By jimwideman on
5/30/2010 9:30 PM
Memorial Day has a long and interesting history. Unfortunately, the generations-old story of the holiday and its beginnings has been forgotten by most people. Originally named “Decoration Day”,” it was officially proclaimed by a Union general in 1868 following the Civil War, celebrating the lives of Union Soldiers. However, it wasn’t celebrated by all — Southern states refused to recognize the holiday, instead honoring confederate soldiers on separate days. Though all states now celebrate Memorial Day, many Southern states still recognize separate days commemorating lost lives of the “boys in gray.” The term “Memorial Day” was first used in 1882, but didn’t really catch on until after World War II.
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By jimwideman on
5/7/2010 11:33 PM
5. Just because it’s on TV or in a movie doesn’t make it right or true. I’m not sure when the TV changed roles with parents but in many households it has. Because of the craziness of our schedules we never really watched anything when it came on. It turned out to be a tremendous blessing because we were able to fast foreword through some stuff and pause and talk about other stuff! When I was a child Lucy and Ricky couldn’t even sleep in the same bed. Today our kids are bombarded with messages contrary to the Bible. Whether it’s a TV program or the news you need to tell your children the truth. It’s seems like all the media wants to talk about is bad news. I know there are some things that need to be reported but I want to point out the promises of God that work in every type of economy. We still serve a God who is more than enough. He is our supply and our provider. Feel free to correct the wrong voices and remind kids what the Bible says.
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By jimwideman on
5/6/2010 11:31 PM
. So with these things in mind here’s my top ten list as a Children’s Pastor and a Dad on how to instill in your kids a Biblical World View.
1. Always be open and honest with your children about every subject. One thing I see in the ministry of Jesus he was never too busy for questions. Encourage your kids to ask questions. Listen to what they are asking and give them why as well what what. If freak out then they’ll stop asking. Help them understand that there is a difference between a question and doubt and unbelief. Never be to busy for questions a big part of that is spend time with your kids. The time time you spend with them and the less you freak out the more questions they’ll ask at home and at church.
2. Model to children what you want them to do when they grow up and place other models around them. Never forget when it’s come to Bible living that when you point at others there are three fingers pointing back at you. There can’t be one set of rules for you and another for them. Follow Paul’s words as he says “Come follow me as I follow Christ.”
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By jimwideman on
5/5/2010 11:27 PM
The Bible tells us we are in the world but we are not of the world. The Bible also tells us to come out of the world and be separate yet we are told to be salt and light to the world. Over the years I have studied families and the different way they parent. I’ve also studied churches and the different way they do church. To me the families and churches who have the greatest success are the ones who have teamed together to join their forces to develop in individuals a biblical view of how to live 24/7. I have had the wonderful honor of raising two wonderful daughters. They are both successful not only in business but also in their spiritual walk. They are as different as night and day, if I had not been in the delivery room with both of them I would not believe they were kin. I have had to discipline them differently, I have to communicate and instruct them differently. But when it comes down to making choices and how to live it was the same for them as it was for their mother and I and that was what does the Bible say?
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By jimwideman on
5/4/2010 11:24 PM
The Bible is the benchmark of how we should view the world and how we live. My goal for every child I have the opportunity to teach and pastor is for them to grow up to become a doer of the word. I realized early in my ministry that children couldn’t live what they couldn’t remember and they couldn’t remember what they didn’t understand.
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By jimwideman on
5/3/2010 11:20 PM
I had no idea that saying yes to the command “Get your guitar and your Bible and go back to Children’s Church” from my Pastor in 1977 would change my life forever. Not only has it changed me as a person and a Christ follower, it’s changed me as a husband, a father, an employee, a minister and has changed the lens I view everything through. It began a journey that at fifty-three years young I’m still on, “to know God and love His word and help sons and daughters do the same.”
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By jimwideman on
4/8/2010 10:12 PM
I also attend conferences to be exposed to bigger vision. I believe that there is nothing more contagious than a God inspired, Spirit lead vision. I’m the type learner that it helps me to see something with my own eyes. It’s easier for me to grasp by seeing than just hearing or reading about it only. Seeing a big vision in action has always helped me to catch the vision. I think that big vision is easier caught than taught and that being exposed to a larger vision than what you presently have and open your eyes to the possibility of “I can do this too!”
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By jimwideman on
4/7/2010 11:59 PM
The first national children’s ministry conference I heard about was the Fellowship of Christian Magicians Conference. (It was much more than magic, there were workshops on every type of ministry performance methods to children there where back then) I wanted to attend so badly but my church did not have a conference budget so I remember getting the brochure listing the workshops and workshop speakers and after the event I looked up some of the presenters phone numbers and called them and asked them about their workshops and asked for any notes or cassette recording they had I could get my hands on them. One of the people who took my call and sent me his notes was Dick Gruber. Dick thought I was some” country bumpkin” from the south calling him up asking him to teach me “how to do clown ministry over the telephone.” Not only did I find out what I wanted to learn but it was the start of a wonderful friendship. In fact, most of the dearest and best friends I have on this earth I met at a conference.
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By jimwideman on
4/6/2010 11:45 PM
When I first wrote this article for K! I started to entitle it “Confessions of a conference junkie!” You see my name is Jim and yes I am a conference-a-holic! This is where I hear you say “Hi Jim!” I’ve been attending conferences a long time, a really long time. Now that I add it up, I’ve been attending some type of conference every year for almost four decades. Big ones, small ones, one day ones, multi-day ones even “come spend a week with us ones” and then if that was not enough I started speaking at conferences in 1980. You would think this would scratch my conference itch but then not only did I keep attending conferences and speaking at conferences I started hosting conferences that only lead me to the hard stuff , organinizing and putting on conferences. Yes you could say I have a serious conference addiction.
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By jimwideman on
2/9/2010 12:55 AM
I have always loved football. When it came to college football I have always had 2 favorite teams, Alabama and whoever is playing Auburn! Growin up when there was just 3 TV channels on your TV. I watched whatever games came on. I grew up watching the Colts, Jets, Raiders and the Packers too, I liked them because of some of the famous players they had on their teams but somewhere in my teen age years I became a Saints fan. When I went to college in Mississippi the Saints came on every Sunday. Even though they didn't win i still loved them. Every year when it was time for Super Bowl I would always say... I'm a Saints Fan....Super Bowl means nothing to me!
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