Tonight it began in earnest. Our church sponsors music/worship leadership training for our kids. Beginner and intermediate guitar, bass, keyboard, box drum, and worship leadership are offered to kids free of charge. In most cases, we even supply the instruments. Over twenty kids show up for an hour before youth group to learn and practice, followed by a short time of worship, all led by the kids. Adult volunteers teach the classes, but the kids do all the rest, with the goal of raising up new worship leaders for the future.
I had the privilege of teaching the bass classes, which is a bit of a hoot considering how much I need to learn myself. I'm pretty much of a novice, but I guess if I can stay one step ahead of the kids, I can still teach them. Some have a pretty comfortable familiarity with the bass, while others are starting from scratch. We'll see how they do after a week's practice.
Our Park church people have continually surprised me with their innovative thinking. From community youth outreach that brought in unchurched kids through such venues as our annual New Year's All Night AD Free party to hoops and dogs in the village park, our leaders have shown their heart for our kids and their passion for Christ. Not everything we've tried has worked, but our leaders just keep churning out the ideas and the kids keep coming.
If it's not music education for our kids, it's Gunday Sunday that pastor Joe started at the beginning of the summer as a way of reaching out to men who like to shoot but aren't likely to step inside a church. Next week he's planned a bike ride for which he already has about twenty bikers lined up. Sometimes I get tired just thinking of all the stuff we have going on, which makes me plenty grateful to have turned over the leadership of Park church to a younger and much more energetic pastor. It was the right time, and Joe is the right man for the job.
Pastor Joe had been away at seminary all this past week, and didn't get home till about 4:00 am, so he had asked me to preach for him, which I did. He introduced me with far more praise than I deserve, and I did my job. People asked me how I liked preaching again, and I can truthfully say it was good to do it, but I am also grateful that I don't have to do it all the time. I felt a bit out of practice, and am more than happy to relinquish the role of pastor to one younger and at least as capable as I. I had my turn, and have no problem yielding the right of way to Joe. Tomorrow I will put the hardware on our new front door and lay the remaining tile in the entry room while Joe will be conducting staff meetings and getting started on next week's sermon. Yep, I'm in a good place tonight!
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