Bus Ministry

One of the many things that I love about our children's ministry here at Liberty Baptist is that we have a bus ministry. There are not many churches out there that still run a bus ministry each week. For one reason or another they have been dropped from churches along the way. But it brings me such joy each week to see these kids pile off the buses, excited to learn from God's word. It is such an awesome opportunity to be able to bring these children to church when they ordinarily would not get the chance. We average 120-150 on our bus each week. As soon as these children enter our campus they become just like any other child, one of "our kids" that are loved and included.

But of course there are two sides to every story and with the joy also comes occasional difficulties. We are in the process of integrating a security check in system for our entire ministry. However most check in systems are made for ministries made up of drive in families and not really for a church with a bus ministry. It may only take a few moments for a parent to check in their 3-5 kids but it takes a lot longer for a bus captain to check in the 60 kids on their bus. So it is my current task to find a check in system that will allow us to check in our kids who ride the bus with the same amount of efficiency and time that it will take our kids who drive to church with their families.

No matter how these kids get to the church, they deserve to be safe and taken care of during their time there. The purpose of The Grove is to give our kids a place to belong, and part of belonging is knowing that you are safe, both emotionally and physically.

Thank you God that we can all grow together at The Grove!

Miss Megan

Going Home Again

Someone famous once said "you can’t go home again.” However I have found myself in that exact position. Less than 6 months ago God began to call me to come back to the church that I spent many of my formative years in. After spending close to 6 years at least 8 hours away, God pulled me back. I will be the first to admit that when this all began I was sure that this was not God’s will and that I would not actually be going anywhere, but after much prayer I came to the understanding that I was wrong and that God was in fact bringing me back home. 

I have been back in Indiana,and at Liberty for almost a month now, and I can say that I am beginning to get my bearings back and I feel like my feet are firmly beneath me again. But it has not been the smoothest of transitions and I know that there is still a lot ahead of me.

I am have come to the realization that when this famous person said that you cannot go home again, he was not actually talking about the physicality of going home. Instead I believe he was referring to the fact that things are always changing. You see I returned to the church that I spent almost 12 years at growing up,and though it is still at the same location, it is not the same church I left behind. There are new members, new men on staff, and even some renovations have happened. I did not return to a place that just picked up where I left off, instead it has been going on with out me and I am jumping in to the place where they now are. But in the same regard, I am not the same little girl that left those 6 years ago to conquer the world beyond Grant County. I have grown, developed, matured, and learned in my time away. And just as this is not the same home I left behind, I am not the same child that left home. So you see, this man was right, we can’t go home again because that home, that moment in time, is gone. And that person that left is gone as well. We may both be familiar, but that is all it can be. 

It has been an interesting time of transition for me. But I am trusting God and His will for me and this ministry He has placed me in.  I look forward to growing more in The Grove!

Miss Megan

Hello...

As a young adult in a church leadership position, I try to find different sources of wisdom and learning to help myself and my ministry grow. I have been an avid blog reader, and I have found myself rejoicing with these leaders when they have victories within their ministries, and learning from their mistakes as well.

Lately I have been considering my own ministry and I have realized that God has led me into quite a few situations and has taught me quite a bit in my time of ministry. I have had the awesome opportunity to serve at two churches previously that have been very different. In the last few months God has brought me back to the church that I grew up in, but now in a leadership position. I am now the Children's Director in the church I began serving within the children's ministry.

As with any ministry that has new leadership we are in a place of transition. For the past at least 10 years our ministry has been called Liberty All-Stars. When the branding for this ministry began it had more of a sports type feeling to it, but in recent years, that theme and meaning has kind of gotten lost. And since we were in a time of transition I felt it would be a good time to embrace a new name and theme for our ministry. After prayer and thought we came up with the idea for The Grove.  The Grove is a place for our kids to belong, a place for them to be rooted in God's word, grow strong in their faith, and show the fruit of that relationship with Christ. I hope to go more into what our rebranding will look like and even what the finished product is in a future post.

I do not know if anything I have to say or share can be used to help someone, whether it be learning from my mistakes or just being encouraged from my words. But I am willing to share my story and allow others to grow along side me at The Grove.

Miss Megan