2017

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

*The advertisements at the bottom of this page are chosen by WordPress, not by ReFocus Ministry, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and values of the author. 

Passing It On: Generational Discipleship in Church

/ Christina Embree / 2 Comments

What do we mean when we talk about “generational discipleship”? It’s a term that I am hearing more and more frequently and it’s one that I myself use often in this blog.

Simply put, generational discipleship is the passing on of our faith from one generation to another.  

In Scripture, it is the model we are given for how we instill within our children and grandchildren the faith that our parents and grandparents shared with us and we do so within the context of relationship, mentorship, and community.

baton-passThere are examples of generational discipleship all through Scripture.

The most oft-quoted verse about generational discipleship is probably Deuteronomy 6:4-9 where we are told to impress the commands of the Lord upon our children and to talk about them when sit and when we walk and when we lie down and when we get up…so basically, all of the time. And this command is given within the full assembly of Israel to all the people so not just to parents but to the larger faith community.

We see this idea of generational discipleship play out in Scripture through so many intergenerational and familial relationships. Some examples include but are certainly not limited to…

  • Eli and Samuel (I Samuel 3)
  • Timothy and his mother and grandmother AND Timothy and Paul (2 Tim. 1:5)
  • Elijah and Elisha (2 Kings 2)
  • Naomi and Ruth (The book of Ruth)
  • Moses and Joshua (Deut. 31)
  • Mordecai and Esther (The book of Esther)

So how does generational discipleship play out in a faith community?

In 2017, The Journal of Intergenerational Relationships published an article whose findings explained that intergenerational relationships create essential learning environments for all generations.  In other words, if generations are going to interact with each other in meaningful ways, there are some key essentials that need to be in place.

Specifically they find that three things are necessary for intergenerational learning

  1. There must be space to learn about one’s own generation with other generations
  2. All generations must act as learners and teachers at the same time
  3. The learning must motivate participants towards in a particular way.

Often when our churches gather, these dynamics are either not in place at all or are difficult to find. Putting multiple generations into a place where they can interact in meaningful ways can be challenging because of differences in likes, dislikes, development and experience.

As a result, many churches opt for an environment that segregates the generations from one another and promotes learning within one age range rather than between the generations.  It’s much more difficult to create an intentional space for both to give and receive.

While these things are challenging, they are not impossible to overcome. It might be easier in the short term to maintain age-specific environments, but it is clear that in the long run, generational discipleship will be hampered by the lack of meaningful intergenerational relationships and interactions.

So what can we do?

There’s no silver bullet that will magically erase these challenges or suddenly make it easier to engage generations in learning and living together, but there are some avenues to explore that will create the space for growth.

  1. Stated Purpose – If you desire to put generations together for anything from corporate worship to shared meals, be sure and let everyone know the purpose behind your action. Give a stated reason for creating a multi-generational space and repeat it often so everyone is on the same page.
  2. Be Creative in Connection – Connecting different generations doesn’t have to look the same and connecting same generations. It’s unlikely that a second-grader is going to go out for coffee with a senior citizen. But what if the oldest Sunday School class showed up to cheer on the kids in tee ball in soccer?  What if the teenagers worked alongside their parents in serving their community together?  What if intergenerational prayer partners were connected to each other?  There are a lot of ways to interact with each other in meaningful ways!
  3. Give Generations a Voice – There’s nothing worse than feeling like you have nothing to give or that you are not heard.  If we step back and notice that our church lay leadership, committees, service groups, etc. all reflect only one or two generations and those groups are the ones casting vision, leading, and guiding the church, then there are multiple other generations that may not be feeling heard. Creating intentional space for all generations within your leadership structure can help flip that “top-down” mentality on it’s head and ensure that all generations have the space to give and to receive, to teach and to learn, so that all can grow together.

Since the separation of ages and the perception of differences mirrors that of our society, it’s easy for us to think “that’s just the way it is.”  But it’s important to note that it wasn’t that way for centuries. And equally as important to note that the impact on the church is a substantial one. Why?  Because our faith is primarily passed from one generation to another.

That is generational discipleship.

For more information about

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

EmbreeFam2017

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

*The advertisements at the bottom of this page are chosen by WordPress, not by ReFocus Ministry, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and values of the author. 

More than Independence

/ Christina Embree / 2 Comments

Today, America celebrates their Independence Day. 242 years ago, a group of men added their signatures a document that would eventually be sent across the Atlantic Ocean to the King of England declaring their independence from England and their intention to establish their own country.

The second and probably most quoted sentence of the document states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

And with that ideal, the United States of America was founded. Over time, our country has worked to define what all of that means from words like “equal” and “truths” to concepts like acknowledging a Creator and the right to pursue one’s own happiness. Wars have been fought, both geographical and political, ideological and philosophical, in order to pursue this objective.

light-painting-801025_1920For many of us, reading these words creates our own internal war. We all have deeply held loyalties and beliefs that color these words with our own meanings. For some it brings up a deep sense of nationalism and pride. For others a sense of sorrow and disappointment. Depending on our experience and our history, the ideals presented here can cause conflicting reactions.

And that brings us to July 4. A day set aside to celebrate our country.

How can we, as Christians and citizens of another Kingdom who recognize that God and country are often in conflict and not one and the same, use a day like July 4 to help our children grow in their faith and as good citizens of their country?

I think Jeremiah 29 gives a great framework for instilling in our children godly perspectives that help us to both celebrate and grow our faith. At this point in history, Israel has been captured by Babylon and the Jewish people are now living not in Israel but are exiled in Babylon under the rule of the king. The prophet Jeremiah is giving the people some instructions on how to live in God-honoring ways in Babylon even though it is not their country or their true home. And this is what is written:

“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem: Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. Marry and have children. Then found a spouse for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away! And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”

This passage is so rich, so full of amazing life lessons that we can share with our children.

Live Life Abundantly

Notice that God’s first command is build houses, get married and have children. It’s very similar to the command given to Adam and Eve in the garden to be fruitful and multiply. He doesn’t want them to live as depressed, withdrawn or frustrated people. He doesn’t want them to live as Babylonians either worshipping their king or their gods.

God wanted His people to engage in life where He had placed them, to be a part of the economy and the society in a noticeable and intentional way while still remaining true to following Him. How we can instill this sense of intentional engagement with our country and our community  while still bing fully committed to Christ in our children? Read on!

Work for the Peace and Prosperity of the City

This is how! Isn’t this the coolest command? God says, “Don’t just live there and multiply; become an integral part of the community!” Work for the good of the country. Find ways to engage in the community through service and giving and participation.

Explore places where your whole family can serve together, especially places that encourage peace and prosperity, reconciliation and rejuvenation. Together, seek peace and pursue it.

Pray for the Country

I know this seems self evident as Christians, but do we actually pray for our country? And when we pray, do we actually pray for our country or do we pray for the things we want for our country politically or otherwise? Do we pray against people and politicians or for the welfare of our country as a whole? And do we do it as a family?

Gratitude

This one is not explicitly listed here but it’s woven throughout the text. We can be grateful. We can be grateful that God is taking care of us and our families. We can be grateful for the country we live in and the freedoms we enjoy. And we can celebrate with gratitude the opportunities that we experience living in this country.

And, do you know what very well-known verse follows this portion of Scripture?

Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to bring you hope and a future.” What a wonderful promise given to Israel even as they lived away from home that God had them and would take care of them. And what a promise for us that while we are living here on earth, He is preparing an eternal future and a hope for us.

As we celebrate today, let’s remember that we are called to more than celebration; we are called to life, to work, to prayer and to gratefulness for our family and our country to the glory of God alone!

For more information about

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

EmbreeFam2017

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