by Caroline Shin

• Obey the first time. 
• Be kind to everyone. 
• Do your best work. 
• Have fun!

These are our four rules that the Sparklers and staffers go over every Sunday. We (staffers) remind the preschool children that it’s important that they follow these rules every week. It’s humbling when I have to talk to address a sparkler’s sin if he/she is not obeying for the 7th time or is shoving another child away from them. It reminds me that I am no better. I look at my own life and have to ask myself,

• How long does it take me to obey one of God’s commands? [Usually a long time] 
• Am I impartial in the way I love people, or am I showing favoritism and only showing kindness to those that are easy to love? [No. I definitely show favoritism] 
• Am I doing things with excellence unto the Lord? [So many things are done without a heart that desires to honor God] 
• Do I enjoy and praise God for the blessings and grace He showers me with? [No. I complain an awful lot]

The staffers and I teach these rules to the Sparklers because we want them to learn that everything that we do is to glorify God. God’s been using these rules to teach me to apply them to myself as well. As a fairly recent full time employee, I am tested everyday to follow through with obeying God the first time, show kindness to everyone, do my best work, and to have fun at work. I’m in the Sparklers ministry not because I need to tell the children about morality or what’s right from wrong. I’m challenged to faithfully teach them the Bible and to be there to lead by example. It’s definitely not an easy thing to do. I fail in my flesh daily, but it allows me to be fully depend on the Lord for strength and to show grace to the Sparklers.

The biggest thing God has taught me while serving in this ministry is to prioritize my relationship with Him. An ongoing struggle of mine is to be Martha-minded (Luke 10:38-42): focusing on the busyness of life and getting caught up with my acts of service. That’s not what pleases God. God says those who sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to His teaching have chosen the good portion. The best way I can prepare and minister to these preschool children is to make sure I am prioritizing my time with the Lord through prayer and the reading of His word.

Having served in the Sparklers ministry just shy of four months, I am privileged to be with this particular age group. God doesn’t need me or my service, but it’s a tremendous blessing to 1) be with a staff of men & women who truly desire to teach God’s word and present the gospel to children, and 2) witness 3-5 year olds’ growth in their understanding of who God is and why He is worthy to be praised.