Ministry is More Than Words

Take a second or two to think back on the school teachers and church leaders that you had when you were young. You might be able to remember some of their names, maybe what they looked like, maybe some of the big picture principles that they taught you...  I only remember a few of them very well. When I was in 5th grade I had a Sunday School teacher named Mrs Myers who was the coolest little old lady teacher ever. I remember her teaching Bible stories on the flannel graph (umm... yeah...). I remember one week when she shared the plan of salvation that ultimately led to me giving my life to Jesus,  but, to tell the truth, I really can't remember anything much about all of the other Sundays that she taught my class. Only that one lesson. ~ What I can tell you is that Mrs. Myers was my Sunday morning buddy at church. She knew my name... she told me that she missed me when I wasn't there... and she seemed really interested in hearing about my baseball games. She made me feel important. She made me want to go to church. While I don't remember a lot of what she said, I remember wanting to be around her.  

The truth is, most kids (including a lot of us "former kids") don't remember a whole lot of what their teachers say word-for-word week-to-week. As adult leaders we need to be mindful of this reality! While we may wrestle with the words we'll use to communicate God's truth to our kids, we need to be aware that the lessons we teach are only a small part of our ministry. As your kids grow up and think back on the teachers who influenced them, it's likely that they will remember your actions and attitudes -- that you were there, and that you care -- more than the lessons you taught.