PRDX Kids 10 Years From Now...
By Deacon Heather Thompson | PRDX Kids
At our PRDX Kids training, I asked the team members to imagine all of the kids we serve ten years from now. Just one decade. I know for many of us, this seems a lifetime away and for others, we know it will happen in the blink of an eye.
Soren will be twelve, an almost-teenager, and we will have spent the majority of Sunday mornings with her. Our curriculum will have taken her through the big story of the Bible, starting in Genesis, over three times, and our teachers will share the good news that Jesus saves over 500 times with her. We talked about Zoe, who just recently turned five, and we all laughed that Larissa will have a teen about to drive. We pray that she’ll be walking with Jesus and leading her peers, influencing the conversations, and growing as a disciple.
This is how we shape the culture of Fort Worth.
This is how we shape the culture of Fort Worth. This is how we impact the city: by creating a generation of leaders who know their God and what He has done for them through Jesus. Kids who are raised in a community that is committed to multiplying healthy Christian leaders will enter their high schools with confidence and boldness. They’ll stand up for the oppressed, they will speak the truth in love, they will lead many of their friends to Jesus.
This is why PRDX Kids is committed to raising up leaders. We will train our team members to lead at home, at work, in their friendships, and in our city. We will partner with parents so they can lead in the home, growing in their confidence as they disciple and shepherd their families. We will pour into these kids every Sunday because they are made to lead, and knowing Jesus intimately and joyfully sets them on a healthy, God-glorifying course.
I can’t wait to see what God does in the next ten years.
Practically, I charged our team members to lead in three areas but I think these are places where we, as a people at The Paradox Church, can lead together:
The Five Gospel-Centered Practices and Behaviors(Bold Evangelism, Gospel Friendships, Biblically Formed, Joyful Repentance, Enjoying God)
Hospitality(Welcoming guests and Partners with joy, purpose, and initiative)
Ownership(Seeing the vision and purpose of The Paradox & PRDX Kids as their own)
One final note: the majority of our team members in PRDX Kids are women. It’s a big deal to be able to stand in front of dozens of women and call them to leadership. The church will function best when its women are leading, loving, and caring for the people around them. Likewise, women are most fulfilled when they are multiplied to lead in their spheres of influence. There are resources I recommend for personal development (see below) but ultimately, it means constantly focusing our affection and attention on our Good Shepherd and inviting the people around us to do the same.
I hope this gives you a little insight into the world of PRDX Kids and how its leadership team is growing.I invite you to grow with us in your leadership skills, whether with PRDX Kids or another ministry at The Paradox. I can’t wait to see what God does in the next ten years.
Recommended Resources:
Think Orange: Imagine the Impact when Church and Family CollideGospel-Centered Youth Ministry: A Practical GuideAndy Stanley Leadership PodcastSign up to serve on Sundays