One of the great advantages for our new start is that we hit the ground running with a team of three. Our eight-year-old daughter has clearly seen herself as part of this plant from the very beginning. This is, of course, the child who took a bible to preschool to share with the other children about Jesus (as Jeff and I looked on in mainline protestant discomfort). This is the girl who, when dealing with a bully in 1st grade, said “No matter how she treats me I can’t be nasty to her. It says in the bible that I should treat other people like I want them to treat me.” And now she is busily planning a rally for the United Methodist Church’s global meeting that happens every 4 years so we can set our policies. The next one will be in Portland in 2016 and she has her slogans ready.
Children offer us so much wisdom and light. She was confident in her evangelism before I was. She reminds me to live my life by the words I believe in and not just to assent to something mentally. She has a clear sense that God can transform lives and bring hope to people.
My kid is not perfect, and that is not the point. The point is that our family is a team. And just because she is the only one without a seminary degree and cannot drive does not mean she is somehow a lesser part of this ministry. She has no idea that she shouldn’t be part of this. She has no sense that she cannot change the church to be more inclusive. She is not jaded by the institution or caught up in her own ego about what we are doing. As a result she is the one calling Jeff and I ever more in to what can be when we trust in love, just what a new church start needs.
I am the people and bible person. Jeff is the mission and music guy. And our girl is the vibrant, quirky hope. How lucky I am to get to be on this team.
-Eilidh
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| This was part of a project at school. See number 4. |
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