Articles by Pastor Randy

2012-01-01T06:10:00.001-08:00

Tramp Christmas Letter

It was the week before Christmas when all through the sky, a stream of light passed, then crashed before our eyes. Kristina pulled the car to the side of the dark road, grabbed a flashlight and headed into the dark field. She pulled out her blackberry from the cell phone store she managed and called home. “I’m lost. There is a corn field on either side of me. Do you know where I’m at?”
Out of the blue, Ricky arrived, using his talents that he learned from teaching kids at school he was able to find Kristina. Engaged in search was Danielle right beside Ricky. I said engaged.

Ricky on his moped and Danielle in her car found Kristina. Imagine their surprise when they saw where the lights had ended - a giant red sleigh with Alisha Dawn sitting on the seat eating chicken alfredo she just got from Frying Pan, where she works at. A reindeer was grazing close by that seemed to be delusional. Ricky immediately called for Austin to come quickly because of his interest in wild life.

Austin arrived on the scene. “We need to get this animal back home.” “Dad and Mom won’t let you keep a reindeer in the back yard Austin,” Danielle said. Austin then called Alicia in her new place in Sioux Falls. No answer because Alicia was at her new job styling hair. So he called Brooke, who also lives in Sioux Falls, but no answer.

Kristina bewildered by the site of the agitated rein deer, decided to get Noah. Noah showed up in his spider man costume. That’s all it took. The rein deer took flight. Well, he jumped and fell down all across the field. Now everyone was in chase, watching this animal try to fly but not able to.
”It’s headed right for our back yard.” Spider man said. But actually Austin was leading it home. Kalli was the first to see the clumsy rein deer through the living room window. She took the book she was reading and compared the picture. Tristan and Aaron saw the deer. Tristan said NO and Aaron smiled at it. Cody just wanted to ride the deer and because he just turned 3 he felt he could.

Austin was so glad to get the deer in the back yard. As he was trying to find a place to hide it, the animal got a twinkle in his eye and took flight.

Randy, Kim, Kristina, Cody, Alicia, Danielle, Brooke, Alisha, Austin, Noah, Kalli, Tristan and Aaron

P & D January 2011

2011-01-10T12:05:00.001-08:00

Bible Devotion for your child

Score big at Whac-A-Mole (A good devotion to tell your kids.)

Nothing is quite as fun as flattening moles (or sharks and Mr. Munches at Chuck E. Cheese) as they pop their little heads up. The key is to keep your mallet poised about two feet above the center hole. More, and you lose time swinging; less, and you can't generate enough momentum.

If you're more interested in prize redemption than individual accomplishment, delegate a few holes to a friend, who can play bare-handed bongos on the critters.

Take this advice when you're dealing with the enemy of your soul. The mallet is the word of God and when the enemy pokes his head up, let him have it with the word.

When the enemy tempted Jesus in the wilderness, Jesus responded by, "The Word says." That means you have to know what the Bible says. The Bible is alive, but only as we apply it to our lives.

If you're really more interested in the grand prize than individual comfort then get active in your church. Two or Three gathered in His presence, there Jesus is in your midst. The enemy can pick off those that stay on the out side, but have more difficulty when in a group. We need to watch each others back and a good church is how God set it up.

I've taken a serious subject and injected humor into it. The enemy is out to steal, kill and destroy. Jesus has come to give us life. We must stay in the game and not quit. We are at war and darkness will not quit until the time is up.

2010-10-12T08:51:00.001-07:00

Little Bo Beep

Little Bo Beep has lost her sheep
and doesn’t know where to find them
leave them alone and they’ll come home
wagging their tails behind them.

I don’t mean to rain on your fairy tale parade but I hear rumbling on the horizon. Ever been close to a Mother Goose? Me either. In fact I tell the kids constantly, “When she raises her neck and her eyes widen, it means get ready to run, for she’s coming after you.” Do the kids listen? No, they want to see the goose’s eggs.

Well back to Bo. When I was a young boy I loved to go to my grandparent’s or cousin’s farm. One thing I noticed on the farm is that lost sheep don’t come home. The cows did but not sheep. So leaving sheep alone was not a good idea.

The Bible considers us like sheep if we’ve decided to follow the Good Shepard-Jesus. Jesus tells a story about 100 sheep. One got lost and the Shepard went to find that one sheep. That’s a comforting thought because I was once lost.

One of the disciples told Jesus that he didn’t know the way. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” Sheep do follow. I remember a story about a guy going to Israel. He had been told this fact about sheep and was confused to see a group of sheep being driven like cattle instead of a Shepard in front leading the sheep. He asked his tour guide about this. The tour guide told the interested sheep enthusiast this: “The sheep are going to the slaughter house.” So if you’re being driven you may want to check on your destination point.

Now Miss Beep since she was little probably didn’t know much about sheep. I’m glad Jesus does, after all he created the fuzzy, tail wagging creatures. I have to wonder if during that 6th day creation moment if He created the sheep just before Adam. Well that will be one of my questions when I get to heaven.

Why Follow the Great Shepard Jesus? I asked several people this question. (I told them that I was going to put their answer in this article.)

“Because I believe he's the Son of God and died for my sins.”

“Because I want to. I guess the next question is why do I want to follow Jesus? Too many reasons and most of them personal.”

“Because we have faith in Him and because he said, "Come and follow me.”

“His teaching provides an excellent model for life. In Him you will have peace, provision, family, forgiveness, a new life, purpose, an eternal home, you will never be alone.”

“We want to spend eternity with God”

My answer: “It’s the only direction I can go. I’ve lived without Jesus in the early part of my life and tried many different things to fill and satisfy myself. Jesus is the only direction I’ve found for total inner peace and contentment. He hasn’t taken away all the pain of life but he’s walked next to me as I traveled through it. He’s become my best friend and I couldn’t imagine life without Him. I know I’ve hurt Him and at times and disappointed Him but He stays in love with me. That’s why I follow Him and will die following Him.

Follow the Great Shepard.

P & D

2010-02-22T11:31:00.000-08:00

Communicating the Bible to Today’s Kids

If the apostles lived today, they would probably be on a chat line. So here’s a conversation.
ApostlePaul – Timothy Thanks for staying longer in Ephesus
Timothy - Apostle Paul I did command those ppl there to stop teaching false things
ApostlePaul - Timothy Gr8 They shouldn’t spend their time on stories that aren’t true
Timothy - ApostlePaul Like you told me, it just brings argument and doesn’t help God’s work
ApostlePaul - Timothy & God’s work should be done in faith
ApostlePaul - Timothy 1 more thing: Did you know the purpose of this command?
Timothy - ApostlePaul I remember in your letter, you telling me the purpose was love
ApostlePaul - Timothy Timothy – I can tell you studied the letter. You’re like the Bereans
Timothy - Apostle Paul The 1st letter you sent me had a lot of instructions in it. We have to watch our step

Would Paul have written 1 Corinthians 9:22 like this: 2 da weak, I became weak, 2 win da weak, I have become all thgs 2 all men so that by all possible means I might save some? Would he have twittered: I am weak, so He can be strong in me today. Would Paul have used Facebook or My Space to send out his message?

I believe the answer is yes. Would Paul have texted: Timothy OMW (On my way) or IOMH but Jesus is my strength (IOMH- In over my head)

The Gospel message stays the same; the way we distribute it changes. I was reluctant to start text messaging. But I found out that there were many people that only communicated via texting. If I wanted to get a hold of them I had to text. (I’m finding my daughter responds much better when I text her, concerning her chores.-lol)

In a day when even emails are somewhat outdated by our youth, trying to stay on the cutting edge of communication is a challenge. Facebook is a great way to keep tabs with the teenagers. They are more open in their messages on facebook than in person.

10 commandments in text form
1. no1 b4 me. srsly.
2. dnt wrshp pix/idols
3. no omg’s
4. no wrk on w/end (sat 4 now; sun l8r)
5. pos ok – ur m&d r cool
6. dnt kill ppl
7. X only w/ m8
8. dnt steal
9. dnt lie re: bf
10. dnt ogle ur bf’s m8. or ox. or dnkey. myob.

g2gn , ltr (If you need help with the text language go to lingo2word.com & communicate with today’s youth)

Midas Touch

2009-12-18T07:23:00.001-08:00

The Golden Touch
There once was a King named Midas. He had more gold than anyone else and he wanted more. One day as he was in his gold storage room a stranger came up behind him. "You have a lot of gold," he said. Startled the King looked up at the stranger and was fearful that he would loose his gold. "It looks like you have all the gold you need," the stranger continued. "No, I want more," King Midas replied.
"OK, tomorrow morning when you wake up everything you touch will turn to gold." And sure enough everything the King touched was turning to gold. He was so happy. His sheets, his pillow, everything turned to gold. With excitement he ran out to his daughters garden and began turning the flowers to gold. Feeling hungry, Midas called for a servant to bring him some food. But once he touched the fruit it turned to gold. Just at that time his daughter came in from outside crying. "My flowers are dead," she said. "But they are gold."
As Midas picked up a glass to drink something it turned to gold. Just as the King was about to get up, his daughter brushed up against him and instantly turned to gold.
The stranger came back and asked the King if he was happy now that he had so much more gold. "I'm miserable, I can't eat or drink and my daughter is turned into gold." The stranger told the King to go down to the stream and get water. Everything the water touches will turn back. The King eagerly ran down to the stream.

Lesson: Desire only things of God

Submitted to P & D

2009-11-02T06:39:00.000-08:00

Pastor Randy Tramp
Children’s Pastor
Assembly of God

Questions for God
I asked a group of kids to ask God questions. Here are some of the questions they asked. (I have put my answers behind the questions.)

God when were you born? God does not have a birthday. He has always existed. There was never a time before God or without God. In fact, God’s existence isn’t connected to time at all.
Why can’t I have allowance for free? It’s important that we learn to work for what we get. If we received everything for free, it would not have a value and wouldn’t be worth that much.
How did you create the sun? In Genesis 1:3 it says, Then God said, “let there be light,” and there was lights. God saw that the light was good, so he divided the light from the darkness. God named the light “day” and the darkness “night”.

How old is the world? Throughout history up until the end of the 18th century it was believed that the earth was 6000 years young. After the 18th century it seems as though God and the Bible was left out of the calculation of age of the earth and science said it was millions of years old. Genesis 1:1 says that in the beginning God created the sky and the earth. If you put God and the Bible in the calculation of the age of the earth you will find the earth is thousands of years old and not millions.

How many people are in your family? Only God knows how many people are in his family. He wants to add many, many more people. The only way a person can be added into God’s family is through Jesus Christ.
Admit you’re a sinner
Believe Jesus died for your sins
Confess Jesus as your Lord and Savior and live for him.
Do the A, B, C’s of salvation and you’ll be in the family of God.

Why do my parents yell at me? Everyone that is born is born in sin. Parents are not always perfect and neither are children. We should all try to be more like Jesus. I wouldn’t say that Jesus never yelled, but I’d probably say he didn’t do it too much. He talked to people in a gentle way. If he saw someone in danger he may have yelled to get their attention. Sometimes parents use yelling to get their child’s attention.

Why do boys swear a lot? Swearing is always wrong, especially when we use God’s name in vain. Colossians 4:6 says, “Let your conversation be gracious and effective so that you will have the right answer for everyone.”

P & D Article

2009-03-16T07:40:00.001-07:00

Children’s Article by Pastor RandyAssembly of God

Importance of Ministering to Children

This story is found in Exodus 2. Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him. Then Pharaoh's daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the river bank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her slave girl to get it. She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. "This is one of the Hebrew babies," she said. Then his sister asked Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?" "Yes, go," she answered. And the girl went and got the baby's mother. Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you." So the woman took the baby and nursed him. When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh's daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, "I drew him out of the water."
Moses was probably 5 or at the most 9 years of age when he went to live with Pharaoh’s Daughter. From this we see that Moses’ parents had very little time to teach and train him. (After Moses was adopted it’s doubtful that anymore spiritual training was accomplished.)
Here’s what his parents instilled in Moses during those early years. We read out of Hebrews 11. By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called a son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to share ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered abuse suffered for the Christ to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, unafraid of the king's anger; for he persevered as though he saw him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as if it were dry land, but when the Egyptians attempted to do so they were drowned.

Moses’ faith was shaped by a few years and it was greater than all the decades he spent in service for the Pharaoh.
Barna Research has shown that what a child believes by the time he is in 6th grade will be what he believes all his life. There are some exceptions but for the most part it’s true.
What’s this telling us? Ministry to Children is extremely important and does set a life on a spiritual journey. Proverbs 22:6 tells us: Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

“Season for Celebration – Dr. Seuss style”

2008-11-19T14:56:00.001-08:00

by Pastor Randy Tramp, Children’s Pastor at Assembly of God

“Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you.” Dr. Seuss

Dr. Seuss had a way of transporting us into a child’s world. God the Father gave us a simple message from that realm.

The message God the Father spoke to us was brought to us in the form of a child. His message was on the level of a child. We’re entering the holiday season and will celebrate that message on Christmas. The answer came by way of a manger. It came by way of a child.

We have so much to celebrate this season. We have so much to be thankful for.
I’m so grateful that 25 years ago I met Jesus for the first time. Oh, I went to church all my life, but it wasn’t until I was in the Navy that I came face to face with my creator.

I had the encounter as my ship was at sea. A new crew mate was assigned to the office that I worked in. Vinnie was a new born Christian and spoke of Jesus often. I had never heard the message he spoke before. He said I could personally invite Jesus in my heart. I remember so clearly that night when I followed Vinnie’s instructions. I didn’t quite know what I was doing but I desired Jesus to enter into my life. He did and I was alive for the 1st time in my life. I felt like I could fly. I felt so alive.

The days that followed were so fresh and so filled full of life. I confessed Jesus as my Lord and Savior to many different people. I set the course of my life towards the Kingdom of God. I continue to be filled full of life because of Jesus.

(apologies to Dr. Seuss)
“Today I’m fully me, that’s truer than true. I am alive and you can be too.”

I love Jesus and He's the best. I love HIS boss and all the rest.

I love my family, I love to say, I love them more and more each day. I love to work among my peers. I love their leers 'n jeers 'n cheers.
I love my city and its location. I love the extreme sensation. I’m praying for America, I am, I am...I'm praying for you Uncle Sam, I am.
Do the A,B,C’s of Salvation and be full of life.
A – Admit you’re a sinner
B – Believe Jesus died for your sins
C – Confess Jesus as Lord of your life and live for Him

Man on the Moon

2008-06-25T14:18:00.000-07:00

Man on the Moon
by Pastor Randy Tramp
1st Assembly of God

I grew up in the era of President Kennedy’s speech. “First, I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth.” I and my family were glued to the TV through out the entire Apollo 11 mission. We watched the blast off. We followed the updates and the lunar landing. It seemed like a long time before the lunar module’s doors opened. We then watched Neil Armstrong put his foot on the moon and make the famous saying, “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” I excitedly held my breath on every endeavor of the mission, from the blast off from the moon and re-docking with the command module to the “blackout” moments upon reentering the earth’s atmosphere.
I was reminded of this when I read an article from “Today’s Pentecostal Evangel” about Charlie Duke. As a boy I watched every Apollo mission. I even wrote NASA asking for moon rocks. They nicely told me no but sent me many pictures of the Apollo program.
Today on the moon is a family portrait of Charlie and Dotty Duke, with their sons Charles, 7, and Tom, 5. Duke had placed the picture on the lunar surface during the Apollo 16 mission.
But this family was far from being happy as portrayed in the photo. Charlie and Dotty Duke were on the verge of divorce. The children had seen very little of their daddy. Dotty was expected to hold the family together in Charlie’s absence.
Dotty’s life changed in the fall of 1975. She was suicidal. She went to a renewal weekend at her church. That weekend, alone and kneeling by her bed, Dotty prayed: “Jesus, if You’re real, I give You my life. And if You’re not real, I want to die.” Her life slowly changed. The first change was God requiring her to forgive Charlie. Her forgiveness drew Charlie closer to her and to Jesus.
I couldn’t imagine a life without a personal relationship with Jesus. It doesn’t take traveling a half million miles to find the meaning of life, it takes only inches, from your mind to your heart. I teach the children the A,B,C’s of salvation. Admit you’re a sinner. Believe Jesus died for your sins. Confess Jesus as your Savior.
The Duke family photo certainly has faded and crumbled, but on earth the Duke family lives and thrives thanks to their encounter with Jesus, who just happened to put that moon there in the first place.

P & D article

2008-06-16T11:45:00.001-07:00

& D Article – Africa & family

In the early part of this year I traveled with a team of Children’s Pastors to Nigeria, Africa. My 22 year old daughter, Alicia went with us. We trained over 200 Children’s Pastors/Children’s Workers for Children’s Ministry. The question that was asked over and over again was this: “What are we to do with all these children?”
I saw a lot of children while I was in Nigeria. We went into one village and began to talk to a few children. The few children soon became over a hundred children. They were so fun to be with. They enjoyed trying to say our names. (We enjoyed them trying.) They made funny faces at us and us at them.
In the 2 weeks I was there I made some observations. I only saw one family unit in all that time and that was at the conference. What I mean by a family unit is a Mom & Dad with their children. What I saw was a lot of children by themselves. Many times the children were headed to the town water well or coming back from school. Another observation was the amazement of the Nigerians of my daughter and me working together. Apparently that is unheard of in Nigeria.
I was impacted by a statement of one the Nigerian Children’s Pastors. His name was Ime Joseph and lived in the southern part of Nigeria. It took him two days by bus to get to Jos, Nigeria, where the conference was being held. Ime told me that he had been praying for America. I was humbled by his statement. He went on to tell me that he felt America was on a downward trail because of America’s treatment of her children. I’ve not been able to get that statement out of my mind. It made me grateful for what we have, but I had to wonder what we’re loosing. As a nation we don’t value the unborn & the born as we should and there is an attempt to redefine the family. When we have strong bible defined families we have a strong nation.

The Nigerian people appreciated the smallest things and were amazed with items we take for granted. For example: balloons. They were excited in making “balloon animals”. We introduced them to concepts that were new to them, such as puppets. They had a lot of fun with the puppet we gave each of them.

Parental Vision

2008-03-10T10:20:00.000-07:00

Gary Smalley writes about vision for a child, in his book, “The Blessing”. He writes this, seeing a special future for a child is like building him a campfire on a dark night. It draws him “toward the warmth of genuine concern and fulfilled potential - instead of leaving a child to head into a dark unknown.

Every day you have an opportunity to paint a bright future for you child. It’s so much better drawing a child into an area then trying to drive him. Drawing takes much less effort than driving.

A law in physics says that water can not rise above it’s source. The same is true, in a sense, for your child.

Africa

2008-02-25T10:53:00.000-08:00

“What are we going to do with all these children?”
by Pastor Randy
When I was in Nigeria, Africa the beginning of this year we were asked this question many times: “What are we going to do with all these children?” The Nigerian Children’s Pastors told us over and over again of the problems with having many children in their ministries. In the 2 weeks I was there I observed many different types of children. There were the street children. These children stayed at an orphanage and went downtown to beg. They carried around a little bowl. I observed many other children with uniforms on. Most of these children were in groups. I assumed they were headed to school.
Another group I watched was the children that were by themselves. It was easy to get this group of kids to form around us. We went into one particular area that when we started to talk to the children, many more came around until we had about 50 children around us. These children loved to have their pictures taken. It was interesting what these children found as toys. On many occasions I saw boys rolling a round metal circle. One thing I did notice was that these kids were by themselves without any adults. Sometimes a Mom would be with the smaller kids. I rarely saw a family unit consisting of a Father, Mother and the children. What I heard in my heart as I observed all these children is this: “Reach the children of the world.” It was a strong continual word that I heard from God.
I feel Nigerian children are a part of this church now. I’ll never forget them. It seems impossible that we as a church will on a continual basis affect the children around the world, but I feel that is the “God type of task” we’re to do. I envision one day for this church to have an orphanage in
another country. I believe God is wanting us to be responsible for children around this world. That responsibility will be more than money. We went into a market area. A Nigerian store keeper stopped us and spoke to our Nigerian guide. The store keeper told our guide to give us this message: Tell the American that we don’t only want their money; we want the Americans to come and help us. I believe God is wanting our service to the children of this world.

Nigeria

2008-02-05T11:14:00.001-08:00

What are we going to do with all these children?” by Pastor Randy
When I was in Nigeria, Africa the beginning of this year we were asked this question many times: “What are we going to do with all these children?” The Nigerian Children’s Pastors told us over and over again of the problems with having many children in their ministries.
In the 2 weeks I was there I observed many different types of children. There were the street children. These children stayed at an orphanage and went downtown to beg. They carried around a little bowl.
I observed many other children with uniforms on. Most of these children were in groups. I assumed they were headed to school.
Another group I watched was the children that were by themselves. It was easy to get this group of kids to form around us. We went into one particular area that when we started to talk to the children, many more came around until we had about 50 children around us.
These children loved to have their pictures taken. It was interesting at what these children found as toys. On many occasions I saw boys rolling a round metal circle. One thing I did notice was that these kids were by themselves without any adults. Sometimes a Mom would be with the smaller kids. I rarely saw a family unit consisting of a Father, Mother and the children.
What I heard in my heart as I observed all these children is this: Reach the children of the world. It was a strong continually word that I heard from God.
I feel Nigerian children are a part of this church now. I’ll never forget them. It seems impossible that we as a church will on a continual basis affect the children around the world, but I feel that is the “God type of task” we’re to do.
I vision one day for this church to have an orphanage in another country. I believe God is wanting us to be responsible for children around this world. That responsibility will be more than money. We went into a market area. A Nigerian store keeper stopped us and spoke to our Nigerian guide. The store keeper told our guide to give us this message: Tell the American that we don’t only want their money; we want the Americans to come and help us. I believe God is wanting our service to the children of this world.

2008 Children's Ministry Vision

2008-01-27T05:52:00.000-08:00

Children’s Ministry Pastor Randy Tramp, Servantleader
The 2008 goals of Children’s Ministry are:
Lead children to Jesus
To help children lead richer lives in the Spirit by informing them, encouraging them and leading them as they receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Equip families to raise spiritually healthy children

We will do this by:
We will give the children opportunities to give their hearts to Jesus.
We will encourage the children to deepen their faith in God.Offering opportunities for kids to serve and become leaders
Having relevant messages & lessons that affect the millennium kid
Offer parenting classes and parenting tips on the Children’s Bulletin

This past year the Children’s Bulletin was introduced. This bulletin is specifically designed to inform the parent about what each child is learning in their area. This is a tool for the parents to use. We in Children’s Ministry want to be held accountable for what we teach your child. Also on the back of the bulletin is a “Parent’s Parenting Tip”. These are tips collected from different books on parenting.

We had a back to school carnival. This is an evangelistic attempt to bring new kids in. We had a lot of children at the carnival. Vi Flood was clowning around at this event. Thanks to all the teen and Children’s Workers.

Birthday Cards (sent to all the children on the mailing list)
Children’s Mailers
Summer Camp
Gave incentives as the children brought visitors
Have a cartoon character signs made for the outside to excite children
To have a ministry that the kids have confidence to invite their friends to, so that they will want to come back excited.
To train kids to reach out to their peers in the community through sharing their faith comfortably and inviting them to church.
Travel to special events that cause the kids to spend time together and become friends, and have events that promote family involvement and interaction.
Create an environment for learning through decor.

Jr Kid’s Grades: Preschool & Kindergarten
Wednesdays & Sundays
Sundays: Carol Walker, Bev Campbell, Samantha & Whitney Goeden, Taylor & Heidi Steffen, Alisha Tramp, Amber CimburekWednesdays: Michelle Whitehurst & Angela Rohan

We have a great Jr. Kid’s team. There are 2 to 3 workers ministering to these smaller kids. These workers bring fun while teaching the Bible. The kids are very active in this class.

Early memories last a life time. Think back to when you were in Kindergarten. Was it a good memory? These kids will not forget the above list of workers.

2008 – We need to split this group up. Preschoolers in one class and Kindergarteners in another This will require at least 4-5 more workers and a new area. (Growth is exciting.)

Kid’s Church Sunday Morning, Grades 1-4
Pastor Randy & Erin Stephens
This past year we taught about the Holy Spirit and the importance of allowing His influence in our lives. We went into the area of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. The goal is for the children to use the gifts of the Holy Spirit within Kid’s Church.

2008 – We are combing the Kid’s Church and Heir Force for a time of kids praise and worship. We’ll be doing the kids praise and worship in the fellowship hall to give us more room. It will be really exciting when Kid’s Church moves into the new addition. This will give kids room to move around.
Opportunities:
Mission Possible Position: Missions Emphasis—A person to bring global awareness to the children on BGMC Sunday.
1 worker
1 Assistant
Specials ministries in Kid’s Church

Whiz Kids Wednesday nights, Grades 1-4
Allison Schmidt & Nicole Skovly
This past year one of the main themes we taught was Missions. We want the children to have a proper inflow and outflow. Inflow in that they receive Jesus and are filled with the Holy Spirit, evidenced by speaking in tongues. Outflow in that they become ministers of the good news.
2008
When the new addition is build and children’s ministry moves into it, we will see an increase in the amount of children. A large area for the children will draw more children into Children’s Ministry.

Opportunities:
Assistant workers

Heir Force Sundays and Wednesday, Grades 5th & 6th
Pastor Randy, Stacy & Margie Carmen, Nathan Hecht
On Wednesdays one of the major lessons this past year was Missionaries. We spent several months looking at the lives of missionaries. It was our goal to instill in each child the desire to support or be a missionary.
2008
Fifth & sixth graders love to run and move around. We have outgrown the present room we are in and we’re looking forward to a much bigger area. This will cause an increase in kids, especially the boys. (We saw this increase when Heir Force was in the sanctuary in the past.)

Bus Ministry
Bus Drivers: John Kidney & Pastor Randy
Bus Pastors: Mike Buse, Annette Roux, Theresa Turner & Teri Kramer

Let me take you on the bus for a few minutes. We pull out of the church heading towards our 1st stop. We pull in front of an apartment building, put our flashers on and wait for the children to run to the bus. The children enter the bus with smiles on their face, probably saying something like, “Girls are in back”. (Boys and Girls are separated and take turns each month being in the front or back.) We head to our next stop and repeat the same thing. Bus Pastors are sitting with the kids talking to them. The Bus Pastor finds out how each child is doing. We’re privileged to have several really good bus workers.
2008 We will continue to try expanding our bus ministry with more bus drivers and bus pastors. We have a 6 week rotation schedule that still has a few empty spots.

Upwards Basketball www.upward.com
Upwards motto: Changing generations Globally through children’s sports ministry.
Upwards Purpose statements:
1. Salvation – To share the love of Jesus Christ with everyone involved in an Upward ministry.
2. Character – To help every child grow as Jesus did – spiritually, physically, mentally, and socially.
3. Self-Esteem – To help every child grown in their understanding and enjoyment of sports.

We are working with other churches to bring Upwards Basketball to Yankton in 2009.

Opportunities:
Promoters
Coaches
Score Keepers
Assistant Coaches
Referees
Boys, grades 3-6

HELPS Having Enough Loving People Serving
Pastor Randy Tramp
Furniture Bank
A lot of furniture was given away in the furniture bank in the year of 2007. We work closely with the Women’s shelter and other Yankton agencies in meeting the needs of people. The furniture bank is not only restricted to furniture. As an example we have given cars out in the past. So if you have anything to donate (excluding clothes) call the furniture bank (665-6362)
Opportunities:
Donation of Furniture
Deliver furniture to those in need.
Transportation Needs
An increase in the need of transportation has arisen in the church. There are those that would like to come to the church or have other transportation needs. If you would like to be on the church’s list to be able to call should transportation need arise, call 665-6362 and make that known.

Barrel of Monkeys

2007-10-08T12:08:00.000-07:00

Barrel of Monkeys by Pastor Randy
Barrel of Monkeys by my deskTorn wall paper on my wallGames on the shelfDug up dirt in the back yardStains on our carpetFinger painted pictures Puzzles thrown together on the floorSwings in motionEngraved words in our woodworkSuperman walking through the houseBikes in the sidewalkColored paper on the refrigerator Trampled down grass – now dirt
What is this list? It’s simple; the list is symbolic of life’s travel within our family. It’s a worn road that has developed memorable pot holes. It shows that children are traveling with us.
Several years ago on vacation we visited the Precious Moments Museum in Carthage, Missouri. In one of the rooms I was looking at the paintings on the walls and ceiling. In one particular area of the ceiling there was an unfinished painting. I listened to the tour guide give the explanation for this. “Sam was going through a difficult time in his life and decided to leave this unfinished as a reminder”, the tour guide said.
Also within this chapel was a mural called, “Hallelujah Square”. This mural celebrated the lives of real children whose lives ended too soon. I stayed in that area and allowed thoughts of my children to flood my mind. So the wall paper, the backyard, the carpet or even all the times I knock over the Barrel of Monkeys it all reminds me of my children. It’s a good reminder. I don’t need the perfect lawn. Trampled grass is ok. So put a frame around your “family pot holes” and put it in your symbolic memory book. It’s priceless.
I’m grateful for the innocence of One.
… the stubbornness of Two.… the orneriness of Three.… the playfulness of Four.… the laughter of Five.… the of discovery Six.… the cuteness of Seven.… the clowning around of Eight. … the liveliness of Nine.… the energy of Ten.… the individuality of Eleven.… the tween of Twelve.… the independence of teens.
Here’s a tool you can teach your children:
The 5 finger Prayer
Thumb – Nearest you. Pray for those closest to you.Pointing Finger – Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal. i.e.…teachers, doctors and pastors Tallest finger – Pray for our leadersRing Finger – This is our weakest finger. Pray for those who are weak, in trouble or pain.Little Finger – Pray for children.
Family Constitution
Romans 12:16 exhorts us to be of one mind towards one another.
A family constitution is a written plan that the entire family has worked on. It promotes meaningful communication among the family and helps all to be of one mind with each other. It gives greater security and stability for each family member.
The children will see themselves as a part of the family process.
A typical Family Constitution meeting in our home starts with me saying, “How can we resolve to respect each other within this home.” The kids then begin giving their input. Someone says, “Staying out of my room is respect.” We then begin to discuss what the consequence of going into someone else’s room. What this does for me is I rely upon the constitution as a means of discipline. It frees me to love my children. The children have come up with the discipline so they own it.
Here are some suggestions to the articles of a Family Constitution:
We commit to honor God and His creation above ourselves.We resolve to respect each other and each other’s property.We resolve to care for one another in a tender and affectionate manner.
Our Family Constitution is a work in progress. The articles do not change but the applications may. The important point is the entire family is working towards unity.
So start writing your Family Constitution by picking an article. Then bring it before your family. (The supper table works best for us.) You may be surprised at how much response you get from your kids. Come to an agreement on how to enforce each article. Then enjoy greater unity within your family.

E-Life

2007-07-17T06:33:00.002-07:00

-LifeThe goal this summer is to make as many E-Life kids as we can.
The theme verse is: Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, [have Eternal-Life] Romans 10:13
The circle stands for our world. Every E-Life kid should demonstrate the 5 Commitments of an E-Life kid before other students in their world – their school, their neighborhoods, and their communities:
Seek – Seek the Sprit’s help to help others
Show – Show kindness and friendship
Share – Share “The Story”
Invite – Invite others to church and to know Christ
Invest – Invest in the lives of others

Along with the commitments is the E-Life Plan
E – Eternal Life given through Jesus – John 3:16
L – Life eternal is a gift from God – Romans 6:23
I – If we confess, He will forgive – 1 John 1:9
F – Forgiveness is Free – Acts 10:43
E – Everyone can join God’s Family – Romans 10:13

When a child learns and demonstrates the commitments and the plan, he will be able to fully live the Christian life. He will also be able to lead someone to Jesus.
E-Life is a simple way to measure if a child is living the Christian life. I challenge you as a parent to learn E-Life and make it very important to your child.

New Things Coming This Fall

2007-07-17T06:33:00.001-07:00

New and exciting things are coming to Kid’s Church and Heir Force this fall. (Kid’s Church is for grades 1-4 and Heir Force is grades 5-6) We will be running the bus on Sundays starting in September. Each Sunday we’ll be blasting off to new destinations. The music will be energetic and action filled. We’ll be introducing a new character this fall who will create the center of fun discussion as we break up into small groups. Abner Corn is a well-intentioned rough-edged hillbilly. Think “The Beverly Hillbillies.” He’s very much a fish out of water in London, trying to adjust to a different culture. Abner Corn’s lack of respect for others is shown in a humorous way to help kids learn how and why we should show respect to others.
RESPECT
1 Peter 2:17 Show proper respect; to everyone
Does your child talk back, not do what you say, or not have respect for his brothers or sisters? We’re going to tackle these questions and help the kids to discover the answers. I believe family is practice time for kids, for the rest of their lives. We want to teach the kids that they can and should practice respect at home. In heart-changing sessions, we’ll learn that we show respect through our actions and attitudes.
The children’s bulletins this fall will be valuable to the kids. There will be places on it that will require a parent’s signature, should your child fulfill his requirement at home. When your child brings this back, he will receive points that will go toward his group being able to go to the store. (We will be breaking up into about 6 groups – probably by grades)

Children's Ministry 2007 Vision

2007-01-09T06:28:00.001-08:00

Children’s Ministry
The 2007 goal of Children Ministry is to better equip families. If families come to church only to go their separate ways and come back together again after it’s over, we would have missed our goal. Multiple studies confirmed that while peers, teachers and others may have some influence on our children’s faith, parents have, by far, the most impact; whether that impact is positive or negative. George Barna writes, “I have been discouraged to discover that most American adults – including most parents – see the spiritual development as a value-added proposition rather than the single, most important aspect of a child’s development. The emphasis this next year is to partner with each parent in recognition of the critical role they have.

Nursery
Birth thru 3 years old
Wednesday, Sunday and Special Services
Much of the development of a person happens in the very early stages of their life. Nurturing an infant may be the most important part of their life. Although we may not see immediate results, those little ones are developing. How they develop largely depends upon the care given. Only heaven will fully record how much our Nursery Workers have contributed to the loving and nurturing of a “little one”.

2006 We have over 20 qualified Nursery Attendants watching our babies. The nursery numbers went up this past year so a Jr. Nursery Attendant was added each week. These Jr. Attendant’s are responsible teens.

On Wednesday nights, Kim Tramp attends to the little ones.
Our little ones need the love of Jesus maybe more than anyone else. Why? It’s because their little lives are in the initial formation. What happens in this period of time in their lives will affect the rest of their lives. Our nursery attendants give special attention to the small children.

2007 There are always opportunities to serve in the nursery. Schedules can be adjusted to once a month or once a quarter.
Opportunities:
Jr. Nursery Attendants – Responsible teens
Wednesday Night Nursery Attendants
Sunday Nursery Attendants

Jr. Kid’s Church
Wednesday & Sunday
(for kids in Preschool & Kindergarten)
Carol Walker, Bev Campbell, Leona Schmoll,
Samantha & Whitney Goeden, Taylor & Heidi Steffen
Michelle Whitehurst/Angela Rohan – Wednesday
2006 – We have a great team of Jr. Kid’s teachers on Sunday. Two to three people make up a team. They minister to the smaller kids; helping them to have a great “Jesus” experience. Our first memories come from this period of life. We want their first memories to be warm and comfortable.
Michelle has done a wonderful job of ministering to the Jr. Kids on Wednesday nights. I see the kids having fun, learning about the things of God. Angela Rohan has just started in Jr. Kids.
All the workers in Jr. Kids have a love and passion for these children.
2007 We have teams working with these children. The ratio of workers to children is approximately 2 to 1. There are 2 positions available. This would allow for a rotation.
Kid’s Church
Sunday AM
(for kids in Grades 1-4)
Erin Stephens, Tess Arens, Pastor Randy

2006 Kid’s Church said good bye to Alicia Tramp. (She went to Trinity Bible College) There is a Kid’s Church rotation. Each person ministers in Kid’s Church every other week.
In Kid’s Church we “do” church. This is accomplished through drama, puppets, object lessons and games that reinforce the lesson. There is a power point and memory verse for each lesson. We have seen children physically touched by the presence of God. It’s wonderful to hear the children talk about what God speaks to them. I have anticipation of God moving these children to greater spiritual depths this next year.
2007 In the early part of 2007 we’re going to be focusing on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. We’re also going to be studying the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It’s our goal that our children begin to operate in these gifts. Several of our children are Baptized in the Holy Spirit. We want that number to increase.
There is going to be at least 3 “special” services in Kid’s Church throughout 2007. These services will be for outreach in order to get new kids and draw some of the kids back that have not been here for awhile.

We’re also planning an overnight outreach. This is includes many churches from this area.

We’re going to have more visual posters and related items in Kid’s Church.
Opportunities: There are assistant positions open in Kid’s Church. It is always our goal to have at least 2 people in each service.

Heir Force
Sunday & Wednesday
(for kids in the 5th or 6th grade)
Stacy Carmen, Mark Schaaf, Pastor Randy
2006 – We started the year with the fundamentals of faith (on Sundays). Everyone finishing the requirements was recognized in front of the church with a certificate. Many of the kids accomplished this and received a certificate. Thank you to the parents who helped in this endeavor. In the year of 2006 we also graduated a large group of 6th graders into the 7th grade or from Heir Force to the Youth Group on Wednesdays. So the Heir Force numbers went from about 25 -30 to around 8. We’re starting to grow.

2007 - Barna research has studied this age group. Their findings show that what is believed at this age is the belief held through the individual’s life. With that in mind we have made a concentrated effort to “close the deal” concerning the Tween’s (not a child, not a teen yet – in between) spiritual life. In 2007 we’re making an emphasis for the Tweens to come up to their own faith. Many times the kids talk about miracles from their parents or other people. This is important but what is more important is that they have their own story, their own testimony. As said, God doesn’t have any Grandchildren; He only has children. The curriculum will be “Developing Spiritually”. It will go through all the steps of having a strong faith. We have seen a special move of God in the area of Heir Force towards the end of 2006 and the beginning of 2007. We had two services that concentrated on prayer. We saw God move upon the kids. Many had tears as God touched them in special ways. It’s been a great start.

Opportunities:
Wednesday night workers
Sunday morning workers
Bus Ministry
Wednesdays
John Kidney, Jackie Cowling, Pastor Randy
2006 – Thank you to Everett Williamson & Merle Schmidt for driving the bus many times in the year of 2006.
We connected with many kids & parents this past year.
2007 – This year marks the 10 year anniversary of the bus ministry. We will celebrate that this year. There is an opportunity for a Bus Pastor on the bus. This person would minister to the children and keep them in order. It’s a great opportunity to connect with children. The position of a Bus Pastor is one of importance. We turn kids away if we don’t have proper supervision. A Bus Pastor would help insure that no child is left at home when he/she wants to ride the bus. We don’t know who will be coming on the bus. On the national level we’ve had several school shootings in the past few years. These teens were so angry they acted upon that anger in a murderous way. Why were they angry? It’s all about connection. These teens did not connect with anyone. What if Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, Columbine shooters, had a bus pull up their home and bring them to church? What if a Bus Pastor sat down with those boys and talked to them? I personally think that the Columbine incident would not have happened. When there is no connection there is no hope, no feeling. When there is no hope or feeling ….. well we’ve seen what happened.
Opportunities: Bus Pastors
Bus Drivers

Whiz Kid’s
Wednesday nights
Grades 1-4
2006 The Whiz Kids said goodbye to Alicia Tramp and welcomed Allison Schmidt. Whiz Kid’s is an upbeat ministry. The kids learn God’s word through games and object lessons.

2007 Whiz Kid’s should be separated into 2 age groups. At the present time we have one group: grades 1-4. We want the separation to be 1st and 2nd grade and 3rd and 4th grade.
Many of the children that come to Whiz Kids want to come. The bus picks them up. These are children that no one is making them. We see their excitement and we try to lift that excitement. We don’t know how long we’ll have them, so we make every effort to change them with the gospel.

Opportunities: Whiz Kid’s Assistant
Whiz Kid’s Teacher

H.E.L.P.S Having Enough Loving People Serving
2006 A lot of furniture was given away in the furniture bank in the year of 2006. Some of the furniture given away was: couches, dressers, washers, dryers, beds, kitchen utensils, TV’s, VCR’s, baby items, toys and many other items. We were able to meet the needs of many needy families, particularly single moms. We partnered with the contact center, women’s shelter, Lewis and Clark, Yankton Adjustment Center, Social Services. There are people coming from as far away as Santee, Nebraska and Wagner, South Dakota. The furniture bank trailer was moved to the church this year.

Opportunities:
Donation of Furniture
Deliver furniture to those in need

TANFF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families)State TANFF workers have: Cleaned the bus, secretarial work, crafts, painting, and janitorial jobs. They were a great help to the church this past year. There have been 77 TANFF workers over the past several year

Misbehavior or Mischief

2007-01-09T06:26:00.001-08:00

Misbehavior or Mischief?

A Mother put her little girl to bed. “Good-night” she whispered. “God will watch over you.”
About a half hour later when silence descended over the house, the little girl called from her room, “Mother, are you there?”
“Yes, I am.” her Mother replied.
A little later after this, the child called, “Daddy, are you there, too?”
“I’m here. Go to sleep.”
After this had been repeated several times, a very sleepy and groggy friend of an older brother (who had been staying over night) finally lost patience and shouted: “We’re all here – Your Mom and Dad, your brothers and sisters and I……. AM……. HERE. Now go to sleep and let us alone.”
There was silence for awhile. Then in a trembling voice, the child called, “Mother, was that God?”

Was that God? I’m sure the parents had a good laugh before they went to sleep. The little girl was seeking assurance and security in the midst of silent darkness. Children young and old need that blanket of security.

A world whirlwind of problems will try to sweep our children away. We can’t protect them from the flying debris but we can show them an anchor. I see 1st Corinthians 13 as a blanket of security or an anchor. I would have loved to have these verses demonstrated to me as a young boy. I didn’t know Jesus and I often felt the hopelessness that comes in the silence of night. I was tossed about by thoughts of insecurity. I couldn’t focus at home or in school.

Insecurity can cause misbehavior. It’s true in children and adults as well. In order to get the focus off oneself, a diversion is created, many times without thought. That diversion comes in different forms: bullying, disrespect, destruction, stealing, lying, passive aggressiveness, etc. It’s the parent‘s responsibility to determine if it’s misbehavior caused by insecurity or mischievousness.

A parent that takes a few minutes to spend with their child may avert hours of misbehavior. On the other hand: I have seen children that are masters at keeping their parents in guilt. The child controls the parent emotionally.

How can a parent be an anchor without being part of the problem? By responding to the Heavenly Father through his Word. The only One that should be able to control our heart is God, through Jesus, by the Holy Spirit.

Let’s look at 1st Corinthians. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. Love is not rude, is not selfish, and does not get upset with others. Love does not count up wrongs that have been done. Love is not happy with evil but is happy with the truth. Love patiently accepts all things. It always trusts, always hopes, and always remains strong.

When we live in these verses security will come in our hearts. Those around us may not change; your child may continue to misbehave or get into mischief but you will be giving them the greatest opportunity to get on the right path.

Inoculation

2007-01-09T06:22:00.000-08:00

Spiritual Inoculation by Pastor Randy
This flu season has a shortage of flu vaccinations. There is an inoculation that isn’t in short supply. It’s an injection of truth into the soul of a child.
In his book, “Transforming children into Spiritual Champions”, George Barna says that every choice we make is ultimately a spiritual decision. Our decisions comes from what we believe is right or wrong. Children take their cues on right and wrong from their environment. In that environment parents play the largest part. But we know as parents we’re not perfect. We need to inoculate against that imperfection.

I call this inoculation, “I can’t believe I parented like that” shot. Parents make mistakes. We can inoculate our children against our wrong decisions, burst of anger or just plain bad parenting day. How? When you’re having a teachable moment with your child tell your child something like this; “I’m not perfect. I make mistakes. I may not always parent the way Jesus would. It’s wrong and I shouldn’t do it but it may happen. Now when it does happen I want you to think like this.” Daddy is having a bad day. He does love me and Jesus loves me. It’s wrong and I know his behavior isn’t something I want to become. I want to be like the Jesus I see in my Daddy. This is not that moment. (Make sure you tell your child to only think this. Don’t say it out loud for yours and his sake.)

When we inoculate our children we’re showing them we’re human. We can point them to the only perfect one: Jesus. Inject your child with a dosage of Biblical truth each day or train your child to daily present a Biblical devotion to you. When we inject our children with dosages of truth we’ll find them making better choices.

Phone Call's Destiny

2006-10-30T08:48:00.000-08:00

Title: Phone Call’s Destiny
THE PHONE CALL
Rubbing my eyes and pulling myself from the bed , I blindly made my way to the phone. Looking at the clock and seeing it was 1230 a.m. I wondered who would be calling this late. The first sounds was a familiar distant sobbing, then silence. My heart began to go into alarm as the dreaded middle of the night phone call began to materialize in my imagination then into reality. I sat in silence as the caller began her story. "Dad - I’m hurting and so lonely. You haven’t spent time with me and you don’t care about me. You gave me things and but I didn’t want things - I wanted you." As I listened I began to pick up on the past tense of this conversation and wondered why. As I wondered my thoughts became clear as the hopelessness verbalized. "Dad, I’m going to end my life tonight and I just wanted to tell you why." Before I could say a word the phone went dead. I frantically looked at the caller ID and re dialed the number. One ring, two rings, three rings. Oh God please help. four rings. I was so helpless. My heart pounded in heaviness. five rings Answer. "Hello, Hello", I said. The caller was silent but on the phone. "Honey" was all I could say when she burst into crying. Minutes pasted in the darkness of the night. I felt any words from me would end this phone call permanently, so I waited. What seemed like an eternity was interrupted by her words of such sadness. She began to tell me of the lonely nights that she cried herself to sleep, the countless conversations she wanted to have with me but couldn’t because of her fears of rejection. I listened as she recounted the many different stories from her heavy heart. The darkness gave way to the light as the morning greeted us through the windows. Hope seemed to return to her voice and by the time she said her final good byes I knew she would be OK all because I listened. I then walked into my daughters room and thanked God that they were all OK and that this phone call was a wrong number. by Pastor Randy
DESTINY
The chill morning air brushed across my face. I woke with fear in my heart. Something was wrong, dead wrong. The feeling was so overwhelming that I almost couldn’t get out of bed. I walked downstairs only to find people weeping hysterically in my living room. I ran to my Mom and put my arms around her asking what was wrong but she didn’t move - it was like I was not even there. Then, I went over to my best friend, Amy, and tried talking to her but all she did was mumble something over and over again. I couldn’t understand what she was saying. Then I heard my name, "Jennifer" the voice continued " Why did you do this? We all loved you." "Oh, Jenny, how am I going to make it through High School without my best friend?" she said between sobs. My whole family was in the living room crying over me. They actually loved me. In one single moment I had been selfish and torn a piece of their heart out. In one single moment I had taken my life. Who would of known they cared? I fell to the ground and cried out to God and said, "Please forgive me. I was alone. I was hurt. Please let me have another chance." Then I woke up. My pillow stained with tears. I thanked God for letting me live one more day. by Kristina Tramp
These stories are fictional. Each story was written separately on the same day. I and my daughter Kristina did not know we were writing stories with the same message until we read each others story together. God is sending a strong message to parents. He wants to touch the hearts of lonely children. We need to listen to the silent cries that are all around us before it’s too late and they pass into the night without his light.

Immediate Gratification

2006-10-25T06:41:00.000-07:00

Immediate Gratification
Pastor Randy Tramp
We live in a world that wants it and wants it now, whether it’s information, food or help from a disaster. Americans expect it immediately. I was sitting in a fast food restaurant the other day and watched a customer at the counter. He had to wait less than a minute for a person to come to the counter. When she did, he stormed out angry that she didn’t get there immediately. “I’ll find someone that wants my business,” he said. When the war broke out in Lebanon what did we hear? America did not get her citizens out immediately. The list goes on and on. America wants it now.
How does that affect our children? They want it now. Smaller children want to be entertained by the best methods. They want the best toys and they want it now. As the children get older they seek those things that bring instant gratification – including relationships.
What are the results of instant gratification? “You are in trouble! The lies you tell are like ropes by which you drag along sin and evil. And you say, ‘Let the holy God of Israel hurry up and do what he has promised, so we can see it for ourselves.’ You are headed for trouble! You say wrong is right, darkness is light, and bitter is sweet.” (Isaiah 5:18)
Why do we have to wait? Why can’t a tree instantly grow? Why does it take 9 months for a child to be born? These questions have something in common: An unseen growth is taking place. The hidden must develop before it’s ready to be seen.
How does instant gratification affect us spiritually? If it doesn’t excite or move me, then I don’t want it – type of attitude. Children become bored with anything that doesn’t meet their “instant gratification” standard. Thus the things of God had better have spice added or they don’t accept it or want it. With that unconscious attitude many of the things of God are left unplanted or unharvested within their hearts because they can’t or actually won’t wait.
If anything is planted in the ‘want it now’ child, it is shallow. Shallowness in children and adults manifests itself in selfishness. As a child grows into a young teen, instant gratification is taken into the sexual arena. Romans chapter one tells us what the end of that life style is. They gave up the truth about God for a lie, and they worshiped God’s creation instead of God.
There are many consequences with instant gratification. Both Isaiah and Romans speak of a “self” filled life. The result is living in unreality or in lies.
When instant gratification enters a relationship and standards are ignored, the process is retarded. There is no romance in a retarded relationship, only lies and selfishness. It doesn’t sound as appealing when put like that, but only through the eyes of God can we see reality.
Yet, when we wait and allow spiritual growth in us, although it’s invisible now, it will become visible at the right time. If we allow Him, God will grow something deeper and more meaningful and lasting in our lives. At the right time it will be seen. Let’s teach our children to be patient and to wait for the things from God and from us.

Come & Get It

2005-11-23T07:31:00.000-08:00

Come & Get it
When we think of Thanksgiving and Christmas day, one thinks of “the meal” in which the entire family will sit around the table. Some people will even fly or drive hundreds of miles to be with family – to be around the table.

Sadly that may be an occurrence only on holidays in many homes. Schedules have to be kept; errands need to be run; the phone needs to be answered – all contribute to an empty family table. Fast food becomes the substitute.

We know there is something wrong with this empty picture, but we may not realize how serious the problem is. Lately the media has been running stories about the dinner table. Miriam Weinstein’s new book, The Surprising Power of the Family meals, tells us fewer and fewer families are taking time to eat dinner together. She then tells us the reasons why we should eat together, while looking at the various studies on the benefits of the family dinners.

The research shows that many young adults with eating disorders did not have a regular “sit down meal time” with their families. Thus, they didn’t learn how to eat a proper meal.

The days of Leave it to Beaver and all the episodes of the family sitting down to the dinner table may not be the norm but it should be. I remember one such episode in which Beaver didn’t like brussel sprouts. Beaver said he would eat the sprouts the next time they were served if he could go without it this time. Ward agreed. The next time was at a restaurant later that week. Well with fuss Beaver ate the brussel sprouts and actually liked them. The point is very simple. The Cleaver family table taught a simple lesson: Responsibility of keeping your word.

Weinstein tells us that when the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse
studied ways to turn kids from destructive behaviors, family dinners ranked above anything else.

Alice Roosevelt, daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt, in my opinion had many serious childhood memories she couldn’t escape. One such flaw was the lack of connection to her famous parents. Alice was a bitter adult. One funny, yet revealing story concerning President Harry Truman shows Alice’s contempt for her own father. President Harry Truman in wanting to joke around with Alice said, “I’d give you a kiss on your cheek but your hat refrains me from doing so.” Alice replied: “Mr. President that is the reason why I wore the hat.”

Because Alice never connected to her Dad, she spent a life time disconnecting from everyone around her. She used wit and down right cruel remarks to accomplish her disconnection. Being barred from the White house on different occasions was the story of her life.

The family dinner table can give parents and children a chance to connect. It’s an opportunity to learn about family history and tradition. That knowledge gives kids a sense of identity.

Weinstein puts it, “Supper is not just about food. It’s about nourishment of all kinds. That includes physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual.”

So hitch your feet up and travel to the dinner table with your family. (Sorry about the play on words. I was just thinking of all the Little House on the Prairie’s sit down dinner times.)

Power

2005-10-17T12:44:00.000-07:00

He’s Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor from the sitcom, “Home Improvement”. He was the grunting guy with an unquenchable passion for his arsenal of Binford power tools. We always knew that when Tim “souped up” anything it would result in destruction or injury. The buzz of a chain saw, the roar of a lawn mower or the sound of a jackhammer sent him into a canine-like bark and Al into hiding.
To Tim, tools were his power, his way of being a man’s man. But in his seeking power, he would get carried away and would ultimately show a display of weakness. We laughed at his weakness.
What is power? Where is it found? Another question could also be asked. Is power in tools, money, sports or intelligence? We plug our electronic devices into the wall in order to get power. An engine is the source of power for our cars. How about the power source for Human Beings? What powers us or I should say what motivates us?
I read an article that made this statement: Darwinism lead to Nazism. (Historian Richard Weikart explores that topic in a book called From Darwin to Hitler) How could the theory of evolution have lead to such an abusive of power? I read on. The author didn’t say that Charles Darwin and Nazi Germany were connected. He simply stated that Darwin’s ideas about our origin helped create a culture that devalued human life. And in that culture, Nazism was able to thrive.
This is not an article about evolution; it is an article concerning power and where we conclude it originates from. Our conclusion is conducive to what grows in our lives, in our families and thus in our society. As written in the paragraph above one can see that a wrong conclusion of the source of power will change history.
An average person may be fast to say, “I conclude that all power originates from God.” Allow me to challenge you. Let’s allow our belief system to be put to the test.
How do you react when you’re under pressure? It’s in those moments that you will actually be able to determine where you’re drawing your power from or what motivates you in a certain direction. Do you have a strong desire to be in control of every situation? You may be a person that is deriving your power from yourself. Are you a work-aholic? You may be a person that is deriving your power from your work. Are you a parent that you have to be a friend to your child above being a firm loving parent? You may be deriving your power from your need to be wanted.
The Bible says, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.” Acts 1:8 What is the test if you are walking in the power of God? The next verse says that you shall be my witnesses. Are people coming to know Jesus through your life style? If that is not the case you should examine as to what you’re plugged into. If your power source is God, you’ll produce godly results.

Ebullience

2005-05-18T06:05:00.000-07:00

Ebullience
The kids were overflowing with enthusiasm as we spoke about heaven. For several minutes we dreamed, envisioned and enjoyed celestial thoughts. Descriptions of heaven streamed from them faster than the speed of time. The kids said things like: a huge slide; swimming pools; candy trees; Kool-Aid from streams; lions, T-Rex and porcupines as a pets. The most precious moment was the radiant face of Emily as she envisioned seeing her Dad again. That opened the conversation to all those that are in heaven now. My wanted to find out what people from different walks of life thought about heaven so I did an on line survey. I received responses like: breathless, complete justice, where you'll be understood, total relaxation, eternal joy, awesome stuff, a worship of God united, God fully surrounding us, timeless, tree of life, streets of gold, and unimaginable. The kids found that dreaming about heaven was fun. I remember as a young Christian starring into the night sky for hours. I would stand there deep in thought of my future home. I can say it's been too long a time since I've done that, but it's been enjoyable thinking of heaven with the children. As I consider heaven this comes to my mind: No sin to hurt anyone. The Bible says that Jesus endured because he saw beyond the cross. Jim Hukkil, an evangelist to the disabled, continually told his listeners: "We can endure anything if we know there is an end to it." Go on the other side of your circumstances today and dream about heaven. (If you want to leave a comment on heaven or anything else, go to yanktonassembly.com, click on Friends (right hand corner) Then click on Veracity Gate. Pastor Randy

Children's Ministry

2005-05-18T06:04:00.000-07:00

I have a rubber band with a red dot on my desk. The red dot represents 1/168th the total area of the rubber band. It reminds me that there are 168 hours in a week and on an average Children's Ministry will have on an average about 1 hour per week to affect children.
Bible knowledge alone is not enough. You've probably met people that could recite the bible but had the character of a camel. You had to duck when they began spitting out their biblical words. A combination of biblical knowledge and experiencing the bible is a winning blend. When kids experience the Kingdom of Heaven they will want to return. Experiencing the Bible is the top priority in Children's Ministry here at First Assembly. At present we do it through drama, stories and games. I would like to go to a higher level of biblical experience. Several years ago I attended a Children Pastor's seminar at Church on the Move in Tulsa. The decor invited the children into Children's Ministry thus into the Kingdom. I began to learn the language of children. The top three influences on children today are movies, television, and internet. Those are all visual means of communication. Using media is not a way of keeping up with the culture; it's a way of communicating. Just watch a group of kids; if you're lecturing to them, they're gone. But if you give a visual their eyes are glued on it. For the visual to become effective we must think like children. From decoration to presentation, we can't think like an adult, it must be kid thoughts. So let’s dream. Here are some of my dreams of Children's Ministry. A small door so that only a child could go through; A crawl through cave, A play land of rubber balls, An outdoor obstacle course, A built in large aquarium, Basketball hoops. Cartoon figures painted on walls, wrestling mats, a myriad of different props, and the list could go on.

Ideas

2005-05-01T11:01:00.000-07:00

Scientific devices:
Hand Held Devices. Universal Commuter (UC)
A device that is a GPS - tells you where you're at. Emails coming in - you hear name of person sending. Push button will give the recorded message. Send back with another button.
Records all body vitals.
Gives reminders of appointments.
Can translate any language.

Levi believes the UC along with all his knowledge of language can step into the "impossible". Levi feels there are some "lost" languages that he must find.

Sir Henry Creswicke Rawlinson who became known as "The first successful decipherer of the cuneiform writings", at first had considered the Sumerian a Turanian language
A few statistics about the world’s 6,000 languages
96% of all languages are spoken by just 4% of the world’s population
90% of languages are not found on the Internet
80% of African languages have no formal written form
50% of the world’s languages are found in just 8 countries:Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Nigeria, India, Mexico, Cameroon, Australia and Brazil
75% of Brazil’s languages (540) have died since Portuguese colonization in 1530
90% of Australia’s languages (250) have died since English colonization in 1800
80% of the world’s languages have died since languages diversified several thousand years ago (note: This is based on the conservative estimate that the world once had 30,000 languages. Some scholars say there were as many as 500,000.)
Approximately 300 words are common to all languages (words such as man, woman, water, land, night and day)
Papua New Guinea or Indonesia, listen carefully. You’re as likely to hear the whispers of a rare language as you are to hear the call of an exotic bird. Situated along the equator, many of the world’s endangered languages hide in the same regions many endangered plants and animals do — places that are tropical, isolated, and relatively untouched by modernity.
WHAT'S BEING LOST?A few facts about the world's wonderfully rich endangered languages:
Karkardian, a language spoken in the Caucasus Mountains, has 48 consonants and, according to some linguistic experts, no vowels.
Algonquin, spoken by the North American Indian tribe of the same name, is a language full of palindromes—including what may be the world's longest, “Kinnikinnik,” a substitute for tobacco.
Boro, a language spoken in northeastern India, has some of the world's most descriptive verbs. These include onsra: to love for the last time; gagrom: to search for something below water by trampling; and egthu: to create a pinching sensation in the armpit.
Mohawk, one of the more famous North American Indian languages, is polysynthetic. That is to say, every verb must describe the action, the agent, the recipient, and the time of action. For example, the English phrase, “I am currently bringing the sugar to someone,” is a single word in Mohawk: “tkhetsikhetenhawihtennihs.”
Welsh, which has enjoyed something of a revival in the British Isles, boasts one of the longest place names in the world: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllanty-siliogogogoch. It's a town in North Wales that, roughly translated, means “St. Mary's Church in the hollow of the white hazel near a rapid whirlpool and the Church of St. Tysilio of the red cave.” Welsh, needless to say, can be a mouthful.

P & D

2005-04-29T13:17:00.000-07:00

May is Foster Parent appreciation month. Yankton has many great foster parents. Working with the Foster Parents is the Social Services. We are privileged to have a organization that cares about children and their families. Sometime this month say "thanks" to those that are making a difference in difficult circumstances.
What about Foster Children in the Bible? Some that come to mind is Moses, Samuel and Joseph. These boys grew up in homes that were not there own. The world was changed because of them.
I didn't grow up as a Foster Child, but I did loose a parent. Because of that I didn't like myself. I had an image in my mind that no one could like me. Because of that image I sabotaged relationships. I tried to love myself and wanted others to love me. I did it through self advertisement. I found that no one liked a self promoter. I was propelled into deeper hopelessness. The bright spots in my early life were the people that showed interest in me while disregarding my attitude. They changed my life.
One such person was Vinnie. I was an angry young man when I first met him. He disregarded my bad attitude and told me that Jesus loved me. The day (April1983) came when I gave my heart to Jesus and became "Born Again". At that point I began to love myself. I found a proper relationship with God and others.
God is inviting us to focus on loving rather than being loved. Both Moses and Samuel looked to God and the future. It wasn't Joseph's choice to be removed from his family. (His story starts in Genesis 37) He did make a choice to see God and the good in his bad circumstances. These biblical foster children focused on loving. Be a shining light in someone's life today and love them beyond their bad attitude. Teach your children to do the same.

Giver or Consumer

2005-04-22T04:44:00.000-07:00

When I was young I didn't like myself. I didn't want to look at my own pictures. I had an image in my mind that no one could like me. Because of that image I sabatoged relationships. I tried to love myself and wanted others to love me. I did it through self advertisement. I found out that no one liked a self promoter. I was propelled into deeper hopelessness.
The day (April1983) came when I gave my heart to Jesus and was "Born Again". I began to learn that God was head over heels in love with me. At that point I began to love myself, thus loving others. I found a proper relationship with God and discovered a healthy sense of myself.
His love allowed me to find fulfillment in the person He created me to become. God's love became the measure and basis of my personal value. When you love Jesus with all your heart, you just have to accept what He says about you - which, by the way, is that you are wonderfully and marvelously made!
That point really hit home several years ago. I was a student in a class, training for a job. The teacher offered an ice breaker. She had all the students answer the following question: If you could be anyone in the world, who would it be? I listened to such answers as: A millionaire, A movie star etc. Then it was my turn. I didn't have to think very long. My answer was: "If I could be anyone, I wanted to be me because I liked me."
Saying all that, God is inviting us to focus on loving rather than on being loved. God wants us to be givers verses consumers. This world has many consumers. There are many people who turn grapes into raisins. They will take and take until another person is dryed emotionally. When we have a proper relationship with God through Jesus we'll be filled up with his love and will be able to give. How do I know all this? Because I know him, he told me that this morning. Pastor Randy

2005-04-14T08:57:00.000-07:00

Pastor Randy
Posted by Hello

knitty Cath

2005-03-08T14:29:00.000-08:00

knitty Cath

What Kid's Need

2005-03-08T07:46:00.000-08:00

What Kid’s Need by Pastor Randy

According to a national research conducted by George Barna, it finds that almost half of all adults say they are still seeking meaning and purpose in life. Among teenagers, 2 out of 3 are still seeking a sense of direction. The figures are highest among adolescents. This aimless life style creates confusion and interdependence upon man along with conformity, submission to peer pressure, low self esteem and fear. I did a random survey on the internet with many teenagers. (Many of those sites were teens claiming to be Christians.) All of them except one said they were basically looking to do something “great” in life - They didn’t know their specific purpose. One said her purpose was to live for Jesus.

The above can have far reaching results in a life. A young person growing up in a good home, yet without purpose in life will most likely conform to the environment around him. Why is this so bad? Let's look at God's view of conformity.

Romans 12:2 warns: "Be not conformed to this world (in other words, don't let the world squeeze you into its mold), but be ye transformed (made into something new) by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Let's read it from the Living Bible: "Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but be a new and different person, with a fresh newness in all you do and think. Then you will learn from your own experiences how his ways will really satisfy you."

Let's look at some of Barna's research concerning this subject: * 2 out of every 3, 13 year-olds argue that they will not alter any of their core beliefs in the future. * There is an astounding level of consistency between the religious beliefs of adults and children. This, with other studies suggests that whatever beliefs a person embraces when he or she is young are not likely to change as the individual ages. * By the age of 13, your spiritual identity is largely set in place. (Social Scientists say that moral foundations of children are generally determined by the age of 9) * Only 3 percent of the nation's 13 year-olds have a biblical worldview, which serves as the foundation for their decision making. There is a window of time that the heart of a child is being formed. At a certain age the mold is set and doesn't change much. (Barna's research did show when significant change is evident, it usually is attributable to a dramatic induction of the Holy Spirit into their lives.) From my position as a Children’s Pastor I see the greatest struggle people experience is seeking to have their emotional needs met primarily by people and circumstances. This is fruit of an aimless life style without purpose or with the wrong purpose. Your self image and your feelings should be seen as a means of experiencing and enjoying the presence of God and receiving love and acceptance from Him. If it’s not you’re tossed around by your circumstances.

The transformation from reliance upon people/circumstances to God must occur if a life is to have true meaning and purpose. Trying to influence a teenager or adult involves the need to dislodge wrong information and replace it with the truth. Their world view blinds them from the truth. With that said doesn't it make sense to teach children dependence upon God? Neglect to teach a child his purpose and he’ll conform to his world. That world includes drugs, alcohol and many other pitfalls. Teach a child to renew his mind in the pages of the Bible and to live in his purpose, he’ll be a child that has a good image of himself and the God he serves.

God's Windshield

2005-01-11T13:24:00.000-08:00

God's Windshield"Back that truck up here," the crane operator said as he dumped another load of dirt into the already overloaded truck. It had only taken a few enjoyable minutes to level the mountain, fill the dump truck and unload the dirt into another area. A road had to pass through in order for the farm vehicle to get grain to the animals in the field. The appearance of the sky made it apparent that a lot of rain would be coming…. Too late. A bridge would be needed before the animals could be fed. The crane operator lowered the bridge within minutes of the water flooding and washing out the road. The farmer was on his way again. A story of a construction crew in the mountains? No, I went into my childhood memories. I was taken back to this time when Kayla, a kindergartner from children's church, was hospitalized. I spent an afternoon of coloring, (She got a kick out of making me color with girl colors.) playing games and mostly conversing. I enjoyed entering into her world. I had to wonder if King David did this when he went home to bless his family. He said in Psalms 131: "I am calm and quiet like a toddler and its mother. I am at peace like a baby with its mother." He entered his children's realm. When I was first saved and Kristina was a baby, I loved to climb in her playpen and play with her there. I felt calm and secure in her world. In Luke 18, Jesus said in order to enter the Kingdom of God we must become like little children. It seems to me in order to do that we must enter into a child's world. Your not required to buy a playpen or Tonka trucks, but you do need to enter into their realm to know how to become as a little child. Let's enter into their realm now. Jump into your imaginary vehicle and let's travel down the road of children. A baby enters this world helpless, with only one thing on his/her mind: I want mommy or daddy; I want to be fed: I want to be changed; or I hurt. The needs are very simple. As I think of Jesus and children different scenes play out in my mind. I see a small child, eyes fixed on Jesus, and unafraid with her hands stretched upwards, wanting to be held. I see others running circles around him. One child grabs his leg and holds on. Babies and these children have one thing in common. They have a need. The first ten minutes of children's church and the above scene is unstructured time. I sense Jesus enjoying the wiggles, the curiosity, the excitement and the laughter. But something in me wants to be like the disciples and make the children satisfy what I perceive as my needs - controlled structure. How much energy do we put in molding children so they meet our needs and not bother us? The children irritated the disciples. They didn't irritate Jesus. The disciples were attempting to control the children without watching Jesus' face. His face showed he enjoyed the children in their unstructured realm. The baby, the children, the disciples and myself have one thing in common: We have a need. I remember being in a meeting concerning a cognizant delayed individual-Paul. His father related a story of watching people at a football game. They were jumping up and down, spilling their popcorn and pop in order to cheer on their team. He compared that to his son and said, "If my mentally disabled son acts like that it's inappropriate." He continued by asking the question: "What is normal?" Normal to many is what they're accustomed to. Is this the standard set by Jesus? If you control children to meet your needs they'll not live up to it. You and they will be frustrated. If you depend on Jesus to meet your needs by first giving your heart to him and then living for him, you and the children will have peace in the midst of wiggles, curiosity, excitement and laughter. Ask yourself this question: Is this for me or is it for Jesus? Children need structure provided it doesn't hinder them from coming to Jesus. The baby, the children, the disciples, Paul, his father, YOU and I, all have a need - JESUS. The truck with grain drove over the bridge, down the road and into the field…. Travel down the road of life with a child looking through God's windshield.

Article submitted to the Press & Dakotan (1/14/05)

2005-01-11T06:38:00.000-08:00

Essentials of a Happy Home by Pastor Randy
Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. Peace within a home is a safe place for children to escape the turbulent world.
Money and gifts can not replace the time a parent gives to a child. I visited Arthur in an old folk’s home several years ago. Each time I saw him, Arthur requested one thing: a visit from his son. Arthur explained to me that when his son was growing up, he didn’t spend much time with him. Now when he was old his son didn’t want to spend time with him. – Cat’s in the Cradle. (Arthur died without seeing his son.)
Another essential is truth. Never bend the truth to help your child feel better. I have found that children can handle reality if given in love. When parents protect their children from the realities of life they don’t prepare them for adulthood. When a child suffers a defeat, walk beside them and work it out with them in truth. You will be speaking volumes to your child.
Be a good example, not a perfect example to your children. Parents are going to make mistakes. Apologize to your child when you’re not a good example and let him know the correct way.
Affirm your child. Children are going to disappoint their parents. Children are going to also bring joy to their parents. At the end of the day the scorecard should read a majority of affirmations and a minority of corrections.
Our children need to know we love and accept them for who they are. Train up a child in his way and when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 Each child is unique and with that uniqueness comes different needs. Parents that are sensitive to their child’s individual requirements will develop emotionally healthy children.
Boys and girls need affection. Whether it’s a special Saturday morning breakfast, a special note or a hug, your child needs to feel special.
Discipline According to Dr. James Dobson, it’s best to start disciplining your children when they’re young, approximately 14 months of age. Youngsters are more pliable under the age of 4. After that, the concrete hardens a little and you have to work harder at breaking it up. Parents that work on the essentials are wisely preparing their children for the future.