If you looked out from the pulpit in our church sanctuary on any given Sunday morning, what would you see? Hopefully, faces of people who love Jesus and are joyful worshipers of the God! Yet, if you focused primarily on skin color, you would see about 96% Caucasian, and the rest a smattering of Africans-Americans,…
Author: John C. Kwasny, Ph.D.
Tinkering around in Children’s Ministry
Our pastor used a true story about the great American automobile giant, Henry Ford, as a helpful sermon illustration. Naturally, I thought of how it applies to Children’s Ministry as well as raising children in general. Here’s the story… There is a wonderful story of Henry Ford and Charlie Steinmetz. Steinmetz had one of the…
Facing the Falsehood of Fake News
True or false? There was once a time where you could fully trust that the news on TV, radio, and in print was all completely true. False! But with the recent overuse of the term “fake news,” one could easily get the impression that this is a totally new phenomenon. News networks, social media sites, and…
On Presidential Inaugurations and True Unity
The world has just witnessed the inauguration of the 45th President of the United States of America. Much of the commentary surrounding this historic event has highlighted how the supposed “united” America is more divided than ever, creating the need for the new President to unite this country. Competing throngs of supporters and protesters seem to bear this…
Increasing Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is not the normal human heart condition. If newborn babies could talk, they would not immediately give thanks to God for giving them life. They would not offer up praise to their parents for all the amazing food, toys, shelter, and onesies. As these youngsters grow up, parents fight the constant battle of grumbling, whining, complaining,…
Seminaries for Children
Seminaries for children? That sounds like cruel and unusual punishment–almost child abuse! First graders poring over Greek and Hebrew verb tenses. Kindergartners subjected to medieval church history and systematic theology. Second graders forced to preach on the circuit and visit the sick. How is a seminary any place for a child? By definition it’s a…
Back to Basics: Teaching Children about Sinful Desire
One of Satan’s most devious strategies is to convince people that today’s issues are just too complex to determine whether something is right or wrong, truth or error. This includes explaining human behavior, which secular professionals have worked overtime to establish as overly complicated. We are all meant to throw up our hands and surrender our…
Welcoming Children with Special Needs into Corporate Worship
On the surface, it seems like a no-brainer that we would welcome children with special needs to the regular worship of God’s people. Don’t we want all men and women, boys and girls to be included in the community of worshipers? Isn’t this what Christianity is all about? But when we dig a bit deeper,…
Teaching Children to Discriminate
With the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on homosexual marriage and recent efforts to claim certain legal rights for the “transgendered,” states and cities have responded with proposed laws and ordinances of their own. Proponents have argued that these are attempts to protect traditional Christian definitions of marriage, as well as the freedom of religion. Opponents…
How to Provoke Your Children to Anger in Three Easy Lessons
We live in a culture that sends parents multiple, conflicting messages about their children. On the one hand, children are to be the center of our universe—given all they desire, and praised to the hilt (in order to prevent low self-esteem, of course). They are to be protected from all sorts of suffering, doted upon,…
Children’s Ministry 101. Lesson 16: Grounded in Compassion
When you come to firmly believe that a vibrant children’s ministry is essential because of the covenant of grace in Jesus Christ, then you will remain grounded in your purpose and mission. But how will you maintain and sustain the everyday work of the ministry? It will certainly help if you have dedicated covenant parents who understand the…
Children’s Ministry 101. Lesson 15: Grounded in Covenant
“Why do we have a children’s ministry in the first place?” This is a question you must always be prepared to answer. Sometimes it will come even more aggressively, like: “I don’t see children’s ministry in the Bible.” or “The early church didn’t have a Director of Children’s Ministry!” Before you read on, what answer…
