GREETINGS!
As many of you know, Pastor David announced on Sunday, January 8, that the church will begin to search for someone to fill the role of Children’s Ministry Leader as a paid staff position. Since January of 2015 I have been in this role as a (full–time) volunteer. I wanted to take this opportunity to share some thoughts with you on this subject.
This past week, the Prime Minister of New Zealand resigned. Her name is Jacinda Ardern. I honestly don’t have much inter- est in who is Prime Minister of any country and under normal circumstances I would not have known anything at all about this. But someone I follow on Instagram shared her resignation speech and as I read it, it caused me to draw in a breath. Here’s what she said:
“I am not leaving because it was hard. Had that been the case I probably would have departed two months in the job. I am leaving because with such a privileged role comes responsibility; the responsibility to KNOW when you are the right person to lead and also when you are not. I know what this job takes and I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice. It’s that simple…..we give all that we can for as long as we can, and then it’s time (to step away). And for me, it is time.”
I LITERALLY could speak these words about the Children’s Ministry and they would be 100% true. Please hear my heart. When David asked me to fill the role of Children’s Ministry Leader, it was supposed to be until he could hire someone. He thought at the time that it would be 6 months to a year. I was NEVER meant to be permanent in this position.
THINGS HAPPEN. THINGS CHANGE. THINGS don’t always go the way WE HAVE PLANNED. The opportunity to hire someone for this position never materialized due to many different factors. I stayed in the role, anyway. I kept doing the work. I loved it. GOD blessed it. The children’s ministry in many ways has become stronger and more unified.
But as I looked toward the future, I realized exactly what the Prime Minister of New Zealand realized. I am not the person to take the children’s ministry into the future. I will quote her again. “I am leaving because with such a privileged role comes responsibility; the responsibility to KNOW when you are the right person to lead, and also when you are not. I know what this job takes, and I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice. We give all that we can for as long as we can, and then it is time to (step away). And for me, it is time.”
When (Pastor) David asked me to fill this role, he said he wanted me to “Prepare the Children’s Ministry for growth.” Those were his exact words. That is what I have done. Every step I have taken in leadership has been to that end. To PREPARE IT for GROWTH.
It was in November of last year that I had an epiphany of sorts. One of those things you just don’t forget. I remember where I was and what I was doing. You’ve probably had moments like that, right? But, in that moment, I realized that while I could prepare the Children’s Ministry for growth, I could not lead them to grow beyond where we are because that is not something I can lead. Someone else is needed for that. In the words of the PM of New Zealand, “you KNOW when you are the right per- son to lead and also when you are not.”
I think of the Apostle Paul speaking of himself and Apollos. There was argument about who was following Paul and who was following Apollos. Paul says this in 1 Corinthians 3: 5–6: “What, then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Just SERVANTS through whom you believed in Christ, even as the LORD appointed to each His task. I planted, Apollos watered, but GOD all the while was causing the growth. Neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but ONLY GOD who causes the growth.”
What a privilege it has been (and continues to be) to serve the Lord through the Children’s Ministry of Baptist Home Church. I have given all that I can for as long as I can. The time has come for an “Apollos” to come on the scene. I have planted. Apollos will water. But GOD will give the increase. Praise be to His name.
I love you all!
Tammie Jones, Children’s Ministry Leader
At HomeTown Kids, children are TREASURED!!!!
Their spiritual growth is our top priority.
Their safety is important to us!
The spirit of childhood is important to us. As teachers and caregivers, we work hard to help children know that they are loved and accepted just as they are!
Our vision for our children is that they will:
KNOWChrist and understand His love for them
GROWin their spiritual walk
Share the love of Christ with others as they GO
Our mission in teaching and in our classes is this:
We will meet children at their level of development
We will teach children the love of Christ and the joy of His forgiveness and salvation
We will help them learn the truths of God’s word (beyond salvation)
We will encourage their growth within the body of believers as a vital part of the church as a whole.
Our Sunday School classes include:
Care for babies to age 2
Classes for ages 2 through Grade 6 with age appropriate divisions
On Sunday nights, we have classes for ages 2 through Kindergarten and Grades 1-6.
Wednesday nights, we offer a class for ages 2 through Kindergarten and a high-energy class for Grades 1-6 that we call THE FOCUS where we focus on one Biblical theme per month.
Our theme verse for Hometown Kids is:
He shall be like a tree planted by the streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Psalm 1:3
This is our prayer for our children….that they would be well-watered trees, yielding spiritual fruit and staying strong in their walk with the Lord long past the time they are under the guidance of our ministry.