What I've learned from my time in K/1

Guest Post contributed by Tatiana Kildiszew, outgoing Saturday night coordinator for Kindergarten & 1st grade.

It sounds silly but as I took the position of K/1 coordinator I remember assuming that I would be the one blessing others and that I would be the one teaching the children. I never anticipated how much God would bless me and teach me through these kindergarten and first grade children. One thing I came to see quite clearly is that the faith of a child is real. The pure spirituality children contain is beautiful thing, a treasure often hidden by the worries and realities of the harshness of the adult world we live in. Looking back on my time serving in Kindergarten and 1st grade ministry I am reminded of many precious memories when God gave me a glimpse of just how sincere and precious the faith of these little ones is. These memories are just too special to keep to myself, so I will share a few.

One night as parents were picking up their children I was talking to a Kindergarten girl. This little girl regularly attends Saturday night service. She was usually in my small group, so I knew her well. We had played together, prayed together and danced to silly worship songs together. Being the youngest of four she would always tell me stories of her older siblings or what she had done throughout the week. But this day the light in her eyes proved she had something of more value to share with me. She looked up at me and with a big smile, bursting with pure joy, she blurted, “Jesus speaks to me.”

I was surprised at her words but I did not doubt her profession. From knowing this little girl it was obvious to me that she shone with the light of Christ. The presence of Jesus radiated from her. Through her questions and comments during small groups I had already observed the way she lived her life in such awe and wonder of Jesus. Excited to hear more, I began a conversation with the little girl about how Jesus speaks to her. When I asked her what Jesus told her, she replied, “Just things. Important things.” As she shared more throughout the weeks on the topic I saw that this faith she held was genuine. She expressed that Jesus spoke to her through her Spirit and in dreams. What a powerful faith! Over time we talked about listening for Jesus so His voice will not get muted as she grows older, as well as writing or drawing the things He speaks to her. Through all our conversations I discovered what a beautiful relationship she has with Jesus, talking back and forth.

There was one night that we had a guest teacher speaking for the weekend in K/1 ministry. She was demonstrating Old Testament story pointed towards Jesus and the need for a savior. There was this one kid who was very intrigued with the story. He frequently raised his hand to ask questions and make comments. His comments were so insightful. It was apparent that he had heard the story before. He was so bold as to raise his hand and tell the teacher that she had actually forgotten some parts of the story. When he did this he would continue sharing the story in such a way, it appeared as if he was teaching it to us all. Chuckling, the teacher would thank the boy and explain that she had just not gotten to that part yet. One of these times the young boy raised his hand he explained with frustration, “The most important part of the story is that Jesus died for our sins. He died to save us.” A couple of the leaders, including myself giggled in amazement. It was funny but the young boy spoke such truth. The teacher again tried to contain him. He rambled on, “I just do not think you understand. Jesus died and that is the most important thing in the world.” At five or six years old this boy could see the things that mattered in this world clearly. God had revealed His truth to his little spirit. For this young boy the truth was such a pressing matter he had to share it with us all.

One last story. I believe it shows the quiet transformation and the work God is doing in one child. In my first couple of months in K/1 ministry, his mother shared with me that her son had not accepted Christ yet. She was worried about this because her other kids had already done that and were living life for Him. It is true that there are some children who see the truth at a young age and accept Christ. I can’t speak to what was in this particular young boy's heart, but what I do see him seeking to know and learn more about God. Like all five- and six-year-old boys, this young boy likes to “play hard”. You can find him building car ramps or building Lego towers at the start of service. However when worship begins you will find him quietly standing up against a wall with his eyes shut tightly. Sometimes he will sing, other times he will do the hand motions without singing. Sometimes he will neither sing nor do hand motions, but just sit silently with his eyes closed. When asked about this the young boy shared with me, “I am just listening to the words. I like to listen to the words.” During the story this young boy is rarely distracted by his friends or others. He sits and listens throughout the entire story, no matter how long the teacher speaks. He also asks complex questions of how and why. There is no doubt in my mind that the words of worship are piercing his young heart, while the words of truth from Bible stories are flooding his little mind. This young boy is listening, learning, and seeking. I have seen the way God is stirring this young boy. What a beautiful thing that God is working in these little children, revealing himself to 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.” (Matthew 19:14) After my time in K/1 ministry this verse holds different weight. The faith of a child is so genuine, so meaningful. Children see God with a clear vision. They understand God’s truth and the freedom it gives. They seek with honest hearts. It has been such an honor and true joy to learn from and be blessed by the children of K/1. I hope you, like me, have the opportunity of experiencing the treasure of a child’s faith.

Is Your Kid a RICH kid?

Jesus wants your kid to be rich. Did you know?

He wants your kid to be rich in the way that he wants all of us to be rich. Not in earthly possessions, but rich towards God. So how do you develop a kid who is rich in that way?

When Jesus talked about being "rich toward God", he was telling a parable that most Bibles call "The Parable of the Rich Fool". The man doesn't seem foolish by modern standards; he seems wise. He makes plans to build bigger storehouses for his excess crops. With the surplus in storage, he'll quit working and live off the income. Life will be good! But God intervenes, delivering the dire news that the man is about to die. And then God asks to pivotal question: "Who will get what you have prepared for yourself?" (Luke 12:13-21)

Jesus concludes by saying, "This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God." It seems like the man's fatal flaw was that he was preoccupied with his own happiness and comfort. That in essence became his God. Note that the parable doesn't say the man actually did all of this; the plans take place in his mind. What we set our minds on directs our whole life. It dictates how we spend our time and what we consider "success". It defines for us the resting point, the point at which we say, "I've done it! I'm there! I've achieved what I've set out to do!"

With that in mind, here are some ideas on making kids rich:

1. Make God a central "thing" in your family life. Not just one thing among many things, but the central organizing reality. Is the pursuit of God and realizing his will apparent in your own life? Would your kid say that it is?

2. Learn to find satisfaction in God. Evaluate how you set goals and priorities. How do you define "a successful life" when it comes to your child? Is your goal for them that they know Him more, love Him more, serve Him more? Or that they grow up to be happy and comfortable?

3. Teach kids how to rest in God. God isn't something we rest at when we arrive there; the peace of God is a continuous rest that we carry with us along the journey. This is different from earthly rest. We work all week so we can get a break on the weekend. We study hard in school, then celebrate with a graduation party. We plan and carry out detailed weddings, then decompress on a honeymoon. The rest comes at the end of something; we earn it. God's rest isn't like that. Instead, it's the "peace that passes all understanding" (Philippians 4:7). Raise a kid in a cauldron of performance-based standards, and it will be hard for them to imagine rest as anything but something you get after working hard. They will find the idea of God's rest, literally, un-believeable.

4. Build the support infrastructure in your kid's life that will help them become rich. Which is to say, there are supports standing behind kids, nudging them and helping them and guiding them. It doesn't happen by accident. And just like vitamins, if there's a deficiency, your kid will develop a problem. Not right away, but over time. If you want your kid to be rich toward God, remember R.I.C.H.:

• Relationships - Lots of relationships, and quality relationships. Who knows your kid? Who else besides you has a window into their personality? Who's guiding them? In this world run by grown-ups, who's affirming your kid, letting them know that although they're young and small, they still matter? You love your kid. What message are they receiving from the rest of the world about their worth in the eyes of adults?
• Identity - We want kids to understand who they are, including what it means to be a created being, wholly dependent on God. They should understand that God has gifted and designed each of us differently, and that understanding that design is key in growing into the role God has for them. Hollywood and Madison Avenue never stop trying to tell your kid who they really are (and as a result, what they should like and what they should do).
• Christ - Is your kid's faith Christ-centered? Do they understand why Jesus' life and death mattered - really mattered? Do they get that we are dependent on grace, that Jesus was more than a teacher, but the way, the truth, and the life? Most American teenagers believe in God - but what they believe about him doesn't necessarily square with the Bible or historic Christianity. A faith grounded in "God wants me to be good" doesn't cut it. Help your kid develop a deep understanding of Jesus Christ as the absolutely essential element of their Christian faith.
• Heart & Hands experience - We hope kids will connect faith to life. But let's be honest, they usually don't. Kids need tangible, hands-on experience living out Christ in the world. Is your kid aware of the world, of the needs that exist? Do their hearts hurt when they see injustice? Have they been shown the way Christians are reaching out to the poor, the elderly, the sick? Because faith without works is dead.

If you want to read more about making kids R.I.C.H., check out these posts from last year. (And here for Relationships, Identity, Christ, and Heart & Hands.)

Taking Kids "On Mission"

The church's International Missions Fair was this weekend. If you missed Friday night, don't miss it when it comes around again next year! The Missions team revamped the whole event to make it more interactive and family-friendly. And it worked!

But, if you missed Friday night or this weekend, you're not out of luck either. Not by a long shot. Missions has always been a strong emphasis at our church, and Nic Gilmour (our head missions dude) and I (the head children's guy) are committed to seeing more families catch the missions bug.

Why? Because kids aren't eventual Christians. If we wait for them to get through the toddler stage, the preschool stage, the preteen stage, high school...before we know it, they will end up with lives as busy as ours. And for many of us, missions is an add-on or an if-only: if only I had the money, if only I had the time, if only I wasn't so busy, if only I knew where to go.

The global mission of the church belongs to everyone. It's not the special province of a few super-Christians, and being missions-minded is not a spiritual gift! Missions needs to be woven into the normal Christian life.

One way to do that is to take your entire family on a missions adventure. And we've put together a booklet called "Mission: Possible! Stories of four families who answered the call to GO in 2014" that tells some of those "we did it" stories. I hope you'll pick one up at the church and be inspired by it.

The thing is, not everyone will go on an overseas mission trip with their kids. Some people can't (but - don't dismiss it too quickly; read "Mission: Possible!" first). Maybe you will; maybe you won't. But what if we broadened the definition of "missions work", to create multiple entry points for families who want to engage in service to others? A cross-cultural missions adventure does have some definite advantages, as it takes kids and parents out of their element - a 24/7 eye-opener. But what seems to be true about teenagers and young adults who have embraced missions is that there was a service ethic in their families while growing up. So serving in downtown San Diego isn't "less" than going overseas. What matters is the regularity of commitment. It demonstrates to kids that missions is normal; missions is what Christians do.

Over the next several months, you'll see us dreaming up and promoting these various entry points, because the good news is that there are lots of organizations already doing good work in the community; what they really need is you.

Greetings from new K/1 coordinator Blyth Schmidt

Hi - I'm Blyth Schmidt, and I recently started as the Sunday morning coordinator for Kindergarten & 1st grade at NCCC.

About me: Where to start?! I gave my life to The Lord when I was 13 at a Harvest Crusade my best friend had invited me to. I had just started attending the Jr High Youth Group there at Harvest and it was changing me!

I married my high school sweetheart, and we knew we wanted children right away! Enter this crazy crew! Audrey is 11, and many of you who come into K/1 have met her, as she has a beautiful heart for service and looks forward to the weekends with joy!
 
Aidan is 8 and is my task master! He likes to make sure we are all on schedule; he always wants to know what is happening next, and I often find him filling out our weekly calendar at home.
 
And my Ethan, "6 going on 7"! My fun, sweet, generous, crazy one! You will see him 'helping' in K/1 as well, as he has a heart for service like his sister.
 
Our family has been attending NCCC for almost 5 years now since we moved to this area that many years ago from the Central Valley, and before that from Riverside.  We are So Cal people through and through and love everything the climate here has to offer!
 
I'm also a Pilates instructor, when I'm not at church, and feel my calling is to encourage and motivate the people around me, as I can feel the Holy Spirit encouraging and motivating me!
 
I hope you all can stop in soon, say 'hi', and take a minute to visit the super fun Kindergarten and 1st grade classrooms! :)