5 Wrong Measures of Children’s Ministry Success (And 5 Biblical Alternatives)

David RayFamily, Kids, Ministry, Musings, Preschool, WorshipLeave a Comment

What will keep our children tethered to Christ? This is the question that should drive us, inspire us, and keep us up at night. But if I’m honest, I’ve spent much of my time in ministry trying to answer different questions: How can I get more people to attend? How can I get more budget dollars or more staff on … Read More

3 Things Every Child Should Know About Christmas

David RayAdvent, Christmas, Family, Kids, Ministry, Musings, PreschoolLeave a Comment

It’s summer in Houston. We hunker down in our homes, air conditioners wheezing out tepid air under the weight of the 115-degree heat index. We venture outside at our own peril. So what better time to talk about Christmas? But in a sense, this is the perfect moment to have this conversation. Christmas isn’t a monolithic monument, standing alone on … Read More

The Major Shift in Worship and Children’s Ministry that No One Is Talking About

David RayFamily, Kids, Ministry, Multigenerational, Preschool, Worship6 Comments

A cosmic paradigm shift has occurred in the worship and children’s ministries of many churches. And though somehow this shift seems to have occurred under the radar, church leaders are awakening to its true significance. For a large and vital segment of our congregations, the role of worship leader has been transferred out of the worship ministry and given to … Read More

Wonderfully Made: Choosing Life

David RayFamily, Kids, Ministry, Music, Musings, Preschool, Worship4 Comments

I watched this video for the first time with tears streaming down my cheeks in the lobby of an Orlando hotel. We have been so blessed over the years to have our songs travel all over the nation and even occasionally around the world. (I’m not exactly sure how it happens, I just know that my ASCAP statement includes royalties from Norway.) … Read More

Advent Week 3: All Things New

David RayAdvent, Christmas, Family, Kids, Preschool, WorshipLeave a Comment

The Creator The darkness must have been impossible to comprehend. It wasn’t a darkness like we experience, a temporary veil that hides imperfectly objects which we know will reappear with the sunrise. It was the darkness of a world that had never known light. It was the deep darkness of nothing. And then, in the beginning, a single word was … Read More