Lest I only come across as pointing out what's wrong, I'd like to celebrate something wonderful I saw in a job posting at churchstaffing.com.

Here's what this church is looking for in a children's ministry director: Develop and lead an effective children's ministry that connects children and their families to Jesus, the church and to each other.

That's what I'm talking about!

I read a job description for a children's minister recently that said the primary responsibility of the job is to develop "biblical literacy and Christian character" in children.

Of course, that made me wonder what biblical literacy is. I'm sure it means different things to different people.

I love the Word of God...I've memorized it, read it, studied it, meditated on it, grappled with it, sought God through it! That needs to be established before I go on.

For this church, "biblical literacy and Christian character" never mentioned anything remotely close to knowing and loving God...or a personal, redemptive relationship with Jesus Christ...or an ongoing friendship with the Creator of the Universe. Nothing.

Is biblical literacy, then, the ability to find a verse in the Bible? Is it the ability to say all 66 books of the Bible in order?

It scares me when I see that the goal of a children's ministry is knowledge and not relationship....behavioral change and not relationship.

People today are longing for an experience with the living God! That needs to be the goal of children's ministry.

Larry Shallenberger is a brilliant author! And I'm thanking God for him today!

With Jennifer being out with her new baby, I'm getting to have more direct editing (rather than just a final look)...and I get the privilege of working with authors who are so easy to edit--like Larry! Yea!

Larry has penned an article for the July/August issue tentatively titled "The B-I-B-L-E: How to make sure it's the Bible for kids!"

Of course, I can't give you all the great stuff in the article, but he points out that with our burning desire to transmit our love of God's Word to children, we sometimes unwittingly pass on three things we don't want to.

For example, that the Bible is a book of trivia (God forbid--trivia means unimportant); that the Bible is a book of fables; and that the Bible is at odds with Science.

Very compelling info! You'll have to wait for the issue to come out. Way to go, Larry! 

Jennifer Hooks, managing editor of Children's Ministry Magazine, delivered an 8-pound, 2-ounce baby boy on April 3. Jack Tucker Hooks joins Mom, Dad, and sister Adi! Congratulations, Jen! What a Sweetie! Check out the photo--he's 8 hours old!

This morning, I went to a memorial service of a wonderful mother, wife, woman. She wanted the service to be upbeat and positive--and it was. She truly was a generous, loving, giving, fun person. And she died so quickly...diagnosed in July 07 and died in March 08. It happened too fast.

I came away wondering why it is that at services like this I have a twinge of regret. "She was amazing; I wish I'd known her even better." And then I start to make promises to myself that I'll be a better friend to the friends I have now. I can always do better.

My friend RoseAnne said once that eternity is like a book--and our life here on earth is like an itty bitty period in that book--compared to the rest of time.

Renee's short time on earth is over. But now she's with Jesus forever--the Savior she loved and lived for. We'll miss her here.