Kids

I love kids.  So much so that I borrow them on occasion from my friends.  Clearly, I don't have any of my own yet to drive me crazy.

That's an area of ministry where I love to serve.  I'm Games Director for Awana this year, and I'm having a blast with it.

I used to work in Sunday School, but I had backed off in the last few years because work got out of hand, and I really found myself needing and craving more adult fellowship on Sunday mornings.  And a regular commitment always seemed to block potential trips to Orange County.  But our children's pastor asked me to consider doing Kindergarten once-a-month 2nd service.  I prayed about it, and told him yes with some caveats.  I would confirm (a week in advance) each month whether I could or couldn't do it that month, and I was not able to hunt down subs if I couldn't do it.  I hate phone errands with a passion.  They drive me crazy.  Ken said that would work for him, so I agreed to do the 4th Sunday of the month.

This past Sunday was my third time in this class.  The first two times were a little hard for me.  The first month I had 16 kids, and no plan.  I was way out of practice.  The second time went better, only 8 kids, but I had been given the wrong lesson to prep, but still fudged my way through it.  It was almost harder being once a month because I wasn't feeling as connected to these kids.

But this month, I found my connection.  The kids whom I didn't previously know outside of this class are now recognizing me.  I know my schedule, and I knew our story.  I didn't get a helper, so Janet, the wife of the 1st service team, stayed to help me out.  Her grandson Colby is one of the spitfires in the class.  Janet paid me a huge compliment at the end of class.  She thought the kids behaved much better for me than for her husband Dick during the story time.  I almost started crying.  I had been feeling like I didn't have very much classroom control.  These kids are so fidgety.

I just love playing with the kids.  Playground time is my favorite.

And the biggest secret to success in Sunday School: no crafts, just coloring pages.  There are never enough supplies, the craft is too complicated for the age group, or the final product is a mess for the poor parents to carry around.