Importance of Family.

As a children’s pastor you see the good the bad and the ugly of family. I have come to realize that great churches, youth churches and children’s ministries are just as much a reflection of great parenting as they are great pastoring.

This week I want to take a parabolic look at being a great parent and how we as children’s pastor’s can help partner with parents.

I recently watched Charlie and the chocolate factory. I remember the first time I watched this movie, I was a bit creeped out by Johnny Depp’s character who I felt resembled Michael Jackson with a better Plastic surgeon but by the end of the movie I was impacted by the powerful theme of the importance of family. I was struck by the mistakes that parents made in the movie. I found them to be a caricature of real life. There were many times I was laughing. For something to be funny it needs two things…. timing …… and must be relate able. (Perhaps one of reasons I found the movie funny is as a children’s pastor at times you feel like Willy Wonka.)

I want to talk this week about the relate able aspect of these characters. Sometimes I think we can say “Thank God I am not like that parent.” But I can see how I could be every one of those parents in the movie if I am not careful.

In the next few days I will talk about how to ruin your kids.

Augustus Gloop – No self-control
Violet Beauregarde – Wrong Priorities
Veruca Salt – Give your kids whatever they want
Mike Teavee – No Boundaries