Fishing Guide for Dummies

I just finished reading an article in K! Magazine by Sam Luce.

For those that don’t know… I think Sam Luce is cool.  I read his blog regularly.  I admire his humility as a leader, father & Christ follower.  And I value is insight.

In his latest contribution to K! Magazine, “Fishing Guide for Dummies:  Don’t settle for nibblers“, Sam uses the fishing analogy to show us how we can get caught up in the wrong things within the kidmin world.  Here are my take-aways:

• You don’t need all the tools.  Just the right tools. Like professional fishermen, kids’ pastors can get caught up in the fishing equipment – comparing lures, wandering up and down the fishing aisle in Wal-mart, peering in other fishing boats to see what tackle they are using… Fishing is about following… You can’t lead others where you aren’t going yourself so following is essential.

• You can’t make a fish bite.  But you can make your hook attractive. …as a kids’ pastor, I myself have been challenged by this thought:  Does my life make following Christ look more attractive or less?

• Don’t tell fishing stories. Be authentic… You don’t have to know the answer to every question.  You just need to know the Guy who does.

• Don’t turn fishing into a sport. …we all know when the real work begins… when you have to clean the fish.  Everyone wants the photo op with the worlds largest fish, but who in their right mind wants to… clean out the guts.  Discipleship is not easy, but if we want our kids to follow Christ as we follow Christ, it is essential.  Discipleship can be a long, dirty, smelly, difficult process, but the results are worth every tear, every drop of sweat.  Don’t settle for the photo op.  God has called us to so much more.

Sam’s final encouragement is to read scriptures’ own “Fishing Guide for Dummies” in Luke 15 “until you are sick of it… then read it again”.

This article is a great reminder that no matter how ‘blinged out’ your kidmin space might be… if you aren’t willing to get down to the nitty-gritty of teaching parents how to teach their kids to follow Jesus, then you are likely to produce another statistically sound school of nibblers.

As always, I appreciate your thoughts, Sam.

If you’re not reading K! Magazine… you should.  It’s good stuff.  Get your subscription here.

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