Prayer is essential to the Christian life, it is a vital and personal relationship with the living and true God. Prayer can fit right in with any busy lifestyle, so get those old thoughts out of your head because the smallest of faith WILL blossom through prayer.
You do need a small amount of quiet time each day to pray but it is not hard and 5 or 10 minutes is all you need to start, soon your conversation with God “prayer” will become a natural normal task of your daily life.
God is everywhere, therefore it is possible to pray in the oddest of places like walking to your car or standing in line at the grocery store, at work while on hold, while your cooking, where ever you are, God is there too.
Know this, accept this, believe
So turn off that car radio just for a few minutes and focus, If we fill every bit of our down time with noise, radio, TV, Video games, things we can controll we will never hear what God is trying to tell us. A HUGE part of prayer is listening, and when you feel that gut instinkt, a confirming feeling of right, that is God talking to you, listen, God is there with guidance.
The best thing about attending church is the fact that you get to meet and greet others in the community. There is no denying that people enjoy meeting others when they know already that they have similar interests. However, nothing is more fun or beautiful than when that meeting takes place in the great outdoors. This does require some outdoor church gathering preparations though if you want it to be a success.
Outdoor Adventures for Church Goers
There are church gatherings outdoors for all types of special events and holidays. They include music events, Easter egg hunts, Halloween events for the kids, and so much more. All occasions can be hosted and enjoyed by all church members. The best events though, according to most all members is the BBQ dinners that are hosted by the church when sometimes everyone can bring a dish that they enjoy creating. It adds a little more personality to the event and more fun when people get to try a host of new, tasty, flavors.
Planning Church Events for Outdoor Fun
Any outdoor event plan starts with the first thought of spring and summer. There may be autumn events outdoors as well, but most often, spring and summer are when it matters most. They are the seasons of outdoor fun for all ages. The season depicts what type of planning must go into your events. If you are planning for a spring event, you will want to make sure that you have pest control, under control. One excellent option is mosquito traps. We got ours from https://propanemosquitotraps.com and found them very affordable as well as effective at keeping away all types of biting insects.
During the summertime, tents and continued pest prevention will continue to be a concern for most church gatherings. Tents and fans will keep the heat away for older people who want to attend these events. Lighting, parking space, and fun games to play for the kids or adults may also be things that are important to you. As a group, you may want to also consider keeping everything portable since some of the best events may be group outings to exotic locations that may be nearby where you can truly become one with nature.
Enjoy Time Together
When you have a church group get-together it can be a truly bonding experience for all who are there. It allows you to meet and mingle, but it also helps everyone build a stronger feeling of unity. This can help them come together in the community. A strong community will make it possible for them to take on battles together such as cleaning the parks and other things.
As an added bonus, you also gain the ability to grow your church groups larger. More people will come to attend the fun outdoor experiences that you are providing, but they may also return to hear more of what you have to say after that event is finished, especially if they feel welcomed by the entire group.
Churches are a place where people go to spend time as a community, loving the fact that they are rejoicing in the life of God. This also means that it is a place where they go to feel safe. No one expects to go to church and risk the safety of their family. We go to church to build a safer community for the children and families who live in our community. Perhaps this is why so much thought and consideration being put into church nursery and Sunday School necessities.
The Beauty of Church Services
When it comes to church services, the goal is to learn and rejoice. People enjoy being around similar minded people, families, who share their values and their beliefs. When they go, they want to go as a family. It is what makes a family unit more complete. However, they want to know that their children, even those that are very young, can attend, without worry. They want to know that kids will not interrupt the services and remain safe when they are there. This is why nurseries are in virtually every church. They accommodate kids of all ages, even the smallest infants.
Necessities for Kids
You may not think about what it takes to set up a church nursery for kids of all ages, but the truth is; a lot of things are needed. Even though infants will only be there a couple of hours, there should be a place set aside for their comfort. This should include places for them to sleep if they are sleepy, play if they are awake, and make friends if they are old enough to play with others.
Churches may have access to tap water in the nursery for mixing bottles. Snacks or finger foods for toddlers. They may have a comfortable bean bag for babies to sit in. They may have toys that toddlers and infants love to play with. As the children grow, their needs will change, so they may also have toys, books, and other items that older kids will enjoy before they are able to sit in on services with their parents. Many churches also have outdoor play areas for older kids to provide them with even more things to do while making friends.
Enjoy the Safety of Church
We all need things to believe in. We should be able to go to church with our family and our neighbors without worry about what may happen to our children when we are there. It is one of the few places that we can go and allow our children to be independent of us and safe from all harm, even if they are still newborns and toddlers. Can you think of any place better than one that is fully prepared to provide safety for your entire family?
Attending church is a family event, as it should be. Everyone should know the value of believing in a higher power and living by a moral code. However, not all places and services are ideal for all age groups within the church. This means that many churches have special areas set aside for children and infants who may not be able to sit through actual services. It is a good idea and it frees up the parents to truly listen without worry about their children, but it does also mean that churches must put extra effort into baby safety at mass.
The Safety of Children
In order for parents to relax while they are in church, they must be able to truly listen to what the pastor is saying. This also means that kids must be in a place where they cannot interrupt or get into trouble. They should also be in a place where they can play and learn a little about the reason for attending churches and sermons.
How to Keep Kids Safe
Churches must keep the same things in mind that parents do when they think about safety for toddlers, infants, and children. This includes keeping electrical outlets hidden or plugged with safety plugs, keeping cleaners out of their reach, and more. They need child safe toys that are age appropriate for the kids that are in their care and enough caregivers to keep up with all the children that are there on Sundays. This means avoiding dolls and stuffed bears without pieces that can come off in small children’s mouths and maybe even separating older children from infants and toddlers.
However, since many churches are divided into different areas, they may also need to take it one step further by installing a hardware mounted baby gate for stairs in areas that children do not need to venture into. For instance, the kitchen area, areas that are accessible by stairs, and even bathrooms. By having them divided into spaces that are blocked, there is less risk of a curious toddler wandering away while one of the nannies is distracted by teaching other kids or playing with them.
Sunday Fun
Churches are a place of learning, believing, and rejoicing for parents. They are designed to help people understand the word of God, Jehovah, or other “higher beings” that you may believe the words of. No one can enjoy it if they feel that their kids are not safe there. They will not be able to relax and hear the spoken words if their baby is fussing in the pews. This is why kids need their own special space.
It can be fun and a place of learning and rejoicing for children of all ages as well. It does take effort, but in the end it will be worth it since parents and kids can all do it without worry. Do you feel your children are safe in your church’s nursery?