I get what your trying to say though.

I do have to admit that this post is me on a soapbox. I wasn’t so much indicting people like Miley Cyrus for thanking Jesus as the response that so many of us in evangelical Christianity have towards those proclamations. We quickly make these people “Christian Celebrities” and then ostracize them when they are human and make a mistake.

I think that kids need to have solid Biblical teaching and foundations. They also need to be taught to be open in talking about their faith. My problem is that many times that gets translated into sharing faith in very inauthentic ways; we are more worried about getting the words, “Jesus Love You” out and not worry about how they are loving those around them as God does.

Thanks for your thoughts.

“The metropolitan liberal, in my experience, regards overt religious identity as vulgar, and evangelical Christianity as an infallible marker of mental retardation. Flag-waving patriotism is seen as a joke and an embarrassment.”

(from “Democrats must learn some respect” by Clive Crook at http://clivecrook.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/09/democrats_must_learn_some_resp.php )

He makes a great point that upon a soapbox (and I often couch myself upon that wooden throne) we often slide into disdain and contempt, class sneer (Bill Maher).

In my own rhetorical flourishes I have a whisper in my brain that calmly reminds me, “I have made the foolish things of this world…” and I choke on my own hubris, alighting for the sidelines while proning my knees to the servanthood I staunchly strive for.

You have to admit that our faith is a “stumbling block” to those who are closely aligned with our beliefs and “foolishness” to those who are aghast at our “clinging to religion”! You prepare children for spiritual imbecility if you don’t clearly guide them to understand that “in this world they will have” and often cause “trouble.”

As for the name of the blog… this blog exists mostly to discuss current and emerging trends that are affecting and shaping what children’s ministry looks like.

I personally do not wear Christians T’s because I think most are extremely corny, I never did get into wearing the extremely expensive vacuum cleaner belt on my wrist to just have it say WWJD where only a few, those inside, would know what it stood for.

But I do agree and think we need to engage the culture we live in and find ways to give God the credit in a world that does great and kind things but without God. Maybe for some wearing these things and taking part in these things are their way of doing that and not because they are afraid of their community?

Why do you have the word “Children’s Ministry” in the title of your blog? Is “Ministry” what the community will Google for if they want to find parenting help, leadership, self help etc.? Just asking my friend.

That’s how I dippity do it. Peace!

While my post does look at kids… I think it goes deeper than a “kids are just kids” thing. Like you said, kids are a product of their surroundings. I hear things like what was said on Kid Nation from teenagers at youth conventions and adults in everyday conversations. Yes, it is in many of our natures to assume that what we believe is the best… What I am advocating and challenging is that we ditch that superiority complex and the easy tendency to simply stay within the confines of our church club and interact with the world around us. And, yes, we need to do that in community… not as solitary wolves.

And also, yes there is Matthew 28:19-20 (called the Great Commission), but we can’t just use that verse to sum up all that God calls us to do in this world. We also have to take into account verses like Matthew 25:31-40 which call us to social action and justice issues as well. We have to do both “making disciples” and “doing unto the least of these.”