"No really, could you hold a snuggly baby for one hour once a week? I mean, sometimes they need to have a bottle or a diaper change or something, but very often we need someone to hold a sweet baby. The infant room first service is in need of a consistent volunteer and some subs, and second service could use occasional subs.
If every Sunday sounds like too much, could you partner with another individual or family and cover all the weeks each month? We have a form and will do a background check and could then get you plugged in to a great group of volunteers.
Also, we have a need for a consistent adult in the Two year old room first service and Three year old room second service. The requirements for this are to be adept at puzzles and coloring and building with blocks. If you are out of practice with these skills, I am sure they can quickly whip you into shape :) !"
Our Totzone (0-3) Team at Shoal Crek shared this with me last night, and I wanted to make sure it got pushed out far and wide because holding a baby could be an insanely easy way to 1) get your student plugged into serving which, 2) helps teach them that they are a part of God's bigger plan by 3) integrating them into Shoal Creek's mission to provide a safe environment for children on Sundays so that parents can experience God's message to them in the auditorium on Sundays.
What kinds of conversations have you had this week, this month? With your spouse? With your kids? With whatever voices reside inside of your head and heart? We tend to go-go-go as fast as we can all day long, and plop down at night on our couches and in our beds. In our fatigue we're often able to tune out the questions and insecurities that would latch to our consciousness, if we were to give them the chance.
Each day we have to make choices that affect us, and our loved ones in very personal ways. We will have to make decisions without always having the benefit of being sure we are making the right choice. We won't be able to take back what we cause to happen, and we will have to live with the results for better or for worse.
There are ways to gain a sense of balance and steadiness in our own tumultuous situations, and even in the bigger peaks and valleys that we find ourselves in as a society. One of the most fundamental ways to gain a sense of peace and direction amidst our insecurities and uncertainties is seeking God through prayer.
Shoal Creeker Lynne Haynes has recently felt led to open up her home as a place where you are welcome to gather to share about the big issues that break your heart, and to pray in the company of others seeking to come under the peace and security of a bigger God. From Lynne,
So this is my idea. I would like to invite people who have a heart to pray for big issues to come together. I would love to include those people whose hearts break when they hear a news story, but also the people (like myself) whose hearts don’t break, but know they need God to help their hearts break. I would like to invite people who will be obedient, if God prompts them to action, to move out of their comfort zone to do something, knowing they may never know if it will make a difference or not. I would like to invite those who love God and want to worship Him, knowing He alone is worthy of worship and He alone has the power to make a difference.
If any of this intrigues you, I would like to invite you to my house for a prayer “experience” this Tuesday, July, 19th at 7:00. Please bring a picture or an item that represents an issue that breaks your heart. Bring a heart willing to listen to see issues through God’s eyes and a willingness to move if God so calls you. At the end, we will take some time and download the experience and see what this could look like going forward. I know this is a short timing, but I am feeling a sense of urgency about this. If you are interested in the idea but cannot be there on Tuesday, let me know. If enough people are interested, we will do it at another time as well. Also, feel free to share this with anyone you think might be interested that I may not have included.
My hope is we will create an environment to encourage each other to pray, both corporately and individually. I hope you will join me in this.
If you are interested in attending, please contact me and I will forward your information onto Lynne and get you connected to this gathering, and/or future gathers.
I would highly encourage parents to see this as a prime opportunity to bond with your child and expose them to the efficacy of prayer. Take your son or daughter with you and let them engage this gathering with the things that break their own hearts. Help them see the power of prayer, especially the power of prayer in a group.
As the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 4:6-7, "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."
