We’re performing An Out of the Box Christmas by Lillenas Music. And by we, I mean the Children’s Ministry and Youth Ministry. Mostly the youth, but most of my volunteers are part of the youth group, so it’s a team effort!
I love the concept of this musical because it’s fun with a good lesson. God can use anyone and anything – even wrong costumes – to tell people about His love for them. It’s a good lesson to remember when in the ministry.
The ministry can be a mess, and we can’t be afraid to get our hands dirty. Get in on the gritty side of life: problems, troubles, challenges, and failures. Sometimes, we need to literally get our hands dirty. Or if you’re in the Children’s Ministry, all the time you get your hands dirty. I’ve had to clean poop (on more than one occasion and I’m not talking about diapers). There are messes we just don’t want to touch, or messes we don’t think we can handle. Literal messes, emotional messes, spiritual messes. But God can use us through the messes to show love to people and help them in one way or another. We only need to be willing to step out of the box.
I’m not talking about out-of-the-box ideas or getting creative with events. Those count, too. But God will call us to show His love in out-of-the-box ways. Maybe it’s by getting dirty. Maybe it’s by performing musicals. Maybe it’s by being silly in front of everyone. Maybe it’s by asking us to do something we’ve never done before. Who knows? God is Creativity, so be prepared! But don’t be afraid.
God commands us to be strong and to not be afraid. He promises to be with us wherever we go (Joshua 1:9). That’s not just during times of battle or times of testing. God is with us all the time, even during times of being silly or putting together a Christmas musical in less than 3 months. It’s time we step out of the box.
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