Boys will be boys!

This past Saturday (Sept. 17, 2011), FBC Summit held the third annual Girl / Boy Day. There is a whole other conversation about what we could or should call it but like I said, that is another conversation. The point is, we did it / do it.

The premise is very simple. Get 1st - 6th grade girls and boys together and have a fun with them.

We take the boys to a place on the creek and turn them loose. Yep. Just tell them where the boundaries are and watch them play. We  saw boys bury each other in the sand. They skipped rocks. A couple even tried their hand at fishing! (no luck) Then, we built a fire and roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. It almost sounds too simple. No books to buy. No expensive supplies to round up. Just buy some snacks and gather some wood and off you go.  Men hanging out with younger men. This could start something!

The girls were a little more expensive but then again they always are. Sorry girls. It's the truth!

We had some ladies in the church put together a spa day. They painted nails, fixed hair and pampered the girls with their company. They also had a chance to talk about manners, setting the table and modesty in fashion. WOW! what a concept! Ladies spending time with the girls in our church? Almost sounds biblical, doesn't it? Kind of reminds me of that Lois and Eunice thing in 2 Timothy.

Here is my point. You don't have to have a huge facility or expensive gadgets to minister to kids. The old adage found in parenting classes that discusses quantity versus quality is true in kids ministry (kidmin). It takes both. You need to spend valueable time (quality) and plenty of it (quantity) with your kids.

I also think there is value in the children building relationships with adults in church away from the confines of the sanctuary. Let them see you being a real person, living life. Let them know that you are not a stuffed shirt that just tells them not to run inside and stop yelling.

KidMin is fun if you let it be. Demanding? No Doubt!! But a boat load of fun.

Have fun with the kids. Do off the wall stuff with them. Let them see youaway from church, but still praising God in the process.