When Church is Hard

Today I was thinking of the phrase, 'going to church doesn't make a you a Christian anymore than sitting in a garage makes you a car?', always a classic quote.  While I totally get it and it is a very true quote, it leaves out the fact that church both attracts the Holy Spirt and offers important value for growth at any level (Acts 2: 46-47)

...but DANG, sometimes it's harddddd [insert whiney voice here].

camp bound with excellent leaders

exploring 

As our church historian this year (a job I started putting together this week, SIGH), I've been reviewing our entire year in one box (don't judge me, I started a brand new job this year too).  

Now thanks to my lack of planning, I have a real job on my hands (and in addition I think I had zero church attendance in November because I have no record of it).  This process has certainly made me very reflective because our church has endured a lot of change.

Connor sang with his friends on Easter morning

Not only were we challenged with many leadership changes, we had family and friends that completely moved in different directions.   

In short, it was awful.

I will be completely honest thatmy family felt like throwing in the towel on this whole 'church' thing.   For months, I took the spiritual lead and fake cheered my family on with 'God has this',  'There is a reason people are being called to other places', 'Let's just wait and see what God has in store', 'God will work it out', .... but deep inside I was bitter.   
How dare people leave me? (never mind God's plan for others, I was focused on me. ME. ME. ME.).  I mean really, these are people whose children sat on my lap while I read the bible to them, who I laughed with over something crazy that happened that week, who held my daughter's little fist as she took her first steps over the carpeted nursery, who fished my son out of the toilet and other adventures (long story), who comforted and prayed while I cried, who attended birthdays, showers, and celebrated each milestone... and then they just leave... me.   
I think I would have been more comforted with a big yelling match, but instead the changes were gradual yet unexpected, leaving me with little closure.  

The Last Supper

Change can be hard for this old gal.  I'm not much of a hippie but I was starting to enjoy the idea of going out into a field and singing a few hymns before a Netflix binge on Sunday morning.  Why would I endure church by choice when quite frankly I could free up a lot of time and have an additional half day to myself?  I think a lot of people think in this way and I can understand it.
What I've learned is that when undergoing a spiritual revival, my comfort is not God's top concern.  Despite my emotional feelings, I had to take ME out of the equation (I really hate when I have to do that).  
I know that God designed me to be a part of something greater than myself.  Whether we are introverted, extroverted, or something in between- we have all been called to join others and help others (Romans 12:  4-5).  My faith could not allow me to ignore this call.
This world is just too crazy to ignore God's call.  

  

Backstage in Bethlehem
Love these faces

While I struggled, I was observant.  I think what impressed me so much during our time of change is how our elders and our young adults set the example most.  They re-banded, reorganized, and very prayerfully took on much needed leadership roles.  Committees were formed, our children were never neglected, and our outreach in the community never faltered.
I learned a lot. 
God also gently pushed me where He wanted me to go.

making food packs for local schools

our youth leader helping an elderly neighbor with outdoor chores

In this process my family has finally reached a much deeper understanding of our spiritual direction.  I like to think we taught our kids:  
-to not give up when things get hard
-church is about God, not personal preference
-God calls us to new leadership
-don't use cornstarch for any church activity ever (I just learned that one today, see below)
-Faith is 'taking the first step when you don't see the whole staircase'
-Church community fosters a special love (Colossians 3:13-14).

 

It's important that we share that our spiritual ups and downs are real and they are challenging.  Most of all, I can share that I held on and have never been more excited about what I'm going to learn at church.  
This morning our new youth leader joined me in a series of 'lab experiments' to celebrate our upcoming VBS followed by a Sunday school lesson about accountability with our new preacher and his wife.  It was very informative (You gotta love King David, that rascal.)

We are excited to have God move our S. into position of youth leader 

For our Time Lab Theme:  test tubes of bottles and slime with extra invites

God Powered Ovens

Smore Messy Scale:   8

When you pray that the girls helping me carry the "sin volcano" do not spill it all over their Sunday dress.  #amen 

Why did I do this?  Jacob wrestles God in the Oobleck.

Connor literally covering my tracks.  Don't tell the deacons. 

God connects our prayers.
They are far reaching to those we don't even know.

Cornstarch Face  

Y'all, I felt a lot of Jesus love this morning.  

I hope it is something everyone can experience. 

Mini Story Walk- Easter

Today has been a busy day at the church.

It started with two lessons on Easter and ended with two interviews for our youth leader search.

Please be in prayer for this process.  
It has been quite the responsibility but God is so good to teach me such important things at this time in my life.

On to our miniature story walk.  

I'm thinking this summer that I will expand into a larger story walk.  This one may have been a bit too short (and I've already thought about extra elements I could have added with more time and energy).

We started with a Hosanna Parade to represent Jesus entering Jerusalem on the Donkey while the people shouted for Him- The King!

Next we made a stop at the 'Last Supper'. 

My second group was nearly all boys (and Carlee)...there may have been a spill or two at this time.  ;) 

Isn't he the cutest?  

We then stopped at the place where the soldier arrested Jesus, and later they taunted Him with a crown of thorns.

After Jesus was crucified, He was wrapped and buried in the tomb.  We used heavy weights to signify the moving of the stone at the tomb....

and discussed the feeling we would have if someone we loved dissapeared from the grave. 

Fishers of Men?

Here we find the tomb empty.  

(If you are interested in teaching children/children in church, please invest in a cheap pop out tent.  This tent has been used as a--- cave, Noah's Ark, Jonah the Whale, ship, tomb, etc.  The possibilities are endless.)

Yikes!  A soldier in the tomb.

Inside the 'empty' tomb, the children each took out a cross.  They returned to the room where we read the final part of the Easter story.

He has Risen.  

We blew bubbles to show the Rise of Christ, and we wore fluorescent lights to compare God's light during a time of darkness.  

I played this song, He is Risen by Paul Baloche.

 Somewhere in the middle of The Easter Story, one of the boys highly encouraged me to watch a life changing video called 'Unstable Unicorns'.

I have no idea the connection but I now know about a new game (and I now know I'm as ADD as any boy).

Early morning break of dawn

Stumbling to the tomb

Standing awestruck wondering who

Rolled away the stone

And as the sun came up

Amazed they looked inside

A voice, an angel clothed in light

Don’t be afraid, He is alive!

He is risen Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Christ is risen

Let the whole world sing

Christ is risen 

Christ is risen from the dead

93- Lets Go Racing

The summer movie to watch:

My kids were really excited about Cars III (and by kids I mean my rising 6th grader but you did not hear that from me).   Connor was such a Cars movie fan as a little boy.  I think he has worn the Cars DVD out watching it over and over.  

It was the first movie we took Connor to see (he was only 2) and I think his daddy is the one who wanted to see it.  I most remember Gerber Fruit Snacks spilling all over the floor during this time.  

Although, we are not huge fans of the Cars II ,  I promise all racers that Cars III will not disappoint.

I guess the theme of summer is racing. 

Late Night Racing at the Madhouse

I'm even interested in watching Baby Driver.  It seems really action packed with a lot of great actors but it will have to be a trip without the kids due to the rating.

As I was planning my summer children's church lesson, I tried to think about an idea I could do with the car/ racing theme.  We are pretty boy heavy at church but even our southern girls at the very least have been exposed to NASCAR and I thought they may enjoy it (....I  thought wrong because the girls were NOT into it but 😊 it was ok).

I found this really cute printable car craft from a Racing for God VBS website.  

I was a little ambitious with this one.  

It took so long to cut and put together, I decided to precut for the second group.

I read the story from Numbers about how brave and smart Caleb and Josh were to follow God's will/directions despite the many terrifying obstacles in their path.  They "raced" forward for God and boy are they glad they did because there were a few other unGodly rebels that didn't make it (and I mean "lights out" for them).

Next, I set up prayer stations modified from the blog Flame:  A Children's Ministry.  She has the BEST prayers station ideas ever.

Due to the level of difficulty of our paper race cars, I'm not sure how much praying was done at the prayer stations but I at least put the idea in their heads and they had fun with the manipulatives. 

Connor had a LOT of vehicles from the first Cars movie that we were able to borrow. 

I showed this clip....

... as a way of showing that sometimes the race doesn't turn out exactly the way that we think it should.  We will most certainly face obstacles but we have God as our crew chief who sent his only Son so that we would believe and come out victorious.  

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2

A Few Church Babies

FYI-  Carlee's daddy dressed her while I attended the early service.  She is wearing shorts with that shirt but as she describes they are "dressy" shorts...so ok then. 

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