How are the Children?
by Luke McConnell
This week I wanted to make another plea for volunteers in our Whiz Kids Ministry. But in thinking about it, my desire for this space became much more than a simple ask for two hours a week. It turned into an ask for a change in mindset in how we serve our children at Council Road.
First, though, Whiz Kids. We had such an incredible time last year with the 19 kids from Council Grove Elementary School. Our tutors were incredible, and we saw big strides made in the lives of our kids. All 19 maintained their reading level this year according to tests, and 14 children improved their reading level. Four of those jumped more than a whole reading level!
Not only did those kids improve academically, but they were also exposed to the Gospel each week during our club time. Seven of those 19 came to VBS/Sports Camp and Kid’s Camp and were further exposed to the truth of the Gospel and the love of Jesus. It’s impossible to overstate the impact this ministry has on the kids who participate and their families.
Council Road is about serving our community and bringing the love of Jesus to those around our location at 30th and Council. Whiz Kids is one of the most community-centric ministries we support at Council Road. I’d highly encourage you to pray about being part of it this year. And I do mean pray about it. It’s easy to say yes you’ll think about it and pray about it. It’s another step of faith to actually do it.
Speaking of community, in thinking about this article, I stumbled on a talk from Chris Brewster, the superintendent at Santa Fe South Schools. You might remember him from our panel on race relations from a few years back here at Council Road.
In this talk, Chris made the point that a community’s health can be determined by the well-being of the children within a community. I found that fascinating and incredibly true. Whiz Kids is a great answer to increasing the well-being of children in our community. We want you to be part of what God is doing through this ministry.
Then the thought crossed my mind. “What is the well-being of our children at Council Road?”
Brewster commented on why things begin to break down in a community. “It’s because I think on many occasions, the adults in the equation have withdrawn from broader responsibilities and satisfied themselves with very specific, finite, narrow-minded approaches to what they consider the answer. ‘I’m not here to do XYZ, I’m here to teach math.’”
To be clear, Brewster was speaking from the background of education. But if we changed a few words, it could easily apply to the church: “I’m not here to teach other kids the Bible. Sunday mornings are for me to get fed spiritually. That’s for someone else.”
Unfortunately, when all of us take that approach or something similar, there’s no one left. In baseball, when two outfielders converge on a fly ball and neither calls for it, what happens? The ball drops, a run scores, the game is lost. As the church, we’re not called to be spectators and let others carry the load. We’re called to participate and be part of God’s redemptive and transforming work.
Ultimately it boils down to a need to view the children in our church as if they were our own. What are we commanded to do as parents? We’re called to train them up in the way of the Lord, to love Jesus, to avoid and hate sin, to serve others. What if I also desired the same for Landry Franks’ children, Asher and Dru, and I put action to that desire?
Who are you discipling? Who are you spending intentional time with on a daily, weekly or monthly basis in an effort to push them closer to Jesus? Where are you serving at Council Road? Are you participating or sitting back and simply consuming the work others are doing?
We would be sadly mistaken to think we don’t have a responsibility to disciple children who aren’t our own. Think of all the people in your life who are big spiritual influences who aren’t your parents. You would probably name at least one childhood Sunday School teacher in that group.
Matt McLain, Sarah Hagar and Dondra Lonsdale do an incredible job leading our student, children and preschool ministries. I’m in awe of their love for their ministry areas and what they’re able to accomplish each week. But they can’t do it alone. They need our church to serve alongside them to disciple these students and children and to show them how to love Jesus well.
Which is why it’s disappointing to hear the need for more volunteers in some of those areas just to meet the bare minimum of a teacher or two in every class. I’ve heard of churches where there’s a waiting list to serve in the children’s ministry. When I see the size of our church and how our members love each other and the community, I know that can happen here as well. But right now, it’s not. And it’s not due to a people shortage.
How are our children, Council Road? Not just the ones we see each Sunday and Wednesday, but the ones who come in our doors as a result of ministries like Whiz Kids. Let’s rally together and ensure we guide these children to the feet of Jesus as one.
If you’re interested in serving in Whiz Kids, email Luke McConnell (mcconnell@councilroad.org) or Makenzie Magnus (mmagnus@councilroad.org). To serve in the children or preschool ministries, email Sarah Hagar (hagar@councilroad.org) or Dondra Lonsdale (londsdale@councilroad.org). For students, email Matt McLain (mclain@councilroad.org), or Alex Luttrull (aluttrull@councilroad.org).
Author Bio
Luke serves as the Cube Director at Council Road. He previously worked at Channel 9 as a sports writer and an account executive. He also serves as the play-by-play voice for Southern Nazarene University athletics. Luke graduated from OU in 2011. He and his wife, Mary, have been members at Council Road since 2012. They have twin boys, Jackson and Cameron. Mary teaches third grade at Wiley Post Elementary. They also help lead a home group.