Noticer - The Movement

I ran across an author today after he "followed" me on Twitter - his name is Andy Andrews.  Andy is an author and speaker who has begun quietly influencing some of the most well-known people in the world.  His most recent work - The Noticer - is a allegoric, fictional work written from his own story.  While homeless and living in garages and under a pier in Southern Alabama...

"...a mysterious old man named Jones has a miraculous way of showing up. A man of indiscriminate age and race with white hair and wearing blue jeans, a white T-shirt and carrying a battered old suitcase, Jones is a unique soul with near angelic qualities. Communicating what he calls “a little perspective,” Jones explains that he has been given a gift of noticing things about life that others miss. In his simple interactions, Jones speaks to that part in everyone that is yearning to understand why things happen and what they can do about it."

 I haven't yet read the book - I just found out about it - but watching this video intrigued me.



First, what a great idea!!!  To ponder and then contact the 5 most positively influential people in your life to let them know how they have influenced your life!  That could be very powerful in one's life!!  I wonder who mine are and would be??  Who have I influenced - would I be part of someone's 5???  How was I influenced by my family???

As a Christ-Follower, as I watched that video, I couldn't help but think "Who was / is Jones?"  Was he a real human.....an angel.....a demon?????  (Yes, they REALLY do exist!)  At first glance, you may think, "Well, it MUST HAVE been an angel!  How else could this guy have gone from homeless to influencing major famous people!"  But, allow me a little latitude.....

One thing I didn't hear on the video or read on the websites is anything about Jesus or even God.  I actually began to get a little bit of a sinking feeling the more I watched and read.  I may be WAY off base, but is The Noticer influencing people towards the Trinitarian, Loving, REAL God?  Or to somewhere, someone else?  Could this just be a distraction from pointing people to a loving, all-encompassing relationship with the Creator and His Son, Jesus Christ?

Jesus spoke clearly on this, " He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters" (Matt 12:30).  Also, every angel we read about in God's Word gives all glory to God and points us back to Him.  Did The Noticer do that?

As Believers, we MUST be discerning of what we allow to influence us.  There are lots of things out there that want to take us and our families down paths AWAY from the most important Thing.  I wonder if this movement is indeed a GOOD thing for Believers.  I think it CAN be, but.....

Family + Church = Collaborate / The Book Review

The latest book to hit the virtual shelves of Amazon and other websites in the genre of Family Ministry is called Collaborate!  This book is a compilation of 35 different authors that focus on different aspects of the  intentional partnership between the church and the home.  I was given the opportunity to receive an advance copy (for the purposes of reviewing it on this Web-Log) from Ministers Label and Michael Chanley - the collaborator of Collaborate!

This type of book is, from what I know, a one-of-a-kind approach within the field of Family Ministry.  It was enjoyable to hear the different stories of how certain ministries and programs came into existence.  For instance, Carey Nieuwhof's chapter on his journey into understanding the centrality of the family for evangelism and discipleship was excellent!  Maybe it's just because I feel a slight connection with Carey (he lives in Canada and I live near Canada - goofy I know) - even though I'll likely never meet him - I enjoyed hearing his story.

Another chapter filled with Story is Fred Stoeker's chapter called "Doing Book."  Fred, one the authors of the "Every Man's Battle" series, put his heart into explaining how he was able to have difficult, yet meaningful conversations with his pre-teens and teens.  You should check it out!

Basically, I liked just about every chapter that put the family BEFORE the programs and ministries of the church:

• "The Missing Piece - Developing a Biblical Worldview in your Children" by Jim Wideman
• "Paramount Parenting" by Matt Markins
• "The Small Conquering the Big" by Steven Dilla (again one with a dramatic personal story)
• "Living the Shema as a Dad" by Timothy Smith

My favorite chapter, by far, was Dr. Rob Rienow's entitled "Building a Theology of Family Ministry."  Rob does simply an amazing job at laying a whole-Biblical approach to the importance of Family Ministry - far beyond the standard Deuteronomy 6 and Psalm 78 passages.  His linking of the First Commandment (Genesis 1:28) and the overarching Meta-Narrative of the Covenant of God, the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:34-36), and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) is exactly what every church needs to read / hear to see just how central the family is to the Covenant Plan of God.  I love this quote:

"If we are passionate about seeing the advance of the Gospel of the Kingdom of Christ, let us begin by turning our hearts toward home.  Let us ask God to help us begin our ministry in this world by 'making disciples' of our family members, even if they are scattered around the country - our parents siblings, spouses and children.  Let us passionately and biblically defend God's plan, structure and purposed for the institution of the family, as well as the institution of the church."

If we accept on any level what Dr. Reinow lays out, then that calls for a serious evaluation of how we do ministry! Is the Church missing the mark?  Has the modern church moved too far away from the plan of using the family to be the first and central place of discipleship and evangelism?  If that's the case, then it is a move that is AT BEST, ineffective or AT WORST, un-Biblical!  To that end, there were some frustrations with some of the chapters within Collaborate.

One such chapter for me was Justyn Smith's chapter on "PJ's All Stars Leadership Team."  This chapter about PJ's (Pastor Justyn's) seems like a great way to develop kid leaders - even including components for the kids to do at home.  But underneath this program is the idea that what happens at church is more important than what happens at home.  It puts the onus of raising discipleship squarely on the church - PJ specifically - and not onto the parents.  There are others that do a little of this as well: 

• "Selling Out - Sold Out" by Rob Bradbury
• "Family Nourishment" by Joyce Oglesby
• "Parent Liaisons" by Anna J. Light
• Even the logo on the front of the book puts the "church" about twice as big as the "home"

The problem is not that our churches DO NOT or CANNOT do discipleship with kids effectively, nor do I believe that we should stop all Children's Ministry programming ('cause then I would be out of a job!☺). But, are our ways of doing ministry with kids, youth and adults minimizing or even violating scripture by taking the responsibility away from parents.  Common objections would be:  "Well, parents aren't doing it effectively" or "This is how we choose to partner with the home."  Well, if that's the issue, what about if the families in our churches are not tithing or giving financially?  Do we begin to give FOR them?  Or do you teach and instruct them on the importance and commandment to give financially back to God?

I realize this may make me unpopular with many Children and Youth workers, so feel free to disagree.  In fact, I encourage it as I believe we are all still works in progress - ME INCLUDED!!!  I too am trying to work this stuff through and bring honor to God in my family and service in ministry.  Thanks Mr. Chanley for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this though-provoking book!

Fasten Your Seatbelt!

Ladies & Gentlemen:  Start Your engines!

Get ready for a barrage of information!  Over the next two months there are just a ton of things happening around Colonial Woods for kids & families.  So here you go:

• April 18th - Kindergarten FJIF Take-It Home Event - "You Want Me to Worship Where?

• April 18th - CM Equip Meeting - ALL Children's Ministry volunteers are encourage to attend this Summer ministries preview - faithbook!  6 PM @ CWMC!

• April 30th - Pinewood Derby - EVERYONE is welcome!

• May 1st - Faith @ Home Church Seminar - Pastors & Leaders in Family Ministry will hear from Mark Holmen on how to start Family Ministry within your church.

• May 2nd - Faith @ Home Extreme Makeover Parenting Seminar - Come hear Mark Holmen and Jeff Hoyle from Focus on the Family share ideas and resources to help parents pass on faith to your kids.  5-7 PM!

• May 16th - 2nd Grade FJIF Take-It Home Event - "Bringing Missions Home"  10:45 Service

• June 6th - Mom, Dad & Me - Families of 1st through 5th Graders are invited to attend our 3rd Family Worship event during the 10:45 service in the Gym at CWMC.

• June 13th - Promotion Sunday - This is the day that all kids entering Kindergarten through 6th Grade are promoted.  Be on the lookout for that information.

Well, how do you like that???  Summer is just around the corner!!!!

New Resource: Faith Begins @ Home Devotions

Uh, oh.....here we go again!!!  The 'D' Word - Devotions!  The next book review in the Faith @ Home series from Mark Holmen is on quite possibly the toughest topic to talk about.  Family Devotions (which we will somewhat define in a bit) is ESSENTIAL to producing Faith filled children; but it is one area that is often the biggest struggle in our families.  So to that end, Mark starts off with an "Attitude Check."

"You don't HAVE to..."
Mark relates a personal story from his teenage years when he did NOT want to go church.  Every Sunday he would ask him mom if he HAD to go to church.  She would typically respond simply by leaving the light on and not saying anything.  Then one day, she responded "You don't have to.....you GET to!"  What kind of comeback could he have?  Maybe we need an attitude check - we don't HAVE to do devotions, we GET to do them!

Would you like to know God more?  Would you like to be able to hear God's voice better?  Would you like your kids to spend Eternity in Heaven?  Then remembering who God is and what He has done for you and SHARING THAT WITH YOUR FAMILY is a great way to start!  "Devotions are not about what you do, but about what God has done and is doing all around you."

Family Devotion Myths
So what do family devotions look like?  Well first, here are some myths about FD:

1. Family devotions are long & boring - they can be a 2 minute "God Moment" or just about anything that points our kids back to Jesus.
2. We don't have to do family devotions because our kids are involved at church or attend a Christian school.
3. You have to have all the answers to lead family devotions.  
4. Family devotions require hours of preparation.  Look for the teachable moments.
5. You have to be a Biblical scholar or expert to lead family devotions.  This is not something we can "call in the experts" on!  It can only be done by us as the parents.
6. You have to stop everything else you are doing to do family devotions.  

But what IS family devotions?  They are how you bring Jesus and Christ-like living into you everyday life!  They are about taking the "God Moments" and capitalizing on them.  It's about being Wholly and Holy committed to Jesus and seeking to know the Truth and apply it to our families.

Devotional Tools

"Half the battle is having the right tools."  If you want to win the war for the souls of your children, you have to have the right tools.  So here are a few:

1. A Personal Relationship with God - You cannot give away what you do not possess yourself!
2. God's Word - You can also use a concordance, a topical Bible, access to an online version, etc.
3. Music - Bringing music in your devotional living can be a great way to connect families to God.
4. Online Messages - Listen to some of the greatest Christian speakers out there by just a click of a button.
5. Your Eyes and Ears - Again, pay attention for the "God Moments."
6. Devotional Resources - a simple Google search could list thousands of resources available that will fit your life's schedule.

In the last section, Mark gives 6 Family Devotion outlines that just about anyone can do!  

Convinced yet????  If not, keep this in mind:  What is at stake here?  What is the end product if we do NOT teach our kids about Christ?  Keep in the end in mind!  We want our kids to walk daily with the Lord as they grow up and go out on their own; but that takes US doing the hard work now!

New Resource: Faith Begins @ Home Dad

I will be reviewing a series of books by Mark and Maria Holmen from the Faith Begins @ Home Movement.  Here's the first one!

OK Men, it's time for a little 'man-to-man' talk!  Let me ask you a couple of questions:

• What is the most important thing you want to pass on to your children?
• What do you think when you hear that your child's faith will be a mirror image of your faith?
• What are you willing to do so that your, your children and grandchildren will one day enter eternal life in Heaven?

These are just some of the hard hitting questions Mark Holmen address in this new resource:  Faith Begins @ Home Dad.   This book will convict and inspire you to truly change the way you live your life and the priorities you have set up.  I found myself saying, "OUCH!" several times as I read through the first few chapters.  A short read, one that packs a powerful punch, you can finish it likely in just a few hours.  Even for people like me who fall asleep when they read!!!  

Challenge to Our Priorities

Mark lays out a clear challenge to the things dad often prioritize for our kids.  We all want various things for our children, not the least of which is a strong faith in Jesus; but do we act like faith matters?  "Here's the deal, dad:  You can raise your children to be a Cubs fan, a soccer star, an avid hunter, a straight A student or a successful business leader, but if they end up spending eternity in hell, will you be proud of what you did?"  Yup, that one hurt!

Challenge to Obey

Instead of asking WWJD - What would Jesus Do - the real question is WWJHYD - What would Jesus have YOU do?  When someone "gives you the bird" on the expressway, WWJHYD?  When you're on a trip alone in a hotel room, and pornography abounds, WWJHYD?  When you haven't read the Bible in a week but it's opening day of Tiger baseball, WWJHYD?  Men, are we living in obedience to God's Word?  

Challenge to Choose then Commit

"At the end of the day it comes down to a choice.  You have to choose whom you are going to serve. It is an unavoidable choice."  Left alone, children will NOT follow God - it is part of our fallen nature.  As parents, we have to intentionally show our children how to live for God.  No choice is STILL a choice - it's a choice to NOT follow Him.  

We must commit to spending time with Jesus and then passing that story down to our children.  Can we be as committed to our raising Godly children as much as we are committed to our favorite sports team?  Can we be committed to following Jesus even when "times are tough."  

Your Influence

Now the good news!  You still have the chance to turn things around!!!  Men, you have the 2nd most influential position in your child's spiritual development - 2nd only to your wife!  You exert more influence than pastors, sport figures, youth group, youth sponsors, and (believe it or not) well above their friends!  Are you ready to stand and fight for your kids to escape an eternity of fire and pain?  Are you ready to fight for your kids against the powers and schemes of Darkness?  It's time to take a STAND!!!

His, Dean Butterfield

Another Video Re: Faith @ Home

Check out this video from Mark Holmen!  Mark will be the guest speaker the weekend services of May 1st & 2nd at Colonial Woods Missionary Church.  Enjoy!

Volunteering @ VOX

As VOX Church begins their preview services over the next several months, there is a strong desire to begin seeing kids have a safe and fun place to engage Christ on their own level.  As part of our on-going partnership with them, we would like to see several volunteers from CW to assist them in their children’s ministry programming.  


Volunteers are needed to help with Infants, Toddlers and Elementary kids three Sunday nights in April – 11^th, 18^th and 25^th.  Would you consider making an impact with this “daughter church” as they begin to make a difference in the lives of young families?  If you are interested, contact either Dean Butterfield,  Matt Woodburn or Kate Mayer.


Kate will be working towards developing safe and fun environments that foster spiritual growth for the children who come to VOX Church. She will be putting programs and strategies in place to disciple children at VOX as well as equipping parents to disciple their children at home. Along with this, Kate will organize and train the volunteers who want to be involved in the ministry. We are excited to see what God will do through Kate's love and passion for children and their spiritual well-being. Please pray that God provides Kate with children's leaders and volunteers with a heart to see children grow in their love of Jesus. Also, pray for the children who will be coming to VOX and that they will see just how much they matter to God through the words and actions of our team..  


If you are interested in helping more long term with VOX Church, I'm sure Matt would love to talk with you more.

How is the Family Different? - A Facebook Comment Transplant

A Co-Worker recently asked a great question on Facebook that I think has implications for how we do Kid's & Family Ministry, so I thought I would share it here:

In what ways has the concept of "the family" changed from Biblical times until now? In what ways do conservative Christians view "the family" similarly and differently than they did in the New Testament era? In what ways are these changes good and in what ways are they not so good?

There were several responses, but here are my initial thoughts:

The definition and make up of family has changed drastically over the centuries - and it is hard to put labels on those, but here are a few:

1) Extended Family vs. Nuclear Family - in NT extended families living in the same abode (or on the same compound) was common place.  Aunts, Uncles, G-parents, cousins grew up and often stayed in the same area their whole life.  Nowadays, in CC circles, extended families are the exception and not the norm.  Of course, nuclear families in the "traditional sense" (mom, dad, kids in one house) is quickly becoming the exception as well.  This is not a statement of good or bad, just one of observation - but one that does carry implications for ministry

2) Transience - families today are far more mobile than they were in the OT.  Simply b/c of the inability to cover vast areas of land easily and quickly, families in OT and NT times most often just stayed together.  Today, children are often living in different states and different countries than where they grew up and where their parents may be.

3)  Individual vs. Corporate - Families are far more isolative today than in Biblical times.  When we lived in Colorado, the neighborhood I lived in looked like cattle stockyards b/c everyone had a 6 ft privacy fence keep their own piece of land separated from everyone else's.  Also, with the invention of the garage and garage door opener, families never even have to come in contact with others if they choose to.  They simply press a button to open and close their home without ever being seen.

4)  Family size - Families today are far smaller than in Biblical times as well.  I couldn't venture a guess what family size was back then, but I would imagine it is far more than the 1.8 kids per families today.  On the surface this doesn't seem like a big deal, but when you understand the reasons behind having numerous children back in OT & NT times, it becomes a bigger issue:  kids for working the family business/farm, kids to carry on the beliefs and values of the Spiritual family are just 2 of them. 

5)  Priorities & Values - Overall the values and priorities of the family has changed drastically.  It seems one of the main thrusts of the family in the OT & NT was to promote certain values or at the least maintain certain priorities - maintaining a certain level of livelihood was one of them (i.e., you grew crops and raised cattle to make a living and to be able to eat vs. going to the grocery store and buying whatever is needed). 

The priorities and values of our families today show a very different culture.  With the rise of entertainment - music, sports, computer technology, etc. - families have shifted into focusing on things that they believe will benefit their kids more in the long run.  Not that these things are BAD in and of themselves, but I often wonder what is being left out to make room for all of these things?

6)  Outsourcing – We have become a nation that outsources just about everything.  We get our kids lessons for sports, music lessons, tutoring, spiritual training, etc.  We buy our groceries at a store rather than grow them ourselves.  We use technology to outsource our entertainment so kids don’t have to entertain themselves.  In part, this has been driven by necessity – working 40-70 hours a week doesn’t leave a lot of time for other things.  But there are also choices the family has made to value certain things over others; so to make time for those things we see how we can cut time to “make room” for it all.

7)  Maturity & Rite of Passage - By and large, in European and American cultures, the age of maturity and marriageability has risen since OT & NT times.  We tend to think of young people not being adults until they reach 18-21 years of age; and even then they not really ready to be married until much later in their twenties.  This wasn't the case for a LOOOOONG time!  A Rite of Passage typically took place (Bar Mitzvahs, Bat Mitzvahs in Jewish culture) took place at age 13-16 - and it is then they were marriage eligible.  You still see this in various cultures around the world - Quinceanera, for example - but by and large has gone by the wayside.

That’s all I got to say about that…..

What are your thoughts????

Questions??????

This is a  promo video for the D6 Conference.  Church leaders - I encourage you to check it out!!!



The line up of speakers there is INCREDIBLE:  Dr. Kevin Leman, Mark Holmen, Tim Hawkins, Rob Rienow, The Skit Guys, and so on....

Annual Family Journey in Faith Report

This year I decided to do an Annual Report for our Family Ministry as well - Family Journey in Faith.  Catch up on what's happening with FJIF!
_________________________________________________

Purpose of FJIF

Family Journey in Faith was started a little over 3 years ago as a ministry to families to encourage, inspire and equip parents to intentionally disciple their children in the home – not just at church!

Take-It Home Events

The primary way we attempt to accomplish that goal is through monthly Take-It Home events.  These events bring together kids of a specific age/grade and their parents to practice one way to pass along faith to their children.  Usually, a resource is given to the kids to help them take the Take [the practice] Home.  You can see the complete schedule online colonialwoodsmc.com.

The Journey Newsletter

I am also excited to announce that the FJIF team also recently released the 1^st issue of The Journey newsletter to encourage parents to keep up fighting the fight in passing on their faith.  This unique blend of resources, encouragement and advice from church leaders and parents is available on the CWMC website.  We are even using pictures of some of our own Colonial Woods’ kids, so check it out!

Mark Holmen Event

Another event I am excited about, coming May 1^st & 2^nd, is in partnership with the Missionary Church’s Michigan District’s Family And Children Team (F.A.C.T.), Mark Holmen and Focus on the Family, called Faith @ Home Church Seminar.  There will be a time of training for church leaders and pastors on Saturday AND a parenting workshop on Sunday, May 2^nd, from 5-7 PM.  This will be a great opportunity for parents to gain valuable insight on how to pass their faith onto their children.  Be on the lookout for details.

Visionary Parenting Conference

Another exciting opportunity I am excited to introduce to you is a weekend Conference FJIF is sponsoring February 18^th & 19^th, 2011 called Visionary Parenting.  This conference will be for all parents of Colonial Woods – infants through high schoolers – who wish to take the first step, continue, or rise up a level in the discipleship of your children.  

Dr. Rob Rienow from Wheaton Bible Church in Wheaton, IL will be our featured speaker.  He will be presenting 5 Visions for how we can create a God-centered Home as we seek to make disciples of our kids.  There will also be times of connections with other parents over desert (Friday evening) and lunch (Saturday afternoon).  Check out the brochures at the information booth or contact the Children’s Ministry office for details.

Calendar of Events

April 18^th          Kindergarten Take-It Home Event

May 1 & 2       Faith @ Home Church Seminar

May 16^th          2^nd Grade Take-It Home Event

June 6^th            Elevate Family Worship Event

Sept 19^th          3^rd Grade Take-It Home Event

Oct 17^th           1^st Grade Take-It Home Event

Nov 21^st           3 Year Old Take-It Home Event

Dec 5^th             Elevate Family Worship Event

Feb 18 & 19    Visionary Parenting Conference

Future Vision

The possibilities for Family Journey in Faith are virtually endless as CW strives to be a church that encourages, inspires and equips parents to carry out their Biblical role of discipling their children.  Our hope is to see FJIF continue to expand into areas such as a Family Mission Trip, continued Family Worship opportunities, Parent-on-Parent mentoring, and so on.  Watch and see what God does!!!

In His Service,

Dean L. Butterfield

Director of Children’s Ministries