Ladies Retreat Idea

We just had a blessed ladies retreat at Richardson East and I thought I would share the theme idea just in case it could bless someone else. Our starting off place was Ken Gire's book Windows of the Soul. We called the retreat Open Windows/Encounters with God. We then developed nine windows where we can encounter God. We decorated each room and had experiences in each center that were multi-sensory.
-The Kitchen Window focused on encountering God through serving.
-The Bedroom Window focused on encountering God in rest and dreams
-The Patio Window focused on encountering God in nature
-The Parlor Window focused on encountering God through our gifts and talents
-The Dining Room Window focused on encountering God through communion and feasting
-The Living Room Window focused on encountering God through relationships
-The Game Room Window focused on encountering God through entertainment
-The Bathroom Window focused on encountering God through cleansing and forgiveness
-The Nursery Window focused on encountering God through childlikeness
Each woman had the opportunity to choose five of the windows during the weekend. If anyone is interested in the specifics of what we did in each window and the guided experiences you can email me at lynn_leaming@tx.rr.com and I will be glad to send them to you. We received a lot of positive feedback from the women in attendance that it was a blessed time.

How important are camp crafts?

I'm not much for poetry. Particularly if it doesn't rhyme predictably.
But here is a poem by Billy Collins I heard on Prairie Home Companion the other day about Camp Crafts.

"The Lanyard"
The other day as I was ricocheting slowly
off the pale blue walls of this room,
bouncing from typewriter to piano,
from bookshelf to an envelope lying on the floor,
I found myself in the L section of the dictionary
where my eyes fell upon the word lanyard.

No cookie nibbled by a French novelist
could send one more suddenly into the past --
a past where I sat at a workbench at a camp
by a deep Adirondack lake
learning how to braid thin plastic strips
into a lanyard, a gift for my mother.

I had never seen anyone use a lanyard
or wear one, if that’s what you did with them,
but that did not keep me from crossing
strand over strand again and again
until I had made a boxy
red and white lanyard for my mother.

She gave me life and milk from her breasts,
and I gave her a lanyard.
She nursed me in many a sickroom,
lifted teaspoons of medicine to my lips,
set cold face-cloths on my forehead,
and then led me out into the airy light
and taught me to walk and swim,
and I, in turn, presented her with a lanyard.

Here are thousands of meals, she said,
and here is clothing and a good education.
And here is your lanyard, I replied,
which I made with a little help from a counselor.

Here is a breathing body and a beating heart,
strong legs, bones and teeth,
and two clear eyes to read the world, she whispered,
and here, I said, is the lanyard I made at camp.
And here, I wish to say to her now,
is a smaller gift--not the archaic truth

that you can never repay your mother,
but the rueful admission that when she took
the two-tone lanyard from my hands,
I was as sure as a boy could be
that this useless, worthless thing I wove
out of boredom would be enough to make us even.

Nashville Recap

So I am hoping that some of you that attended the Christian Education Conference will dialog via this blog about something that blessed you about your time in Nashville this year. Personally as I mentioned in an earlier post I was really challenged by the presentations by Rick Rusaw on how to be an Externally Focused church. I was also challenged by Reggie McNeal in being more missional. The statement that has stuck with me the most is that Jesus commanded us to "Go and make disciples of all nations..." so why have we spent so much time and energy building programs in hopes that they will come?? I know that he gave me a lot to think about in regards to me getting more involved in my community and taking advantage of the opportunities that I have to join God in the work He is doing outside of the walls of my church building. So how about you? Share a nugget you received and bless those who were not able to attend this year.
We also want to take this opportunity to congratulate Tom Tignor for receiving the 2008 Holbert RideoutExcellence in Christian Education Award. Tom has spent his life dedicated to Christian Education and has filled the roles of youth minister, adult education minister, singles minister, pulpit minister as well as his current role as Vice-President of Publications for 21st Century Christian Publishing. We were all blessed to hear the testimonies of those closest to him.

We've Missed You!

If you are not currently here in Nashville with us, we are missing you. But more important you are missing some great speakers!! Tim Woodruff has really challenged all of us in the worship times to see what it means to have ministries that are spirit filled and spirit led. He has personally led me to rethink my own theology in regards to the Spirit and question whether I have allowed His presence and power to be unleashed in my own life.

Yesterday, I heard Susan Lingo for the first time. I have used various books of hers for years and years, but it was refreshing to see how the Lord continues to bless her with new ideas in how to be intentional in the way we use crafts and object lessons to teach our children. She definitely helped unleash the creative spirit in each of us. Then Eddie Plemmons shared with us how he is using the 252 Basic curriculum at his church in Franklin Tennessee. He showed us the importance of shepherding children in small groups. How he recruits adults and teens to fill the roles of shepherds each week in groups of 4-6 children.

Today I heard another great lesson from Rick Rusaw on how to help our churches become externally focused. His church in Longmont Colorado focuses on serving their community and are known in the community for their service. When the mayor needs a task force he looks for members of the Lifebridge church to fill those positions because he knows they care about the city. Rick explained how when they first approached schools about getting involved they were leery, but they began asking teachers how they could help support them and then became so involved in the schools that when a high school student committed suicide the Lifebridge people were invited to come and just be listening ears to those students because they had already had a presence in that school. The stories went on and on and it was convicting to hear that he is not at a church where 80% of the people are doing 20% of the work, but they have found a way to get most of their members involved in some area of service.

Then this afternoon I got to hear Larry Fowler. A couple of months ago I mentioned I was excited to hear Larry because I had read his book Rock Solid Kids. He did not disappoint. The session I sat in on was how to get our kids serving in the kingdom. He startled us all with the statistics that depending on whose research you are reading the minimum amount of our kids that are walking away from church at graduation is 50%. He said most research shows it is 70% to 90%. Is that perhaps because we have convinced our children that they are the church of tomorrow and they see no purpose in today? (that is my question not Larry's) But he did cause us to think about what the church would look like if our children were involved in ministry in every area the adults were.

Then if all that was not good enough, it has been great to be with old friends and here what God is doing in their ministries and it has been great meeting new friends. Although, I have to admit the older I get the younger these new friends seem! I met one girl from Lubbock (yes I should remember her name) that when she heard my name said "oh, we prayed for you". To which I got teary eyed just having another opportunity to learn about all the people that have been praying for me on the road to recovery I have been on. And there has been great materials that our vendors have supplied. We got a look at some David C. Cook materials that are not even released as of yet!

So once again, we missed you! We hope you will make plans to meet us in Glenn Eyrie next year! It is always an added blessing to be there where God has also given us such a beautiful surrounding of His nature. I have had trouble with the Internet connection in my hotel room and came down to the lobby just so I could post this and forgot to bring the media form with me, but will get back on tomorrow and let you all know how you can order CD's of the presentations.

10 Reasons To Attend CEC

The other day I was on a website that listed ten reasons for Children's Ministers to attend the Children's Pastor's Conference, so I thought I would borrow the idea for this post. The conference is only 13 days from now. Hope you have made plans to join us!!

10 Reasons to Attend the Christian Education Conference

1. You’ll spend three days learning from experts in various fields of education ministry

2. You’ll bring back new ideas for enhancing your ministry and have a refreshed vision.

3. Explore the hottest products in the market with our vendors. There’s a lot to see from over 10 companies! You’ll return to the church with some free samples, a long list of ideas, plus contact information from a variety of people who can help your church.

4. You’ll have an opportunity every day to spend some uplifting times in worship.

5. You’ll receive a conference notebook, ready to be packed full of ideas you’ll start getting the very first day. If you bring back just one awesome idea, the conference will be worth it.

6. Have some fun time in Music City USA and time to tour some of the Nashville scenes.

7. Host an “everything I learned at CEC” presentation when you get home. Show your elders, deacons, teachers or ministry team leaders the new ideas you have.

8. Does your church have an open job position? Post the position on the message board and then scout out potential candidates at the conference. You could even screen possible hires on-site.

9. Come celebrate with us as we honor this year’s Excellence in Christian Education Award.

10. Great networking opportunities! You will have many opportunities to make long lasting relationships.

Ready for Nashville

I hope that you all got your hotel room booked and are looking forward to the Christian Education Conference. Mostly I hope that you were not any later than I was booking the room because if you were, then you missed out on the great conference rate! I was probably the last one to reserve a room before the deadline arrival.

With everything going on, I should be wondering if I can fit the CEC into my schedule. We all know how busy Christmas time is and it seems the first of the year does not bring any kind of slowing down. Those of us who work with kids that participate in LTC are really seeing the pace pick up I know. However that is one reason I enjoy the CEC so much. It is a time of renewal and re-focus of sorts. I enjoy being with others who are focused on the ministry of education – whether to kids, teens, adults or everyone in between. It fires me up to hear new ideas and also to be reminded of things I’ve heard before. It’s encouraging to me to be around those younger than me – with fresh ideas, enthusiasm, the newness of ministry – and with those older than me – with knowledge I don’t have, the example of not giving up and the love of the ministry they are involved in.

I am thankful for the CEC. I’m thankful for the countless number of volunteer hours that are put into the planning, the advertising, the program and everything that goes on behind the scenes. I look forward to seeing you all there!