DSAL Buddy Walk!

Hey Gang the Kinney Family will be joining many other families in the Buddy Walk on October 5th. For more information check out our Buddy Walk website at http://www.dsalowcountry.org/buddy_walk/fundraising.html

This has become a yearly family event for us! It is a fun event with jump castles, food, face painting and so much for. The best part is getting to hang out with other families who have been blessed with a child with DS. And the support from friends at the event is overwhelming. 

As for Coleman she is doing great! She loves playing games, especially Go Fish and Slap Jack. She loves jumping on the trampoline, singing and watching movies. 

If you would like to help support the Buddy Walk - the Kinney's are trying to raise $500 in support of all the things the Down Syndrome Association of the Lowcountry does to support families of children and adults with Down Syndrome.  Please help us in our quest to raise awareness and support by clicking the link below and donating!  http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/Colemankinney-/2014 or just come out and enjoy the afternoon with us and join us on the walk!

Thanks again for the continued prayers and support for our family!

Children Are A Gift From God!!!!

Psalm 127:3 says; Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him. Now I’m not going to lie to you – this scripture is not always on my heart when it needs to be. You know those times your children are just being, well, children!  Fighting with each other, being a little whiny, not doing what they are told to do, showing some attitude… you know what I’m talking about!  But at the end of the day, when you really look at your life with your children, you realize that this scripture really is true! Children’ are a GIFT from the Lord!

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is when Jesus took the little children into his arms and blesses them. The church I grew up in has a beautiful stain glass window of this scene from the Bible.  But do you know the story behind the story? You see before the disciples tried to stop the parents from coming, they had had a little conversation with Jesus about Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Here is what it says in Matthew chapter 18:1-6…

“At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"

 He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”

Jesus goes on in Verse 10 to say…

"See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.”

So, the highest realms of heaven include angels who are representatives for these little ones! Sounds like children are a big deal to God! Well, you would think after a talk like that, the disciples would remember that Children are important. I mean, remember the stone around the neck, the angels looking out for them? But the next day, we find out that they had missed the whole point of what Jesus was trying to get across.

Here is what happened….some Pharisees had been trying to test Jesus by asking him questions about divorce. In the middle of this important discussion this is what happened:

Mark 10: 13-16 says, “People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.”

Did you catch the word “indignant” in there – some versions say “rebuked” – here is what Dictionary.com lists as the meaning for the word Indignant: feeling, characterized by, or expressing strong displeasure at something considered unjust, offensive, insulting, or base:

When I hear the “indignant” term used to describe Jesus, I think of the time Jesus went into the temple and cleared out all the money changers. I see in my mind, thanks to Hollywood and other sources, Jesus flipping tables, shouting and yelling.  So when I think of Jesus being “indignant” with his disciples, I picture him saying something like...

“Guys what is wrong with you? We just talked about this yesterday, were you not paying attention. This, this over here, my discussion with these Pharisees: not important.  These, these kids right here: VERY IMPORTANT!!! The discussion can wait; these kids can’t. Wake up and pay attention disciples!” (At least that is what I would have said if I were Jesus – and thank God I’m not!)

Then, I imagine Jesus getting down on one knee and motioning for a child to come over to him. First one and then another and soon all of them are running to Jesus, hugging him.

You see, this is why I’m so passionate about Kidscoast. Kids are important to God, so they are important to me. That is why I am always challenging the Kidscoast Staff to take things to the next level of excellence. To always make sure that we do the best job we can to teach the kids about WHO God is, and THAT God is! I want kids to know that the God who created the universe is the same God who loves them very much and hears them when they pray. I want them to know that God’s Word, the Bible, is exciting and not just a boring book of rules.  Some say we add too much fun to our lessons in Kidscoast and not enough substance. I disagree. I want children to think church is fun, because guess what? Learning about God should be fun, and if we keep it fun, they will want to come back and learn more!

But you know we can’t do it alone. Last weekend, we had almost 1,000 children come to Kidscoast! I love that, not because 1,000 is a big number, but because 1,000 kids heard about Jesus Christ this past weekend, and 1,000 kids had a seed planted in their hearts that God will water and grow. How would you like to be a part of a team that reaches that many kids a week with the Gospel of Jesus Christ? After serving in Children’s Ministry either in a volunteer position or a staff position for the last 28+ years I can tell you it is life changing! My plan is to serve in Children’s Ministry for the rest of my life. I may not always be a Children’s Pastor, but I will always serve, because it blesses me more than I could ever tell you. 

How about you – are you up for a life changing experience? Then join us on the Kidscoast team! If after six months of serving with us you don’t see a change in your life, I’ll buy you lunch. What do you have to lose?

Robin Williams

I know that there are a lot of injustices going on in this world. I pray for the people involved in war around the world. But the death of Robin Williams is a great loss to so many.

Robin Williams was, in my opinion, an amazingly talented individual. There was not a film I saw him in that I did not like. I know Facebook is blowing up with posts about his death, and yet many others struggle and deal with depression and addiction and go unmentioned.  My prayer is that through Robin Williams passing, people will look closer at those around them, see the signs and get help for those who need it. Make yourself aware of the warning signs, for your kids, for your loved ones, for people you may meet on the street. Depression is a silent killer. Its not as easy as saying; "just cheer up, everything will be better." It doesn't work that way.  If you deal with depression or addiction, please reach out for help - talk with a professional, a friend, a parent, a teacher or a pastor. Get help, ask for help before it is too late.

Robin's passing will leave a large void in the entertainment world. He made so many people smile, yet on the inside he was struggling and dealing with so much that we, the general pubic, never knew.

Thank you Robin Williams for sharing your gifts and talents with the world and may you rest in peace. And my your family and friends find peace in this difficult time.
I would like to share my favorite scene from Dead Poets Society:  O Captain my captain

Just my thoughts on a man I admired as an actor. Hope you found a nugget in there somewhere.

Help Me Love Them Like You Love Them!

Have you ever had that person in your life that was just difficult? Maybe it was a boss or co-worker? Maybe it was a neighbor or "friend"? I've had that person in my life and I'm sure I've been that person in others lives from time to time. At one time I had such a hard time with this and so I prayed that God would help me see this person the way He sees them. Then I started thinking; God sees us with all of our flaws, but still loves us unconditionally. I didn't want to see this person for all of their flaws. I was already having a hard time with this person, I didn't need anything else to be added onto how I felt about them. That's when I realized, I don't want to see people the way He sees them, I want to love people the way He loves them, flaws and all!
So now when I have a difficult person in my in my life instead of praying - God help me see them the way you see them, I have started praying, God help me LOVE them the way you love them.  It really works. Try it the next time you have to deal with that difficult person in your life.
Just a thought - hope you find a nugget in it!

Guest Post - It's Not What You Do, But Why You Do It!

Not sure if I mentioned it lately but I get to work with some amazing people here in Kidscoast! One of them is Lauren Crittenden. Lauren's been on staff with us in Kidscoast for what seems like an eternity...No really she's been on staff for six years. Lauren is one of our Elementary Director, she focuses on writing our creative scripts for the weekend as well as things like VBS and Christmas Programs. She is very creative when it comes to writing, I'm kind of afraid what goes on inside her head.  Anyway, Lauren sent the following to our elementary team and I asked her if I could post it as a guest post from her on my blog - so without further ado - here are THOUGHTS FROM LAUREN! I hope you find a nugget in it!

I felt very compelled to share something with all of you. A few days ago, my husband and I were listening to a motivational speaker and he said something several times that really stuck with me. He said, "People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it." 

Because of you guys, we get to do a lot of amazing "whats" in Children's Ministry...life groups, worship team, stories, skits, etc. We are blessed to be able to do really cool things in our ministry. Those are our "whats". I am constantly thinking about our "whats" in Children's Ministry. We SHOULD focus on the "whats" because we want to represent Jesus with excellence, but as I was listening to the guy speak, I was overwhelmed with the desire to reevaluate my "why". 

If families are going to be more motivated by why we do Children's Ministry, rather than what we do in Children's Ministry, than it is extremely important for me, and for all of us, to know why we do it. 

I am going to share my "why" with you and I hope that you will Reply to All and share yours. I think it will encourage all of us, as a team, to know why we serve in Children's Ministry. It may even strengthen some members of our team who might be experiencing a season of weariness...as we all do sometimes.

So....here is my personal "why".

Growing up, I was raised in a very strict Baptist church. They inadvertently taught me that God is an angry God. I learned that if I wanted God to love me, I needed to behave perfectly. I struggled to live up to the standards I thought God had for me. I was a very stressed out little girl. Fortunately, God, in his mercy, rescued me from legalism and taught me that its all about His grace. I learned that I can never do anything to make God love me any more or any less. Now, I have a relationship with Jesus based on HIS goodness instead of mine. I choose to do Children's Ministry because my heart aches for our kids to know Jesus, to know that He is ALWAYS ready to open his arms to them, despite their mistakes and failures. I long for them to understand that He is our salvation, hope and joy, that a life with Jesus is a greater adventure than any we can have on Earth. That includes Disney World and summer vacation. =) During His time on Earth, Jesus was adamant that children be allowed to come to Him. He has a special place in His heart for kids, and so do I. I love to see them understand truth and I get excited watching the Holy Spirit transform their hearts and minds. They are NOT too young to do great things through the power of Christ.

That's my "why". What's yours?

I know I don't say this enough, but I love this team and I am overjoyed to serve with you.

Lauren Crittenden

Is it worth the time and energy...?

I heard a statistic once concerning Vacation Bible School that said, less than 4% of the kids who attend Vacation Bible School are unchurched. Less that 4% - that is not a lot of kids for the time and energy it takes to pull off a VBS. So as a team we started brainstorming how to reach more unchurched kids with the gospel. The idea was a Backyard Bible Club. Parents took on the responsibility to pull of a VBS in their own backyard. Invite the neighbor kids over and do VBS that way - we (the children's ministry) would provide them with all the materials they needed to pull it off; Invitations, Lessons, Craft supplies and Snack Supplies - but it never really got off the ground. Not sure if we were ahead of our time, parents just didn't have the time, or if people just really didn't care about reaching the kids in their neighborhoods - but whatever the case, it just didn't work at that time. So we put our heads together again and decided to do a program that was invented by our campus pastor at the time, Mac Lake, and it was called Nic at Nite - a messy fun time for kids and parents to come together for interactive games, worship and bible stories.  Everyone who attend seemed to enjoy it - however the team pulling it off felt it was a lot of work, for a very little win! So we decided to take a few years off from any type of Summer VBS type activities.
We decided to try something really different next, we called it Worship Week. Parents signed their kids up for different ways to worship God through the arts. We had photography, painting, singing, drama and dance. These were all taught by folks in the church that would be considered professionals in their fields. And since we had professionals teaching the kids we had to limit the number of kids who could attend. That's where we ran into some problems! So as successful as the program was, it limited the number of kids we could reach in one week.
So back to the drawing board. The leadership in the church asked if we could go back to a more traditional VBS style. We agreed, but the thought of the "less than 4%" statistic kept popping up in the back of mind.  We successfully pulled off a VBS of 800 kids, workers and staff members. Everyone loved it - we had fun doing it but it was a lot of work. Still from the stories we heard, the statistic stood true.
So here we are another year and we are staring VBS in the face - time for a bigger and better VBS. (Side Note - I am so blessed to work with some of the most amazing and talented people. This year's VBS is going to be hard to top! If I do say so myself). We are hoping for 1000 kids at our Elementary VBS this year, which I think is really do able - but the 4% starts to ring in my ear. Then one day while praying for VBS God revealed something to me.  4% may be unchurched but my purpose of VBS is not solely to bring in the unchurched. If they come that is wonderful, but my purpose is to bring the gospel to the unsaved! Not all the children in our children's ministry who attend regularly on the weekend have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal savior.  So by putting on a VBS this gives us as Children's Ministers another chance to share the gospel and see children come to Christ during that week. And if one comes to know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and savior then yes all the time and energy that goes into putting on a VBS - no matter what size, is worth it. Because from that one - many may come to know Jesus, you just never know.
So Children's workers as you prepare for Vacation Bible School this year remember, its not just the unchurched we are trying to reach, but the unsaved - and yes there are still some of those attending your church today!
Just my thoughts - hope you get a nugget out of it!

More than a story, it's Truth!

It's Holy Week one of my most favorite times of the year. The events that happened in the life of Christ during the week leading up to His Resurrection are moving and powerful. His Triumphal Entry into Jeruslem, the last supper, the betrayal of Judas, his prayer in the garden, the trial, sentence and execution were all part of God's plan. It had to happen so we could be free from the chains of sin. So we could one day be with the Father. 

It's an emotional week just thinking of what Jesus did for me by taking my sin and shame and paying my debt overwhelms me.  As I watched the Thorn last week in Sacramento I was reminded once again how much God loves me. I was reminded of why Jesus came. I often wonder what it would have been like to live when Jesus lived, to walk with God in the flesh. How would I have responded? Would I believe he was God's son sent to save the world? Or would I have betrayed him or denied him? I don't know how I would have responded then but now I say loud and strong, JESUS CHRIST IS KING! 

I really do get very emotional this time of year. Just reading the scriptures of this week I tear up. Hearing people talk about the story of Christ, listening to songs tell the story, watching the story of what God did for you and me brings me to tears. But I will not apologize for it. I never want to lose this feeling. 

I will admit some of the tears shed during this week are because of finishing up with the Thorn and missing my Thorn Family. And I miss them because we are all passionate about the same thing, sharing the story of Christ for the Glory of God. But I really am moved by the thought of John 3:16 "For God so LOVED the world, that he GAVE his only son, that whoever BELIEVES in him shall not die,but will RECEIVE everlasting life! God Loved, God Gave, We Believe, We Receive!  

It's more than just a story, it's True and it happened for me and you! Enjoy Holy Week!

The Beach!

If you spend any time with me you know that I really do not like the beach! Yes I live near the beach, yes I post pictures of Family Fun days on the beach, but I really do not like the beach. I don't like to go in the ocean. I guess it would not bother me if I went into the ocean where I could see what is swimming around my legs, but then again maybe I'm better off not knowing. I don't like the sand on the beach. I like to make sand castles with my kids, but I don't like getting sand on me.  I know, I'm a mess - but here is why I love going to the beach. I love that when I'm at the beach I see beauty. No not people in swimsuits, most of them are not looking as good as they think in their swimsuit. I find the view of the ocean extremely beautiful. The span of the ocean, the thought of the size of the ocean is overwhelming. The depth of the ocean and how most of the ocean will probably never be explored. The thought of what was written in Micah 7:19 where he talks about how our sins are cast into the depths of the ocean, never to be remembered again. Totally forgive and gone! I love looking at the ocean and remembering my sins are forgiven!
When I see the beach and look at the tiny grains of sand I am reminded of Psalm 139:17 & 18. "How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can't even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand!" Amazing and overwhelming amount of Love we have from God the Creator.

Some other reason I like to go to the beach is because my Family loves the beach! Tradd loves using his casting net and seine net and I love using them with him and seeing all the amazing creatures of the sea he catches. Cooper and Drayton love swimming and riding waves. Coleman loves to eat the sand - I know gross but it is what she does. Meghan loves all of that and the sun! And because I love my family, I like to go to the beach with them. As a matter of fact we have been spending the week on Edisto Island at a beautiful beach house that sits right on the beach! One of the first things I do when I wake up in the morning is open the door and look at the ocean, and listen to the waves crashing. I love to see the sun rising out of ocean and reminded that God has given us a new day - and His mercies are new every morning!
So as much as I don't like the beach, there are things about it that I love!  Just my thoughts for today - hope it blessed you!

The Church inside the church!

So I have been thinking a lot about what I do for a living. If you read my profile you will know that I am a Children's Pastor! I love what I do. I love the staff I get to work with week after week. They are crazy, talented, and amazing on so many levels. I love the team of workers (we don't like to use the term volunteers for our adult workers in Kidscoast) that serve with us week after week. But I wanted to take a few minutes to describe what goes into a weekend service in Kidscoast and why I continue to do it week after week.
First of all I want everyone to realize that children's ministry is NOT CHILD CARE! And if done well, Children's Ministry is a church inside a church or in most churches it is many churches inside one church.

All the same elements and volunteer needs of a Big Church service go into making a successful Children's Church service. For us here at Seacoast we do lessons starting in our 2 year old department and go up to 5th Grade. We have five different teaching areas on the weekend. Each area needs a Storyteller just like the speaking pastor in big church. We also have greeters at the doors welcoming kids into the classroom, but unlike big church each of our attendees receive a name tag and security number. Also unlike big church we require one leader to every eight to ten kids in the classrooms. Another way we are like big church we do message series too. Currently in our elementary department we us reThink's curriculum, 252Basics. One major Myth in children's ministry, you don't just print out a curriculum and hand it to a team member. We tweak the living day lights out of it, and not because we don't like it but we tweak it to make it more applicable to the group of children in our services. We also add a cast of characters to our lessons who introduce the topic of discussion for the week. I was talking with a group of Children's Ministry Directors and pastors this week and they said the same thing; there is no one curriculum that you can purchase and just print out and use. You buy the one that fits your needs best and tweak from there.

Another way we are like big church is that we also have worship leaders in each of our areas. But unlike big church we have to have motions to our worship songs to keep the kids engaged. Of course we have to have many different song lists for the many different age groups.  Side note: Its funny how the songs have changed over the years, yet the God we teach the kids to worship remains the same!

It takes a lot of work to pull off weekend services in Children's Ministry and I am so blessed to work for a church that sees the importance of a strong children's staff and team. My heart breaks for churches that spend more time focusing on the adults in their services than the children in their church.  I recently heard a talk by Willie George, pastor of Church on the Move in Tulsa, OK. He talked about Jesus' forgotten ministry. The ministry he was referring to was Children's Ministry.  As a Children's Pastor it was a powerful message, reminding me why I do what I do.  Willie (using his first name like we're best friends) made a statement about how Jesus told his disciples on more than one occasion that they needed to become like little children to enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus never told a child to act like an adult.  The churches that put all their focus on the adults will one day find that their church doesn't have a new generation to raise up, and sadly the church will die.
When I think about these things, I realize how important Children's Ministry is and I am honored that God has called me to serve these Children and to teach them who God is and that God is so that they can know who they are in HIM!

So the next time you drop your child off in Children's Church - take a moment to say thank you to the Children's workers for raising up the next generation, heck why not serve in the Children's church and be blessed as you watch the next generation grow in their relationship and understanding of who God is!

It's just my thoughts and I hope you are blessed by them!

Happy Birthday Cooper!

So today is Cooper's Birthday! I love how the boys birthdays are a couple days apart! So I thought it only fair to post some information about my Coop! I don't remember much about his birth, other than Meghan was again two weeks overdue and had to be induced. I asked the midwife if we could have him on the 25th of February then he and his brother would share a birthday, but she was going to be out of town so we decided to have him on the first! I don't remember much about his birth but prior to his birth we decided to remodel our kitchen so, 9 months pregnant Meghan ripped out walls. We brought Cooper home to all our kitchen furnishings in our living room.
I don't remember much about his birth, but I love the young man he is growing into.  Here are some highlights of Coop...

• He LOVES Lego's and is very creative with them.
• He is our sport's player - great at every sport he plays (didn't get that from his dad)
• He LOVES JESUS! And especially worshiping the Lord. He helps lead worship every weekend in Kidscoast.
• He loves being a part of the Thorn! He plays the music in his room and helps direct his sisters in the show.
• He is an animal lover - especially cats and rabbits
• He enjoys watching movies
• He has a great imagination. (now this he gets from his dad)
• In the summertime you can't keep him out of water. When we get the beach, the pool or the lake he jumps right in and stays there till it is time to go home.
• He loves his daily peanut butter sandwich
• He is just so darn cute!
• He has about 100 stuffed animals, most of them are cats. They all have names and are real to him.
• He loves his brother and sisters but he will never admit it

He is such a great kid! Love being his dad and watching him grow up! Where has the time gone?

Happy Birthday Tradd

So excited that my oldest is turning 11 this week! I love all my kids equally but all for their differences! I remember when we found out Meghan was pregnant with Tradd. A year earlier Meghan had an ectopic pregnancy and lost one of her Fallopian Tubes and her doctor told us our chances at having biological children were lowered. So needless to say we were very excited to learn Meghan was pregnant with Tradd. Meghan knew long before me, she kept it a secret from me for two weeks because that year my birthday and Father's day were on the same day and she wanted to give me the news for a present. I remembered we would read to him in utero, sing to him, talk to him. We read books, took classes. I was so excited to be a dad. I remember as we cam to the end of the pregnancy every time my phone rang I jumped, if Meghan woke up in the night I jumped...yes I was that husband. Well Tradd was due February 14th, but Meghan had to be induced on the 25th. I won't go into the details of the labor and delivery but I will say I remember crying when we found out Tradd was a boy! I was so happy, overflowing with joy! I was so excited to get my son home I even ran a red light. Not safe but God protected us from danger and traffic cops!
Some memories of Tradd through the years...

• When Tradd was potty training and made his first poo in the potty he stood up and said; "Corn!" We all laughed!
• Tradd never really liked eat veggies, one day he was sitting on the potty and yelled; "I can't poop, Someone get me a carrot."
• He loves outdoors and wildlife, especially fishing and hunting
• He loves folks with special needs, I'm sure it is because of Coleman!
• He loves to create weapons out of duct take and cardboard tubes.
• When he was little I had to beg him to let me read him a story at bedtime vs the encyclopedias he always requested
• He loves bamboo
• He loves succulents and has a succulent garden
• His first favorite book was a field guide to birds
• He loves to read! If he is not building a weapon, fishing, playing with his turtles he is reading a novel or encyclopedia.
• He loves The Lord and I had the joy of baptizing him!
• He serves every weekend in our special needs ministry classroom. So proud of him!
• He's is not a big fan of movies, and he hates to go to a movie theater. 

I could go on and on but I'll stop!
Happy Birthday to my favorite eleven year old! Love you so much and I am so proud of the young man you are becoming!

Living With A Special Needs Child

A friend sent me this link today knowing a few things about me, one I have a special needs child and two I enjoy listening to Joyce Meyer - I would love for you to take 28 minutes and listen to this message, it doesn't matter if you have a child with special needs, I'm sure you know someone who does (if you reading this blog you know someone who does - me!).
http://joycemeyer.org/BroadcastHome.aspx?video=Raising_Special_Needs_Children

I thought this message was timely, here's why; Every year for the past 5 years our church as put on a banquet for families who have been touched by disabilities called The Luke 14 Banquet. The event is based on the story from the Bible in Luke chapter 14 where the master sends his servants into the streets to invite the lame, the weak and the destitute to join him for a banquet. (the quick Scott version). Anyway we hold this banquet on Valentine's Day and have approximately 1000 guest and over 500 volunteers join us at 3 different locations for an evening of full red carpet treatment. Valet Parking, a walk down the red carpet complete with paparazzi, dinner, dancing and entertainment all for free for these special need folks, their families and caregivers. I love to see the joy in the faces of the guests as they are showed the love of Christ through service to them and their families.
http://shed.seacoast.org/campusfiles/video/Vid_Announcement/140126-Dispatch-MtP-Luke14-v1.mp4

I also thought this would be a good time for me to share my story of Coleman, my special gift and blessing from God.  If you watched the video you heard several times about how these children are a blessing and Coleman is a blessing in our lives - a challenge, but a blessing. I loved how Joyce said; "Its not something you're ready for but it is something God equips you for." And that is so true. When we were pregnant with Coleman we did not know she was going to be born with Down Syndrome. It wasn't until after she was born that we saw the features. I don't even think Meghan and I said anything at first to each other, it took a some time before we even mentioned it to one another, or even to the nurse. We did the genetic testing and it was confirmed that Coleman had DS.
I remember one of my first thoughts was; there goes my dream of walking my daughter down the aisle some day.  Then the next thought was;  if she does have DS they are such lovable kids and Tradd (my oldest child) was going to really take to her and protect her. And on most days he does. He also serves in our church's special needs ministry every weekend. I'm not really sure he would do that if we did not have Coleman in our lives.As the days past and we brought Coleman home from the hospital I remember to powerful thoughts I had that I believe were from God. One was me asking God why? Why me? Why did he give me a child with special needs? And I felt like God hit me across the head with a 2X4 and said; "Why not you? What makes you think you are above having a child with special needs." This was a sobering thought, but I was still walking around in a cloud trying to process this "adventure" I was on. One day while walking around the outlet mall I felt like God talked to me again asking me "Why are you walking around here? I gave you a beautiful gift and and either wallow in self pity, or you can go home and embrace the gift I have given you." I would love to say that from that moment everything changed and it was all a bed of roses from that day forward. However I would be lying. The next news we received was that Coleman had an AV Canal Defect and would need to have heart surgery. I tried to stay strong, I tried to put on my Christian face and say everything is okay, God is in control, but I didn't feel that way on the inside. Inside my head, I was planning Coleman's funeral because I didn't believe that it was going to be okay. Coleman ended up in the hospital at four months old with pneumonia, God saw her through it, but I still wasn't convinced she was going to make it through surgery. Then just a month before she was to have surgery (which she had at six months of age) I was at a conference and the worship team was singing Amazing Grace-My Chains Are Gone. As they sang the last verse "The earth will soon dissolve like snow, the sun forebear to shine, but God who called me here below will be forever mine." There was just something about that verse and we sang it over and over again and at one point I felt like I was the only one in the room - no one else and I was just singing that verse and I felt like God just gave me supernatural peace about the surgery.  I remember calling Meghan about it and her saying she was feeling the same peace and both confessing to the other the thoughts of planning a funeral in our head.
Over the years Coleman has been such a HUGE blessing to our family and anyone who meets her. She is now seven and a joy to be around (most of the time, after all she still is a child). Her siblings have their moments with her. Her younger sister Drayton often comments that she is Coleman's older sister because she helps Coleman so much.
At the age of 4 while on vacation in Michigan, Coleman got Croup and pneumonia at the same time. She was on a ventilator and was in ICU for 10 days. Meghan or I was always at her side except this one night. Coleman had been doing really well, and they even talked about taking her off the vent the next day so the nurse suggested we both go to the room the hospital provided for us to get some rest. I checked on Coleman in the middle of the night and she was doing really good. The next morning I headed down to the room around 6 am to find the room full of doctors and equipment. Sometime early that morning Coleman took a turn for the worse and the doctors weren't sure what was going on. The vent had been turned back up to 100%, they were checking her heart and everything else they could think of. I remember walking over to the widow of her room, staring out the window and looking up at the sky with tears streaming down my face I said; "God I really want you to heal my little girl, but if you take her home to be with you I won't like it, but I will still love you."
A couple days later God healed Coleman and we were able to leave the hospital and bring her home once more. I praise God for his healing powers.
With everything we have been through with Coleman I have to say I would not change a thing. I would not ask God to take away her DS - and even in the challenging times of pneumonia and heart surgery God drew me closer to Him and I am very thankful for that.

I just wanted to share my story of living with a special needs child! She is a huge blessing to me, even when she wakes me at 5 am. I love her to pieces as I do all my children and I know that God sees her as Valuable and she has a purpose!

Thorn Time

It is that time once again...Thorn Time!!!! What is the Thorn you ask, well I'll tell you; 
The Thorn is a visually dynamic and heart-stirring theatrical portrayal of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Not your average Passion play, The Thorn combines martial arts, aerial acrobatics and emotionally powerful performances that have been engaging audiences across the US for almost 20 years. You can find out more about Thorn Productions by visiting www.thethorn.net 
Over the past several years I have had the joy of stage managing and producing the Thorn in Charleston, SC, Austin, TX and Nashville, TN. This year I will be traveling with the Thorn Staff to the west coast to stage manage the show.  Being able to share the gospel of Jesus Christ through a theatrical performance is right up my alley.  I love telling the story of Christ and I enjoy the theater, the two combined makes for a happy me!  
This year the Thorn will be in;
Denver, CO - March 24-31
Seattle, WA - April 1-7
Colorado Springs & Sacramento, CA - April 7-14
Nashville, TN - April 14-21 
If you get the chance you should check out one of these performances, and bring a friend with you - it is a powerful and amazing story come to life through music, dance, acrobats and drama.

Here's another way you can help out - you can support me as I prepare to travel with the Thorn. You can support me through prayer or financially. Please check out my fund raising site; http://www.fundeasy.com/m/1671380/

Thank you in advance for your prayers and support!

Gratitude vs. Entitlement!

I've been thinking a lot about this topic for some time now and I decided I needed to blog about it. I said this blog was a place for me to get things off my mind and so I'm just gonna say it... I can't stand Entitlement!
In my opinion we live in a society of Entitlement. And I really have a hard time when I see Christians with an Entitlement mentality. It breaks my heart to see and hear believers walking around expecting things because they "deserve" them. The reality is we all deserve death and separation from God - that is what we deserve, myself included. We are sinners who have been given a second chance because of God's love for us.

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines Entitlement as:

• the condition of having a right to have, do, or get something
• the feeling or belief that you deserve to be given something (such as special privileges)

Here is why entitlement bothers me - in Matthew 20:28 it says; The son of man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. If anyone could have had an entitlement mentality it was Jesus, after all he was the son of God. His daddy could create things with his very words and wipe entire nations out in the blink of an eye. Jesus could have had anything he wanted, but it would not have been good for us if Jesus went around with an entitlement attitude. Jesus came for us, not for him.

I saw this quote online by Steven Furtick; "Gratitude begins where my sense of entitlement ends."

Merriam-Webster defines Gratitude as:

• the state of being grateful

We need to stop expecting things from others because we feel we deserve them and start being grateful for the things we have. Instead of expecting others to serve us, how about we try and out serve one another in Christian Love.

I just needed to get that off my chest. My heart just breaks when I see and hear people, especially Christ followers, treating others poorly or expecting things from others and businesses because they "deserve" it. The whole "Do you know who I am..." attitude just really bugs me. Do you know who I am, I am the child of the King! A sinner saved by grace - the same as you and I don't deserve anything more than death, but by the Grace of God go I!

Saving Mr. Banks...my thoughts

If you know me you know I love Disney! I love the Disney Movies, I love Disney World (never been to Disney Land or on a Disney Cruise but I'm sure I would love them too). But more than anything I love Walt Disney and his ability to create what he imagines. So it is no wonder one of my new favorite movies is Saving Mr. Banks.  Meghan and I got to see it last Sunday and I have been thinking about it ever since, watching other documentaries on P.L. Travers and the making of Disney's Mary Poppins.
As I watched the movie I ran the gamut of emotions. I laughed, I cried (I really wanted to do the ugly cry but held onto my man card and didn't do it). There was one line in the movie that I wish I would have been able to write down. (after some searching on the internet I found it) It came in the scene where Walt went to see Pamela Travers in London. He was explaining about his childhood and his relationship with his father. After explaining he said;

" Now, i don't tell you all this to make you sad Mrs. Travers, I don't. I love my life - it's a miracle. And I  loved my daddy, boy I loved him. But, there isn't a day goes by where I don't think of that little boy in the snow and old Elias with his fist and strap and I'm just so tired--I'm tired of remembering it that way...We all have our tales but don't you want to find a way to finish the story? Let it all go and have a life that isn't dictated by a past?"

That part of the story really hit home. No I'm not saying I had a mean father who beat me that's not what I'm getting at. The point I want to make with this is that we all have a past, everyone of us. Some worse than other. But how you remember it, what you make of it makes the difference.  I love how Walt says; "I'm tired of remembering it that way.." What is it in your life that you are remembering "that way..." Maybe it was an abusive parent or guardian, maybe it was a bully or mean kids at school. Maybe it is like the story of Helen Goff with an alcoholic father who died too young. Whatever the past is it is just that, the past. "Let it go and have a life that isn't dictated by the past."
How are you going to finish the story? By allowing your past to dictate your future, or by learning from the past, forgiving whoever you need to forgive, maybe that's yourself and use the past to change the future, for yourself and others.
Just a thought - hope it blesses you!

Side note - if you have not seen this movie please go see it. It is a wonderful movie and very well done. I hope it wins many awards. It really is one of the best movies I have ever seen. Just my two cents.

Are You a Clanging Cymbal?

1 Corinthians 13:1

New International Version (NIV)

13 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 

I think John Maxwell said it best in his book Winning with People; "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."  Over the years I have realized how true this statement is. Not just how I view other people but how they view me. You can be the smartest person alive but unless I know you genuinely care for or about me and my well being I don't care about what you have to say.  I know that sounds harsh, but the same is true when you turn the statement around. If you don't think I care about your well being or you personally then you are not going to care about what I have to say either. There are several people who read this blog that I have never met and will likely never meet in my life time. But I write these blogs to help me and hopefully bless others who might be facing the same or similar situations in life.

Here's the funny thing about me, if you know me you would think that I am an extrovert and you would be right. I love being around people, I love people watching, I love being with my people... I'm not so good however with groups of people I don't know. I'm not good around people who are not my people. Don't get me wrong, I'm not rude. It just takes me a while to warm up to people and let them into my life so to speak.  I'm afraid this comes off as standoffish at times.

For example one weekend our senior pastor walked down to the 2 year old department to say hello to his grandchild. While he was there he talked to the volunteers in the room.  The Nursery director at the time came up after our pastor left and talked to the volunteers about how exciting it was to have the senior pastor come and talk to them. There response surprised me. They said that it was nice but that they would rather have me, the children's pastor, stop by and talk to them.  You see I always went by and talked to the kids in the classrooms, but rarely engaged the volunteers in conversation, thus making them feel unappreciated or unloved.  You see they didn't care how much I knew about Children's Ministry or anything else for that matter because I wasn't showing them love. I still go around to the different classrooms and talk with the kids, but now I am more aware of taking the time to talk with the volunteers in the rooms. I'm not fake about it, I am very grateful they are there and want to know more about each of them.

How are you doing with the people around you - are you a clanging cymbal, or are you showing genuine love? 

How to Have Longevity in Children's Ministry or any job you are called to do.

This is a blog post I wrote for my friend, Melanie Stone, you can check out her blog here: http://growchurches.com/how-to-have-longevity-in-childrens-ministry

I hope it will bless you!

My name is Scott Kinney and I am the Children’s Pastor at Seacoast Church in Mount Pleasant, SC. I have been on staff with Seacoast for 12+ years and have been involved with Children’s ministry in every possible capacity since I was 16 years old …and that was a long time ago! Over the years, I have faced frustration, aggravation, and burn-out. So, how am I still doing this after all those years? It’s kind of simple, it’s my calling.

Oh, I have wanted to walk away, not just from Children’s Ministry, but ministry all together. There were times in ministry that I thought it would be more fulfilling to work as a greeter at Wal-Mart. To be able to stand and say hello as folks walked by, give a smiley face sticker to a kid (do they even do that at Wal-Mart anymore?) or to point someone in the right direction. Yes, there have been times I wanted to give up ministry all together. The problem was… God hadn’t released me. In those times, I had to stop and realign myself with the calling God had placed on my life.  Here are some things I have learned over the years, when I wanted to throw in the towel and just give up.

·         Am I working at a job or a calling? – In those moments when I’m frustrated, God reminds me that HE has called me to this. It isn’t a job, it isn’t a career – it is a calling – and until he releases me from where he has called me, I am to keep on running the race that is before me. I have a poster that hangs on my bulletin board by my desk that was put out by Group Publishing a few years ago. It is titled “Job or Ministry?” I keep it there to remind me that “Some people have a job in the church, others involve themselves in ministry!” I never want my work for the Lord to become just a job – but to continue to do ministry for the One who called me.

·         Who am I working for? – Another thing I need to check myself on is who am I trying to please? Am I working to please my Senior Pastor, my Campus Pastor, my team, the children, the parents, my family, myself? …the list goes on and on! When I forget that God called me to Children’s Ministry and when I take focus off of pleasing Him, I get frustrated, mad and upset. I’m not talking just about Children’s Ministry programing, I’m also talking about things like: Am I wearing the right clothes? Do I have the right “look”? Am I still young and hip enough to do what I do? When I try to please man it makes me lose focus on what really matters. Only when I stop and realize the reason I do what I do is for an audience of ONE can I put things in perspective and refocus on my calling.

·         How is my God time? – I know what you are thinking, “you work for God, you’re always spending time with Him.” Not true. I can easily get wrapped up in thinking that because I am working on a weekend or midweek lesson that it counts as “quiet time with the Lord”. Nothing could be further from the truth. Now, there have been lots of times that God teaches me things when I am preparing a lesson, but it is not actually my time with God, it really is work. I need to regularly check myself and ask: Have I been spending time with God? Am I reading His word? Talking to Him? Listening to Him? It’s easy for me to talk to God, but to be still and listen to Him takes a lot more work on my end. If this is an area of my life and walk that is not so good, I might need to take some time away from the office and get things right with God first. I’m of no use to my team, or the children I’m responsible for, if I am not in alignment with God.  Another area of my God time is: Am I being fed? Am I attending regular worship services? I know after all my time in Children’s Ministry, it isn’t easy to get into attend a service on the weekends, so what we have started doing as a Children’s Ministry team is watching the message together on Monday morning. Fortunately for us here at Seacoast, we have an Online service and the online campus pastor set up a special service just for us to watch on Monday mornings.  However, if your church does not record weekend services, there are tons of churches out there that do – watch a podcast together as  a team or another online church service. However, it is not where we want to be as a team. Our goal is to have enough strong leaders (volunteers) leading the classrooms so that we can attend services with our families – that is the ultimate goal. So for now, we found a quick fix and that is attending together as a team on Monday mornings.

·         What is the enemy up to? – One other area I need to look at when I get to the point of giving up is: What is the enemy up to? We really do have an enemy in our lives. It’s not the kids or their parents. It’s not your boss, your co-workers, or even your spouse – there is a real enemy lurking about. The Bible says in John 10:10 that the thief (Satan) comes to steal, kill and destroy. What is it that the enemy is trying to steal from you? Your joy? The children in your ministry? What is he trying to kill? Your passion for serving kids and families? What is he trying to destroy? Your work? Your calling?  There are times when I want to throw in the towel and God reminds me of the enemy and tells me to stand my ground! Satan would like nothing more than to see all of us throw up our hands and say “we quit!” I would hate to quit and allow the enemy to win in the life of one of our kids. Remember Ephesians 6:10-18

¹⁰ A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. ¹² For we^[c] are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

¹³ Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. ¹⁴ Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. ¹⁵ For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.^{[d] 16} In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.^{[e] 17} Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁸ Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.^[f]

So, let me wrap up by saying that Children’s Ministry is not easy and there will be times you want to throw in the towel and take a job at Wal-Mart, but don’t! You will be missing out on some of the most wonderful blessings you could ever imagine.

For those of you leading Children’s Ministry Directors, Ministers, or Pastors be sure to encourage them. Be sure to pour into them, love on them, and appreciate them. Watch for signs of burnout or frustration and step in and offer to help out. Help them to remember that they are called by God to do what they are doing. Remind them that they are working for an audience of ONE! Ask them how their time with God is going? Pray for them and against the attack of the enemy. They really are valuable to your church. I heard a Children’s Pastor once say; “You can do church without greeters and ushers – things might get crazy but you can do it. You can even do church without coffee and donuts. But try doing church without Children’s Ministry and things will shut down quickly.” Children’s Ministry isn’t babysitting anymore – it is hard work dealing with kids, parents and volunteers week after week. Show some love to your Children’s workers today – you’ll be glad you did.

 

O Come, O Come - thoughts about 2014 and adoption

Happy 2014 Everyone! I can't believe 2013 is gone and we are starting a new year! A new year with new beginnings and new adventures. I'm usually not overly excited about a new year, I mean its great we get to set new goals for ourselves at home and at work, but to me, its just other day. Well other than the fact that it is the one day of the year my family will put up with me cooking pork and sauerkraut, they can't stand the smell. However I am very excited about 2014 and the new adventures it holds for the Kinney Family. You see we started the adoption process back in November of 2012 and finished all the paperwork, home studies in November of 2013, now we wait. Not something I'm particularly good at, waiting. I don't even like to wait in line at the grocery store. But this is something I know will be worth waiting for.
After we finished the home study in November all I have been able to think about was the day we get the phone call saying they found two boys who would be suited for our family. Over Christmas I kept thinking it was like all those people awaiting the arrival of the Savior of the World, sadly some are still waiting. The song, O Come, O Come Emmanuel is one of my favorite Christmas Songs. The longing of the Messiah to come into the world - the waiting and expectations ring throughout the song. Now please don't think that I am waiting for two boys to join our family because I believe they will "save" us or that I liken them to Jesus. No I just think about how the people of the old testament longed for a Messiah and waited and waited with excitement and anticipation. "Will today be the day?" I can almost hear them say as they wake to start their daily chores.  I kind of feel like that. Every time the phone rings I think - Is that them calling with a placement? Its almost like when Meghan was pregnant, every time the phone rang and I saw it was her calling my first comment was not "Hello" it was "are you alright?"  I was that jumpy father to be, not just with the first child, with all four.  I'm that way again with the adoption - Is it time? Will today be the day? When will I hear something? What's taking so long?  But with all these questions the one thing I know for sure, without a shadow of a doubt is that God's timing is perfect. He's never early and He's never late - always just on time!
So it is with great expectations and excitement that I look forward to 2014 with the hopes of becoming a forever family for two boys.  So if you think about us during your prayer time, please say a prayer for the Kinney Family as we await the arrival of our new sons! O Come, O Come...