Part 2 - Relationship

Whereas the section on Discipleship contained three chapters, part II has six of them, written by Amy Dolan, Matt Guevara, Nancy Davies, Dustin Nickerson, Stacey Igarashi and Matt McKee. All six chapters are really good, and you'll find yourself highlighting insights from all of them. They all touch on the importance of helping create a lasting relationship that will endure trials, triumphs and changes in the lives of our students. However, the two that stood out most to me are the sections by Nancy Davies and Matt Guevara.

Davies' chapter talked about what it really means to know Jesus. She points out that knowing Jesus requires a confluence of knowledge, experience, relationships, and the power of the Spirit and Scripture. What I loved about it was that it reminded me of how many aspects go into helping kids know God for a lifetime. It helped me reflect on experiences like camp and appreciate the fact that good kidmin seeks to tie as many of these factors together as often as possible. 

Matt Guevara's chapter tackled the topic of integrating kids into the life of the church. He speaks about how feeling connected (or disconnected) is one of the most profound emotional experiences that we are capable of. He reminds us children's workers that one of our goals should be to create a relationship between students and the church that will last when they are no longer students. I've been guilty of seeing my ministry as a silo on our church campus, so this chapter was both inspiring and guilt-inducing (I think that's a good thing).

Overall, all six chapters will make you think, so if you haven't yet, go and pick up Nexus today.

Highlights from Part 2

Effective missionaries know their audience, and they minister accordingly. This is the starting point for us as ministers on mission to kids. It means we need to know the kids and families in our midst. (Dustin Nickerson)

I think most kids' ministry leaders would agree that the role of the church is to teach kids. But I want to teach kids to know Jesus...a knowing that uses the mind to understand the stories of the Bible and a knowing that opens the heart to see what our minds cannot see. (Nancy Davies)

I believe the first step in partnering with parents is getting to know them, building relationships, and understanding their vision. By asking great questions and listening for feedback we can begin understanding parents. I've often found that when I'm trying to understand parents' goals, I discover that some are fully aware of their hopes, while some are totally unaware. It's important to listen to both. (Amy Dolan)