Taking hold of a dream

ust as people have dreams for what their future should hold, today's churches need to find similar dreams for themselves, an area pastor says.

Statistics on church membership and growth show that about 80 percent of American churches are stagnant or declining in membership. Without a renewed sense of vision, some churches won't be able to survive much longer.

And a Scott City congregation knows that its survival depends on its children.

The Wesleyan Church has begun rethinking its ministry and taking hold of its dream: to build a children's ministry program.

Pastor Joe Hudson, also a part-time bus driver for the school district, drives the church van that transports many children to the church on Sunday. His wife and two other women teach the children's classes, and countless other volunteers have worked to bring more children to church.

Building the children's ministry came at a time when Hudson had just completed a review of his personal vision and the vision of the church.

"Just as God has a dream for each person, each church should have a dream," he said.

The Wesleyan congregation seems to have found its in youth ministries.

The basement of the church, located on the Outer Road, recently has been transformed into a welcoming space for children and youth.

Teacher Pat Ferguson joins the boys for a foosball game, while across the way two other children play air hockey. Some others gather around a table eating snacks and drinking juice. Christian music plays from a CD player atop a bookcase in the room's corner.

The room is filled with laughter, conversation and friendship. Bright lights, a fresh coat of paint and colored handprints line the wall to this area, known around the church as the Kid's Zone.

All ages of children, from infants and toddlers to teens, gather downstairs for snacks, games and unstructured time at the beginning of the Sunday school hour.

"We let them enjoy each other's company," said Desiree Hudson. Having the unstructured time reminds the children that church can be a fun place.

After about a half-hour of time, the adults lead the children into separate areas for their Bible lessons. Posters and Bible verses printed on colored paper hang from the walls.

In one classroom, elementary children take turns reading from a workbook and looking up verses in the Bible. The older children and youth are seated in brightly-covered couches and chairs, spending time in study after choosing a topic they'd like to explore.

It took plenty of people to help put together the church's new youth and children's programs. But if one person starts the ball rolling, other people are eager to join in, said Desiree Hudson.

Pat Ferguson felt a need for an expanded children's ministry in the fall and called in Vicki Sanders to help her get the project started.

If churches don't focus on their children, they won't have any church in the future, said Sanders.

Hudson learned through his recent ministry training how to identify God's calling for his life. The Refocusing training through Church Resource Ministries based in Oklahoma, gave him the tools to help his congregation also find its calling.

The training strategy helped him show the church how to identify what its vision is, how to create specific ministry goals and set out to reach them.

The process has given the church a renewed hope and excitement, Hudson said. And he's now a trainer for other congregations going through the process.

The vision and energy that churches get from rooms filled with youngsters keeps congregations going, Sanders said. "Your blessings come back to you for years and years when you work with kids."

ljohnston@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 126