You can also read this article on Baptist Press.

Pupils, Pencils and Prayers
Diana Davis Posted

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)–A new school year begins soon. What an opportune time for a church to encourage students and teachers. Need fresh ideas?

– Pray for students and teachers. An adult Bible class can adopt a youth class to pray for them by name. During worship, a pastor could invite students to kneel at the altar as he or the youth minister prays for them. Or he could invite teachers and school staff (elementary, secondary, college, home school) to stand, then pray and challenge the entire church to pray for them faithfully. After taking children to school the first day, moms can gather for coffee, fellowship and prayer for the kids and teachers.

– Make it easy for kids to invite friends to church. Print a bookmark-size schedule of weekly and special fall events for kids at your church. Order book covers, notebooks, T-shirts or pencils with Scripture, the youth motto, the church website and the church name. Our church teens redecorate their Sunday School classrooms annually, painting murals and Scripture art. Plan a back-to-school party or Christian concert. After school the first day, serve homemade pizza at the church. Work hard to provide relevant, top-quality Bible classes and activities for students.

– Adopt a school. Your church or adult Bible class could help a nearby school. Visit the principal to offer assistance, such as mentoring, office help, reading, crossing guards, scholarship application aid or providing shoes, haircut or school supplies for a child in need. Send encouraging prayer notes to the principal. Deliver a huge basket of snacks for the teacher’s break room with a note from your church. An Indiana church painted the playground and developed a great relationship with the school. Be flexible, and joyfully show God’s love as you respond to requests.

– Prepare for guests. In Sunday’s bulletin, print names of children’s and youth Bible teachers, choir leaders, missions teachers, and so on. Church members can pray for them, and guests will see your commitment to disciple kids. Since families often relocate during summer, purchase a newcomer list for your town, and mail or deliver church invitations before school begins. You could advertise in the local paper to invite all teachers and school faculty in town to worship on Sunday before school begins. Recognize them, pray for them, and give a gift (coffee cup, pen) with a Scripture and promise of prayer.

As our children, youth and teachers return to school as ambassadors for Christ, will you assure them of your church’s love and prayers?
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Diana Davis is the author of “Fresh Ideas,” “Fresh Ideas for Women’s Ministry” and “Deacon Wives” (B&H Publishing) and the wife of the Indiana Baptist State Convention executive director. Learn more at www.keeponshining.com.

My son married last weekend. It was such a joyful, fabulous day!

So, of course, I observed an idea at the church that I thought you might use in your church.  A small closet was designated for wedding items — candelabras, arch, lighters, etc.  Does your  church provide some materials like that?

Our former church purchased two sets of candleabras and made them available for weddings.  It saved lots of money for many brides and grooms, and of course they were allowed to rent if they preferred.  A few times, those brides would donate some money in appreciation, and we could reinvest those dollars for another piece we could provide for others. Perhaps some dollars could be designated in the annual church budget to begin stocking a closet like that.

When a father built a beautiful gazebo for his daughter’s wedding, he donated it for use by other  weddings as needed, and even stored the large piece in his barn. A woodworker in our church built lovely lattice walls to fit the church’s fellowship hall, and those were available for weddings as well.

Simple idea, yes. But, with the cost of weddings, it can be a kind and thoughtful gift for couples in your church.

[Oh, I really had to work at putting my son and daugher-in-law's photo in this blog! Thanks for understanding! ]

Some of you know my family, but even if you don’t, you’ll get a kick out of my son, Justin’s, audition video for Amazing Race.  He’s teaching in Denmark right now for a few weeks, so pray for his safety. Click here to see it on YouTube.

Tylor and Katie’s wedding is a month from now, and we’re thrilled. Autumn’s beginning her first seminary class, and she and Yale have Vacation Bible School beginning tonight for their apartment ministry.

Isn’t it fun to watch your kids–even as they’re grownups! Parenthood never gets boring.
“So give your father and mother joy!May she who gave you birth be happy.” Proverbs 23:25

Need a gift for dads at your church this Father’s Day? Keep reading…

The single most influential person on my life was my dad–a strong, yet tender, lover of God; a role model in daily life as a Christian businessman and husband and daddy; a man joyfully committed to his God first, and to his family and church and friends.

My dad died years ago, but his legacy lives on through his children and grandchildren. As I watch my brothers rear their children, I see Dad’s influence. Dad’s children are all serving God and teaching their childen to follow God. A Christian father impacts daily life. And he impacts eternity. 

 Will you celebrate and encourage Christian dads in their role as spiritual leader in their homes?  

I’ve put my Father’s Day article into a bookmark format, and attached it here for you. (This is a repeat post from last June, but I thought some of you may have missed this idea–a nice gift for Dads at church on Father’s Day.) It’s as simple as 1-2-3, and you’ll have a two-sided bookmark with some simple ideas for Christian dads.

1) Download the bookmark.  To download: click HERE and select save as.
If you are using a mac, hold option + click.(It’s also under ”free stuff” on this website.) NOTE:  To receive a Word document already formatted with three bookmarks on a page and borders, email me at Jesuslivesindiana@gmail.com and I’ll send it right away.

2) Add your church name, and personalize it with borders, colors, etc. 

3) Print bookmarks, using cardstock, and laminate. It’s 2-sided, so watch the lineup.

Recruit a team of children to pass out bookmarks to all male attenders at the entrance to worship on Father’s Day. For example, you could use the fifth grade Bible class.  

There’s no charge, of course, and I’d love to hear how you used it. Praying that God will use this bookmark to encourage some of the most important people in the world– Christian dads.

Front of bookmark:

     BACK OF BOOKMARK:

“Have I not commanded you?
Be strong and courageous.
Do not be terrified;
do not be discouraged,
for the LORD your God
will be with you
wherever you go.”
(Joshua 1:9, NIV)

It’s Final Four weekend in Indianapolis! You can imagine what fun we’re having downtown. Justin’s coming in for Easter weekend, and we’re helping Autumn and Yale with Easter egg hunts for their apartment ministry tomorrow, and looking forward to great Easter celebration worship on Easter Sunday and Easter lunch and…

Final four. The photo is from a downtown Mayor’s Pep Rally for Butler University (an Indianapolis team who is in the final four!) I read a fabulous story in the Indianapolis Star this morning about Gordon Hayward, a Butler student and basketball team member.  Read it on this link: http://www.indystar.com/article/20100402/SPORTS0609/4020327/1004/SPORTS/Mom-s-gift-gives-Butler-s-Hayward-a-lift

It’s a wonderful Christian witness. In one part of the story, it mention’s the family’s pre-game ritual. Mom texts Gordon this message: “RWYPF” — remember who you play for.  For a Christian, that’s every day’s key theme. We must “remember who we play for.” Where you work, go to school, hang out, live, play — never forget that God has placed you there to shine for Him.

Remember who you play for.

Read the story.

P.S. Go Dawgs!

So you’re celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus this weekend, but you’re a little old for an Easter Egg hunt? Need fresh ideas?

After you’ve planned your worship celebrations, why not plan an “adult easter egg hunt?”

A flashlight easter egg hunt is easy and unique.

We actually did this idea three different times — once for a large church staff party and another for our teenagers’ friends, once for our new singles Bible study group. It would be great fun for a young married couples Bible class. And, believe me, teenagers love it! 

We prepared lots of really good eggs–chocolate ones, prize eggs, ceramic eggs, wrapped candy eggs, and plastic eggs with really nice surprises inside. You’ll be surprised at what cool things you can fit into a plastic egg. Dye hardboiled eggs using a crayon to write numbers for 1st prize, 2nd prize, etc.  For our teen prizes, we used the newest Christian CDs. My daughter is planning an adult flashlight Easter egg hunt for her apartment ministry, and one prize is $ off next month’s rent.  The party was scheduled just before sunset (check the local newspaper for sunset time), and began with snacks. As soon as dark arrived, everyone received a flashlight for the hunt.  We used our large back yard, but any section of grass that is safe would do. Don’t make it very large. It’s harder than you think to find eggs in the dark!

Here’s how we began: “Friends, we’ve invited you here for a fun way to celebrate our Savior’s resurrection. We’ve enjoyed the Maundy Thursday Lord’s supper reenactment, the Good Friday service, and now we’re all awaiting tomorrow’s Easter worship celebration. Tonight, we’re just going to have a fun “adult Easter egg hunt”  to celebrate Jesus as the light of the world. (Read John 8:12.)”

Be sure to instruct everyone to walk carefully so they don’t step on eggs in the dark, give them all a basket to collect their eggs, blow a whistle so they can start. If some guests don’t attend a church, give them a printed invitation to worship with you at your church on Sunday. 

Oh, yea, it’s silly, but a great excuse to gather friends or family if you don’t have little kids in  your group. 

Happy Easter, friend.  Praying your Resurrection Sunday celebration is the best yet.

He is risen indeed!

Here’s  a reprint of a Fresh Ideas article I wrote a while back. I thought it might inspire you to get busy and plan an egg hunt for your neighbors this Saturday! Happy Easter!

FRESH IDEAS

Finding Eggs AND the Savior 

by Diana Davis

      What’s cuter than a two-year-old at an Easter egg hunt dumping six eggs as he picks up one? Or a fifth grader stretching to reach that last elusive egg?  That’s as good as it gets! …or is it?  Why not take this fun event, add a twist, and touch entire families in Jesus’ name?  Whether it’s a community-wide event at your church or a neighborhood egg hunt, it’s inexpensive, simple to plan, and lasts only an hour!

      Our family’s annual egg hunt was a friendship outreach for friends and neighbors, sharing the true meaning of Easter with parents and children.  As she outgrew hunting eggs, our daughter, Autumn, took over planning our egg hunts. Dozens of precious children adore her for the special annual event in our yard, and many neighbors heard the Gospel for the first time at an egg hunt. You can do that! 

Your event could include your neighborhood, your church family and their friends, or your entire community. All you need is a large area of grass.

Place invitations in a plastic egg and hand-deliver or distribute them at church. For a bigger event, advertise in the local paper or on your church sign. The invitation should state date, place, and beginning and ending time. Our egg hunts were the Saturday morning before Easter from 10-11 a.m. Invite the entire families, and ask them to bring a dozen eggs per child for hiding.

Purchase lots of wrapped eggs, and spray-paint gold prize eggs. Number the prize eggs with a permanent marker and hide those ahead of time. Gather several prizes, such as candies or stuffed lambs or rabbits. Prepare Easter basket cupcakes and lemonade for refreshments to encourage fellowship. Before the crowds arrive, establish clear boundary lines, with separate areas for younger children. 

If it’s a church event, carefully train members to greet and spend time with every guest who attends. They can introduce them to your Pastor and other church members, personally invite them to their Sunday Bible class, and help them to feel welcome.

            As families arrive, moms and kids go to a separate area to blow bubbles and draw sidewalk art while dads hide the eggs. When eggs are ready, gather everyone for a creative presentation about the real Easter story. The presentation should be animated, sincere and brief. It could involve drama, puppets or an object lesson. Check your local Christian bookstore for ideas.

      Now it’s time for the hunt! Children stand in a long line, then separate whistles blow for preschoolers, younger elementary, then older elementary kids to begin. After about fifteen minutes, gather children for prizes and snacks. As guests depart, give them a verbal and printed invitation to join you for Bible study and worship at your church on Easter Sunday.  

      Autumn used the same tablecloth each Easter, asking children to use paint pens to write their name and year on it. Parents traced toddlers’ handprints on it. Over the years, children graduated from handprints to block letters to cursive. Autumn is in college at Baylor University now, and she just called to ask me to mail her tablecloth. She’s planning an Easter hunt for her Sunday School class. Yes, that’s as good as it gets!

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©Fresh Ideas are shared by Diana Davis, wife of Indiana Baptist Convention’s Executive Director, & author of Fresh Ideas, Fresh Ideas for Women’s Ministry and Deacon Wives (B&H Publishing). www.keeponshining.com

I’ll be flying to Texas to lead a Deacon Wives training at Englewood Baptist Church in the Dallas area.  Please pray that God will use me to encourage those wonderful ladies.

Steve (my husband) will have appointments all day on Thursday with students at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, so pray that God will lead in using some of them in ministry in our state of Indiana.

AND I’ll get to visit with my Mom and Bruce, and family members there in Fort Worth on Saturday and Monday. Always look forward to days of enjoying my brothers and sisters-in-law and nephews!

     CHRISTMAS 2009 

For those of you who are personal friends, I’ve posted our little family Christmas note below. Merry Christmas to you all!

 Here we are in snowy Indy, sending our warmest Christmas greetings to you. I’m sending family news, and, as usual, we’re anxious to hear about your life, too.  Email us anytime, and be assured that we love you and pray for you faithfully.

       We’ve lived in Indiana 6+ years now. Steve loves working with our 420 churches, and we travel our state regularly. It’s such a great mission field. Pray for God’s work here. We’re excited about simultaneous tip-offs planned in each association this March as we participate in North American Mission Board’s GPS plan for knocking on every door in the state. In spite of the economy, our churches set giving records through the Cooperative Program and special missions offerings, and we’ve begun sixteen new church plants.

What a blessed year! Steve taught in Ukraine at Kiev Theological Seminary & I got to go to my sister’s Mexico home.  We’ve traveled to 12 states for speaking engagements and three other states for meetings. We’ll lead Kentucky’s 2010 state retreat for pastors/ deacons/wives. I finished my Masters degree, and my book, Deacon Wives, released in June. I still write a column for Baptist Press & several state Baptist papers, Let’s Worship magazine and Deacon Magazine, and I’m excited to get to write devotionals for Open Windows next year.

Autumn married Yale Wall in January! It was a beautiful time of celebration, and we loved seeing so many friends. You won’t believe it—Autumn and Yale have relocated to INDIANAPOLIS! Yale is the Media Specialist for the Indiana Baptist convention, doing layout and design for the Indiana Baptist, the state’s website (www.scbi.org), all the audio/video/ media for state work & events. He has such a great heart for ministry to go along with his amazing techy skills. Autumn is Steve’s administrative assistant, and has already organized his office and ministry. You can imagine what a huge help they are and how delighted Steve is to have them. They’re a darling newlywed couple, involved in their church, have a great apartment ministry where they live, an American Eskimo pup named Toughy, and even find time to visit their in-laws!   

       Justin’s still teaching business strategy and entrepreneurial business at Ohio University in Athens OH. He taught last spring in Pau France and just finished a class with executives from Brazil. He will teach in Denmark this spring. He spends lots of time in research writing but has plenty of time for all his other interests. He’s such a great guy.

        Tylor moved to Athens Ohio to live with Justin! He’s still able to work for his uncle’s advertising business (www.bullseyeballoons.com) via internet. Justin and Tylor are really enjoying living together, and always seem to have a golf game, cookout, ball league or something going on. Athens is just 4 hours from Indy, so we love that! 

         We all spent a week in Colorado together this summer, and everyone came for Thanksgiving, along with Justin’s friend, Aunt June & Uncle Ferris and all 3 dogs.  Can’t wait for Christmas!

Especially during Christmas, we’re so thankful for all God’s blessings – health, joy, work, ministry, family, friends. Thank you for being one of those blessings.Hope your Christmas is joyful!  

Love, Steve & Diana

My husband had a big round-number birthday. We celebrated that day with our daughter and son-in-law, watching the Colts football game on television. The celebration at his office was a little more animated! 

We’d planned for all the staff to arrive at work with canes, walkers, etc. 

They decorated a birthday chair (wheelchair) for Steve, and he used it all day–even conducted staff meeting from it! 

The birthday cake had over 100 candles on it (don’t tell Steve), and after he spent several minutes trying to light them all, a “fireman” arrived to stop the safety hazard!

It was a fun day, and at the end of it, he’s one day older. 

Happy birthday, Steve.