Advent Lutheran Church in Arlington, Texas, started anew today. We focused on the value and importance of ministry to, with, and for children and youth. This was part of an ongoing summer series exploring the Jesus Priorities (based on a book by Christopher Maricle) Blessing of the Backpacks The entire service focused on children and youth, including the blessing of the backpacks as many students head back to school tomorrow and others in the days and weeks ahead (begins at Read More …
children
Sermon: The Gift of Children (#1527)
Sermon Text: Mark 10:13-16 Sermon Excerpt In many churches the simplest way to identify which rooms are intended for children and which are reserved for adults is to observe the size of the furniture. Since so many of you are parents and grandparents, I hope you know that children are not miniature adults. Some of the adults here have talked to me about our recent use of many different versions of the Lord’s Prayer. The most common comment is that this variety has led you to Read More …
Most Important Values to Teach Children (#1477)
The Pew Research’s new American Trends Panel survey asked respondents to pick the three most important values to pass on to children (from a list of twelve). Overall, respondents selected being responsible - 55% hard work - 42%, and religious faith - 30%. So What? When an additional filter is applied, the results look quite different. When you compare the most conservative respondents with the most liberal two rather different sets of responses emerge: Consistently Read More …
Sermon: Persisting for the Children (#1203)
Sermon Text Luke 18:1 -8 Sermon Excerpt In both the modern retelling and the original parable, you can't miss the huge power difference between the judge and the widow. The widow has limited resources, limited mobility, and limited options. The judge is supposed to play by the rules but has decided he is above them. The persistence of the marginalized widow is appealing. It is an admirable quality that resonates with readers and viewers alike. They want what she Read More …
Don’t Lie to Kids (#1118)
Geoffrey Holsclaw, affiliate professor of theology at Northern Seminary, recently blogged about what he deems the biggest lie often told to children: sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt you. Regarding this reality of the saying, Holsclaw writes: A broken bone will heal in a couple weeks, but a broken spirit can last a lifetime. Don’t we all know people wounded and scarred by words (ugly, failure, worthless, unwanted), living out of those lies as if they were Read More …
Memorable Moments in Worship (#0938)
Some church services are more memorable than others. While many faithful churchgoers have heard hundreds or even thousands of sermons, most can only recall a few in any detail. The following video from Hickory Grove Baptist Church illustrates what I imagine was the most memorable moment for almost everyone present in that service. Catch The Kid from Hickory Grove Baptist Church on Vimeo. So What? Pastor Clint Pressley likely prepared for many things, but apparently not Read More …
The Other Half (#0639)
Protestant churches have done exceptionally well among those who are married and even better among those who are married and have children. These groups, as a percentage of the total American population, have been shrinking for decades and likely will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. The latest data from the Pew Research Center shows that only half of adults (51%) aged 18 and older were married in 2010. Additionally, the median age for first marriage has risen steadily Read More …
The Influence of Technology (#0438)
"The Family and Technology Report" is one of the Barna Group's latest publications. The report is based on research conducted in partnership with Orange, which is part of the reThink Group. "The innovative study included nationwide interviews among parents and 11- to 17-year-olds from the same households, allowing comparisons between the parents and the tweens and teenagers who reside in the same home." Recently, Church Juice's Jerod Clark discussed the study's five findings and Read More …