Be Sure Your Ministry is a Safe Place

It can be difficult to keep focus and perspective when we are serving in the day-in day-out work of Children's Ministry. This is the reason it can be oh-so easy to lose perspective and become discouraged or worse, bitter. But, I am here to tell you, do not lose heart! Hold on! While there are times it can be difficult to believe; or at the very least, confusing, God does know what He is doing and He does not waste anything which happens in our lives! Even better . . . He does have a plan and His plan truly is for our good!

I have had the opportunity to serve in ministries over the years which were places of grace and joy! Places where I loved serving and where I experienced deep joy in serving. Sadly, I have also served in ministries where I was taken advantage of, where there was not much joy, where pastors we actually gossips, and there was great frustration. However; looking back, I can see so very clearly how God's hand directed and protected and He equipped and trained me so I would be ready for future opportunities!

So, if you are somewhere where the joy is difficult to find and the frustration abounds; please hold on! Do not give up! Continue to be faithful to do what you know God wants you to do and the day will come when you will be able to look back and see so very clearly how God's hand directed and protected you as He equipped and trained you for opportunities to come! Now, having said this, you do NOT have to stay in a place where you are being hurt. If others are harming you, do NOT stay in that place.

But, do not let others keep you from serving. I wrote yesterday about how years ago when I was the Children's Director at a large church in Northern California we always had visitors and one Sunday we had a new family visit and the mom told me she used to have my job at another church in town, but was taken advantage of and hurt, so she decided she NEVER wanted to serve in Children's Ministry again, and did not want to be part of the Children's Ministry at our church. I told her I was sorry this happened to her and I understood. 

As the months went by, she watched and saw we truly supported and encouraged our volunteers. When our second hour third grade teacher had to step out due to health issues, she volunteered to fill the spot, but told me it was only for the three months until the Summer Ministry began. When we held our month of recruiting for Fall (the month of May) she volunteered to teach for a year! She told me when she experienced the care we showed our volunteers she thought maybe it was safe to serve again. 

If you are being hurt, find a safe place to serve again. And if you are a leader in your Children's Ministry, be certain your ministry is a safe place.