Ministry Opportunities

I've had such a great summer! In June, I got to be the children's evangelist for a week at a Methodist family camp in Minnesota. It was a wonderful experience! I did 17 services Sunday through Saturday and I couldn't have asked for a better week. The leadership was great to work with and the kids were so precious and really ready to draw closer to God. Fourteen kids got saved and they all spent some quality time at the altars learning how to pray and be still before God. I didn't get to go to any camps last summer due to my knee so I couldn't wait to get there. This is my 18th year of kid's camp!

Last week, I was back at Iowa camp at Sunstream Retreat Center our Assembly of God camp ground. The team that operates the whole grounds have done an amazing job adding activities and updating cabins. They now have go carts, a Zorb ball, 5 zip lines, a remodeled pool and pool house and many more great details. I served as camp pastor for the week. My main responsibilities were loving and caring for the homesick kids and handling any discipline issues. I kept busy with some other duties and loved every second of it! It was so great to see many of my old friends and make some new ones. I even got to see some of "my kids" that are all grown up now and were there counseling.

There are not too many things in this world that are more beautiful than witnessing a child at the altar worshipping God and praying. Just imagine 200+ kids on their knees with their heads bowed or buried in their hands crying out to Jesus. Picture them with raised hands, singing their praises to our Savior. It's a time of no distractions and the opportunity to be with like minded peers helping each other draw closer to God. We had tons of fun, laughed a lot and enjoyed our speaker, Big Vinny, but services are always the highlight.

Our camp leadership is made up of people who understand the importance of reaching kids with the Gospel at an early age. The Iowa Ministry Network has build an excellent team! It was an honor to serve Iowa kids along side them!

Coming up August 25-28, I'll be in Creston, IA doing a Kid's Crusade! My friend, Pastor Karen Norton pastors River of Life AG and we are working together to make an incredible event for the kids in her community. Also, On Thursday, Sept. 5, I'll be doing chapel service at Des Moines Christian School. I'm super excited for both events!

It has been difficult being away from ministry due to my surgeries and I'm ever so thankful to be back doing what I'm called to do. When you have to be away from the things that you are passionate about, I feel like a little part of you dies. You just feel incomplete and worthless. I realize that the enemy will use those feelings against you but it's difficult to set them aside for such a long time. I'm so thankful for these doors that God is opening! It's exciting to see what God has in store for us.

I'm Ready to Write Again

It's been almost two years since I posted and I've decided it's the right time to get back to writing. We have gone through some pretty big trials in the past two years and it's hard to explain but during that time I found it too painful to write. You would think having so much time on my hands would be the perfect opportunity to write here or to start that book I've been talking about for years, but every time I tried to put my thoughts down I would just feel like a failure and mourn, once again, how my health had totally disrupted our lives.

The main thing I want to say today is that God is faithful! He got me through leaving a job that I dearly loved. He brought me to the right doctor to find out what no other doctor in two other states could figure out. I know it's by the healing power of Jesus that I am recovering so well from two huge operations on my knee. God is the faithful in His love, grace, mercy, understanding and forgiveness! God believed in me when many did not. To Him be all the glory!

I have forgiveness towards those who thought they knew what was going on in my life but were totally wrong. I've tried to be "the bigger person" and not go back and defend myself or offer proof that they were wrong because I just wanted to move forward and begin to heal.

So here's to the beginning of a new chapter in the Eilers' family! Thanks be to God and thanks to all those who have stood by us. We a rich in friends!

Thinking Days

I love to have thinking days. I used to feel guilty if part of a "work" day was spent dreaming up new outreaches, object lessons or plans for the future. I thought maybe I should think on my own time. That sounds kinda funny but I didn't want to be waisting the churches time. I have had a change in philosophy, though. I don't get to do it as often as I'd like but about once a month, I have at least part of a day I call my thinking day.

I have learned over the years that successful churches, pastors, and leaders are big thinkers. They dream about what most would deem impossible. They set their goals to be what others would scorn as lofty. I know that Donald Trump is not a pastor, I don't even know if he is a Christ follower, but Donald trump is a big thinker and I bet anything he has thinking days like me! He is a very successful business man. I know I'm not in "business" but I need to be a bit more earthly minded to keep myself stretched and growing in my creativity like some of the business people of the world.

Do you have thinking days? Maybe not about ministry but about family, career, relationships or a bucket list. I try to remember what the scripture in James 4: 2 says, "You do not have, because you do not ask God." I think and dream and then I ask. Try it!

Let Me Fill You In!!

I am painfully behind in blogging! This summer has flown by and as I get older, the days just seem to have less hours that the previous year.

It's been a great summer here at Whitehouse First Assembly. We have been blessed to see many new families making WFA their church home and so many people growing in their relationship with the Lord. One thing that Pastor Michael started at the beginning of summer was a devotional plan that the whole church did together and then posted their thoughts on our Facebook page. It's been fun to see what God speaks to different people even though we are reading the same scriptures. Isn't it cool that we have such a personal God that He reveals Himself to each of us in the specific way that we need Him to speak to us. Love that!

We are just 9 days away from our VBS called Your Story! I am expecting God to show up in a BIG way; lots of kids, many salvations, families transformed and our community touched by the great team of people who have gotten behind our kid's department! Your Story is based on Jeremiah 29:11"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." I have this driving passion to help kids understand that if we walk in God's ways, He has this amazing plan for our lives that He has known about before we were even a thought in our parent's minds. Your Story will be communicated through lots of fun and a Toy Story theme! Who doesn't love Woody and Buzz? VBS is August 14-17, 6:30-8:30 PM, for ages 3-12. You can register online at http://www.whitehousefirst.org/ under the Children's Ministry tab.

We have some other dates and events that you need to be planning for:

During VBS, we are having a school supply drive. If you or someone you know has a need for assistance with school supplies, please e-mail me at eilersrl@gmail.com.

August 25th is our first Cookie Drop of the school year to bless our teachers and school staff. Higgins will be our first drop. the second one will be September 29 at Cain.

Wednesday, August 31 at 6 PM in the Fellowship Hall is a fundraiser dinner for the Children's Department. We will have spaghetti, salad, garlic bread and dessert! We are planning to do these dinners monthly.

Every Wednesday morning beginning September 7 from 9:30-11:30, we are having Play and Connect. It's a casual time for moms and their babies and preschoolers to come together for some mom talk and kid play! Invite your friends and neighbors! We will have a schedule of meeting places that will be on the chuurch web site soon. Our first meeting place is Whitehouse City Park.

September 9-10 is our district Kid's Convention in Austin. The total cost of the trip will be dependant on how many people go but the convention itself is only $15 for a Saturday filled with fun. Please contact me ASAP if your kids are interested.

Sunday September 11 is Grandparent's Day! Kids are encouraged to invite their grandparents for a special breakfast before our morning service. No grandparents close by? No worries...they can adopt a grandparent for the day! It will be a fun time for the kids to honor the Grands!

Saturday, September 24 at 10 AM is "See You at the Playground." This is the children's version of "See You at the Pole" where parents can bring their kids to the playground and gather for a short time of prayer for our schools, teachers, kids, administrators and staff. Our location(s) will be announced soon.

Saturday, October 1 is our very first Hike-a-Bike-a-Trike-athon! This is a Boys and Girls Missionary Challenge fundraiser to help missionaries all around the world tell other kids about Jesus. The whole church is invited to participate and get pledges to hike, bike, or trike around the Whitehouse High School track. More details coming soon.

Those are just a few of the many fall events coming your way. I hope you and your family will be able to take advantage of our plans and enjoy these times of serving together, growing together and loving more people to Jesus. Thanks for the honor of serving you and your kids!

Coasting...NO Way!

Summer...in ministry, it's a time when some churches "coast" because of summer attendance numbers usually going down. But I have this urgency today that this summer is an important time for the kid's department at WFA. It's not a time to coast, it's a time to dig our feet in and work hard at reaching our community. It's a time to rethink a few things, rework, recruit, rewire the circuits, renew commitments, and rely on God to show us how. It's time to ask some tough questions about our effectiveness and then listen to what God is speaking to us. I don't want this ministry to be my plan, but God's plan. I am ultimately accountable to Him for the "job" He has called me to do and I don't want to stand before Him with excuses, ifs or buts.

I'm praying for the Lord to inspire me with the most creative ideas He has ever given me. I'm praying for favor in our community. I'm praying for people who act upon the prompting of the Holy Spirit to minister to kids. I'm praying for miraculous resources provided to do all the things He speaks to me. I'm praying for divine appointments. I'm praying for health to get it all done. And I believe that it will be such a God thing that only He will get honor and praise; not WFA, not any person or program! I use a Mark Batterson expression a lot, "I'm gonna work like it depends on me but pray like it depends on God."

I'll let someone else "coast"...as for me...let's get 'er done!

Summer Stuff

Summer time! Who doesn’t love the chance to enjoy some leisure time and the fun of summer events? We all deserve some R and R and if you have kids at home, family time is also high on your agenda. But let’s not forget that we still need to gather together with our church family to be encouraged and continuing to grow in our faith. Kids need consistency in all areas of their lives and church attendance is an important element in their spiritual growth. So…we have some great plans for your kids this summer!

Wednesday nights starting June 1st we are changing up our regular schedule with some summer fun! The first Wednesday of June, July and August will be Wacky Water Nights with all kinds of water games. Send the kids in something that can get wet or an appropriate swimming suit and a towel. Don’t forget foot wear! The other Wednesday nights will include a devotion, praise and worship, crafts, Junior Bible Quiz, ministry training in such things like puppets and drama, and much more. We will be meeting in the Fellowship Hall for the summer.

Sunday mornings will start with Sunday school as always and we have a summer theme in Building 2:52 your kids are gonna LOVE! The month of June will be a NASCAR theme called RACE which stands for Running After Christ Every day. During RACE, we will divide up into four teams for some ongoing competition with the winning team rewarded at the end of June with a FREE trip to the movies to see Cars 2 with Pastor Lori and the Building 2:52 team!! In July, we will continue driving the summer with a series called “Life is a Highway” that uses the Cars movie theme song!

We have two camps we are going to in June and I know God is preparing those kids for something amazing to happen in their hearts and lives. SAVE the DATES now, we have activities for the whole family with a trip to Fire Mountain on Thursday, July 7th and August 14-17 for our Back to School Kid’s Event combining some VBS elements and our theme “Your Story.” It uses the fun characters of the Toy Story movie series but tells of the wonderful plans God has for our lives based on Jeremiah 29:11.

Party in the Park

This Sunday afternoon we have an incredible opportunity. Even though we might think it would be a great day to stay home and chill after morning service we won't because we could witness lives changed for eternity and hurting people receive hope. We are having a "Party in the Park" at our Whitehouse apartment complex and will be playing with some kids, serving some free hot dogs, and chatting with people. We'll have free cotton candy, an inflatable, balloon animals, games, prizes, a crazy skit and an illustrated Gospel message. We will hand out Easter Sunday Celebration fliers, talk about our new bus ministry picking people up and bringing them to church. It's an opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus. We want to be a blessing to all and we have a burden for single moms. If you are a part of WFA, you won't want to miss it. Bring a lawn chair and a friendly smile. If you are a reader of this blog, please pray for us. God has given us favor with the complex and we just want to walk through any open doors the Lord may have that day. Pray for good weather, too!