Our new Minister to Children, Hope McNeil, begins her ministry here at Westbury next week. In light of that, I thought this Scripture was especially appropriate (it came up in my own devotional reading this week):
An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all—he is the greatest.”
--Luke 9:46-48
Since that visionary old Englishman, Robert Raikes, invented the Sunday School in the late 1700s as a way to keep slum kids off the streets (and out of the pubs), churches have felt a strong responsibility to reach out the children of their communities. Research has shown that the vast majority of people who come to faith in Christ do so while they are in their childhood. Is it any wonder that Jesus urged us to welcome the little child? Not only can they teach us a thing or two about humble, faithful devotion to Christ, but each one is important to the God who created them. Please be in prayer for Hope as she begins her ministry. Encourage her when you have the opportunity. Be ready to volunteer for nursery duty, VBS, Sunday School, or other ministries. Our church already has a wonderful group of people leading our ministry to children. With someone as gifted and motivated as Hope leading the way, I can't wait to see what God will do in and through our ministry in the years to come.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I am so excited to have someone with a future of child rearing ahead of her (could be her age ;))But I really think this will give her a motivation to make sure programs and ministries are in place for the future of our church family.
A HUGE thank you needs to be said to the lay leadership that stepped up when we needed them so desperately.
Amen to that! We're planning on honoring them this Sunday, but we'll never be able to thank them enough.
Post a Comment