I believe with all my heart that a home without a father is the most debilitating factor for a person’s social, moral, emotional and spiritual life. It is heartbreaking to see a child grow up without a dad. It is even sadder when the situation is not caused by the natural or tragic death of a father. Children are being socially, morally, emotionally and spiritually crippled because of selfish and irresponsible decisions of adults. Someone once said that “any man can be a "father"....it takes a REAL man to be a "DAD".
Before you take my word for it, let me give you some statistics:
63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes (Source: U.S. D.H.H.S., Bureau of the Census
90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes
85% of all children that exhibit behavioral disorders come from fatherless homes (Source: Center for Disease Control)
80% of rapists motivated with displaced anger come from fatherless homes (Source: Criminal Justice & Behavior, Vol 14, p. 403-26, 1978.)
71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes (Source: National Principals Association Report on the State of High Schools.)
75% of all adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers come from fatherless homes (Source: Rainbows for all Gods Children.)
70% of juveniles in state-operated institutions come from fatherless homes (Source: U.S. Dept. of Justice, Special Report, Sept 1988)
85% of all youths sitting in prisons grew up in a fatherless home (Source: Fulton Co. Georgia jail populations, Texas Dept. of Corrections 1992)
You can see the strategy of the devil. Jesus taught us about the Father’s (God) love and told us to share that same love. He tells us in John Chapter 14 verse 9 “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” The image of a father has been so distorted by devices of the devil that when you talk of a Father God it literally shuts people down. Many say to themselves, “The Father’s Love! Are you kidding me? I have never known a father that loves me!”
It is obvious that Jesus anticipated this strategy of the evil one and the Word of God gave us the hope of the promise in Malachi 4:6 “He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers…” We need to keep praying, believing and hoping in the fulfillment of this prophetic promise. At the same time we cannot afford to stand back and wait. There are young boys and men in our nation and around the world that need Godly men as mentors and role models.
I have ministered in inner city communities to over two hundred children with only one home that I was aware of that had a father living in the home! In one community in the Pittsburgh area, we began our Power Sidewalk Sunday School. There was a nine year old boy named Johnny. He was an obvious leader to the rest of the children. Johnny had a great influence on the other children and he was determined to ruin the program. During the praise he would cross his arms and refuse to sing and participate. The kids would enjoy the fun songs until Johnny would catch their eyes. Immediately they stopped even though they were enjoying it very much.
Each week we showed up I would get so frustrated. What would it take to breakthrough to this hardened kid? I found out that Johnny’s dad was in prison. His mom had many other children. Johnny was being raised by his alcoholic grandmother. This was one tough kid! As I was praying for a breakthrough for Johnny, the Holy Spirit inspired me to ask Johnny to go fishing with me. I love fishing! I spend much of my free time fishing. When you love something and spend time doing it, you usually become good at it. I was going to take Johnny fishing.
That week at the Power Hour I approached Johnny before the program and informed him that I wanted to talk to him afterwards. His immediate response was, “Why? What did I do?” He said with an attitude. I told him to just hang around afterwards and get with me. He approached me as we were cleaning up after the program. He came with two of his buddies and defiantly asked again “What did I do?” I answered, “You didn’t do anything. I was just wondering if you would like to go fishing with me tomorrow afternoon?”
Immediately this kid who had been hardened beyond his years became a child again. A huge smile came to his face. “Sure! When? Where?” He could not contain himself. The other boys were in awe and I could see jealousy on their faces. I told him that I would pick him up at 3:00 p.m. the following day but we needed to ask his grandma first. She agreed and our fishing trip was set.
I picked up my friend Walt and together we proceeded to the Hill District of Pittsburgh to pick Johnny up for the first fishing trip of his life. This was the Hill District. While going up a steep hill to pick him up, my van started chugging and eventually stopped running! I had to get a tow truck to get it home. Johnny’s grandmother did not have a phone and there was no way to contact him to tell him what happened. I was in agony as I was imagining this anxious boy sitting on the curb waiting. I was sick to my stomach. To Johnny I had just become like every other man in his life. I promised to be there and did not show up!
It took a almost a week to get the van fixed. It was fixed just in time to for the next Power Hour. When we showed up on the old basketball court where we always set up, Johnny was nowhere to be found. I made my way to his grandmother’s apartment. As she let me in I could see Johnny in the dimly lit living room sitting with his arms crossed and an angry look on his face. I immediately apologized and told him what had happened and begged for another chance. I offered to pick him up the following morning. Reluctantly, he nodded his head in agreement. I could see the skepticism and mistrust in his eyes. His grandmother informed me that he would be staying with his mom in another neighborhood and gave me the directions and address. She also sternly told me that I better bring her some fresh fish back. Now I had two promises to fulfill.
This time my van made it and I picked up Johnny early that next morning. I do not think he slept and it only took one blast of the car horn for him to come running. We first ate some breakfast then headed off to one of my favorite fishing holes. It was on the Beaver River. When we got there I was disappointed to see that heavy rains a few days earlier had swollen the river to where it was almost un-fishable. We manage to find a place to settle in and cast into the muddy waters. Grandma was going to be disappointed but Johnny was not. We did not even get a bite but we skipped rocks, ventured along the river’s edge and just did what guys do when the fish are not biting. We finally gave up fishing and went to “Mac Donald’s” (every kid’s favorite). I let him order whatever he wanted and he could not believe it. On the way home Johnny told me that this was the best day of his life! I told him if he thought this was good then just wait until the fish were biting next time. With eyes as big as saucers he exclaimed, “We are going to do this again?” I answered, “You better believe it! Your grandma is not going to let us get away without catching her some fresh fish!”
Johnny and I had quite a few more fishing trips together and yes, Grandma got her fish. More importantly Johnny used his influence with the other children and became a great role model to the other kids. He helped with every aspect of our program. He helped us lead the praise. He was the last one to leave as he and his buddies picked up the trash. I did not try to be Johnny’s dad but I did try to be big brother, mentor and friend.
I believe the promise of Malachi 4:6. “I know that it will be fulfilled someday.” In the meantime there are children all over the world who need big brothers and sisters. Role models and mentors that can and will change their lives for ever. It does not take much. A little time, an occasional trip to “Mac Donald’s”, and the love of the Father God poured through you to change a life of a child forever.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Chapter 8 "The Safest Place In America"
Lincoln Park is an inner city community in Hampton, Virginia. It is a Housing Development Authority community and predominantly occupied by African Americans. The crime rate is high. Shootings happen on a regular basis. This community became one of the safest places for me, a caucasian man in his late forties to early fifties. How does this happen? Normally, men who look like me in that neighborhood are bill collectors or city detectives and neither are welcome here.
The Lord has called me and blessed me with the skills to minister to children in inner city communities. I was seeking for a neighborhood to start our Power Hour ministry. The Power Hour is called sidewalk sunday school or you could describe it as a children’s church that we present outside on a Saturday or weekday evening.
When it was Christmas time, my wife and I would buy presents for children and then ask the local police if they knew of a needy family. They always did. The Hampton City Police kindly led us to a poor Muslim family in some run down apartments. Even though they were Muslims, the mother was deeply touched by our generosity and kindness.
After giving the family the gifts I approached the police with another question. I told them about our Power Hour program. I then asked them where was the roughest and most needy neighborhood where perhaps our program could make a difference. Immediately, both policeman said “Lincoln Park”. I set my eyes, my prayers and my preparation on Lincoln Park for the next three months. As soon as the warm spring weather appeared, we would start our ministry there.
I began prayer walking the neighborhood regularly. I started talking to residents about our program. I was directed to an elderly lady pastor who lived in the high rise building in Lincoln Park. Families lived in the low rise building and elderly and handicapped in the high rise. I knocked on the lady pastor’s door. She suspiciously greeted me and asked why was I there. I began to tell her about our proposed programs for the children and immediately she invited me inside to hear more. She excitedly told me that this is exactly what she had been praying for! There was a community center for the children but they did not offer any religious or spiritual programs because they were funded by the government. We did not need a building for our program. We only needed a large grassy area and a place to park my van with the sound system.
I asked her who did I need to contact to get permission. She sternly looked at me and said “You are talking to her! I am the pastor of this community and I give you permission for your program.” Before I had asked this question I knew that I had found the key person to make our program successful. My experience working in inner city communities has shown me that there is usually a “matriarchal” leader in the community. Someone’s grandma who has lived there forever is usually the door to the community. In this case it was this elderly lady pastor. We had a great relationship during the five years that I ministered in Lincoln Park. This relationship kept the door open for us.
That May we started the Power Hour Sidewalk Sunday School in LIncoln Park. The first thing we did was knock on the doors of every home in the community and hand out a promotion flyer for the program. We would do this the day before the program started. Those initial meetings with the residents can be very intimidating! Many of the doors open and a huge African American man sees me and shouts, “What do you want?” I muster up some courage and hand them a flyer and tell them that we have a great program for the kids starting tomorrow. The flyer has a tear off for the kids to get a free blow pop and a chance to win a huge Super Soaker squirt gun. Most would take the flyer and slam the door in our face.
The Power Hour starts the following afternoon. The kids come running with their flyers looking for their free blow pop and the chance to win the Super Soaker. In order to have a chance to win the prize they have to fill out the bottom tear-off portion with their names, apartment number and if possible a contact number. We take the tears-offs and load the information into the computer for a data base for future visits.
The children love the Power Hour and so do their parents and caregivers. It is a fun, fast program that teaches Bible lessons each week. There is fun, music, games, and prizes! We always finish with a popsicle or ice cream bar. Weather permitting, we run it every week May through September. Fifty to sometimes over a hundred children would join us each week. We follow up with visit to children’s homes. Our goal was to visit every child in their homes, once per month.
As I said before, someone who looks like me knocking doors in this neighborhood is looked at suspiciously. After a few visits and the adults seeing the success of our program, the suspicions cease. My team and I are greeted with, “Pastor Tim, I know you are here to visit my child (niece, nephew or grandchild) but could you take time to pray for me?” We have prayed for drug addicts, alcoholics, struggling single moms, sick family members and many other prayer requests. Prayers are answered and relationships are built. When we are invited into the home, we are able to notice if there are needs. We have returned with boxes of food, mattresses for beds and used clothing. I always loved when we are able to meet those needs and see the appreciation from those families. We eventually found free bread and bake goods from a Bread Ministry and delivered them to the community on Saturday mornings.
The community endearingly calls me and knows me as “Pastor Tim”. They have come to know, love and trust us. When I come into the neighborhood either for the Power Hour or visitation, the kids come running. Sometimes on visitation I feel like the Pied Piper. The children follow us from house to house and give us the lowdown on each family. They become a great source of information. They always know when there is a new resident or family and quickly introduce us.
Our team is required to wear our Power Hour Shirts with a distinct colorful logo on the front when we work in the community. We try to go two by two and not go at night. Under these guidelines, this neighborhood probably becomes the safest place in America for me. I am trusted and I also trust. I am protected.
One cold evening, I had to go visit a family. I normally tried to not go by myself but this night either out of lack of wisdom or necessity, I went by myself. I wore my Power Hour Shirt under my black wool coat. I made my visit and proceeded to where I parked my car. I was also aware of a corner where most of the drug deals went down. My car was parked near this corner and I carelessly proceeded that way. I watched in many of these drug deals where they had watchmen at different key places. If a cop or detective approached they would used their Nextel phones with the radio feature to warn the others. The Nextels give off a distinctive “beep-beep” when used.
I walked around the corner of a building and about fifty yards away, the deal was going down. I heard the Nextels and then heard “Get him!” I immediately knew this was towards me! I learned from our Power Lessons of Moses that when Moses did not know what to do, he prayed. I prayed, “Lord, Help me?!” Four men from different directions were approaching me and reaching into their jackets. The Lord did help me! The Holy Spirit gave me wisdom and I quickly unbuttoned my wool coat and like Superman exposed my Power Hour Logo on the front of my t-shirt. Once again I heard a Nextel and a voice say “Back off, it’s only Pastor Tim.”
This was an almost completely African American community in Southeast Virginia! Prejudice is rampant. Trust is only earned with time and respect. For me this became a safe place because the love of Jesus breaks through prejudice. Jesus poured loved into our hearts for the community and the community, He built a trust for us. Respect was given and received. I worked five years in this community. Our ministry was honored by the city for our work there. I love those families and especially those kids. I miss you, Lincoln Park!
The Lord has called me and blessed me with the skills to minister to children in inner city communities. I was seeking for a neighborhood to start our Power Hour ministry. The Power Hour is called sidewalk sunday school or you could describe it as a children’s church that we present outside on a Saturday or weekday evening.
When it was Christmas time, my wife and I would buy presents for children and then ask the local police if they knew of a needy family. They always did. The Hampton City Police kindly led us to a poor Muslim family in some run down apartments. Even though they were Muslims, the mother was deeply touched by our generosity and kindness.
After giving the family the gifts I approached the police with another question. I told them about our Power Hour program. I then asked them where was the roughest and most needy neighborhood where perhaps our program could make a difference. Immediately, both policeman said “Lincoln Park”. I set my eyes, my prayers and my preparation on Lincoln Park for the next three months. As soon as the warm spring weather appeared, we would start our ministry there.
I began prayer walking the neighborhood regularly. I started talking to residents about our program. I was directed to an elderly lady pastor who lived in the high rise building in Lincoln Park. Families lived in the low rise building and elderly and handicapped in the high rise. I knocked on the lady pastor’s door. She suspiciously greeted me and asked why was I there. I began to tell her about our proposed programs for the children and immediately she invited me inside to hear more. She excitedly told me that this is exactly what she had been praying for! There was a community center for the children but they did not offer any religious or spiritual programs because they were funded by the government. We did not need a building for our program. We only needed a large grassy area and a place to park my van with the sound system.
I asked her who did I need to contact to get permission. She sternly looked at me and said “You are talking to her! I am the pastor of this community and I give you permission for your program.” Before I had asked this question I knew that I had found the key person to make our program successful. My experience working in inner city communities has shown me that there is usually a “matriarchal” leader in the community. Someone’s grandma who has lived there forever is usually the door to the community. In this case it was this elderly lady pastor. We had a great relationship during the five years that I ministered in Lincoln Park. This relationship kept the door open for us.
That May we started the Power Hour Sidewalk Sunday School in LIncoln Park. The first thing we did was knock on the doors of every home in the community and hand out a promotion flyer for the program. We would do this the day before the program started. Those initial meetings with the residents can be very intimidating! Many of the doors open and a huge African American man sees me and shouts, “What do you want?” I muster up some courage and hand them a flyer and tell them that we have a great program for the kids starting tomorrow. The flyer has a tear off for the kids to get a free blow pop and a chance to win a huge Super Soaker squirt gun. Most would take the flyer and slam the door in our face.
The Power Hour starts the following afternoon. The kids come running with their flyers looking for their free blow pop and the chance to win the Super Soaker. In order to have a chance to win the prize they have to fill out the bottom tear-off portion with their names, apartment number and if possible a contact number. We take the tears-offs and load the information into the computer for a data base for future visits.
The children love the Power Hour and so do their parents and caregivers. It is a fun, fast program that teaches Bible lessons each week. There is fun, music, games, and prizes! We always finish with a popsicle or ice cream bar. Weather permitting, we run it every week May through September. Fifty to sometimes over a hundred children would join us each week. We follow up with visit to children’s homes. Our goal was to visit every child in their homes, once per month.
As I said before, someone who looks like me knocking doors in this neighborhood is looked at suspiciously. After a few visits and the adults seeing the success of our program, the suspicions cease. My team and I are greeted with, “Pastor Tim, I know you are here to visit my child (niece, nephew or grandchild) but could you take time to pray for me?” We have prayed for drug addicts, alcoholics, struggling single moms, sick family members and many other prayer requests. Prayers are answered and relationships are built. When we are invited into the home, we are able to notice if there are needs. We have returned with boxes of food, mattresses for beds and used clothing. I always loved when we are able to meet those needs and see the appreciation from those families. We eventually found free bread and bake goods from a Bread Ministry and delivered them to the community on Saturday mornings.
The community endearingly calls me and knows me as “Pastor Tim”. They have come to know, love and trust us. When I come into the neighborhood either for the Power Hour or visitation, the kids come running. Sometimes on visitation I feel like the Pied Piper. The children follow us from house to house and give us the lowdown on each family. They become a great source of information. They always know when there is a new resident or family and quickly introduce us.
Our team is required to wear our Power Hour Shirts with a distinct colorful logo on the front when we work in the community. We try to go two by two and not go at night. Under these guidelines, this neighborhood probably becomes the safest place in America for me. I am trusted and I also trust. I am protected.
One cold evening, I had to go visit a family. I normally tried to not go by myself but this night either out of lack of wisdom or necessity, I went by myself. I wore my Power Hour Shirt under my black wool coat. I made my visit and proceeded to where I parked my car. I was also aware of a corner where most of the drug deals went down. My car was parked near this corner and I carelessly proceeded that way. I watched in many of these drug deals where they had watchmen at different key places. If a cop or detective approached they would used their Nextel phones with the radio feature to warn the others. The Nextels give off a distinctive “beep-beep” when used.
I walked around the corner of a building and about fifty yards away, the deal was going down. I heard the Nextels and then heard “Get him!” I immediately knew this was towards me! I learned from our Power Lessons of Moses that when Moses did not know what to do, he prayed. I prayed, “Lord, Help me?!” Four men from different directions were approaching me and reaching into their jackets. The Lord did help me! The Holy Spirit gave me wisdom and I quickly unbuttoned my wool coat and like Superman exposed my Power Hour Logo on the front of my t-shirt. Once again I heard a Nextel and a voice say “Back off, it’s only Pastor Tim.”
This was an almost completely African American community in Southeast Virginia! Prejudice is rampant. Trust is only earned with time and respect. For me this became a safe place because the love of Jesus breaks through prejudice. Jesus poured loved into our hearts for the community and the community, He built a trust for us. Respect was given and received. I worked five years in this community. Our ministry was honored by the city for our work there. I love those families and especially those kids. I miss you, Lincoln Park!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Chapter 7 WHO WILL REACH THE CHILDREN?
If you reach the heart of the children, you can win a nation. During the triumphant entry of Jesus the children were crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” Matthew 21:15 Hosanna means “He saves”. Jesus had won the hearts of the children. The children realized that Jesus was their Messiah and Savior. Many people were shouting ‘Hosanna” that day, but it caught the attention of the religious leaders that children were on board. “Do you hear what these (children) are saying?” they angrily asked Jesus. They became keenly aware that their religious rule and reign was coming to an end because Jesus had won the hearts of the children.
I have experienced this same reaction from government authorities in Communist countries. In most Communist countries you can share the Gospel with adults and you will probably not suffer persecution. I am not talking about open preaching but casually sharing to inquisitive individuals. If you get caught sharing the Gospel to children and youth under 18 years of age, you are in trouble. The Communists and other oppressive governments know that once the children and youth of a nation realize truth, their oppressive rule is a generation away from ending.
During the late nineties and into the early part of this millennium I took numerous trips to Viet Nam. Viet Nam has the fastest growing children’s ministry in the world. The under ground church became ultimately aware about the importance to reaching the children and youth. Thousands of children were coming to Christ during this time. I once spoke to a pastor who estimated that he pastored 12,000 adults and over 100,000 children throughout Vietnam. I visited hidden places where hundreds of street children were given food and clothes while at the same time had the love of Jesus presented to them in fun and relevant ways.
The children’s workers in Vietnam were desperate to be trained by the ministry teams that I was a part of. We would find secluded places and teach and train from morning until night. They hung on every word we taught. They reminded me of baby birds when the mother arrives at the nest with a juicy worm. In order to be relevant in children’s ministry you have to be able to learn to use puppets, sculpture with balloons, teach using flannel graphs, and other visuals that will help you communicate to children. Using flannel graph figures in the US churches is considered old fashion and out of date. In Viet Nam the flannel graphs are priceless as it gives Sunday School teachers a way to visually make the Bible stories come alive. The flannel graphs that we used were purchased at a missionaries’ discount from Betty Lukens. They came as large flannel sheets with the the Bible characters and scenes needing to be cut out. Cutting them out was very laborious but carrying in the uncut sheets made it very convenient to get through the tight security at the Viet Nam airports. Going through the Xray machines the flannel graphs just appear as folded cloth.
The church workers in Viet Nam would get so excited to open our suitcases filled with these flannel Bible stories. The children in Viet Nam loved them and they also provided a way to teach the illiterate tribal people!
In my years of ministry from the inner cities of America to third world village churches I have been blessed to see whole families come to the Lord as the result of reaching one child. During my first year serving as an intern children’s pastor in Singapore we would receive children into our kids church while their Buddhist parents would go shopping. They thought we were the best deal in town for child care! Those same parents today are serving the Lord and we have seen salvation extend to their brother, sisters, mothers, fathers, grandparents, nieces and nephews.
Drug addicts in the rough inner city communities of America would bring their younger brothers, sisters and their own children and make them sit and listen to our program. They knew the hopelessness of their situations and desperately wanted a different life for these children. We would visit the children in their homes only to hear a voice crying out somewhere in the house begging, “Pastor Tim, pray for me. I’m hooked on drugs!” Some found the deliverance they so desperately needed through those prayers and visits.
Studies have shown and I am convinced that most parents will choose a church based on the quality of the children’s ministry. The current Barna Group study indicates that nearly half of all Americans who accept Jesus Christ as their Savior do so before reaching the age of 13 (43%), and that two out of three born again Christians (64%) made that commitment to Christ before their 18th birthday. People who become Christian before their teen years are more likely than those who are converted when older to remain "absolutely committed" to Christianity.
Most churches spend most of their resources trying to evangelize adults while their greatest return on that investment happens with youth and children. If the church was judged on its stewardship like corporations are, church decision makers would start losing their jobs. How can you continue to invest where there are less returns and survive. We can’t! 3500 to 4000 churches are closing their doors each year in America! I am not saying to give up reaching the adults but we need to take more of our church budgets and invest them in reaching children and youth.
Jesus taught us in Matthew 18: 5-6 about the importance of embracing the children and the severity of causing them to stumble:
“And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” Matthew 18:5-6
One chapter later the disciples seem to have forgotten what Jesus had just taught them. People were bringing their children to Jesus and the disciples are trying to chase them away!
“Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.“ Matthew 19:13-14
The church once again needs to hear these words and commands from Jesus concerning children. I have shuttered at hearing churches say that the reason they do not do more to reach children is because the children do not pay tithes! My experience has shown me that Jesus pours out the resources of heaven upon those who compassionately endeavor to reach children with His love. Shame on every church board member and decision maker for denying the children’s ministry the resources necessary to effectively do the work of the ministry of evangelizing and discipling children.
I have watched churches that have had great growth over the years. A vast majority of those churches had two major focuses, missions and children’s ministry. I believe these two areas of concentration within a church will touch the heart of God. I once heard a song called ‘Who Will Reach The Children?” I am so glad that years ago I said, “Lord, send me!”
I have experienced this same reaction from government authorities in Communist countries. In most Communist countries you can share the Gospel with adults and you will probably not suffer persecution. I am not talking about open preaching but casually sharing to inquisitive individuals. If you get caught sharing the Gospel to children and youth under 18 years of age, you are in trouble. The Communists and other oppressive governments know that once the children and youth of a nation realize truth, their oppressive rule is a generation away from ending.
During the late nineties and into the early part of this millennium I took numerous trips to Viet Nam. Viet Nam has the fastest growing children’s ministry in the world. The under ground church became ultimately aware about the importance to reaching the children and youth. Thousands of children were coming to Christ during this time. I once spoke to a pastor who estimated that he pastored 12,000 adults and over 100,000 children throughout Vietnam. I visited hidden places where hundreds of street children were given food and clothes while at the same time had the love of Jesus presented to them in fun and relevant ways.
The children’s workers in Vietnam were desperate to be trained by the ministry teams that I was a part of. We would find secluded places and teach and train from morning until night. They hung on every word we taught. They reminded me of baby birds when the mother arrives at the nest with a juicy worm. In order to be relevant in children’s ministry you have to be able to learn to use puppets, sculpture with balloons, teach using flannel graphs, and other visuals that will help you communicate to children. Using flannel graph figures in the US churches is considered old fashion and out of date. In Viet Nam the flannel graphs are priceless as it gives Sunday School teachers a way to visually make the Bible stories come alive. The flannel graphs that we used were purchased at a missionaries’ discount from Betty Lukens. They came as large flannel sheets with the the Bible characters and scenes needing to be cut out. Cutting them out was very laborious but carrying in the uncut sheets made it very convenient to get through the tight security at the Viet Nam airports. Going through the Xray machines the flannel graphs just appear as folded cloth.
The church workers in Viet Nam would get so excited to open our suitcases filled with these flannel Bible stories. The children in Viet Nam loved them and they also provided a way to teach the illiterate tribal people!
In my years of ministry from the inner cities of America to third world village churches I have been blessed to see whole families come to the Lord as the result of reaching one child. During my first year serving as an intern children’s pastor in Singapore we would receive children into our kids church while their Buddhist parents would go shopping. They thought we were the best deal in town for child care! Those same parents today are serving the Lord and we have seen salvation extend to their brother, sisters, mothers, fathers, grandparents, nieces and nephews.
Drug addicts in the rough inner city communities of America would bring their younger brothers, sisters and their own children and make them sit and listen to our program. They knew the hopelessness of their situations and desperately wanted a different life for these children. We would visit the children in their homes only to hear a voice crying out somewhere in the house begging, “Pastor Tim, pray for me. I’m hooked on drugs!” Some found the deliverance they so desperately needed through those prayers and visits.
Studies have shown and I am convinced that most parents will choose a church based on the quality of the children’s ministry. The current Barna Group study indicates that nearly half of all Americans who accept Jesus Christ as their Savior do so before reaching the age of 13 (43%), and that two out of three born again Christians (64%) made that commitment to Christ before their 18th birthday. People who become Christian before their teen years are more likely than those who are converted when older to remain "absolutely committed" to Christianity.
Most churches spend most of their resources trying to evangelize adults while their greatest return on that investment happens with youth and children. If the church was judged on its stewardship like corporations are, church decision makers would start losing their jobs. How can you continue to invest where there are less returns and survive. We can’t! 3500 to 4000 churches are closing their doors each year in America! I am not saying to give up reaching the adults but we need to take more of our church budgets and invest them in reaching children and youth.
Jesus taught us in Matthew 18: 5-6 about the importance of embracing the children and the severity of causing them to stumble:
“And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” Matthew 18:5-6
One chapter later the disciples seem to have forgotten what Jesus had just taught them. People were bringing their children to Jesus and the disciples are trying to chase them away!
“Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.“ Matthew 19:13-14
The church once again needs to hear these words and commands from Jesus concerning children. I have shuttered at hearing churches say that the reason they do not do more to reach children is because the children do not pay tithes! My experience has shown me that Jesus pours out the resources of heaven upon those who compassionately endeavor to reach children with His love. Shame on every church board member and decision maker for denying the children’s ministry the resources necessary to effectively do the work of the ministry of evangelizing and discipling children.
I have watched churches that have had great growth over the years. A vast majority of those churches had two major focuses, missions and children’s ministry. I believe these two areas of concentration within a church will touch the heart of God. I once heard a song called ‘Who Will Reach The Children?” I am so glad that years ago I said, “Lord, send me!”
Monday, February 07, 2011
Chapter 6 My God Shall Provide All Your Needs
We can truly declare that over the course of our ministry and our Christian lives the Lord has provided above and beyond what we could ever ask or think. The channel for His provision has come through many ways. I have been a full time pastor on staff at churches with a salary. Other times we have had to depend on the generous and kind donations of others to sustain us. I have worked part time and full time jobs while serving in ministry. We started businesses. Debra worked full time in real estate for seven years while I did volunteer work in the inner city. And last but not least we have seen Jesus miraculously provide through the years. Many times it has been a combination of all these. It is not important how He provides. What is important is that you are obedient to do what He calls you to do in each season. Obedience brings blessing and provision.
When the Lord was first dealing with me to enter into full time ministry I was a successful realtor. I started working in real estate part time but through diligence and favor I became the top realtor in my company. This was a “Better Homes and Gardens” company that covered all the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. I worked hard it but I also had great favor during that time. Two of the top realtors in the company took it upon themselves to mentor and help me. I learned so much from them and they also threw deals my way. I am so thankful for these two people that I have always tried to “pay it forward.” Whatever position I have been employed, I always try to help the “new guy”.
I enjoyed progressing as a successful realtor and then the call came to enter into full time ministry. As I have written previously, I knew I was called and I was telling others that I was called but I had not really answered the call. Finances, or should I say lack of finances, always seem to get our attention and open our spiritual ears. I left the real estate company I was with and joined a new progressive company. It was a company that offered different levels of commission based on the amount of service we gave them. I thought it was a great concept so I switched. I did well at first but then the faucet turned off. I couldn’t sell a house to anyone! I lost God’s favor in this area. It was so frustrating and I needed to provide for my family so I ended up quitting the real estate business. I was working for an hourly wage with a brother from the church hauling trash. I didn’t get paid enough to pay our bills but but it was more than I was making as a realtor.
It was during this time that I answered the call of God and the accident happened with Debra and Abigail. When I told the Lord that I would go to Bible School I informed Him that I had a family to take care of and bills to pay. Like He did not already know that! Where God guides, He provides.
We needed to sell our house to go to Bible School. We called a Real Estate Broker who was a close friend and great Christian, Greg Garrett. He came to the house to sign the paperwork to list the house. Knowing that I was once a top real estate agent he asked, “What in the world are you doing hauling trash? Come work for me until your house sells?” Gregg never hired part timers. He was always looking for people who wanted to build careers in real estate. I informed him of this when he said he would make the exception for me. He told me to come work for him until I sold the house and could go to Bible School. Gregg has been an encouragement for many people and his encouragement convinced me that I could give it a try.
I joined Gregg’s company and after a few months became the number one sales agent! Gregg always put the names of the top listing and sales agents of the month on a big sign in front of the office. God’s favor through Gregg had put my name there. Most realtors were working on getting listings. I had used some training from my last company to work buyers. I was calling “used contacts”. I got the names of people who had called into the office but for whatever reason never bought a home from one of our agents. I was doing so well that the thought came to me that perhaps I would not go to Bible School but continue with a career in real estate. The Lord quickly rebuked me and reminded me of why I was being blessed once again. Our home finally sold and I resigned to move to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to attend full time Bible School. When I quit I had many sales pending. I partnered with another agent to attend to the sales and close them. We worked an agreeable split for the commission. As in many real estate deals not all closed on time, but they did close. We had income from these sales that sustained us for the next year while I attended Bible School! We even had medical/hospital bills cancelled!
We must be diligent and work for the provision God has for us but at the same time He can miraculously provide. Near the end of my first year of Bible School is when Pastor Mark Geppert offered us the internship that would follow my graduation. The school policy was that a student took one course through the summer months or they would take a mission trip during that time. I chose to go on a trip to Singapore and Indonesia with Pastor Mark. Our mission would be to Indonesia but we would spend time in Singapore. I agreed and started on the journey of faith to find the provision for the trip. It would cost each person approximately one thousand five hundred dollars.
Just when I developed the faith to believe God for the provision for me to go, the conviction came that Debra, my daughter Elizabeth and youngest daughter Abigail were all to go. I knew they were suppose to go as we would be living there as a family but I had just got enough faith for me! Oh well, the support letters went out and we began praying for the money to come in. I received an encouraging word that the “widow’s mite would sustain us”.
The first year of Bible School was complete and summer break had begun. The mission trip was fast approaching. Through the generous donations of others we had three thousand dollars. The trip was about ten days away and we were going to take a trip to Hampton, Virginia to visit family and our old church. Before we did I took a day to go fishing on the Ohio River with Pastor Mark Geppert and his two sons. At our current church I was involved in a ministry that ministered to children from divorced and broken homes. There was a twelve year old boy who did not have a dad and had never been fishing. I asked his mom if he could come fishing with me and she gladly permitted him to go.
The fishing that day was great! We were catching bass, walleye, pike and other species. The young boy that I brought was not interested in catching fish. He was enjoying climbing on the rocks and trees. I finally convinced him to come and fish. His first cast he got a bite and hooked a large sheep head fish. I helped him land the fish but he was afraid to touch it. I grabbed the fish out of the water and worked to get the hook out so we could release the fish. I was twisting and maneuvering the hook to loosen it when the shiniest copper penny fell out of the fishes mount into my hand! Amazed, I showed Pastor Mark and the other boys.
Pastor Mark remarked, “Tim, take that as a prophetic sign that God is going to provide for you and your family to go on the mission trip.” The story of Peter finding the coin in the mouth of a fish quickly came to all of our minds.
Since the boy had caught the fish I felt it only right to give him the penny from the fish’s mouth. When I did, he quickly took it and skipped it across the top of the water! He threw the penny back in! I could not believe it! In my mind I wanted to throw the kid in but knowing that he had already had a tough life, I controlled myself. I now realized that this was probably ordained by God as I would have enshrined that shiny copper penny. It would have made it to my mantle piece and become a golden calf idol.
The next day we left to drive to Virginia. A lady friend of Debra approached her to say that she wanted to give us some money for our mission trip. She had a dream that God told her to help us. She did not have the money with her but would meet Debra at a lady’s meeting the next day. Her name was Paula. Paula had three young boys and she was recently widowed. Her husband was hit by a car while crossing the road to go to work.
Debra went to the meeting but Paula did not show up. In the meantime Pastor Mark called us to inform us that he needed the balance of two thousand five hundred dollars to pay for the air tickets for our mission trip. Debra called Paula to see if they could meet. Paula gladly invited us over to the house so she could give us a check she had made out for our trip. We arrived at Paula’s house and she invited us to sit down at the table for some drinks. We chit chatted about our lives and as we did I peered down and saw the check made out for five hundred dollars. I tried not to show my excitement. Surely God would provide the remainder of one thousand dollars once we turned this check in.
After catching up with our lives Paula asked us how much more we needed for the trip. We tried to avoid telling her but eventually my wife informed her that we needed a total of one thousand five hundred. Paula grabbed a pen and wrote a “one” in front of the five hundred! As she handed it to us tears filled our eyes. Paula was a widow and this was a “Mighty Mite!”
We continue to experience the provision of God in many ways. I love to quote the scripture “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 NIV He has always met our needs and more. It has come sometimes through hard work. Other times through opportunities. We have been humbled by the generosity of others in our lives. And last but not least we have seen the miraculous provision of our Lord.
When the Lord was first dealing with me to enter into full time ministry I was a successful realtor. I started working in real estate part time but through diligence and favor I became the top realtor in my company. This was a “Better Homes and Gardens” company that covered all the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. I worked hard it but I also had great favor during that time. Two of the top realtors in the company took it upon themselves to mentor and help me. I learned so much from them and they also threw deals my way. I am so thankful for these two people that I have always tried to “pay it forward.” Whatever position I have been employed, I always try to help the “new guy”.
I enjoyed progressing as a successful realtor and then the call came to enter into full time ministry. As I have written previously, I knew I was called and I was telling others that I was called but I had not really answered the call. Finances, or should I say lack of finances, always seem to get our attention and open our spiritual ears. I left the real estate company I was with and joined a new progressive company. It was a company that offered different levels of commission based on the amount of service we gave them. I thought it was a great concept so I switched. I did well at first but then the faucet turned off. I couldn’t sell a house to anyone! I lost God’s favor in this area. It was so frustrating and I needed to provide for my family so I ended up quitting the real estate business. I was working for an hourly wage with a brother from the church hauling trash. I didn’t get paid enough to pay our bills but but it was more than I was making as a realtor.
It was during this time that I answered the call of God and the accident happened with Debra and Abigail. When I told the Lord that I would go to Bible School I informed Him that I had a family to take care of and bills to pay. Like He did not already know that! Where God guides, He provides.
We needed to sell our house to go to Bible School. We called a Real Estate Broker who was a close friend and great Christian, Greg Garrett. He came to the house to sign the paperwork to list the house. Knowing that I was once a top real estate agent he asked, “What in the world are you doing hauling trash? Come work for me until your house sells?” Gregg never hired part timers. He was always looking for people who wanted to build careers in real estate. I informed him of this when he said he would make the exception for me. He told me to come work for him until I sold the house and could go to Bible School. Gregg has been an encouragement for many people and his encouragement convinced me that I could give it a try.
I joined Gregg’s company and after a few months became the number one sales agent! Gregg always put the names of the top listing and sales agents of the month on a big sign in front of the office. God’s favor through Gregg had put my name there. Most realtors were working on getting listings. I had used some training from my last company to work buyers. I was calling “used contacts”. I got the names of people who had called into the office but for whatever reason never bought a home from one of our agents. I was doing so well that the thought came to me that perhaps I would not go to Bible School but continue with a career in real estate. The Lord quickly rebuked me and reminded me of why I was being blessed once again. Our home finally sold and I resigned to move to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to attend full time Bible School. When I quit I had many sales pending. I partnered with another agent to attend to the sales and close them. We worked an agreeable split for the commission. As in many real estate deals not all closed on time, but they did close. We had income from these sales that sustained us for the next year while I attended Bible School! We even had medical/hospital bills cancelled!
We must be diligent and work for the provision God has for us but at the same time He can miraculously provide. Near the end of my first year of Bible School is when Pastor Mark Geppert offered us the internship that would follow my graduation. The school policy was that a student took one course through the summer months or they would take a mission trip during that time. I chose to go on a trip to Singapore and Indonesia with Pastor Mark. Our mission would be to Indonesia but we would spend time in Singapore. I agreed and started on the journey of faith to find the provision for the trip. It would cost each person approximately one thousand five hundred dollars.
Just when I developed the faith to believe God for the provision for me to go, the conviction came that Debra, my daughter Elizabeth and youngest daughter Abigail were all to go. I knew they were suppose to go as we would be living there as a family but I had just got enough faith for me! Oh well, the support letters went out and we began praying for the money to come in. I received an encouraging word that the “widow’s mite would sustain us”.
The first year of Bible School was complete and summer break had begun. The mission trip was fast approaching. Through the generous donations of others we had three thousand dollars. The trip was about ten days away and we were going to take a trip to Hampton, Virginia to visit family and our old church. Before we did I took a day to go fishing on the Ohio River with Pastor Mark Geppert and his two sons. At our current church I was involved in a ministry that ministered to children from divorced and broken homes. There was a twelve year old boy who did not have a dad and had never been fishing. I asked his mom if he could come fishing with me and she gladly permitted him to go.
The fishing that day was great! We were catching bass, walleye, pike and other species. The young boy that I brought was not interested in catching fish. He was enjoying climbing on the rocks and trees. I finally convinced him to come and fish. His first cast he got a bite and hooked a large sheep head fish. I helped him land the fish but he was afraid to touch it. I grabbed the fish out of the water and worked to get the hook out so we could release the fish. I was twisting and maneuvering the hook to loosen it when the shiniest copper penny fell out of the fishes mount into my hand! Amazed, I showed Pastor Mark and the other boys.
Pastor Mark remarked, “Tim, take that as a prophetic sign that God is going to provide for you and your family to go on the mission trip.” The story of Peter finding the coin in the mouth of a fish quickly came to all of our minds.
Since the boy had caught the fish I felt it only right to give him the penny from the fish’s mouth. When I did, he quickly took it and skipped it across the top of the water! He threw the penny back in! I could not believe it! In my mind I wanted to throw the kid in but knowing that he had already had a tough life, I controlled myself. I now realized that this was probably ordained by God as I would have enshrined that shiny copper penny. It would have made it to my mantle piece and become a golden calf idol.
The next day we left to drive to Virginia. A lady friend of Debra approached her to say that she wanted to give us some money for our mission trip. She had a dream that God told her to help us. She did not have the money with her but would meet Debra at a lady’s meeting the next day. Her name was Paula. Paula had three young boys and she was recently widowed. Her husband was hit by a car while crossing the road to go to work.
Debra went to the meeting but Paula did not show up. In the meantime Pastor Mark called us to inform us that he needed the balance of two thousand five hundred dollars to pay for the air tickets for our mission trip. Debra called Paula to see if they could meet. Paula gladly invited us over to the house so she could give us a check she had made out for our trip. We arrived at Paula’s house and she invited us to sit down at the table for some drinks. We chit chatted about our lives and as we did I peered down and saw the check made out for five hundred dollars. I tried not to show my excitement. Surely God would provide the remainder of one thousand dollars once we turned this check in.
After catching up with our lives Paula asked us how much more we needed for the trip. We tried to avoid telling her but eventually my wife informed her that we needed a total of one thousand five hundred. Paula grabbed a pen and wrote a “one” in front of the five hundred! As she handed it to us tears filled our eyes. Paula was a widow and this was a “Mighty Mite!”
We continue to experience the provision of God in many ways. I love to quote the scripture “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 NIV He has always met our needs and more. It has come sometimes through hard work. Other times through opportunities. We have been humbled by the generosity of others in our lives. And last but not least we have seen the miraculous provision of our Lord.
Friday, February 04, 2011
Chapter 5 "Above All Else, Get Knowledge"
Bible school was in my future and a very necessary ingredient for my success. I highly value education but formal education is not the only way to get trained and equipped for God’s calling on our lives. It would be a few years and a journey of faith before getting into Bible School. One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Psalms 37:23, “The steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord.” I realized a long time ago that I am not righteous by anything I have done or not done. The Bible states that my righteousness is as filthy rags, Isaiah 64:6. Nonetheless I am still righteous! Jesus makes me righteous by His Blood and the work of the Cross. So, If I am righteous His promise is that my steps are ordered by Him. Indeed He led me to avenues of equipping and training that were every bit as valuable as what I learned in Bible School.
To become an official Royal Rangers Commander you have to complete the Leadership Training Course (LTC). This was an all night camp out where we had to learn and practice everything that is taught to the boys. Along with memory verses that taught the boys how to share their faith we had to learn knot tying, starting a fire using flints, simple camp cooking and many other camping skills. The LTC was for training men and organized by the District Royal Ranger Leadership. I was looking forward to a night of camping with the guys. What I did not expect was a Southeastern Virginia downpour! What a miserable night! The men training us were probably marine drill sergeant wanna-bees. They were loving every minute of the harsh conditions.
In the midst of this all night rain we had to continue with the outdoor training. Have you every tried to start a fire with wet wood in a rainstorm? To make it worse we could not use matches. We were forced to use the primitive flints provided. Thank God my partner was resourceful and brought lint from his wife’s dryer. Lint is very flammable and is a great resource in helping to start a fire. It still took much chipping away at the flints before we got a spark large enough to ignite the lint. I hate camping in the rain but this night was a great training ground. I built lasting friendships with the all the men in LTC training that night. Crisis situations builds relationships and intimacy and that night I made some lifelong friends. It was not a matter of life and death as we camped on the property of a rural church. We could have packed it in and slept in the church at anytime but we chose to “Man-up” and it was fun and worth it.
Pastor Tim White, our second children’s pastor, provided great training for the children’s ministry workers. My wife and I took advantage of all his training. It was during this time that I told Pastor Tim of my desire to someday be a children’s pastor. I shared with him that I planned to go to Bible School. His response was to not wait for formal education to get the knowledge and skills I needed. He shared that most of the knowledge of the world was written in books and that I could get much of what I needed through reading books. I have since learned a phrase, “Leaders are Readers.” In addition to regularly reading my Bible I began to read books on children’s ministry.
Our church started a part time Bible School and I quickly enrolled in classes that I thought were relevant and also matched my schedule. I was eager to learn. Our church was blessed to have a Messianic Jewish man from the tribe of Levi as a Bible School teacher. His name was Murray Gold. Murray was a sweet elderly man that grew up in a Jewish neighborhood in New York City. His Jewish background gave him such a special insight into the Bible that he was always eager to share. He had a class called “Tabernacle Truths”. To this day I have never attended a class or seminar that was as impacting as that class. I developed a knowledge and love for the Old Testament because of Murray.
Our church Bible School was not accredited. I saw the need for accredited courses so I started a distance course offered by the Assembly of God’s Rhema Bible College. I found out that most people do not finish distance courses, now called online courses. The problem is accountability. No one is keeping them accountable therefore it becomes easy to procrastinate to the point of non-completion. The course was meant to be self disciplined but I was advised to meet once a week with Murray Gold so he could check my work and also give me the exams. Murray kept me on schedule and helped me to avoid laziness and procrastination. For me this submission and accountability helped me to complete courses which later I was able to transfer to Dayspring Christian Bible Training Center, the Bible School I attended when I was able to go full time.
I was thirty-five years old when I quit my full time job as a realtor and moved my family to Baden, Pennsylvania. My father had died recently and my mom had an un-occupied, two bedroom apartment above her house. She offered it to us to stay for free while I went to school. This helped us out financially but I still worked two other part-time jobs while attending Bible School full time. It was a difficult time as my wife and children had to sacrifice my being gone most of the time. I would go to school all day, come home for dinner and then leave again for work until the next morning. I worked for a foundation that cared for mentally handicapped adults. The clients lived in group homes and I would clean the houses and care for these handicapped adults through the night and into the morning.
I maintained straight “A’s” through Bible School except for praise and worship. School opened with praise and worship each day and we were a graded on attendance and punctuality. I would get off work an hour before school and I had to rush across the city of Pittsburgh’s during early morning traffic jams. Needless to say I was late on many days which affected my grade.
I studied hard and completed all the papers and assignments for the rest of the classes. My night job allowed me some free time to study while the clients slept. It was a difficult season but I was determined to do my best. The end result was excellent marks except for praise and worship. Most of my fellow students were between eighteen and twenty-five years old. I was amazed when many of them made excuses to the instructors when papers and assignments were due. Most of them still lived at home with their parents and either worked a part time job or did not work at all. How could they not find the time or initiative to complete the assignments? When I would express my disgust, my wife would often ask me the question, “Where were you when you were their age?”
While still in Bible School I was offered an internship as a Children’s Pastor in Singapore! One of my best friends and mentor, Pastor Mark Geppert, had lived in Singapore and made a connection with a local Chinese church that needed direction in their children’s ministry. The offer was made to us after my first year of a two year school requirement. After completion of my first year my family and I took a mission trip with Pastor Mark to Singapore and Indonesia. The church was the Church of Singapore/Jurong. We joined with the church for a fourteen day trip to Indonesia. After the trip we spent the next ten days in Singapore evaluating what it would take for us to live there. We prayed and received confirmation to accept the offer for the internship and one year later we moved to Singapore and became children’s pastors in a Chinese Church.
What a great opportunity and learning experience this was. We accomplished some great work while there and also made many ministry and cultural mistakes. In the midst of my frustrations with myself and sometimes the culture, Pastor Mark would remind me that although I was the Children’s Pastor, I was also still an intern. I was there to learn. This often set me free and helped me move on. This internship was an excellent opportunity to understand cross cultural communications and ministry.
We left Singapore to go on staff as children’s pastors in an inner city church located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The church hired us to run the children’s ministry in the church and also develop outreach to children in the inner city communities of Pittsburgh. I came to know Pastor Bill Wilson of Metro Ministries located in Brooklyn, New York. His ministry was reaching over twenty-thousand children per week. Every child received a home visit every week! I determined to learn all I could from Pastor Bill and to pattern my ministry after his. If it worked in the inner city of New York, surely it would work in Pittsburgh. It did! We took that knowledge and ministered weekly to hundreds of children in the inner city communities of Pittsburgh.
It was during this time that I was offered a Bachelors Degree at Logos Bible College, Florida. They gave me credits for my two years of Bible School. They also gave me credits for my internship and mission work in Southeast Asia. I had to fulfill a few more classes which I did online. I was then obtained a Bachelors Degree in Pastoral Science.
I encourage formal education. For those going into full time ministry I would recommend at least a two year Bible School education. I also believe that the knowledge necessary for ministry can be learned through experience and internships. Children today learn by doing and seeing. This also works for adults who are seeking equipping for ministry work.
Education and training should be an ongoing endeavor in our lives regardless of our professions. The world is changing at an alarming rate. More information is readily available with each passing minute. To keep up we must always be learning. Remember “Leaders are readers”. If nothing else get into a discipline of reading.
To become an official Royal Rangers Commander you have to complete the Leadership Training Course (LTC). This was an all night camp out where we had to learn and practice everything that is taught to the boys. Along with memory verses that taught the boys how to share their faith we had to learn knot tying, starting a fire using flints, simple camp cooking and many other camping skills. The LTC was for training men and organized by the District Royal Ranger Leadership. I was looking forward to a night of camping with the guys. What I did not expect was a Southeastern Virginia downpour! What a miserable night! The men training us were probably marine drill sergeant wanna-bees. They were loving every minute of the harsh conditions.
In the midst of this all night rain we had to continue with the outdoor training. Have you every tried to start a fire with wet wood in a rainstorm? To make it worse we could not use matches. We were forced to use the primitive flints provided. Thank God my partner was resourceful and brought lint from his wife’s dryer. Lint is very flammable and is a great resource in helping to start a fire. It still took much chipping away at the flints before we got a spark large enough to ignite the lint. I hate camping in the rain but this night was a great training ground. I built lasting friendships with the all the men in LTC training that night. Crisis situations builds relationships and intimacy and that night I made some lifelong friends. It was not a matter of life and death as we camped on the property of a rural church. We could have packed it in and slept in the church at anytime but we chose to “Man-up” and it was fun and worth it.
Pastor Tim White, our second children’s pastor, provided great training for the children’s ministry workers. My wife and I took advantage of all his training. It was during this time that I told Pastor Tim of my desire to someday be a children’s pastor. I shared with him that I planned to go to Bible School. His response was to not wait for formal education to get the knowledge and skills I needed. He shared that most of the knowledge of the world was written in books and that I could get much of what I needed through reading books. I have since learned a phrase, “Leaders are Readers.” In addition to regularly reading my Bible I began to read books on children’s ministry.
Our church started a part time Bible School and I quickly enrolled in classes that I thought were relevant and also matched my schedule. I was eager to learn. Our church was blessed to have a Messianic Jewish man from the tribe of Levi as a Bible School teacher. His name was Murray Gold. Murray was a sweet elderly man that grew up in a Jewish neighborhood in New York City. His Jewish background gave him such a special insight into the Bible that he was always eager to share. He had a class called “Tabernacle Truths”. To this day I have never attended a class or seminar that was as impacting as that class. I developed a knowledge and love for the Old Testament because of Murray.
Our church Bible School was not accredited. I saw the need for accredited courses so I started a distance course offered by the Assembly of God’s Rhema Bible College. I found out that most people do not finish distance courses, now called online courses. The problem is accountability. No one is keeping them accountable therefore it becomes easy to procrastinate to the point of non-completion. The course was meant to be self disciplined but I was advised to meet once a week with Murray Gold so he could check my work and also give me the exams. Murray kept me on schedule and helped me to avoid laziness and procrastination. For me this submission and accountability helped me to complete courses which later I was able to transfer to Dayspring Christian Bible Training Center, the Bible School I attended when I was able to go full time.
I was thirty-five years old when I quit my full time job as a realtor and moved my family to Baden, Pennsylvania. My father had died recently and my mom had an un-occupied, two bedroom apartment above her house. She offered it to us to stay for free while I went to school. This helped us out financially but I still worked two other part-time jobs while attending Bible School full time. It was a difficult time as my wife and children had to sacrifice my being gone most of the time. I would go to school all day, come home for dinner and then leave again for work until the next morning. I worked for a foundation that cared for mentally handicapped adults. The clients lived in group homes and I would clean the houses and care for these handicapped adults through the night and into the morning.
I maintained straight “A’s” through Bible School except for praise and worship. School opened with praise and worship each day and we were a graded on attendance and punctuality. I would get off work an hour before school and I had to rush across the city of Pittsburgh’s during early morning traffic jams. Needless to say I was late on many days which affected my grade.
I studied hard and completed all the papers and assignments for the rest of the classes. My night job allowed me some free time to study while the clients slept. It was a difficult season but I was determined to do my best. The end result was excellent marks except for praise and worship. Most of my fellow students were between eighteen and twenty-five years old. I was amazed when many of them made excuses to the instructors when papers and assignments were due. Most of them still lived at home with their parents and either worked a part time job or did not work at all. How could they not find the time or initiative to complete the assignments? When I would express my disgust, my wife would often ask me the question, “Where were you when you were their age?”
While still in Bible School I was offered an internship as a Children’s Pastor in Singapore! One of my best friends and mentor, Pastor Mark Geppert, had lived in Singapore and made a connection with a local Chinese church that needed direction in their children’s ministry. The offer was made to us after my first year of a two year school requirement. After completion of my first year my family and I took a mission trip with Pastor Mark to Singapore and Indonesia. The church was the Church of Singapore/Jurong. We joined with the church for a fourteen day trip to Indonesia. After the trip we spent the next ten days in Singapore evaluating what it would take for us to live there. We prayed and received confirmation to accept the offer for the internship and one year later we moved to Singapore and became children’s pastors in a Chinese Church.
What a great opportunity and learning experience this was. We accomplished some great work while there and also made many ministry and cultural mistakes. In the midst of my frustrations with myself and sometimes the culture, Pastor Mark would remind me that although I was the Children’s Pastor, I was also still an intern. I was there to learn. This often set me free and helped me move on. This internship was an excellent opportunity to understand cross cultural communications and ministry.
We left Singapore to go on staff as children’s pastors in an inner city church located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The church hired us to run the children’s ministry in the church and also develop outreach to children in the inner city communities of Pittsburgh. I came to know Pastor Bill Wilson of Metro Ministries located in Brooklyn, New York. His ministry was reaching over twenty-thousand children per week. Every child received a home visit every week! I determined to learn all I could from Pastor Bill and to pattern my ministry after his. If it worked in the inner city of New York, surely it would work in Pittsburgh. It did! We took that knowledge and ministered weekly to hundreds of children in the inner city communities of Pittsburgh.
It was during this time that I was offered a Bachelors Degree at Logos Bible College, Florida. They gave me credits for my two years of Bible School. They also gave me credits for my internship and mission work in Southeast Asia. I had to fulfill a few more classes which I did online. I was then obtained a Bachelors Degree in Pastoral Science.
I encourage formal education. For those going into full time ministry I would recommend at least a two year Bible School education. I also believe that the knowledge necessary for ministry can be learned through experience and internships. Children today learn by doing and seeing. This also works for adults who are seeking equipping for ministry work.
Education and training should be an ongoing endeavor in our lives regardless of our professions. The world is changing at an alarming rate. More information is readily available with each passing minute. To keep up we must always be learning. Remember “Leaders are readers”. If nothing else get into a discipline of reading.
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