Taking the spiritual temperature of your ministry

Taking the spiritual temperature of your ministry.

Are you a thermostat or a thermometer?
A thermometer reacts to the temperature of the room.
A thermostat sets the temperature in a room.
Do you set the spiritual climate in your class or do the children?

We as Christian leaders need to set the spiritual temperature for our classrooms whether we are a Sunday school teacher, Children's Pastor, or volunteer children's worker. It is important that when we enter a classroom that we are spiritually prepared to set the spiritual climate for the class. If not the child with the strongest personality will set that climate.

If a child experienced chaos on the way to the service they will bring chaos to the service. If everyone was up late the night before Sunday morning service and tired, the class will be unresponsive to the lesson.

However, if we enter the room spiritually charged and on fire about our lesson the excitement will spread. If we believe in what we are teaching and show excitement about the subject others will be excited also. True faith is contagious. When someone is so excited about what they believe that they speak about it in confidence with passion in their voice others will believe also. If we are not sure about what we are teaching and are reading it out of our lesson planner, the children will be board and not buy into what we are offering them. Confidence comes through knowing the material inside out. You need to know it so well you can present it without reading it.

I have notes every time I speak publicly, however notes are to glance at to keep me on tract so, I arrive at the planned destination. I can expound upon each point of my notes without reading them line for line, however my notes make sure I do not drift off course during my program. I can expound upon each point because the subject is in my heart. It is not something I am not sure about or do not know a lot about.

If we are not confident on our lesson it will show in our body language, tone of our voice, and all around presentation. We cannot give something we do not have. If it is not in our heart then we are just regurgitating an old cold lesson out of a book that really means nothing to us. The reason young adults are leaving our churches by the droves when they are old enough to make the decision for themselves is that all they have heard their entire time growing up in church is old, cold, regurgitated material that is not relative. It does not apply to them. We have offered exciting programs with all the latest methods but have forgotten the message.

Teachers must be passionate about their faith and what they are teaching. Like I said before true faith is contagious. It spreads like a wild fire. When we hear someone with true heartfelt convictions, we want what they have. If we are around it long enough we will start to crave it. And when you crave something bad enough you do whatever it takes to get it.

Let's turn up the spiritual temperature in our classrooms!

Our children deserve it!

By Jerry Moyer

The Jubilee Gang

www.jubileegang.com

www.kidscrusades.com

www.youtube.com/jubileegang

www.myspace.com/jubileegang

More articles by Jerry and other leading children's ministry leaders can be found on the Jubilee Gang web site in our media center at the link below...

www.jubileegang.com/mediacenter.html

Why Ministry?

Why are we in ministry?
Why set a goal to be in full time ministry?

I have a cousin that is a full time youth minister. Everyday at lunch he would go to the YMCA and play basketball with the youth from the church and community. One day one of his sons came to him and said, “Dad, I want to grow up and be a minister like you.” This made my cousin feel good that his son wanted to follow in his foot steps. As my cousin pursued this a little by asking his son why he wanted to be in ministry when he grew up? His bubble was popped when his son replied, “so I can get paid to play basketball everyday like you.” I do not think this was the answer my cousin was looking for.

A lot of times we want to be in ministry because it looks like an easy occupation. Any one with a successful ministry knows that ministry is spelled W.O.R.K.

A lot of times we want to be in ministry because our father and grandfather were in ministry before us, and we think we should follow in their footsteps. Some may think ministry looks glamorous from the outside. A lot of people see our ministry programs and say “Man I wish I could do this!” If they only had to walk in our shoes for a year the majority of them would want to quit. If all you see is our live ministry event it looks like a spectacular lifestyle. However, most people never see all the behind the scenes of the day to day lifestyle that being on the road consist of. A lot of young aspiring ministers that have gotten to travel with us as interns are very excited at first about getting to travel and use all of our equipment. At first their commits always are “Man when I get my own ministry I want equipment just like this.” About half way through the tour season the statements change to “I don’t think I want to do this when I have my own ministry. There is too much to set up and tear down. There is too much work involved. Too many hours spent traveling in a vehicle.“ If we do not have a genuine love for people and a desire to see the furtherance of the kingdom this lifestyle gets old real fast.

I believe we should ask ourselves periodically throughout our time in ministry why we are doing this. Over and over in the Bible we read that Jesus was moved with compassion when he ministered to people. When he healed the sick, when he raised the dead, when he multiplied the loaves and fishes to feed the multitude, and when he taught the crowds of people. The overwhelming love for people (compassion) was Jesus motivation to do what he did during his ministry on earth.

It was not that he felt it was his duty, it was not to make a name for himself, it was not that it was the only thing he knew how to do, it was because he looked at the need and was moved with compassion. Compassion was the overwhelming love for people that motivated him to do something.

Why did God the father send his only son into the world to die on a cross? It was because he loved the world. He was moved with such an overwhelming love that he had to do something.

Our motivation in ministry should be the love God has put in our heart. The bible says in Romans 5:5 that the love of God has been put in our heart by the Holy Spirit. When we are born again we receive the life and nature of God. The Bible says in 1 John 4:8 that God is Love. It is his nature, His Character. When we are born again we are now born of God. His life and nature is inside of us.

1 John 4:7-11
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

1 Pet 1:3 says God has given us all things that pertain to life and Godliness.(Godliness means having God like qualities) it’s up to us to allow this love to be the motivating factor of our lives.

2 Peter 1:4 says that we have been given exceeding great and precious promises that through these we might become partakers of the divine nature. What is the divine nature? 1 John 4:8 says that God is love. Where do we find these great and precious promises? We find it in the Word of God, the Bible.

As we renew our minds with God’s word it becomes part of our lives. The more it becomes part of our lives the more we become partakers of it. The Bible says in Romans 12:2 be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. Be transformed into what? We should be transformed into the Image of Christ.

Eph. 4:15 says that we should grow up until we look like Christ. What does Christ look like? He looks like the father and the father is Love. Let this overwhelming love for people be the motivating factor in our lives and ministry. We truly need to grow up until we look like Christ, so the world can see God in our lives. Let us be moved with compassion when we see a need.

Love for people and the furtherance of God’s Kingdom should be the motivating factor in our lives and ministry. I have always said true ministry is reaching people and touching Lives. Everything else is just stuff we have to do.

Before I had my own ministry, before anyone knew who Jerry Moyer of the Jubilee Gang was, and before anyone wanted to schedule us at their church, I did not wait on a big break. I did not hope that someday my schedule would be full. I starting going to the local housing projects in Southern Ohio because of the love in my heart for the people there. No one was reaching out to them and I saw a need. When I went to the local housing authority and asked if we could do a crusade in the projects, they told me that there had never been any preaching in the projects and there never would be.

I did not give up on what was in my heart to do. As I was reading the news paper one day, I saw where a professional base ball player had came back to our home town and started a anti drug program in the projects. I felt in my heart to go to that organization and tell them that the “Just say No” campaign was not working. Kids need something to say yes to so they can say no to drugs.

I offered to do an anti drug program for them that said say yes to Jesus so that you can say no to drugs. Anything to do with an anti drug message was welcome through this organization. Our first event in the local housing projects we saw around 100 people born again. This happened over and over in different projects around the area. Before long the projects were calling us.

As I put my hand to ministering in the local housing projects because of the love I had for the people God continued to open more and more doors to our ministry. First it was public schools. We offered them a free anti drug program in exchange for the use of the building that evening for a large event where we could present the Gospel. Our first public school outreach we had 250 children in the school and 180 people came out that night to hear the gospel. Almost every one of them came forward to be born again. Then, we opened our program up to churches and it has grown from there.

Let love be the motivating factor in everything we do. God has given us everything we need. Its up to us to use it!

God Bless You
Jerry Moyer
The Jubilee Gang
www.jubileegang.com
www.youtube.com/jubileegang
www.myspace.com/jubileegang

What is a Christian?

Many people in the world are confused about what it is to be a Christian.

Many believe that is being religious, attending church, being a good person, or believing in God will make you a Christian. We asked some people at the mall "What is a Christian?

In the video below are their answers.

Just because you come from a Christian family, attend church, pray, read the bible, or even do good deeds will not make you a Christian. When a religious person asked Jesus how he could enter into his kingdom (today the question would be, how do I become a Christian?) Jesus replied with the following answer.

You must be born again. John 3:7

He did not tell him to become more religious, He did not say obey more rules, he did not even say you must belong to a certain church.

He said You must be Born again"

Going to church does not make you a Christian any more than going to McDonalds will make you a Cheeseburger!

Being a Christian is not obeying rules set forth by your church or denomination. It’s not just being religious.

Being a Christian is a supernatural change of heart. Not the heart that pumps blood or a valentines day heart like you see in pictures. When we say heart we mean the real you. The part of you that goes to heaven when you die if you are a Christian.

Its being born again into God’s Family.

Because of Adam and Eves disobedience when they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil they died on the inside. They died spiritually. They were separated from God.

All of us were born with a sinful heart (fallen nature, separation from God.) because of Adams sin. He represented all of us. Because of Jesus paying the price when he died on the cross and shed his blood, we can now receive a clean heart (Be born again) Its a free gift! The best Christmas gift the world has ever received!

The Bible says in Hebrews 9:22 that without the shedding of blood there is no taking away of sin.

Blood had to be shed so we could become a Christian. He paid the price when he died on the cross. All we have to do is believe in what Jesus has done for us and receive the free gift of salvation and be born again.

The Bible says in Romans 10:9 that If we believe in our heart that God raised Jesus from the dead and confess with our mouth that he is lord of our lives we will be saved. (or born again) When we do this God makes us a new creature. Something that never existed before. He changes us on the inside. He does not change our outward appearance.

So, if your really beautiful before your born again, You’ll probably be really beautiful after your born again. If you not so beautiful like some of us guys before your born again. Its not going to help us guys. He changes us on the inside.

1 Corinthians 5:17 says If your in Christ you are a New Creature. Old things have passes away. All thing have become new.

We do not need a new creature kit be become a new creature in Christ. We do not need to pay $19.95 to become a new creature. It is a free Gift! All we need to do is reach out and take it by faith!

Pray this prayer to receive God’s gift to you...
Father I come to you in Jesus name.
I thank you that you sent Jesus to die on the cross for me. I thank you that he rose from the dead. Come in and take away my old sinful heart that I received from Adam. Give me a new heart that is after God’s nature. Right now I confess you as Lord of my life. I will do my best to live for you the rest of my life.
In Jesus Name
Amen

Confessions of a Children's Pastor

CONFESSIONS OF A CHILDRENS PASTOR

By Pastor Sue Kahawaii
Champions Centre
Tacoma, WA
www.championscentre.com

I have a confession to make. I am a children’s pastor, but I am not a magician. I am not a ventriloquist, or a puppeteer. I don’t have a clown act, or a stage show persona that tours around. I don’t know how to juggle balls, and I can’t sing particularly well. But rather than apologize for that confession, I feel liberated by it.

There is a mistaken assumption that a great children’s pastor must have some kind of "special talent" to qualify them for ministry. I disagree. When the curtain closes, and the stage lights go dark, that’s when the real work of a children’s pastor begins. Too many churches hire people based on their performance in the talent show arena rather than on their qualifications as a leader. The question should not be "What does this person do in the spotlight?" but rather, "What can this person do when the spotlight is off?"Sadly, these talented individuals who have stage gifts from God can find themselves overwhelmed with recruiting nightmares, administrative tasks, parent problems, budget woes, and communication failures. The day to day tasks and challenges of children’s ministry can sap their joy, leaving them depressed and discouraged. No wonder that most of these children’s pastors drop out of ministry after just a few short years, their gift forgotten and their self esteem shattered from having been placed in a role that was outside of their gifting.

If you examine thriving children’s ministry programs around the country, you will find that most are led by men and women who have strong administrative abilities and leadership skills, but are not known for their stage show acts.Take, for example, the following examples. Kathy Wilkerson, of Christian Faith Center in Seattle, WA. (Pastor Casey Treat), has been in children’s ministry for two decades. While she enjoys bringing in special guests who have talent with ventriloquism, puppets, or dramatic flair, Kathy knows that the success of her ministry has come about because of her administrative focus and long term dedication. She has watched the children’s ministry in her church grow from just a few kids to thousands.
Rich Maus, of Toledo, Ohio (Pastor Michael Pitts) shares that same gift of administration, but freely admits that he has no claim to fame with a professional stage act. Rich, however, was named the "Children’s Pastor of the Year" by Willie George Ministries for 2002 because of his ability to deftly handle a thriving ministry with hundreds of children and volunteers alike, routinely planning and overseeing special events, services and outreach ministries without burning out.

That isn’t to say that Rich, Kathy or myself don’t know how to teach kids. On the contrary, it is our passion. No doubt, we have all used a puppet from time to time, dressed up in wacky clothes, and dyed our hair green for a cause. But seasoned, experienced children’s pastors understand that it takes a lot more than show time skills to survive and succeed. It takes leadership.Last year, I was contacted by a church about possibly coming out to their church in the summer and conducting elementary age meetings at night. As we talked about dates and travel arrangements, the caller suddenly said, "What is it that you do, by the way?" Not understanding the question, I was at a loss for a moment until the meaning of his question became clear. Teaching kids – and even teaching kids very well – was not enough. They wanted someone who had an "act" of some kind.

Now, in that setting and for that specific purpose, seeking a talented individual may be fine. But for the day to day operations in a busy church, I am very thankful for the "behind the scenes" gifts that God has given me. Children’s pastors need not apologize for the unique ability God has given them to as administrators and leaders in the church.

So, the next time someone asks me what I "do", I think I will answer them honestly. I am a children’s pastor and I teach kids.

SKILLS FOR THE REAL WORLD OF CHILDREN’S MINISTRY

L = Loves kids and has endless compassion

E = Energy to endure long term

A = Ability to do the job well

D = Detail oriented

E = Excitement is still fresh about ministry

R = Relates to kids and parents very well

S = Stable personality and home life

H = High expectations and standards

I = Influences others and recruits well

P = Problem solver

Jerry Apears on The Daystar Network and Update for Huntington WV

Dear Friends:

Thank you for your prayers and support.

We just had an awesome Easter weekend at Christ Temple in Huntington, WV.

We partnered With Christ Temple to conduct an Easter outreach into their community.

Around 700 + people attended this outreach and we saw 35 people come forward to receive Jesus and be born again.


Jerry was also interviewed on the Daystar Television Network on the local Tri State Celebration Program in Ashland, KY.

Below is the video of the program

Jerry interviewed on Daystar Network




Below are some pictures from our event this weekend.
Crowd Shot

Crowd Shot

Candy and Wild Thing

Jerry praying with children
to receive Jesus.

God Bless You

Jerry Moyer
The Jubilee Gang
www. jubileegang. com
www. youtube. com/jubileegang
www. myspace. com/jubileegang
www. jubileegang. blogspot. com

Update for Reid Temple AME

Dear Friends:

We had an awesome time ministering at Reid Temple AME in Glendale, MD.tonight.

We saw around 28 children come forward to receive Jesus and be born again.

Below are some pictures from our event tonight.

Jerry and a young lady playing theMatch it Game.
Young man demonstrating the Fruit of the Spirit.
Jerry praying with children to be born again.

God Bless You
Jerry Moyer

The JubileeGang

http://www.jubileegang.com

www.myspace.com/jubileegang

www.youtube.com/jubileegang

Update for Jesus House DC

Dear Friends:

We Just ministered at Jesus House DC in Silver Spring, MD. We had a awesome service seeing over 31 children born again!

We will be ministering at Reid Temple AME in Glenn Dale, MD on March 18th and Christ Temple Church in Huntington, WV on March 22

Below are some pictures from our event at Jesus House DC today.

Candy and Wild Thing

Jerry praying with children



Jerry praying with children

Jerry Moyer
The Jubilee Gang
http://www.jubileegang.com/
www.myspace.com/jubileegang
www.youtube.com/jubileegang

Online Store at www.jubileegang.com

Hey everyone Our online store is now up on our web site at the link below.

http://www.jubileegang.com/OnlineStore.html

In the store you can purchase a book that candy and I Wrote called "six Types of Games That Teach"



This book teaches how to use Games to teach children the word of God. Games are for more than just having fun, they can be an effective tool for teaching children.

Topics include: Why use games to teach?, Ice breaker Games, Object lesson Games, Memory Verse Games, Power point and Multi media games, Review Games, Crowd Control Games.

You can also purchase all of our Jubilee Gang Gear including T-shirts, Hats, Beenies, Dog Tags, and Necklaces.

God Bless You
Jerry The Jubilee Gang
WWW.JUBILEEGANG.COM

Below are some Pictures of some of our Gear

New Jubilee Gang Web Site

Dear Friends:

Our New web site is up and running! You can check it out at the link below...
WWW.JUBILEEGANG.COM

Visit our media center were you can see video's, Download articles by us and other leading children's ministers, and download Jubilee Gang wall papers for your computer.

Also check out our online store. We will be adding more products shortly.

Pleas let us know what you think!

God Bless You
Jerry Moyer
The Jubilee Gang
www.jubileegang.com
www.youtube.com/jubileegang
www.myspace.com/jubileegang

Church Minded Vs. Kingdom Minded

Church Minded Vs. Kingdom Minded

We hear a lot today about church growth and church growth is good. A healthy church should be growing just like a healthy person should grow. A healthy church cannot help but grow!

A lot of churches are starting to evaluate every program according to how much it helps the church grow. Evaluation is good and healthy as long as we look at the big picture. The big picture that I am talking about is the Kingdom of God.

Matt. 6:33 says that if we seek first the kingdom of God that all these things will be added unto us. We do not seek his kingdom to get what we want, but as we seek first the kingdom of God our lives and ministry cannot help but grow.

Church growth cannot be the only reason we do certain programs or cut certain programs in our local churches. There is a much higher calling to grow the kingdom of God.

Jesus said in the great commission to go into all the world and make disciples. Those people that need to be reached and discipled in all the world don't just include people from our local communities that will attend our local churches.

A lot of times when people look at having a Kid's Crusade or family outreach event they count how many families return after the event and judge whether they should continue having this kind of events in the future.

A lot of times we see great growth in our local churches from such events, but sometimes it does not effect the growth of our local body however it effects the growth of the kingdom of God.

Now I am not saying that we should not evaluate the effectiveness of a certain ministry or outreach events. We should evaluate everything we do to find out if it reached the goals we had for the event and how we can be more effective in reaching these goals during future events. However, our goal should not just be getting new people to come to our church. It should be part of it, but not the entire goal.

When I was on staff as a children's pastor, I would ask myself what is the goal of any given event and how can we best achieve this goal. A lot of times we do an event just because we have always done this event.

When looking at the event of a traditional VBS and seeing the large budget it required and the manpower from our church, I would ask myself what the goal of VBS was. Was it to encourage the Christian children in our church to grow or to outreach into the community? Being the evangelist that I am and knowing that my children were well taught in children's church my goal for most large events was outreach.

Then, I would ask myself if we were achieving that goal through the current VBS program. Most VBS curriculums are designed to teach bible truths around a certain theme for the year and not to see children born again and made disciples. VBS programs in some communities have turned into nothing more than a baby sitting service to the parents of the community. Kids jump from VBS to VBS every week during the summer just to have something to do while their parents are at work. Churches even work together to make sure that every week in the summer is covered by a different church and that everyone is not using the same curriculum. Most VBS curriculums have been watered down so that it is not offensive to anyone to get more children to attend. Sure there is a small amount of Bible in the curriculum, but in its self is not anything that will change a life for eternity.

After evaluating the program and seeing that my goal was outreach and evangelism, I decided to change to more of a Kids Crusade format. I do not call it a Kid's Crusade because the un churched community does not understand the term and usually associate it with the crusades of the dark ages.

I have always been a kingdom minded person. Probably because Matt. 6:33 was one of the first scriptures that really came alive to me as a teen.

We will not always see church growth as a result of an event or program; however we must ask our self if the kingdom grew because of the event or program. Now I am not talking about loosely using the phrase …

"If we touched one child it is worth it"

It is worth it to touch the life of one child. We do not know what that child will become. Maybe this child might become the next Billy Graham or something. But why should we only touch the life of one child during the event? While we are touching their live why not touch the lives of hundreds more. If only one child is reached we should ask ourselves how we can reach more next time and make the adjustments to our program, advertising, and marketing of the event to the community to reach more people.

We recently ministered at a church that had us in and had small crowds each night. Mostly church kids and a few un churched friends attended. The same children came forward each evening during the invitation to be born again. A few people that did not attend the church came forward, but it was mostly the children from their church. I would say around 20 children were born again despite having around 50 children respond to the invitation during the 3 day event. I could see where the pastor might be discouraged and consider not having this type of event in the future because of the cost of the program and the results he saw.

No one new that a friend of mine from face book attended the service from a neighboring town one of the evenings with a group of children including her 7 year old daughter. She had seen on face book where we were going to be ministering at this church and wanted to come and check out our ministry.

After the event I received the following e-mail from my facebook friend…

"Thanks for inviting us. I'm sorry we couldn't make all three days. The kids I brought LOVED it, they want you to come to our church. My daughter who's 7 also came with me on Monday night. She has been telling people in her class and in our congregation how she is "born again" and "how God gave her a clean heart". This is HUGE coming from a very Traditional Presbyterian Church. So thank you. You have encouraged me to change my Sunday School curriculum and change the direction of my ministry to be more evangelism based. I'll be back in touch soon after speaking with our finance committee to discuss scheduling a Jubilee Gang event at our church."

This was worth the whole event to see the lives of these young people changed and to see the possibility of an entire children's ministry at another church become more evangelistic because of the children's pastor attending this meeting.

I also received a testimony from a children's pastor in VA that was born again at a Kids Crusade at a church that he did not attend and never attended except for the Kid's Crusade where he was born again. Below is his story…

"When I was 5 years old my parents took me to see a traveling children's evangelist who was ministering in a local church. At the end of the service I asked Jesus into my heart for the first time. My family and I never went back to that church but found ourselves planted in another local church where we grew in Christ.

I often think about that first church where I found Jesus. I'm so grateful that church had a kingdom mindset when it came to outreach. Many churches see the goal of outreach as a way to boost attendance numbers. Outreaches are evaluated by measurable returns, but the Bible reminds us that we're here to build a kingdom…not just our own church.

I'm grateful for ministries like the Jubilee Gang who spend their time spreading the seed of God's word into young hearts. And I'm grateful that this first church had a kingdom mindset that allowed me to hear the gospel for the first time. Their measurable return may be considered insufficient by many churches today but I will be eternally grateful to God for them."

This is what it is all about folks! As a result of this church being kingdom minded this young child was born again and is now a children's pastor at a large church that is affecting hundreds if not thousands of lives.

It would be wrong to not give a testimony from a church that did not see growth from a Kids crusade at their church. I received the following letter from a church in OK where a child was born again during the kids crusade and went home and told his mother about Christ and led her to the lord…

"Our pastor's wife was teaching a Wednesday night class and a mom was helping. The mom brought in her form that we have everyone fill out before they help in children's church. Pastor's wife looked at the form and saw that the mom got saved in October and asked her about it.

The mom's two kids came to the crusade and heard about being born again. The boy came to the front to pray. (That's awesome at that) That night when they got home, they told their mom about being born again and the mom got saved in her living room that night and has been faithful to church ever since."

We would have never have know this if the pastor's wife had not asked some questions. The kingdom was affected by this event!

When evaluating events and programs let make sure that we are not cutting a program that is affecting the Kingdom when we do not see our church numbers increase.

By
Jerry Moyer
The Jubilee Gang

http://www.jubileegang.com/