u2 & me2

last saturday i attended the u2 concert. it was amazing and beautiful and fun, and most of the time it felt absolutely surreal. like i wasn't actually there. like i was in a dream, or heaven, or experiencing christmas morning over and over again.

the concert was at soldier field in front of 6o,000 people and we sat behind the stage, so for most of the show we saw u2's backs. and yet, it was one of the most intimate shows i've ever experienced. i felt connected and a part of the show, like i was truly experiencing a show with several thousand of my closest friends. how did they do this?

there were several things i observed that contributed to this:

1. the stage was in the round and the band was very aware of the audience. each member consistently moved around the stage and several times even performed for those of us sitting in the back. it was almost difficult to know which way was the "front" of the stage.

2. the band sang songs i knew and in a way that encouraged me to sing along.



3.  the live video was amazing and perfect. i was compelled to watch the screens because it was always a live representation of what was really happening on the stage.

4. the lighting, video, smoke, disco ball, and stage set all contributed to a show far bigger than i had ever seen. it felt big, and magical and special. but because i felt connected to the experience and the band, the bigness of the show added to my overall experience instead of detracting from it.

so.. all of this has me thinking about the way we do church on sunday mornings.

what if we really approached our sunday morning services both for kids and adults as a way to create both bigness and connectedness?

what if our goal was to help people feel like they were a part of the service and not just spectators watching a big show?

if every week at church felt like saturday's u2 concert.. i would never miss a sunday.

what would you ask andrew?

i read a lot of books, i probably should get out more - but i love reading, what can i say?  this year several books have impacted me significantly and really challenged me to reconsider some previous assumptions that i've held.

one such book is andrew marin's love is an orientation. thanks to andrew, i now have more questions than answers, not only for my own personal perspective, but for what all of this means for those of us in children's ministry.

it's becoming apparently obvious that for those of us in children's ministry, the conversation about gay and lesbians and faith is one that we must continue to be on the forefront of - in leading volunteers, connecting with parents, and spiritually forming children.  as we continue to lead well, i anticipate only more questions as we encounter gay parents in our church, gay children in our church, and gay members in our church looking to volunteer.

i'm thrilled that andrew marin has agreed to meet with me in just a couple of weeks. i'm interested in discussing these ideas with him, listening to his expert perspective and learning new ways that those of us in children's ministry can be pioneers and leaders in this conversation.

so i've already got quite a list of topics and questions i would like to discuss with andrew, but i would love to represent you! so leave a comment with your question for andrew and i'll be sure to ask him and report back to you.

what would you ask andrew?

fearless by max lucado

imagine your life without fear. imagine your life wholy untouched by angst. what if faith, not fear, was your default reaction to threats?envision a day, just one day, absent the dread of failure, rejection and calamity.

can you imagine a life with no fear?

these are just the first few words of max lucado's powerful new book fearless. this book arrived at my door at just the perfect time - a time in which most days, when left to my own thoughts and reasons, i feel scared and full of fear. but the rhythm and pacing of the words in this book brought an instant calmness and peace, like i was reading sweet words written just for me.

i loved the broad topics that max lucado covers in the book - such as the fear of not protecting my kids, and the fear of worst-case scenarios, and the fear of violence, and the fear of what's next, each chapter was covered in simple reminders of truth, and personal stories, and scripture just right for that moment. but the chapter that inspired me the most was the very first chapter simply titled "why are we afraid?"

as i read this chapter, on what motivates our fear, i had many thoughts about myself as a leader in children's ministry, and my most common fears that run alongside my career. often, when i'm most honest my fears can be tracked down to feeling insecure, the fear that in the end when all is said and done, those who knew me best will simply say, "she wasn't good enough."

but i can't live and be my best, day to day, with this fear. instead i'm taking a step towards imaging my life without fear. today i'm imagining my life without fear of what my collegues will think of me, and without fear that i'll make the wrong decision, and without fear that people will speak poorly about me, and without fear that i'm not the best person for this job.

and instead i'm imagining my life with freedom to be myself, and peace to enjoy life, and calmness to sit still and look at those i love around me, and energy to use my skills to make the world a different place for kids.

today i am fearless.

worship house kids

i think i'm a little late in coming to this party...just yesterday my friend pointed me to worship house media for kids - wow! what a fantastic resource.

i'm curious how churches are using this as a resource for sunday morning children's ministry.

do you add the individual elements to a curriculum you have already purchased or do you use the elements to create your own curriculum?

leading in a dress rather than a skirt

i've learned an important thing about myself this summer:

i love to wear dresses but hate to wear skirts.

here is the major difference between a skirt and a dress: a skirt requires that a shirt be added to make the outfit complete, while a dress will do just fine on it's own, it's easy and simple, and perfect!

and while i've been wearing all of my lovely dresses this summer, i've been thinking again about what it means to lead as a woman in the church.

what i currently love about my specific church context is that women in leadership is really no big deal. it's just simply expected that women lead. every day. as elders, and deacons, and pastors, and basically any position that requires strategy, planning, and pastory-type tasks. i absolutely love that no one actually ever brings up the subject of women in leadership. i've never heard a sermon on the topic, or participated in a small group discussion, and i'm not even sure i would be able to find a theological statement on the issue anywhere, instead it's a natural and organic part of doing ministry, and because of that, i feel comfortable and challenged to give my best.

last week,  i led a devotional for our strategic planning committee (we're working on goals for the church for the next 5 years, no easy task), and although there are several women on the committee - one was absent and the other was late, so while i was leading the devotional time the group included all men (including the senior pastor and the chairman of the committee). and it was wonderful - they listened to me, and looked to me to lead them, they participated in my creative prayer exercise, and hopefully they were inspired by the way i led.

as i recalled the evening to my husband, we reminisced about our adventure in choosing a church just 3 years ago.  we knew in choosing this church that leadership was an important value to us, but it's only been as we've experienced church life that we've come to realize how deep the value of women in leadership really runs in our church.

i'm grateful today for this season of life in which i can lead with confidence and joy, and that it's no big deal, and that i can lead while wearing a dress rather than a skirt.