I just had to share this with all of you because I thought you'd appreciate it...

Yesterday I had a meeting for anyone wishing to get involved in our Kids' Crusade.  The response was overwhelming, first of all, so I am really excited about that!!

But lo and behold, who would show up, but "Ms. Antagonistic Board Member" herself, who is already ticked off because the person she nominated didn't accept the nomination for deacon!!! AGAIN!!! Praise God!!  (Anyway, that's not the funny story, although the YP and I were subtly doing the happy dance with our fingers during the announcement that we'd be voting on our deacon nomination - singular!!)

On the flier I made up to pass out, I put things like, "fun,"  "puppets, "prizes," and other things to hook kids in.  In a very prominent place on the flier was the name, address, and phone number of our church.

So she raises her hand and says, "Is there going to be any teaching or presentation of the gospel at this?"

Duh.

So I said, "Well, I'm definitely going to share a little bit about Jesus and who He is and invite them to get to know Him - nothing super long or anything."

Her: "Well, I think this flier is a little misleading then, and from a parent's perspective, there's nothing here that says there's going to be teaching from the Bible."

Everyone looked at her all puzzled.

Me: "So what you're saying is that people are going to be offended that we brought their kids here and taught them the Bible without specifically spelling it out on the flier."

Her: "Well, yes."

I didn't have to say anything else.  About 5 or 6 people said things like, "Well, the name of our church is on the flier," or "I don't think it's that big of a deal," and "Well, we have 200 fliers already printed up, so let's just use these."

Then one of the teenagers who was there (one of my 6th graders from the first year I was there ) raised his hand and said, "Excuse me, but, um, if it says Assembly of God on the flier, I think they're going to get the idea that we're talking about God here!"

Once she was put into her place by a scrawny little 13 year-old (very respectfully, I might add!), she completely shut up.  She didn't sign up to help, either, but ya know?  Last year at this time I thought I needed her.  I thought she was one of the only people in the church who was even sympathetic to children's ministry.  But then last year at this time, I thought she was in my corner, too.  Now I know that she is basically the "church antagonist," and that she will never be satisfied with anything that anyone does - because her mission is to create controversy and stir up trouble.

Our PW said to me after the meeting, "Well, you just need to know that she's going to be critical of whatever you do, because that's just the way she is." 

And I learned from the showing of everyone at the meeting, the enthusiasm of one of our newer families to sign up for a whole bunch of things, and the general excitement over the event, that she does not speak for the whole church.  She doesn't even speak for the board.  Heck, she doesn't even speak for her husband - he's a super sweet guy!  She speaks for her own, deluded, deceived self!!

This has gotten a bit long...but I thought I'd take some time to share something GOOD that is happening in my life and ministry.