What a great privilege I had this past weekend, spending time teaching the children of Cornerstone! This summer the children are going on a virtual mission trip to Haiti using some material from Starfish Kids (www.starfishkids.org). It was missions that God used to fan the flame of Christ in me and I am passionate about fanning the flame in others - the younger the better.
Some thoughts from my experience:
1. The children at Cornerstone are awesome! They were attentive, asked great questions, really thought about answers to my questions and they were all about being kids. They were so perceptive about differences and similarities between them and the Haitian children.
2. The children's ministry is a key and vital piece of Cornerstone's mission. Without children's ministry (and ministry to teens too) we would not be able to reach marginally churched young families with children in the home.
3. They were amazed that children could smile and look like they were enjoying life without electronic games, refrigerators, computers, tv's, or anything requiring electricity. I walked away from that experience even more thankful for the emphasis we've placed on our Christmas Offering - spend less on your own family and give that portion to children who have nothing. What a great lesson with real life implications.
4. We watched a video of the school where the Starfish Kids supported by Cornerstone are located. 500 children in a "building" a little larger than our worship center! No real walls dividing classrooms inside. Long rows of children. No playground. Low light. It made the kids thankful for their classrooms!
5. My time there made me even more passionate about reaching more West Chester, Liberty Township and Hamilton families through Cornerstone. There is a message to share and Cornerstone can make a difference in people's lives and our communities and our world by moving in to our communities and not just waiting for people to find us.
6. I'm even more thankful for the Children's Ministry Team - a group of faithful men and women who serve and share week in and week out so that our children will know who Jesus is and grow with a great foundation. Thank you for all you do that most people never see but we see the results of your prayers and efforts.
I tell people all the time that Cornerstone is the best place on earth to serve. I still can't believe I get to be here with you to serve the mission of Jesus. And in many ways it all starts with the children.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
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