On Monday afternoons we start our staff meetings with some team prayer. This week Tal's youngest daughter Allison was hanging in the building. She followed me into the sanctuary so I invited her to pray with us. Since I tend to walk and pray Allison decided to do the same. She was about 5 steps behind me:) I finally switched it up so I could take this picture.
The experience prompted some childhood flashbacks. My dad had a study in our basement that he used for his personal prayer time. I remember cracking the door at the top of the stairs and just sitting there listening to him pray. He'd pray for pastors. He'd pray for his unchurched friends. He'd pray for my mom and my sister. And he'd always pray for me. I don't think he knew I was there, but I learned alot about prayer just by listening to him.
A few weeks ago Dan Webb asked me to help him with the craft in our nursery. Actually, I was the craft. Dan was teaching our kids how to pray for their pastor and thought it would be good for them to practice on me. So I slipped away from the adults for a few minutes. Unfortunately, my entrance into the nursery didn't call the kids to prayer. For some reason the energy level of the kids in our church immediately increases when they see me; maybe because I'm usually chasing them, swinging them or flipping them.
After five minutes of helping Dan to try to convince the kids to pray for me I felt fresh appreciation for the job our nursery workers do every month! Finally Khalil stepped up and volunteered to pray as long as I would lead. It was my first experience leading someone in prayer for myself:)
Today my heroes are all of our kamikaze nursery volunteers! Our kids are being shaped and you make a lasting impact every time you give them a little glimpse of Jesus.
I've gotta agree on this one...and Dan Webb is one of the BEST nursery workers I've ever worked with. I worked in there with him the week after you were in there and it was so great to hear some of the kids pray aloud, because they were all given the chance to do it! Dan's patience didn't seem to fall short at all that night:)
Posted by: kim | February 01, 2007 at 11:54 AM
Brad...I loved your nursery blog.
I loved your memory of your dad.
Here's a memory I have that goes back to 1971 when my husband I were pastoring Bethany in Adrian. We were looking for a youth pastor (ie associate). After interviewing and hiring your dad and mom..my husband came home one day and said, "If I have ever been sure of anything in my life this is it...that Bill Leach is the young man we need in Adrian...He is a man of prayer...I love walking into the sanctuary and hearing him pray."
What a great heritage you have and I know his prayers have affected all of us who have been associated with this man of prayer.
I got an ipod for Christmas and am trying to learn how to download your sermons.
Love you Brad
Sis Clay
Posted by: Audrey Clay | February 14, 2007 at 11:10 AM