By Linda Ahlgrim
Some may have thought I was crazy (and at times I wondered myself), but it was a critical need I couldn”t ignore. With fear and trembling, 16 years ago I agreed to become the “interim” director of children”s ministry for our church. We desperately needed someone to lead that vital ministry. We had been looking a long time, with no success. What no one knew, not even my husband who was the senior pastor, was that I had a growing conviction that God could use me in that role.
Questions
I wondered what the elders would think about Alan and me serving on the same staff and whether I was even qualified. Although I had an elementary education degree and several years of experience in public schools, I had no formal training for ministry.
But I was a mother of three and a seasoned Sunday school teacher, so I knew ministry with children was one of the most important and rewarding things a person could do. And as a partner in this church plant, I knew how vital this role really is.
At first I was concerned it might be problematic for the church and detrimental to our marriage for both of us to be on staff. Back then very few couples were partnering on the same staff.
To our great relief it quickly proved to be highly workable and at times downright enjoyable. This is largely true because Alan freely admits to being far from expert in children”s ministry. (And whenever he begins to forget that, I happily remind him!)
Joys and Challenges
We”re a strong team because we share the same vision to grow the church in Boulder County and beyond. That”s why we aren”t so likely to resent the time the other devotes to ministry. And we certainly have a clearer understanding of the joys and challenges that come to each of us on a daily basis.
Working together to achieve a common goal has strengthened our relationship. It hasn”t always been easy, especially when we are both stressed out at the same time, but it has been very interesting and extremely rewarding.
In addition, the church staff is healthier with the presence of a few females. Now several of us serve on the management team, and we bring a different perspective. Our softer approach can offset the more aggressive “Make it happen now!” stance that often dominates an all-male staff. We hesitate to jump in prematurely and “fix” things that aren”t really broken. In contrast to some of our hard-driving male leaders, we tend to be more patient.
We have learned that men and women can work well together, even two who are married! In our situation, God seems to have especially used me to help raise everyone”s awareness of the importance and urgency of ministry to children.
Since I am blessed to be married to the senior pastor (please don”t tell him I said that!), I have more influence than most children”s ministry leaders. And while every senior pastor admits that a good children”s ministry program is essential to bringing and keeping adults in the church, few really sense the necessity of reaching kids with the gospel while they are still young. Alan plays a key role in helping the church understand that reaching children (which includes equipping parents to disciple their own children) is “mission critical” when it comes to following Christ”s command to make disciples.
Stress
My career in children”s ministry has been a good thing for our marriage and for the church. However, I”m not sure it was always ideal in the eyes of my family. In the early years, the stresses that go along with the job of directing children”s ministry sometimes drove me to the brink of desperation.
The challenge of recruiting never ends. Classes must be staffed all year long no matter what. At times that weight seemed almost overwhelming.
I”m sure I usually wasn”t much fun to be around in the spring and summer. As a public school teacher, I always looked forward to June, July, and August. But as the children”s ministry director, I was faced with the responsibility of keeping the ministry going while everyone else in the church just wanted to take a summer break. That”s when the unrelenting pressure of recruiting really took its toll.
Fortunately, our three children were teenagers by then, with busy lives of their own. While Alan understood and appreciated the responsibilities I carried, what he found most difficult was that I was never free to enjoy a summer vacation. (Calendar planning continues to be one of the greatest stress points of our marriage. It seems that our “slow” times rarely coincide.)
Opportunity
Would I do it all over again? Absolutely! Working in children”s ministry has been a growing, stretching, and soul-satisfying experience. God has given me many opportunities to develop leadership and management gifts I never even knew I had. In addition to that, my prayer life has improved immensely!
I live in a perpetual recruiting crisis. Just when it looks like there might actually be enough volunteers to get by for another week, someone moves, gets sick, or decides she is too busy. But God is good, and I have learned to persevere and trust in his provision. Although there are never as many volunteers as we would like to see, we always seem to have just enough, and they seem to come just in the nick of time. Whenever I reach the point of despair, someone says “yes” and I am encouraged again to keep on keeping on!
I”m convinced that children”s ministry is the place for me to be. Even after 16 years I continue to be excited by the privilege to help shape so many young lives. Clearly, there is no better way to impact both the present and the future.
It”s beginning to look like my “interim” role just might last a little bit longer yet. And I couldn”t be more thrilled!
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Linda Ahlgrim serves with Rocky Mountain Christian Church, Niwot, Colorado.
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