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Worship is vital in teaching kids about God and faith. As a leader you should have a personal revelation on what worship is and why it is essential in kids’ ministry. It’s more than just singing songs; it’s about feeling close to God in different ways.

1. Create a Special Place for Worship: Set up a special area just for kids to worship. This can be a corner of a room with some chairs or cushions. It’s like making a little zone where kids can focus on God.
2. Mix Things Up with Music and Leaders: Use music to help kids feel the joy of worship. Having someone to lead the singing, like a song leader or a musician, can make it really fun and lively.
3. Think About the Room Setup: Arrange the room so it’s easy for kids to pay attention and join in. Think about where kids sit and how the room looks. Making it look like a mini-amphitheater or using tape to mark different areas can help keep things organized.
4. Use Technology to Help: Tech can make worship cooler and more interesting. You can use things like a TV with special apps to show songs and stories from the Bible. Even something as simple as connecting a laptop to a screen can make a big difference.
5. Get the Kids Involved: Let the kids be part of the worship by singing, praying, or even helping to run the music. This helps them feel more involved and excited about worship.
6. Choose the Right Music: Pick songs that are fun and easy for kids to understand. The music should be fresh and something the kids can relate to. It’s about finding songs that they like and that help them feel closer to God.
7. Make Worship Part of Everyday Life: Show kids that worship isn’t just for church. It’s something they can do every day, like talking to God, being thankful, or singing their favorite worship songs at home.

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Camps are some of the most impactful events a church can organize. They provide an opportunity to spend extended time with kids and help them build numerous relationships with their peers.

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Today, we’re diving deep into the world of kids’ preaching messages. Whether you’re a children’s pastor, youth leader, or a parent wanting to share spiritual wisdom with your children, this episode is for you.

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I don’t know if you are aware, but all around the world different countries take certain days and months to honor different cultural groups.  Many of our global Hillsong locations have participated in the tradition.  It is a time of remembering, honoring, learning, and celebrating the racial and ethnic diversity that makes up our world.  One example is that in July in the UK it is Asian Heritage Month and in Australia it is NAIDOC week.

February is no exception to the global tradition, as Canada, Germany and the United States honor Black History Month.  Black history month was created ninety-seven years ago in the US.  In 1926, Carter G Woodson, a prominent African American and historian created Negro History Week.  It is out of this week that Black History Month was created.  The Netherlands and the UK honor Black History month in October.

Black history is deeply personal and with this as our backdrop I asked my friend Femi Olu-Lafe what Black History Month means to her.  A little about Femi is that she is attends Hillsong East Coast (in the United States), is a member of the Hillsong Global Race Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and is the Senior Vice President of Global Culture & Inclusion for Kinesso and its sister agencies.  This is what Femi said:

“For me, Black History Month is this important moment where as a nation we reflect and honor.   For me Black History Month is about reflection and acknowledging the triumphs and trials of Black people.  It’s about looking at where we are right now, our current state and leveraging this spotlight to drive meaningful change this month and beyond. Black History Month is a time to appreciate Black excellence while also recognizing Black humanity.  It’s a time of somberness and celebration, reflection and action. It’s a time to consider the part I want to play to make a difference.”

Femi and I also talked about ways to honor Black History Month, Femi sharing a few suggestions.  Here is a little window into our conversation.

Femi’s first suggestion was to consider curiosity.  She shared, “no matter how much or little someone knows about Black History Month, they should ask the following question; how can I be more curious?”  So good, because this requires a certain heart posture, of both humility and curiosity.  Femi said to me, “there are always new things to learn.  I am a part of this community, and yet I am always learning new things about it.”  Here are some next steps we discussed:

– Make a list of things you can do to educate yourself beyond what you know and then spend the month being curious

– Start with an internet search to learn more and educate yourself

– Start with, why is this month important

– Then ask, how can I learn more about this month and this people and this community

While the goal of Black History Month is to honor the Black experience, it is important to be mindful that there is no single definitive Black experience. The global Black community is diverse and filled with varying perspectives, histories, cultures and backgrounds. It is important to not make assumptions, and to seek out many stories instead of one single narrative.  Here are some additional resources put together by one of our Hillsong locations.

Femi’s second suggestion was to consider compassion.  As we talked, I felt a little bit of the preacher in me coming out, because come on now!  Compassion is role modeled by Jesus time and time again!  Compassion is the business of the Holy Spirit!  Compassion is living out the second greatest commandment!  Compassion should move us to action!  Femi shared:

“As you learn, you might find things that move your heart.  It is something you can prayerfully consider and ask God, how do I become more compassionate?  What do you want me to do about what I am learning?  Maybe you learn something, and God highlights someone or an organization that you can partner with or support.”

Femi’s third suggestion was to consider celebrating.  Celebrating the hard work, it has taken to get to where we are today.  Celebrating the beauty of diversity.  Celebrating the way that God personally directs you to.

I’m going to end with a quote Femi ended with as we wrapped up our conversation.  The quote she shared was: “be the reason someone feels welcomed, seen, heard, valued, and loved.”  I pray this is our heart as a global Hillsong community.  For every month of the year, as we continue to press into ethnic and racial healing and unity.

Maria Hansen-Quine, LASW, MSW, CSC

Hillsong Global Race Diversity and Inclusion Manager

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Divine appointments.  Divine plans.  Divine details.  Many, if not all, anchored in Biblical reconciliation.

I’m not sure if you have considered that before, that there is a consistent Biblical theme of reconciliation throughout Scripture.  Which makes it a fair leap for us to expect there to be a consistent theme within our own lives, individually and corporately, for Biblical reconciliation with God and with each other.  How good is that!

There are many scriptures I could list, but for now let’s check out this verse in 2 Corinthians 5:18 (NKJV).  Let’s keep in mind the backdrop of this scripture, that it was written by the apostle Paul to the New Testament church (Corinth).  Corinth was an ethnically diverse church.  Corinth was struggling with division.  Paul was trying to encourage them towards unity.  The verse says:

“All followers of Jesus are called to a ministry of reconciliation.  We help non-believers be reconciled to God and believers be reconciled to one another. By making sure our lives are an ongoing example of going to others we have offended, we ask forgiveness and seek to be reconciled.”

Let’s consider this scripture (and others) through the lens of racial and ethnic reconciliation.  You and I, who love Jesus, are called to the ministry of ethnic and racial reconciliation.  How incredible is that, that God trusts us enough.  That God thinks we have the capacity.  That God deems us worthy of this hard, yet beautiful work, of reconciliation.

Consider this.  Racial and ethnic division is contagious.  So is racial and ethnic reconciliation.  Let’s in 2023 (and beyond) be ministers of ethnic and racial reconciliation.  Let’s be that city on the hill that cannot be hidden.  Let’s be the light.  Let’s be the salt.  Let’s be known for racial and ethnic reconciliation.  And when the opportunity arises, let’s not choose division but instead choose reconciliation.  Biblical reconciliation.

Let’s look at the same scripture again, but in the “The Message” translation:

“All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then     called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself     through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We’re Christ’s representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them.”

I’m not sure where you are on your own journey of awareness when it comes to racial and ethnic justice, unity, and reconciliation.  How exciting would it be if we all, would commit to increasing our awareness in 2023.  How exciting would it be if we all, would commit to push into, learn more about, and contend for Biblical ethnic and racial reconciliation within our churches and communities.

Maria Hansen-Quine, LASW, MSW, CSC

Hillsong Global Race Diversity and Inclusion Manager

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My son and my skin color did not match. He had a beautiful rich brown color and mine was more of a peachy cream. Four years earlier I had traveled to the beautiful country of Ghana, West Africa, to bring home my son. God had moved mountains and done so many miracles to make him my son. Adoption is a beautiful aspect of the heart of God. His question both surprised me and wrecked me. While fighting back tears, I explained to him the beauty and permanency of his skin color. It was the beginning of many conversations, which we are still having.

None of us can control the race we are born into. None of us can control whether we are born with privilege or without privilege. Take a moment and consider this. You had no control over any of the details of your early beginnings. You were not able to control the country, city, or even neighborhood you were born into. Similarly, you had no control over the physical traits that make up who you are. Our race is essentially that. Our race is determined in entirety by the physical traits that we possess. The color of our eyes, the texture of our hair and the color of our skin, are the physical traits we can examine to determine our race.

It is incredible to me the power of our physical traits. As physical traits have been given the power to both separate and unite entire nations. As physical traits have been given the power to speak to us about who a person is. As physical traits have been given the power to make life altering decisions about entire people groups. As physical traits have been given the power to divide, oppress, segregate, take from, abuse, kill and enslave.

I cannot even begin to perceive the mind of God. However, Genesis so clearly informs us of the intentionality and the personal hand of God when He created us. When He gave us our physical traits. Our physical traits were so creatively and brilliantly designed by the God of the Universe. Physical traits made in God’s image, Imago Dei. I don’t think the world’s view of physical traits is in alignment with the heart of the Father. I love the words of James Weldon Johnson in his book “The Creation: (1945)”

“Up from the bed of the river
God scooped the clay;
And by the bank of the river
He kneeled him down;
And there the great God almighty
Who lit the sun and fixed it in the sky,
Who flung the stars to the most far corner of the night,
Who rounded the earth in the middle of his hand;
This great God,
Like a mammy bending over her baby,
Kneeled down in the dust
Toiling over a lump of clay
Till he shaped it in his own image;

Then into it he blew the breath of life,
And man became a living soul.”

Dr. John M Perkins is a 92-year-old pastor in the United States, who has devoted his life to Biblical racial reconciliation. I recently got the sacred privilege of hearing him speak at a conference I attended. One of the things he passionately kept repeating was, “one blood and one human race. If you don’t get that, you will have missed the whole point.” He was not at all advocating for us to not see color, but instead was reminding us of this simple but profound truth that every single human is also part of a greater race, the human race. This truth should move us to unity, the kind of unity Jesus spoke of in John 17 (NIV): “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

Sometimes it helps me to think about what Jesus did not pray for, as one of His last and final prayers for us, His Church. Jesus did not pray that we would only have unity with those who are like us. Jesus did not pray that we would prayerfully consider issues of unity. Jesus did not pray that we would passionately debate issues of unity. Jesus did not pray that the social construct of race be the exception to His prayer for unity.

The heart of God is that we be one, and the reality is that we are not one. What an incredible opportunity for us, His church and His bride, to show the world authentic and reconciled unity.

Maria Hansen-Quine, LASW, MSW, CSC
Hillsong Global Race Diversity and Inclusion Manager

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Nandi was born in Lusaka, Zambia and has a mixed-race African Australian background. Her mother is an Indigenous Lozi tribe woman. During her formative years, she went to an International School in Lusaka for primary school and Katherine High School in the Northern Territory for secondary school. When she turned 18 years of age, Nandi started working at Hillsong CityCare and worked hard to endorse and accredit the Shine and Strength Programs. During that time, she completed a Doctorate in Business Administration and received the City of Sydney Youth award for working with young people. Her other roles have involved teaching first year Bachelor of Nursing Students on Communication & Diversity and Health & Society. Nandi how works on partnerships that improve leadership and structure for large corporations.

Dear Church family,

This week is Reconciliation week. This means a great deal to so many of us who represent minority groups and work to address the cultural divide.

My husband and I both are passionate and work hard to partner with First Nation people and companies because we believe that is the way forward for a more reconciled Australia. We acknowledge, honour and pay our respects to the First Nation people where we reside which is Gadigal country. We also continue to respect the elders and leader’s past, present and emerging. Here is a pic of our family.

A story you will find quite bewildering and appalling, possibly even shocking to know that everyday racism still exists:

‘This weekend I was at my son’s sport and at the start of his game a younger age group had a game. Of the teams playing in the Under 6’s, one side from a very Indigenous Australian area of Sydney only had half a team. The opposing team had many players and typically in this instance, the teams share players to create a game. Of the team with an abundance of players, the parents went to the ground manager to confirm that they did not want their five-year-old playing with ‘those kids’. The ground manager asked why they didn’t want their ‘white kids’ playing with the ‘Indigenous Australian’ kids. The five to six parents were laughed at as the First Nation ground manager explained that if she did not laugh, she would scream at them as this is racism. The situation was escalated and sadly both teams had to forfeit their game. Racism was not going to be tolerated that day.’

Here are the take aways:

1. Racism is learnt – Children are not born with prejudice. They are taught at an early age. There is no scientific evidence that shows lighter skin tones carry more superior powers. It is a social construct that is man made to suit some races and not others.
2. Be a Culture Bridge – I understand wanting to dilute the moment and making efforts to deescalate a situation is a generous outcome. However, this only brings about a temporary solution. If we see ourselves as intermediaries that are not ignorant but active in calling out racism, our communities will be a better place for our children. First Nation people are already weary in dealing with this in everyday life.
3. Correction should not be condemnation when addressing racism – If you belittle people, it pushes them away and can create further disposition. Confrontation as an act of love will help to build bridges.

Nandi Spry

If you’re a part of Hillsong Church we’d love you to think through how you are acting towards reconciliation in Australia with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people! The Bible tells us that “God is reconciling the world to Himself” 2 Corinthians 5:19 and is asking us to partner in the ministry of reconciliation too. You can find out about local Reconciliation Week events in your area here: https://nrw.reconciliation.org.au/calendar/

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