#251 Kid Friendly

When I was a little kid, my pastor was Ron Kok. I loved Pastor Ron. At the time my church owned this big old house. Pastor Ron and his family lived on the main floor, and my family rented the upstairs, which worked as a three-bedroom apartment. Living in the same building meant I saw quite a bit of Pastor Ron. He and his wife, Monique, babysat my sister and me fairly often when my parents went out for dinner. When Pastor Ron came home in the afternoon, I would sometimes be outside shooting hoops or lobbing a football into the air so I could run underneath and catch it. I remember Pastor Ron stopping to toss the football with me. I remember him talking to me about the books I was reading. I remember him playing Mastermind with me in his living room. Pastor Ron made me feel like I mattered, like he cared about me.

I can't say that I often consciously think about Pastor Ron as I go about my work as a pastor, but I'm sure that my good relationship with him made a big impact on me. I really want the children I serve as a pastor to feel like they matter, like I care about them. I do children's messages during our worship services in the hopes that the kids will think that church is for them, and I don't mind at all when they go on tangents. I made sure I learned all the kids' names as quickly as I could, and I try to specifically say hello to them when I see them. I want them to feel comfortable talking to me, so I try to ask questions about school or what they're doing that day. I don't know that I'm as good as Pastor Ron was, but I hope that I can be a postive influence on the children I meet as pastor.

Grace and peace,

BMH