Kyla Ward
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When Encouragement Shows Up
Do you have days when you need a little encouragement? Recently, I looked back over my pastoral career serving children and families. I wondered, What returns are there for all the effort—the cookies, story times, costumes, murals, songs? Truthfully, I was tired. I not only was looking for encouragement; I also lacked energy to go […]
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Shh
Does anyone else notice that the voices of our culture are getting louder? I don’t mean the message. I mean the voices. The voices are loud. They are strong. Sometimes filled with high-octane, celebratory energy. More often they are angry and disagreeable. The intense volume of voices sets some alarm bells off for me, because […]
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Snail-Mail lessons for Children’s Ministry
I recently mailed a personal letter to each of the children involved in our Sunday morning programs, letting them know I was praying for them on that particular day. That’s right—snail mail. It took much more of my time than writing an e-mail, and it cost more for sure. And it was low-tech—old-school—so maybe I’m […]
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Walking Out What Is Written Down
Archery. Darts. Golf. Disciple-making. What do these all have in common? All are pursuits that improve with aim. I think most people would grant this truth—that we are most successful in ministry when we are clear about our goals. This is why many ministry leaders are careful to take the time to write a mission […]